Baey Yam Keng
Singapore
“Our next generation will have far greater opportunities to make their mark here. The Government will also guide them into the transport sector through scholarships, training and career development pathways, so that they can put their talents to good use and contribute to society.”
“I would say that the greening of bus stop roofs may not be something that is practical across all bus stops. I do not have the exact figures, but I am sure we must have tens of thousands of bus stops in Singapore. So, there is a cost element.”
“Based on earlier trials conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), fans have a limited impact on the ambient temperature in an exposed bus stop environment. Commuter feedback from the trials was also unfavourable. Most bus stops are also shaded by surrounding buildings and trees, reducing the effectiveness of solar installations.”
“Certainly. Members would remember that over the years and decades, our bus stop designs have evolved. We have to take into consideration various factors, not just the comfort of commuters who are waiting there but also the practicality of sighting of buses coming ahead as well as maintenance, safety and different factors like that.”
“I thank Ms Gho for her concern for the arts and the artists. Indeed, it is part of our commitment to provide affordable, accessible spaces for artists and arts groups. We have announced last year that we are doing a study on how the arts spaces provision can be better improved and the study is ongoing.”
“Speaker, the median and maximum waiting time for pedestrians at signalised junctions are 120 seconds and 140 seconds respectively. Wait times for pedestrians depend on the nature of road, junction size and configuration, as well as prevailing traffic volume.”
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“Chairman, can I take the three cuts together?”
“Madam, at the launch of NS50 last month, Minister Ng Eng Hen said that 50 years ago, "We pledged at the founding of our nation that we would never allow the circumstances that occurred in 1942 when Singapore fell to the Japanese during World War II to recur". Minister Ng spoke of the contributions of our Pioneer Generation of NSmen, noting that, in their time, "Singapore was threatened by Konfrontasi, the communist insurgency in Malaya and the possible fallout from the Vietnam War". When it was first started, NS was essential for the defence of a young nation. Our Pioneer Generation of NSmen was tasked with defending Singapore at a time when there was barely an SAF to speak of. Fifty years on, our region has benefited from several decades of relative peace and stability. We have a strong and capable SAF that has protected Singapore's borders and interests. Singapore is thriving and secure. Around the world, other countries, such as Lithuania, France and Sweden, have ended conscription, but, more recently, some are thinking of bringing it back. Against this backdrop, what role does NS play for Singapore and is it still as important? How does MINDEF continuously remind people, including would-be enlistees, NSFs, NSmen, as well as their families, employers and the public at large, of the evolving role but continued importance of NS?”
“Chairman, recent global developments point towards increasingly inward-looking and protectionist sentiments in countries, such as the UK and the US. The resulting uncertainty that pervades the region, coupled with the global economic slowdown, could have serious implications for Singapore. Recent leadership changes and upcoming elections in some of our neighbours would also have an impact on the current state and dynamics within our region. Trade is Singapore's lifeblood. Our trade figures are about two to three times our GDP. Our immediate economic hinterland would be our Southeast Asian neighbours. ASEAN comprises 620 million people with an estimated combined GDP of US$2.3 trillion. The region offers much potential and many opportunities for economic collaboration. In this context, I would like an update on the state of our economic relations with Southeast Asian countries and how has Singapore been strengthening our economic ties with our neighbours? How could and should our people and businesses contribute towards the relationship? Relations with EU/European Countries”
“Chairman, the ICJ's judgment in May 2008 had resolved a longstanding territorial dispute between Singapore and Malaysia in a peaceful and amicable manner. Both sides had undertaken to respect and abide by the ICJ's judgment. Then Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim had also described the outcome as a "win-win situation". Given the excellent state of our bilateral relations, Singaporeans were naturally concerned by Malaysia's application on 2 February this year to revise the ICJ's decision which awarded sovereignty over Pedra Branca to Singapore. Can the Minister elaborate on Singapore's response to Malaysia's application and whether this case will affect bilateral relations with Malaysia? Will ongoing projects, such as the High Speed Rail, be affected? The previous application to ICJ took about four years from submission to judgment. How long does MFA expect this revision to take and what would the key milestones be? Singapore-Indonesia Relations”
“Therefore, we have put in place a $15 million funding cap for each CMF recipient. This cap limits the amount of funding that each CMF recipient can obtain, and this will ensure that smaller groups can still tap on CMF over the longer term.”
“I thank the Member for his interest in CMF. Indeed, the Ministry is currently reviewing CMF and we are looking at the possibility of a new tranche when it runs out. As for the eligibility for the CMF matching, in order to qualify for CMF, applications must meet the following criteria. All arts and heritage charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) are eligible for CMF. But CMF may also consider other charities and IPCs that contribute significantly to the arts and heritage sectors. CMF will also only consider cash donations that are certified by a certified public accountant or auditor. So, in-kind donations will not be matched. CMF will also not match grants given by the Government or Statutory Boards, donations from ComChest, President's Challenge or similar entities. CMF will also match donations with benefits that are in line with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore guidelines on donations with benefits. In terms of calculation of the amount of cash donations, it is based on the amount that is received up to the previous financial year of the receiving organisation. So, applications which do not meet these above criteria will be rejected. On the Member's questions about the inclusion of national companies and museums, CMF's primary objective is to promote cultural philanthropy and to encourage individuals and corporations to include arts and heritage causes in their giving. National companies and museums, being larger organisations, are able to raise funds on a bigger scale and will have a greater impact to move the needle in raising public awareness of and support for cultural philanthropy. However, we are mindful that our national companies and museums should not crowd out the other smaller arts and heritage organisations.”
“All of Singapore will be behind you and every Team Singapore athlete who flies the flag for us so proudly, as you have done. [Applause.]”
“This will allow even more Singaporeans to join in the celebrations to share Joseph's and Singapore's joy and triumph of winning the Olympic Gold medal. Joseph's victory is another milestone in our nation's sporting journey. Like Joseph said, this Gold medal proves that even as a small country, we can do extraordinary things. We just need to believe in ourselves and work hard to chase our dreams. When Joseph first met Michael Phelps, he was a young star-struck teenager, hoping to one day compete alongside his idol. On Saturday, he went one step further, beating Phelps to the Olympic Gold medal. I am glad that our spexScholarships and Race to Rio programme has helped Joseph and the rest of our Olympians fly our flag high on a stage like this. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), together with Sport Singapore, will continue to support many more young athletes, who have no doubt been inspired by Joseph, to similarly excel and fulfil their sporting aspirations. Madam, in the coming weeks, our Paralympians will be heading to Rio. This year, we are sending our largest-ever contingent to the Paralympics: 12 athletes across six sports, and almost half of them are debutants. I met most of them at a Team Singapore Send-Off Reception last week. They were in high spirits and all ready to fly our flag high. I urge all Singaporeans to cheer them on with the same fervour and passion. Joseph and his family are here, so I want to convey my heartfelt congratulations to them once again. Joseph, I am sure your best years are still ahead of you. I am happy that your request to extend your National Service deferment has just been approved. [Applause.] All the best for the 2020 Olympic Games.”
“Mdm Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion to congratulate Joseph Schooling. To qualify for the Olympics is already an extraordinary achievement. To win an Olympic Gold medal is the dream of every Olympian. For many athletes and nations around the world, the dream remains a dream. For Joseph and Singapore, the dream has become reality. I was at the OCBC Aquatic Centre to witness this historic moment with the Singapore Swimming Association and the rest of the local swimming fraternity. There were cheers, ecstatic screams and hugs when Joseph won the race in record time. It was an amazing moment that I share with all Singaporeans and one that I will never forget. From a young age while swimming for ACS (Independent), Joseph was already breaking Schools and National age-group records. At 16, he was also the youngest ever to be crowned Sportsman of the Year, an accolade he would go on to win two more times. His achievement at the Rio Olympics is the culmination of years of hard work and unwavering support from his family and friends around him. So, congratulations once again to Joseph, as well as to Mr and Mrs Schooling! This morning, I was at the airport to receive Joseph with many other Singaporeans, and I could feel the sense of pride and joy of those around me as we welcomed home Singapore's first-ever Olympic Gold medallist. The entire nation cheered him on while he was in Rio and now we will celebrate together as One Team Singapore. Not everyone could make it to the airport this morning. So, I am delighted that Sport Singapore is planning an open top bus victory parade out on the streets to celebrate Joseph's achievement.”
“Mdm Chair, I think the Yishun Swimming Complex will be upgraded or rebuilt in time to come. And when it is done, it will be the most modern, the latest and most exciting swimming pool for the Member's residents. Just to clarify on the constraints we have, it is not just engineering contractors but also foreign workers. I think this is something that the Government is managing in terms of managing the sentiments out there and also the influx of foreign workers that we have in Singapore. So, I hope for the Member's understanding.”
“Mdm Chair, I just would like to respond to Mr Louis Ng. I think the EIA has to be done promptly and professionally. Any player who has the right expertise and experience would be considered favourably. I am sure local players might have an advantage because they know the flora and fauna of Coney Island much better.”
“I thank Er Dr Lee for the clarification. On a national level, I am sure Er Dr Lee is aware that it is not just construction; it is the workers, engineers where there is a shortage, given the different projects around the island. On a national level, we have to take a phased approach so that there is not a sudden spike in demand for construction manpower, expertise that cannot be met and also to ensure that the quality of works is up to standard. But be assured, Er Dr Lee, in Nee Soon, I know you are very concerned. You are very concerned about the swimming pool. We have instructed SportSG to specially look at the swimming pool in Yishun, whether there are any repairs that are needed to be done. We would do it to make sure that her residents are able to enjoy the facilities at Yishun swimming pool. We also boost the programming to attract residents to enjoy the facilities there. But for information, besides Yishun, we also have other sports centres in the vicinity. In fact, in the coming years, there will be new developments in Ang Mo Kio, the Ang Mo Kio Wet Play Field, as well as in Sembawang. These are not in Yishun, but are in quite close proximity where the residents can venture to.”
“(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Kok is right. Since traditional arts have a long history, the technical skills required can take a long time to train, for example, in the case of dance and Chinese opera. Hence, NAC is providing more support to traditional arts groups. The Traditional Arts Master Plan will provide more resources to these arts groups, not only in production and training, but also helping them develop their audiences. This is because the arts, especially traditional arts, need to be supported and enjoyed by the audience. So, in this aspect, I hope traditional arts groups can put more thought into cultivating their audiences. Not long ago, I attended a performance by Sheng Hong Arts Institute and got to know their artistic director. She is a young lady whose mother is a traditional Chinese dance practitioner. She is an NAC scholarship recipient and went overseas to study. After coming back, she became Sheng Hong's artistic director. I noticed that their students are of different age groups, including some very adorable children who are keen to learn traditional Chinese dance. It is truly encouraging to see so many young people and children who like traditional arts. NAC will continue to support the development of traditional arts. I hope that Singapore audiences will also support our traditional arts practitioners.”
“This is a nation of resilient communities, a cohesive and caring society of engaged citizens and, most importantly, a Singapore that Singaporeans are proud to call home.”
“This is a partnership between artists and teachers as they seek to incorporate the arts more holistically in a preschool environment. The arts experience in schools will continue to be supplemented with children- and family-friendly programming at our arts institutions. In July last year, for instance, the Aliwal Arts Centre organised the third edition of its Aliwal Arts Night Crawl, a family- and youth-centric festival. One of the popular activities was Uncle Rajah's Flying Carpet Tales, a mesmerising Singaporean folk tale story-telling session by Chris Mooney-Singh of Word Forward, otherwise known as Uncle Rajah. While existing arts centres like The Esplanade and Aliwal Arts Centre will continue to feature family-friendly and children's programmes in their regular line-up of activities, NAC will dedicate a space within Goodman Arts Centre specifically for children's arts activities to give even more options to families and schools. Parents can look forward to spending quality time together with their kids through a variety of multi-disciplinary arts programmes, including dance, music and theatre performances and story-telling sessions. Mdm Chair, in conclusion, MCCY will continue to provide platforms to help citizens lead active and engaged lives and build shared experiences with fellow Singaporeans. Through arts, heritage and sports, there are plenty of opportunities for all of us to be involved even in the heartlands. We Page: 43 will continue to nurture and develop talents in arts and sports, even from a very young age. Following the SG50 Celebrations, as we take stock and look ahead to SG100, we are committed to partnering citizens to realise our shared vision and to build a better future for all Singaporeans.”
“Ms Alex Yam and Ms Rahayu Mahzam spoke about making arts and culture accessible to young children, especially those from lower-income families. The Senior Minister of State spoke about the ArtReach programme, which aims to build a more inclusive community through arts. As part of ArtReach, NAC and the Community Development Councils (CDCs) launched the WeCare Arts Fund in 2014, comprising $1.5 million over three years, to support artist-led projects which promote arts to the less-privileged. To date, we have supported a total of 115 VWOs; reaching out to 4,300 beneficiaries and conducting over 160 arts programmes. I agree that we should expose children to arts and culture early so that we can better help them develop creativity and confidence. NAC and ECDA also signed a two-year memorandum of understanding in April 2015 to implement new initiatives to promote and integrate arts education in preschools. In 2016, the preschool Arts Education Programme will be expanded to 55 centres to bring even more arts programmes by professional artists and arts instructors to preschools. Soka Kindergarten, for instance, worked with Kavanagh Dance on an Artist-in-School Scheme project to help teachers integrate dance and movement into the school's curriculum. This was a rare but enriching experience for the Soka Kindergarten teachers to collaborate with artists like Ms Gloria Soh in the classroom and to help their students gain confidence through music and dance. Expanding from these programmes, NAC will also pilot a whole-centre arts-based approach with anchor operator NTUC My First Skool (MFS). We will start with its new MFS Edgefield Plains centre in Punggol which is opening this June.”
“(In English): Mdm Chair, besides major festivals and programmes in schools, NAC is also partnering the National Museum of Singapore to establish a dedicated space within the museum where digital media will be used to provide an immersive environment for visitors to engage with traditional arts. We will continue to find new ways to engage Singaporeans, especially our digital-savvy youths, whether in sports, arts or heritage. The digital space is one that cuts across boundaries. During the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games last year, we saw how a simple hashtag like #OneTeamSG could connect Singaporeans separated physically, but united in their support for and pride of our athletes. And we will continue to tap on digital spaces and social media platforms to encourage live participation and interaction, whether you are at a sports centre, gallery or museum. 1.45 pm Page: 42 To complement visits to our museums and reach out to a wider audience, NHB will be launching its new Heritage Portal, Roots.sg. Besides providing access to our entire national collection online, Roots.sg presents heritage resources in a much more dynamic manner. So, if you are a teacher preparing to bring your students on a heritage trail in Kampong Glam, check out Roots.sg. You can view the sites and monuments on the trail, click on links to find out more about the history and download worksheets for your students. Your students, too, can watch videos of traditional trades in Kampong Glam and do further research after the excursion. So, whether you are a serious researcher or just a curious young student, Roots.sg will provide a new dimension for you to explore and learn more about our history and heritage.”
“About 50,000 audience members enjoyed their performances. NAC will continue to work with Gardens by the Bay to showcase traditional arts performances at this year's festival. If you dropped by River Hongbao this year, you may also remember the lively 乖小丑 performance by the young students of Sheng Hong Arts Institute. They are adorable and full of energy, so it is no wonder why the performance was so well-received. I think we can and should find more platforms for traditional arts performers to showcase their talents to an even wider audience. That is why we are also working with companies, such as Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Dance Theatre, Era Dance Theatre and Ding Yi Music Company, to bring their signature traditional arts programmes to the heartlands and closer to residents. To reach out to younger audiences, we will be commissioning traditional arts groups to produce traditional arts programmes with interactive elements to be staged in schools. NAC is currently working with Traditional Arts Centre to develop an original and age-appropriate Chinese opera production to perform at different schools. We are also piloting a series of bite-sized programmes by local and regional arts companies customised for pre-schools and primary schools to deepen our young Singaporeans' understanding of our multicultural society during Racial Harmony Day in July. As a start, we will introduce these taster programmes at five schools in 2016. We hope that through these initiatives, we can help our younger ones better enjoy and appreciate traditional arts.”
“It is a tiered membership programme to reach out to the community and corporates so that it can grow sustainably and consolidate a fan base. Apsaras also established Dance India Asia Pacific, an intensive programme where students develop their techniques in Indian classical dance, taught by renowned international practitioners. Another example is NADI Singapura, a traditional Malay drums and percussion company that was also supported by NAC's Seed and now Major Grant. NADI was founded by 31-year-old Riduan Zalani, who seeks to push the boundaries of traditional music by infusing modern elements Page: 41 in his works. More importantly, Riduan, also a recipient of last year's National Young Artist Award, hopes to spread the love of traditional arts to other young musicians and audiences. To identify and encourage potential musical talents in the traditional arts sector, NAC organises the triennial National Indian Music Competition and biennial National Chinese Music Competition. These competitions enable musicians in Singapore to develop their performing skills and raise their musical standards and provide opportunities for musicians to perform in a competitive environment. NAC also has a Malay music enrichment course that was developed for Malay practitioners who do not have the benefit of formal music training. Mdm Chair, allow me to speak in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] To reach out to a broader audience, we want to raise the visibility of traditional arts through key community and artistic platforms. For example, at last year's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at Gardens by the Bay, traditional arts groups, like Dicapella Dizi Ensemble and Nam Hwa Opera, put up nightly cultural shows for 10 days.”
“For instance, the recent Armenian Street Party 2016 was organised and supported by stakeholders in the Bras Basah-Bugis Precinct, not just institutions like the Peranakan Museum and Singapore Management University, but also cultural groups like Dance Ensemble Singapore, the Peranakan community and shops in the vicinity. We are just starting out on this journey to involve local communities in our place-making efforts and we encourage both artists and arts groups and intermediaries, as well as residents and community stakeholders to step forward, collaborate with one another to build and develop the character of local precincts around the island. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked how we are stepping up efforts to support traditional arts, facilitate cross-cultural understanding and help Singapore better appreciate our roots. We are, indeed, looking at ways to uplift the traditional arts sector and keep traditional arts relevant and accessible to Singaporeans. We will continue to professionalise and nurture the next generation of traditional arts talent. NAC's funding to traditional arts groups has almost doubled in the last five years from $1.26 million in FY2011 to $2.51 million in FY2015. Many of the arts organisations supported by NAC's Major Grant Scheme have a strong focus on developing quality traditional arts programmes and are also actively reaching out to the community. In fact, in the recently announced list of NAC Major Grant recipients, more than one third are traditional arts groups. An example is Apsaras Arts, a former recipient of NAC's Seed Grant and now Major Grant. Besides creating works and staging performances, Apsaras Arts also started DEVATA – Friends of Apsaras Arts.”
“I agree with Mr Kok Heng Leun on the importance of intermediaries for the growth of community arts. Examples of such intermediaries include ArtsWok, the Singapore Drama Educators Association, Art Outreach and National Book Development Council Singapore and these Page: 40 are already being funded by NAC's Major and Seed Grants. These grants allow them to focus on their professional development and to produce high quality programmes that can better reach out to their various beneficiaries and target audiences. Mr Kok Heng Leun also spoke about setting appropriate targets for arts groups. We can assure him that the objectives for Major and Seed Grant companies are customised to reflect the companies' vision, target audience and programmes. For example, a performing arts company's KPIs could include audience outreach at their performances and training workshops for practitioners, while an intermediary's KPIs would also consider the quality of the experience rather than just outreach numbers alone. In fact, NAC will be conducting a review of the Major Grant framework and we welcome ideas on how to improve the schemes, including KPIs. Mr Kok Heng Leun also pointed out that a space does not simply become a place without support from the local community and we recognise the importance of creative place-making being relational and ground-up. Minister Grace Fu shared our plans to continue investing in programming and marketing efforts to revitalise the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct and the Civic District. And this needs to go hand in hand with community ownership and strong support from the arts and heritage groups within the areas.”
“By partnering citizens to co-create artworks, we can involve residents who are new to art, enliven conventional community spaces and bring these enriching experiences closer to home. In fact, last year's PAssionArts partnered the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) to bring the arts experience into the homes of residents in the heartlands. Artist-mentors were engaged to work with 25 homeowners to transform their living rooms into theatres. So, even ordinary Singaporeans had the opportunity to work with artist-mentors to co-create art works for a prominent festival like SIFA. As Mr Kok Heng Leun highlighted, the Arts and Culture Strategic Review has seen significant investment to increase the accessibility of community arts and we agree that efforts to promote community arts should go beyond one-off projects to bring opportunities to experience and participate in art-making to the community. It should look at how the arts can be made a more integral part of our lives. That is why initiatives like PAssionArts and the Arts in your Neighbourhood series are ongoing efforts. We will continue to broaden access and the reach of the arts and enhance the quality and diversity of programmes to deepen engagement within the community. For instance, we have, under the New Grants Framework, supported arts practitioners and organisations to engage and collaborate with communities. Mr Kok mentioned the ArtsWok Collective, which NAC's Seed Grant proudly founded. The group, together with Drama Box, worked closely with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital to produce a series of artworks, inviting the public to reflect on and share their thoughts on the culturally-sensitive issues of death and dying.”
“We hope that, over time, mindsets will change and more Page: 39 parents will support their children's aspirations to go into sports and more schools are willing to exercise greater flexibility for student athletes to pursue their sporting goals. So, quoting Mr Ganesh, "Let's be sporting about our children's choice in sports". Mdm Chair, I would like now to speak about how we are reaching out to the community through the arts and heritage. Dr Teo Ho Pin spoke about promoting community arts. Our community arts programmes and initiatives have been specially designed to make the arts more accessible to all Singaporeans. The Arts in your Neighbourhood series reached out to almost 90,000 attendees in 2015. This year, we will be making the series more attractive with interactive projects that the community can participate in. So, we welcome Dr Teo Ho Pin to offer Bukit Panjang Art Street to play host to future editions of Arts in our Neighbourhood. We will also continue to develop more Arts and Culture Community Nodes to dedicate more community spaces for the arts. Through the PAssionArts programme and the annual PAssionArts Festival, we have been boosting exposure, interest and participation in community arts by residents and grassroots enthusiasts. This adds buzz and builds attachment to community spaces. A great example of this is the beautifully painted Kolam Ayer Bridge. Named "Rainbow", this work of art was designed by local Visual Artist Shah Rizzal and painted by more than 200 residents of Kolam Ayer. Under the PAssionArts Hotspots programme, residents can also showcase their other artworks right in the heart of the neighbourhood, in spaces like hawker centres, parks and playgrounds.”
“Mr Alex Yam will be happy to note that table tennis is one of the nine identified sports, and NYSI is working closely with the Singapore Table Tennis Association to provide targeted sports science support for national youth team paddlers from SSP as well as from other mainstream schools. In time, NYSI's partnership with NSAs could expand beyond these nine sports. In addition, the institute has started working with various partners including MOE, the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) and NSAs to build more pathways for sporting talents to emerge and to provide more opportunities for these junior athletes to grow and develop their potential in sports and, more importantly, in life. Mr Alex Yam asked how NYSI will complement the existing SSI which is under SportSG. NYSI is aimed at supporting our high-performing student athletes from age 12 to 18, while SSI supports older elite athletes who are competing at the senior level. The training design, strength and conditioning programme and recovery for young adolescent athlete are quite different from an adult athlete. For instance, when do you start with weight training? How intense and for how long? These are important questions which our team of specialists can now provide answers to. Nonetheless, NYSI and SSI will work closely together to strengthen the national athlete pipeline and build a seamless progression pathway for current and future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen. We hope to show through these programmes that more talented athletes will pursue their dreams of representing Singapore.”
“We hope to hear more of such stories and we need to work with parents, schools and corporates to build an environment conducive to the pursuit of sports excellence from young. That Page: 38 is why we have the Sports School, the spexEducation Scheme and the spexBusiness Network to help athletes cope with the demands of studies or career through flexible academic and work arrangements. 1.30 pm The spexBusiness Network has tripled in size to 30 partners over the past two years and includes the likes of Deloitte and NTUC FairPrice, which were also sponsors of the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games. To date, we have 72 athletes emplaced with these companies, so thank you for the support. Let me elaborate on how we are developing a pipeline of new talents. Just last year, students and alumni from the Singapore Sports School contributed 70 out of 259 medals at the SEA Games. Building on the success of the Singapore Sports School (SSP), we recently set up the National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI) to support our youth athletes in their pursuit of sporting excellence. This dedicated support for youth training and development will extend beyond SSP to other mainstream schools, starting with selected sports. For a start, in 2016, we expect about 200 non-SSP youth athletes, starting with nine identified sports, to benefit from the support by NYSI and its partners, including sport science and athlete life management services. At steady state, NYSI will support up to 400 carded youth national athletes from mainstream schools. It will do so by working with National Sports Associations (NSAs) to develop their systems for youth coaching and youth athlete development as well as long-term development plans for promising youth athletes.”
“At the recent SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, our spexScholars contributed about one-third of Team Singapore's medal haul. Several of them have also qualified for Rio 2016. Other carded athletes receive training allowances, coaching and sports medicine and sports science services under the various spexSchemes. Team Singapore athletes who have qualified or are on track to qualify for the Games are supported under the spexScholarship and Race to Rio programmes, where they are provided with enhanced support that they need to prepare for the Games. Even as they excel on the international stage, many of our athletes, like Yip Pin Xiu, give back to the wider community. Ex-national footballers have joined ActiveSG Football Academy as Sport Ambassadors to groom the next generation of football lovers. Our national badminton players conduct clinics for aspiring shuttlers at our sports centres. Micky Lin, our national netball team captain, shared with young Singaporeans at a recent forum about her life growing up and how she managed to balance studies with her sporting pursuits. Beyond excelling in the field, our athletes are developing a following, spreading a sporting culture and making a positive difference to the lives of other Singaporeans. I agree with Mr Ganesh Rajaram that it takes a village to raise a champion. In fact, I am very heartened by Mr and Mrs Ganesh's unwavering support for their son's aspiration to pursue a professional career in football. He told me that his son has already represented his football club in the Under-16 World Club Championships in Sweden last July. So, that is a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to him!”
“In the interim, we will continue to step up programming efforts under ActiveSG in Yishun, as well as other areas. For example, at Yishun Sports Centre, as part of the popular ActiveSG School Holiday Sports Programmes, we recently conducted camps for basketball and flippa ball, which is modified water polo in shallow pools. We have also conducted mini-tennis programmes in schools, including Naval Base Primary School in Nee Soon South. With the launch of the ActiveSG Tennis Academy later this year, mini-tennis programmes will also be offered to the wider public at our sports centres and indoor sports halls under the Dual-Use Scheme in Yishun as well as other areas. I would like to assure Members that we remain committed to providing more accessible common spaces for the community to play sports and bond through sports. As part of SFMP, we have worked with MOE to open up 15 new indoor sports halls in 2015. Over the last year, we have had more than 200,000 bookings for facilities under the Dual-Use Scheme. So, we now have almost 80 indoor sports halls and close to 140 school fields across the island available for public use after school hours. We aim to open up all the remaining indoor sports halls and fenced fields in Government primary and secondary schools under the Dual-Use Scheme by around 2020. As we provide sporting opportunities and spaces for all Singaporeans, we remain committed to sports excellence. Members like Mr Ganesh Rajaram, Mr Darryl David and Mr Alex Yam highlighted the importance of supporting our athletes. We are now providing our athletes with a wide range of support. We have more than 70 elite athletes from 16 different sports under the spexScholarship.”
“For example, we recently launched the ActiveSG Football Academy under the leadership of former national player Aleksandar Duric. The Academy will benefit many youths, including nine-year-old Ong Kai Le from Canberra Primary School, who was not selected for his school's football team, but has a strong passion for football. Through the Academy, he will now have more opportunities not only to play football, but also to learn and improve in the sport. In the upcoming months, we will roll out Basketball and Tennis Academies as well as Athletics Club, giving more opportunities for the public to pick up a new sport, develop both sporting and life skills, and possibly go on to pursue the sport competitively. Besides providing events and programmes for members, we also want to enhance the gotong-royong spirit through the ActiveSG movement, by allowing members and community partners to take on more active roles in designing and implementing programmes at our sports centres. To rejuvenate our shared sporting spaces, we partnered the students of Fernvale Primary School to liven up the walls of Sengkang Sports Centre with their murals, and we hope to expand this to other sports centres as well. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about improving our sporting facilities, which we aim to achieve under the Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP). As Members are aware, we are continuing to work on several major projects in Bedok, Punggol, Sembawang and Tampines as part of SFMP. Due to the phasing of public sector infrastructure projects at the national level to manage constraints, such as construction manpower, upcoming developments in the pipeline will have to be phased out Page: 37 over the longer term, probably after 2020. But not to worry, Er Dr Lee.”
“Thank you. At last year's SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, we saw the power of sports in bringing together Singaporeans from all walks of life, as we celebrated our athletes' achievements as One Team Singapore. We will continue to build a stronger community and inspire the Singapore spirit through sports. Mr Henry Kwek asked how we will continue to provide quality opportunities so that we can make sports a lifestyle for Singaporeans. As Minister Grace Fu shared, ActiveSG, our national movement for sports, has attracted more than one million members since its launch in April 2014. Working adults currently make up more than half of the membership. Almost two-thirds of members have started to utilise their $100 ActiveSG credits. Last year, our public sports facilities had more than 15 million visitors. Going beyond facilities, we continued to offer innovative programmes at our sports centres, such as Piloxing, which is a fusion of pilates, boxing and dance, or Stand Up Paddling, a mix of canoeing and surfing. It is heartening to see so many Singaporeans onboard ActiveSG, but what is more important is for members to continue participating in sports, even as they transit across different life stages. That is why we are stepping up efforts for sports to score four "As" − Available, Accessible, Anytime, Anywhere. We will expand ActiveSG programmes and grow the sporting capabilities in a number of sports domains to encourage broad-based participation and for people to stay engaged in the sport. Through the ActiveSG Sports Academies and Clubs, there will be a variety of opportunities and structured programmes for Singaporeans to keep an active lifestyle.”
“Mdm Chair, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann spoke earlier about the importance of strengthening our social glue and building a more cohesive society. At the same Page: 36 time, we also want to create common spaces and shared experiences through sports, heritage and arts, for us to come together, build stronger bonds and develop to our fullest potential. Mdm Chair, with your permission, I would like to display some slides on the screen.”
“Minister Grace Fu also indicated in March on her Facebook post that MSO is now ready to extend the collaboration to other Town Councils. How many Town Councils will be partnering MSO and when can we expect to come onboard? Besides improving feedback management, are there other initiatives under this collaboration with the Town Councils? Can MSO also look at matters under private companies providing public services, for example Singapore Power and telecommunications companies? These companies have pipes, cables and meters at HDB common corridors and residents tend to complain to the Town Council when something is amiss. The Town Council refers the feedback accordingly to the respective companies but the tracking and closing of loops need to be better managed. Would MSO be able to look into this by tapping on the existing system with public agencies? Use of Technology”
“Bees or birds on roadside trees are referred to NParks while those on trees on state land are handled by HDB, and Town Councils will handle insect or bird complaints on trees in common properties of HDB. Unlike grass and trees, rodents move, insects and birds fly. Residents can complain to the Town Council about a pest problem, but the nest or source could be across the boundary in a non-Town Council area. In a compact environment where land boundaries of various agencies are in close proximity, having multiple agencies work together to manage a pest problem is not efficient and often not effective. The current approach of handling such issues by referral to different agencies is based on land boundary. I would like to ask MSO to identify such similar functions that are handled by various agencies and have them integrated to avoid duplication of services. MSO – Pilot with Town Councils Mdm Chair, the Town Councils play an important role in residents' experiences with municipal services as Town Councils maintain the common spaces of HDB estates. As such, many residents approach the Town Councils with feedback on municipal issues. Some of these fall under the public agencies' purview and we have to redirect to the agencies accordingly. Therefore, as the Chairman of Tampines Town Council, I am glad to hear that MSO started a pilot with Jurong and Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Councils last year to finetune feedback management protocols and to better channel feedback cases to the right agency for follow-up. It has been a year since the pilot started. I would like to understand how the pilot has helped to improve feedback management between Town Councils and the public agencies.”
“Mdm Chair, last year, MSO announced that NParks will take over all greenery maintenance works, like grass-cutting, that were previously done by different agencies such as the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB). I would like to ask the Minister how that is panning out and the challenges faced. I note that the new arrangement does not include grassland under the Town Councils' responsibility. However, there are areas where a plot of Town Council land and another plot under NParks are side by side, for example a strip of land between Tampines Block 498 cluster and the Tampines Expressway, which does not have a clear physical boundary. I would like to suggest that MSO assign just one agency, so in this case, either NParks or Tampines Town Council, to handle the grass-cutting for better maintenance. Currently, when both agencies have different schedules, there is no one time when the grass of the entire strip is nicely cut. Apart from public greenery maintenance, there are still other municipal services today that are provided by several different agencies. Having similar issues handled by various agencies could slow down response time to feedback, especially when it is not clear which agency should be the one to follow up or if no agency steps up to take up the lead. One area that MSO could look into is the treatment of pest problems. Pests as defined by the National Environment Agency (NEA) include rodents, mosquitoes and cockroaches while general wildlife handled by AVA includes crows and pigeons which can also become pests.”
“My question for MOE is: "How can we ensure that ECG counsellors stay knowledgeable and updated on what is happening in industries, so that they provide good education and career guidance to students?"”
“Mdm Chair, I would like to speak for parents of children who increasingly seek advice on education and career, as well as for those who have chosen to answer the call to be an education and career guidance (ECG) counsellor. Students, and their parents, are naturally anxious about their future. We know that some students feel pressured to consider popular jobs or pathways that may actually not be suited to their strengths. Some may not know what is available and others may simply want a second opinion. So, they look to the experts, or ECG counsellors, for assistance. ECG counsellors are vested with heavy responsibility, and yet they are only human. Many are former educators or industry professionals. Already, it is no easy job to have at one's fingertips knowledge about the education system. It is harder still to imagine that ECG counsellors would have come into their role with knowledge about all kinds of jobs. There are new jobs in emerging fields, and existing jobs are constantly evolving. Even industry experts find it challenging to predict what jobs will continue to exist, how Page: 48 they will change, how pay levels will evolve, and the whims of demand and supply. When I was a young boy, my ambition was to be a teacher. I conducted lessons for my two younger brothers and made them do homework. However, I do not think I did so then because I had a lofty desire to nurture the younger generation, probably more to lord over my siblings. Looking back, I had wanted to be a teacher then simply because it was the only job I knew. As a child or even teenager, our exposure was limited. That is where ECG counsellors help to fill the gap. Yet, students and parents need to be assured that the ECG counsellors have adequate and updated knowledge to provide good advice.”
“On that note, I would like to ask MOE what are the additional or new types of SkillsFuture courses that will be open for Singaporeans, including seniors, because only then can we truly promote lifelong learning. I would also like to ask the Minister on the uptake of this programme thus far, including the profile of Singaporeans who have utilised their SkillsFuture credits. SkillsFuture and Private Education Institutions”
“Mdm Chair, I commend the Government for the introduction of SkillsFuture. It is a significant commitment in Singapore's next phase of people development. The success of SkillsFuture lies in building a culture of lifelong learning. Each individual must have an intrinsic motivation to identify his areas of interests and pursue them to achieve deeper skills mastery. So, I was heartened by the introduction of the SkillsFuture Credit earlier this year. This will empower everyone to chart and embark upon his or her own lifelong learning journey. I have received several initial positive feedback on the SkillsFuture Credit from residents and others. Some are still thinking about how they should use their credits, but a few others have already started to explore courses that they would not have had taken otherwise. This, I think, is a good development, as it spurs individuals to start thinking about their own learning journeys. Last month, I opened an exhibition by the first batch of SkillsFuture students who completed a course in Digital Photography Technology and Techniques at UniSIM. The students came from all walks of life. There was a freelance photographer who said that the course has enhanced his skills. Another student, who is a corporate trainer, told me that with better photography skills, he could make his teaching materials more interesting. I have requests from senior citizens to transfer their SkillsFuture credits into their MediSave or their children's SkillsFuture account, as they could not find a suitable course. Some said that they are already in their 70s or 80s; what more can they learn or should they learn? To be fully effective, the list of courses eligible for the SkillsFuture Credit should cater to a broader range of interests.”
“I have also not been furnished the total cost of business trip to Italy. I have to finally state categorically that I manage 300+ men. The standards I set have to be complied with by the rest of the men. It is not as simple as you may think." I am glad that my resident eventually managed to get permission to go on his incentive trip, but not the extension. However, I feel that the CO could have been friendlier and understanding when he dealt with the company which was appealing for its staff. I am sure such instances are very rare, but I do hope that MINDEF could advise their officers to be more mindful.”
“The Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD) serves as a channel for the community to provide feedback on issues concerning Singapore's defence. Besides the NSmen, regulars and NSmen, the buy-in extends to their families, friends, colleagues and society at large. Practically everyone in Singapore has a stake. ACCORD members have played and are playing a significant part in building public acceptance and support for Singapore's security and defence needs. Can MINDEF provide an update on the work of various ACCORD Councils in the past year? How extensive and representative has public engagement been and will be done? Mdm Chair, building buy-in from stakeholders and the larger community is a two-way process. SAF also has to be understanding, accommodating and compassionate while maintaining the integrity of our defence system where it is the duty of every Singaporean man. Recently, a resident came to my Meet-the-People session to appeal for a 15-day exemption from a one-month-long mobilisation manning period. This is because his company just sent him on a five-day incentive trip to Europe for his outstanding work performance. But he only got to know about this one week before the manning period. As it was a rare opportunity for him, he would like to extend his trip for another 11 days on a personal holiday. So, the human resources department of his company, which is a major local bank, emailed to the SAF to appeal for him. It was a very cordial and professional email. So, I was quite surprised with the tone of the reply by the Commanding Officer (CO), and I quote an extract: "I still have the prerogative to fully reject his request to even go for the business trip, let alone the personal trip. I have not received his payslip and commission.”
“At the signing of CSP, Prime Minister Lee announced that Singapore and Australia also intend to conclude a defence cooperation agreement in 2016. So, what are the defence implications of CSP and how is MINDEF working to enhance defence relations with Australia? Multilateral Fora Mdm Chair, the inaugural meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) was held in May 2006. It was set up as the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. Four years later, ADMM-Plus was convened to serve as a platform for practical cooperation between ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the US. It has since met twice. I would like to ask MINDEF if it could share why it engages other countries' defence establishments and militaries through these multilateral platforms. What has been achieved and what are some new areas of practical cooperation being explored through such multilateral fora? With the realisation of ASEAN Community 2015, how will ASEAN bring regional defence cooperation to new heights? 1.30 pm Mdm Chair, I understand that one of the areas of cooperation under ADMM is on disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in order for more united and effective response when a disaster strikes the region. In that respect, can MINDEF share how ASEAN members have worked together in recent regional disasters like the Sabah earthquake? The current regional security landscape is also characterised by non-traditional security challenges, such as maritime security and the rise of violence and brutality committed by extremist organisations and radical groups. How are the multilateral fora helping Singapore to be better prepared for these new challenges?”
“Mdm Chair, as a little red dot surrounded by much larger countries, Singapore's security is inextricably linked to our ties with our neighbours. It is, therefore, for very good reasons that Singapore shares long-standing defence ties with Malaysia, Indonesia as well as Brunei. It is known that senior MINDEF and SAF officials meet with their counterparts regularly. SAF also engages in regular bilateral exercises, high-level visits and professional exchanges. With changes in leadership, developments in geopolitical situation, set in the context of an evolving regional and international security scene, how have our ties kept up with the times and different priorities? I would also like to ask MINDEF for an update on the state of our bilateral defence relationships with our immediate neighbours. What are some recent exchanges that have taken place and how have these enhanced the interests of Singapore? Defence Relations with Australia In June 2015, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and then-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott signed the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Under CSP, the two countries aim to deepen cooperation across four fields: trade and economics, foreign affairs, defence and security, and people-to-people ties through a roadmap known as Project 2025. On defence and security, CSP will build on strong existing ties between Singapore and Australia's defence establishments. Singapore and Australia are part of the Five-Power Defence Arrangements and both countries' armed forces have deployed alongside each other in the Middle East. Australia currently hosts military training by the Singapore Army and RSAF.”
“As part of the funding principles of NAC, there is a requirement and understanding with the arts groups and the applicants that they should not put any public institutions in a bad light or put them in a derogatory position. It is in this context that was quoted by Arts Engage that the funding was re-considered. But also, there was a change in substance of the content of the works that were first submitted for application and the eventual product that was produced by the artist. So, there was a difference in what was submitted earlier. There was also some of this to and fro that happened. Among the many applications and support that NAC has given to the many arts groups and artists in Singapore, these are a minute minority of cases which the group has pointed out. As I said in my speech, in MCCY and NAC, our role is to advocate the arts. We will stand on the side of the artists in their pursuit of artistic excellence. We hope to create and develop a bigger common space so that Singaporeans and the community-at-large can enjoy the works of our very talented artists in Singapore.”
“I thank Ms Sylvia Lim for the question. I was the President of the Volleyball Association for eight years. Honestly, I do not know a lot about volleyball. But the Association had benefited from various Presidents coming from Parliament through our networks, through our grassroots experience and they have continued to request for us to continue and for other Members to succeed when our term ends. As I mentioned, currently, there are only eight NSAs with Members of Parliament at their leadership. A huge majority of NSAs do not. The Government does not ban politicians from entering NSAs nor dictate that the leadership must be helmed by Members in this Chamber. So, it is really up to NSAs to decide and to elect their president, their leadership as they deem fit, that is, in the best interest of the NSA.”
“Mdm Speaker, let me conclude by re-affirming my support for the Motion and for the President's call to partner citizens in writing the next chapter of the Singapore Story, as we progress towards a better, more inclusive nation in SG100.”
“Others did not even try, for two reasons: either they did not think they stood a chance, or they did not see the need then. To be fair to them, Singapore only started to make a bigger distinction between citizens and PRs in the last five to 10 years. For a long time, PRs were treated no differently from citizens. Hence, many of them did not bother with the hassle of going through the paperwork. But now, there is a huge difference between subsidies for PRs and citizens especially in education and healthcare, for very good and valid reasons. While education may not be the top priority for this group of residents at this phase of their life, healthcare cost is. So, do we begrudge them that they are now seemingly only re-aligning their loyalty or allegiance for selfish interests? Yes, indeed, they may now realise that by not being citizens in Singapore, they would face higher medical expenses. But it is probably their Singaporean children who have to shoulder the heavier burden. What matters to them too is that after all these years in Singapore, they hope to able to travel with their children without having to apply for visas. They hope to queue in the same line when they are at the Singapore immigration counters, or simply to rest in peace as Singaporeans. There is a Chinese saying, 没有功劳，也有苦劳. While these people may not be well-qualified in education, may not earn a high income, they have contributed to Singapore, even as a housewife, taking care of children, raising a family of children. They have done their part as good member of the Singapore society and the Singapore community. Therefore, I hope the Government can give this group of long-time PRs from Malaysia special consideration and concession in their citizenship application.”
“Madam, I would like to clarify in the House again that leadership in NSAs is not dictated by the Government. Madam, let me now touch on my last topic of today's speech, long-time PRs. There is a group of Permanent Residents or PRs in Singapore who have been calling Singapore home for decades but they do not enjoy the privilege of having our red passport or pink IC. Many of them live through the years when Singapore and Malaysia were both British colonies, when Singapore joined and subsequently separated from Malaysia. Typically, they will fall in such a profile: with little or no education, about 60 years old and above and have raised a family of children who are Singapore Citizens. Usually, only they themselves or sometimes with their spouses, still hold Malaysian passports. I have seen enough appeals for citizenships and permanent residency to speculate that ICA look at the following key factors in assessing the application: applicants' educational level, income status, age and how well they have integrated into the Singapore community. This group I am speaking up for today, most probably or most definitely, would fail the first three criteria miserably. They would also fail the minimum English Language standard for new citizens as proposed by Member Darryl David. However, they would be able to strike a good conversation with many of our Pioneer Generation members in Mandarin, dialects, Malay, Tamil; and Mr Seah Kian Peng would be happy to hear, probably Singlish, too. After living in Singapore for the most part, and some, all of their life, they are as Singaporean as can anyone can be in their experiences, lifestyles, attitudes and social habits. Some of these PRs tried applying for citizenship in the past but did not succeed.”
“And when there are broader interests of society that may be at odds with this role, we will try to bridge the differences. At the very least, we seek to help all parties see the other points of view. After all, there should be better and deeper engagement. Madam, let me now talk about the National Sports Associations (NSAs) that Ms Sylvia Lim had talked about. She questioned the need for Members of Parliament to take up leadership roles in NSAs. I would like to clarify in the House that all the leaders in NSAs have to be elected in accordance with the respective constitutions. The Ministry does not appoint Members of Parliament to head NSAs. They must be elected by their members. The only exception today is the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) where the President of FAS has been appointed by the Minister responsible for Sports. But this, too, is changing. FAS is transiting to a system of election by members. By June, an AGM will be called during which members will elect their next president. Members of Parliament who are holding NSA leadership positions have to earn their stripes and gain the respect of the members of the associations. They bring along with them experience and expertise in their own right. At the same time, the vast majority of NSAs, in fact, 55 out of the 63 NSAs, do not have Members of Parliament as their leaders, for example: Singapore Swimming Association, Singapore Sailing Federation, Singapore Bowling Federation, Singapore Rugby Union, Fencing Singapore, Singapore Silat Federation and many others; and these are very good NSAs. In fact, leaders from NSAs have joined us in the Chamber as Nominated Members of Parliament. We have Jessie Phua, Nicholas Fang and Dr Benedict Tan.”
“This is because the Government sees the importance of the arts and culture in meeting the aspirations of the people and in building a sense of national identity. But as the custodian of public funds, the Government is also accountable to the public in the application of funds towards achieving our social objectives. The need to maintain a wide common space among communities and ensure social harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society has been expounded by many speakers before me. The public expects the Government and public agencies to uphold these values in our policies, including our funding guidelines for the arts. At the same time, there is funding from the private sector: corporates and individuals. They do not necessarily carry the same social objectives and are not bound by our arts funding guidelines. However, one can expect conditions to be similarly imposed by these private donors and individuals. The conditions may vary from meeting brand attributes to audience size, but the point is that there will be conditions. It is therefore not realistic to expect any public funds to be given out unconditionally. For example, the Productivity and Innovation Credit that helps companies raise productivity comes with conditions in employment. Sports scholarship for our athletes comes with conditions in training and in performance. The public expects us as custodian to discharge our responsibility with care and to good effect. But rest assured, as an advocate of the arts, NAC will continue to focus on arts excellence and continue to make the case for enlarging the space for our artists and arts groups to grow. We will get better in doing this.”
“I am just opening it up for others to join me. Likewise, public engagement should be and will be in the Government's DNA. These channels will augment the other established channels that the Government already has, from the REACH platforms, to the hotlines and Facebook pages that almost all agencies have. Our Singapore Conversation and the SGfuture engagements are the most recent efforts to reach out. These are not one-off efforts, but they are a continuum in the Government's plans to reach out to Singaporeans over the years. And with SGfuture, we also want Singaporeans to take up projects, to seed a change and to shape our future. Many views will emerge, as well as ideas to take Singapore forward. Importantly, we want people to take these ideas and views further, to translate them into action. The Government cannot do it alone or unilaterally, more so as our society becomes more diverse and the demands more diffused. But the Government can and will partner people in making Singapore a better home for all. Madam, on this note, I would like to comment on several issues raised by Members Sylvia Lim and Leon Perera earlier in the week. Mr Perera spoke about an op-ed piece by Arts Engage on the Government's role in funding the arts. In Singapore, funding of the arts is a partnership between the state, corporates and individuals, which reflects the spirit of shared responsibility and co-creation that I talked about earlier on. This approach acknowledges the role that the Government plays in supporting the development of the arts sector. Over the last three years, with the Arts and Culture Strategic Review, we have not only seen increased funding but also more arts groups and talents in the arts community are benefiting from this funding.”
“At the same time, I am also getting requests to help with their causes, for instance, in promoting a giving culture, better road manners and even attending their baby shower parties. This is encouraging and affirms, too, that the approach we are taking as a Government, starting with the SGfuture citizen engagement, is timely and a step in the right direction. Madam, another way I try to reach out to fellow Singaporeans is through exercise. I run about twice a week. Regularly, I would post an open invitation on social media, for anyone to join me in my runs. These sessions, which I call "Run with BYK", allow me to meet more people. As we jog around places like Marina Bay or Tampines EcoGreen, we chat and learn more about one another. These groups are not large; in fact, often, there are just about two, at most six people. But what makes it different is that it is also very conducive to hear from one another because every new person I speak with is a new opportunity to learn about them, to gather feedback and to look at how we can improve the way we do things in Singapore. I think this is the mentality we should adopt when we talk about engaging the public, that there are no "right" platforms. We just need to recognise the many opportunities around us to engage with one another, to enlarge the common space to collaborate and to co-exist. And "Run with BYK" is all the more meaningful too now that I am with MCCY, where together with Sport Singapore, we are promoting better living through sport. During each small group run, we enjoy our conversations as well as the beautiful sights and green spaces of Singapore along the way. So, if you are keen, you can look out for the next run through hashtag #runwithBYK. Well, this is my personal exercise regime which I do anyway.”