Balaji Sadasivan
Singapore
“The issue is, of course, not good publicity for ASEAN. In fact, it is bad publicity for ASEAN. However, the fact that the ASEAN leaders have met and agreed to deal with the issue and ensure that we try and solve the problem at source, and the fact that ASEAN has tasked the Secretary-General to look into the issue and report to the various…”
“Thus far, the authorities here have not encountered any Rohingya refugees seeking to enter Singapore waters. Given our limited land and natural resources, Singapore is not in a position to accept persons seeking political asylum or refugee status. This has been our policy for decades.”
“I would like to conclude by noting that by resolving this dispute through third party adjudication, both countries have demonstrated our respect for international law and our commitment to settle disputes in an amicable manner.”
“Yes, we shall continue with those efforts. In fact, with the Youth Olympics and the F1, it is a great opportunity for all Singaporeans to think about their behaviour and whether they can improve it – whether they can be more polite and more gracious.”
“Sir, currently, the guideline for the Vasantham Channel is that a minimum of 75% of the programming must be in Tamil and 25% can be in other non-Tamil Indian languages. The number of hours is increasing, from 29 hours per week to 65 hours per week. But the guideline will still remain the same.”
“Sir, our branding is what we are and part of our branding is the law and order that we have and the safety that we have in our city and the fact that everybody has to comply with the law. This is part of our reputation and part of our branding, and it is not a bad part of our brand value.”
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“The issue is, of course, not good publicity for ASEAN. In fact, it is bad publicity for ASEAN. However, the fact that the ASEAN leaders have met and agreed to deal with the issue and ensure that we try and solve the problem at source, and the fact that ASEAN has tasked the Secretary-General to look into the issue and report to the various countries, is very positive. But the issue cannot be dealt with within ASEAN itself because it involves non-ASEAN countries and so the Bali process would be the better forum and ASEAN will be represented within the Bali process. And so we hope that all the countries involved will work towards resolving this issue and Singapore's position is to encourage and nudge the countries towards that end. TEMASEK HOLDINGS (CEO replacement) 6. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Finance (a) whether he will explain the steps taken by Temasek Holdings to find a replacement CEO; and (b) whether any Singaporeans were considered for the position.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as the Prime Minister has mentioned, we will deal with them humanely.”
“Thus far, the authorities here have not encountered any Rohingya refugees seeking to enter Singapore waters. Given our limited land and natural resources, Singapore is not in a position to accept persons seeking political asylum or refugee status. This has been our policy for decades. However, we will assist such persons by providing humanitarian assistance, so that they can depart for a third country.”
“ASEAN has discussed the issue of the Rohingyas, most recently on 1st March 2009 at the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand. Prime Minister Lee told the ASEAN Leaders that ASEAN member countries should not "export" their problems to one another. He also stressed that the problem should be addressed at the source. Singapore agreed that cooperation among the countries of origin, transit, and destination was of great importance. We also agreed that the Rohingya issue has to be viewed in a larger context, as it involves countries outside of ASEAN as well. To this end, the Bali Process, which is a regional Ministerial-level Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crimes, was the appropriate forum to tackle this issue. ASEAN will continue to contribute, where possible, to the resolution of this issue. Among other things, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers tasked the ASEAN Secretary-General, Surin Pitsuwan, to work with the Myanmar government to obtain relevant statistics and information related to the Rohingya population. Such information will help in the formulation of a coordinated response by the various stakeholders. The Prime Minister also stressed to his ASEAN colleagues that the humanitarian angle must be addressed seriously. We have a responsibility to treat the Rohingyas and other illegal migrants in a humane manner. Any reports of abuse should be investigated. We should also alleviate their plight where possible, including for naval vessels which encounter Rohingyas at sea to render appropriate assistance, such as by providing food, water and fuel. As a small country, Singapore understands why countries are not in a position to accept every refugee who arrives on their shores.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Malaysian media will report the internal discussions within Malaysia and there may be many opinions expressed by individual Malaysians. But the official view of Malaysia and Singapore is that we are both committed to adhering to the judgment of the ICJ. SUDDEN DEATHS OF NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Outcome of investigations) 16. Ms Indranee Rajah asked the Minister for Defence (a) what is the outcome of his Ministry's investigations into the sudden deaths of Recruit Andrew Cheah Wei Siong and Second Lieutenant Clifton Lam Jia Hao; and (b) whether the investigations indicate the need for any consequential action to be taken by the SAF, such as more stringent or different pre-enlistment medical screening. 17. Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for Defence (a) how many cases of sudden cardiac deaths have occurred in the Singapore Armed Forces since 1965; (b) of these, how many have occurred amongst Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) and how many may have potentially been detected through the use of exercise ECGs or echocardiograms; and (c) whether the Ministry intends to introduce additional screening for NSFs such as exercise ECGs or echocardiograms.”
“I would like to conclude by noting that by resolving this dispute through third party adjudication, both countries have demonstrated our respect for international law and our commitment to settle disputes in an amicable manner. This case exemplifies the usefulness of a third party dispute settlement mechanism and can be a model for resolving other bilateral disputes.”
“The precise coordinates of Singapore's territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone will be announced at an appropriate time. Should the limits of our territorial sea or Exclusive Economic Zone overlap with the claims of neighbouring countries, Singapore will negotiate with these countries with a view to arriving at agreed delimitations in accordance with international law. To answer Ms Indranee Rajah, according to Article 61 of the Statute of the ICJ, a party is able to apply for a review of an ICJ judgment if "it is based upon the discovery of some fact of such a nature as to be a decisive factor, which fact was, when the judgment was given, unknown to the Court and also to the party claiming revision, always provided that such ignorance was not due to negligence". I would like to highlight that the ICJ, in its 23rd May 2008 judgment, ruled that Johor had original title over Pedra Branca before the lighthouse was built but added that "what is decisive for the Court is the conduct of the authorities in Singapore (and India) and in Johor following the 1844 exchanges of correspondences". So even if this 1844 letter was discovered, and even if its contents demonstrated that Johor had title over Pedra Branca in 1844, in our view, it is unlikely to make a difference to the court's judgment because the Court had already ruled that Johor had original title over Pedra Branca. In fact, Singapore had searched for the 1844 letter over many years at various archives but to no avail. We had also stated both in our written pleadings and during the public hearing by DPM Prof. S Jayakumar at the ICJ in November 2007 that Singapore does not have a copy of Butterworth's 1844 letter.”
“Sir, to answer Mr Michael Palmer, the ICJ, on 23rd May 2008, awarded Pedra Branca to Singapore, while Middle Rocks was awarded to Malaysia. The ICJ stated that South Ledge belonged to the State in the territorial waters of which it is located. The status of South Ledge, therefore, depends upon whether it falls on Singapore's or Malaysia's side of the territorial waters boundary in that area. The process which will eventually lead to discussions on the territorial waters boundary has already started. Since the judgment of the ICJ, the Joint Committee led by Wisma Putra Secretary-General Rastam Mohd Isa and MFA Permanent Secretary Peter Ho met on 3rd June 2008 to discuss the implementation of the judgment. At the meeting, both sides reiterated their commitment to honour and abide by the ICJ's judgment and fully implement its decision. Both parties also agreed that a technical sub-committee would be set up to oversee the conduct of Joint Survey Works to prepare for eventual talks on maritime issues in and around Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge. Officials on both sides are currently working towards carrying out the Joint Survey Works which are expected to start later this year. With regard to the second part of Mr Michael Palmer's question, yes, Singapore is claiming a territorial sea and an Exclusive Economic Zone around Pedra Branca. As we had indicated in the Press Statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated 15th September 1980 and 23rd May 2008, Singapore has a territorial sea limit that extends up to a maximum of 12 nautical miles and an Exclusive Economic Zone. This is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 10th December 1982, to which Singapore is a party.”
“Sir, currently, the guideline for the Vasantham Channel is that a minimum of 75% of the programming must be in Tamil and 25% can be in other non-Tamil Indian languages. The number of hours is increasing, from 29 hours per week to 65 hours per week. But the guideline will still remain the same.”
“Yes, we shall continue with those efforts. In fact, with the Youth Olympics and the F1, it is a great opportunity for all Singaporeans to think about their behaviour and whether they can improve it – whether they can be more polite and more gracious. If we take these events as an opportunity to improve our behaviour and, as Ms Irene Ng says, not rush for the train, to give up our seats to older people, then we will be a more gracious society. Branding cannot be about PR, as has been pointed out. Branding has to be about reality. So what we need to do is to ensure that the reality of Singaporean behaviour improves, and we shall continue with that effort. But it depends on each and everyone of us.”
“Sir, our branding is what we are and part of our branding is the law and order that we have and the safety that we have in our city and the fact that everybody has to comply with the law. This is part of our reputation and part of our branding, and it is not a bad part of our brand value.”
“This does not mean that tomorrow, you are going to see a single logo or tagline proclaiming to the world what the "new" Singapore is about. Instead, it is more about coordinating our messaging, as Government agencies, so that we speak a common language about what Singapore stands for. Branding only seeks to emphasise the reality. Therefore, the reality of what Singapore is, will be what ultimately brands Singapore. With the numerous international events coming to our sunny shores, such as the Youth Olympic Games and the F1 races, there are opportunities for us to showcase and brand Singapore. I have no doubt we would organise and host these events efficiently as we are well-known for efficiency. But we also need to showcase our "softer" aspects – graciousness, civic consciousness and politeness. This will depend on each and every Singaporean – how we present ourselves to the world. We are the brand ambassadors of Singapore and, through our actions, we will provide the reality of what Brand Singapore is – a gracious society living in a vibrant global city. Sir, in conclusion, MICA will continue its efforts to make Singapore a vibrant global city, giving greater choice to all who live and work here. *Cols. 1587-1588.”
“Similarly, the Department of Statistics publishes regular demographic statistics according to this breakdown, in addition to other economic and social statistics. In fact, all Government agencies regularly provide updated information on matters of public interest, such as health, education, and finance through the media, publicity campaigns as well as the Internet. The National Archives of Singapore is also a rich repository of historical data that is invaluable to researchers. As stipulated by the National Heritage Board Act 1993, most archived public records are made available for public consultation after a 25-year period. The lack of legislation on Freedom of Information has not prevented Singapore from doing well in international studies of transparency. In 2007, Transparency International ranked Singapore fourth in an international survey, above the United States, which does have a Freedom of Information Act. That Singapore is a financial, information and economic hub, and that the people’s trust in our Government remains high, is proof that the system we have today is working well. Finally, I fully agree with Miss Penny Low that a country’s brand or reputation has emerged as an important competitive factor. A national branding strategy is therefore important. MICA is committed to improving the overall brand equity of Singapore through coordination among agencies when marketing Singapore. MICA, together with MTI, co-chairs the National Marketing Action Committee, or NMAC. NMAC’s main purpose is to develop a whole-of-government effort to market and promote Singapore internationally for a more consistent Singapore brand. As Singapore continues to evolve, so will our brand, and our marketing efforts must reflect this progression.”
“We have therefore decided to make Vasantham a separate or a stand-alone channel for Tamil and other Indian programmes. In other words, Sir, it would be like Suria programmes. The number of hours of programmes will increase from 29 hours to 65 hours a week. Indians in Singapore therefore can look forward to a much more improved Vasantham channel. (In English): Let me now turn to Mr Siew Kum Hong’s concern about freedom of information, which was a subject of discussion in this House at least twice before. Sir, Singapore is plugged into the globalised world and thrives on a free flow of information. The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) in its Asian Intelligence Report’s assessment of economic statistics noted that for Singapore, "a wide range of topics are quickly compiled and made available to researchers on a regular basis". The range, coverage and availability of our economic and social statistics compare very favourably to those compiled and disseminated by more statistically developed countries, for example, US, UK, Australia and Hong Kong. The IMF, in its annual Article IV consultations, has also consistently assessed Singapore’s economic statistics to be timely, credible and reliable. Mr Siew also asked about the availability of information such as employment data differentiating between citizens and non-citizens. In line with national statistical practice, MOM regularly publishes employment figures by residents (Singapore citizens and PRs) and non-residents (foreigners). MOM has also released two papers today retrievable on their website – the first on the employment of Singapore citizens, PRs and foreigners, a subject that Mr Siew showed interest in, and the second on the quality of employment creation for Singapore citizens.”
“This is achieved through Public Service Broadcast (PSB) programmes, which play a critical role in communicating national and social messages. Such PSB programmes are funded by Radio and TV licence fees. Dr Teo Ho Pin had requested for the abolition of RTV licence fees and for Government to fund PSB programmes instead. This question has been raised twice in this House before. The collection of RTV licence fees is not unique to Singapore. If these fees are abolished, taxes will have to be increased to fund these PSB programmes. We should view the payment of RTV fees as a partnership between the Government, broadcasters and people for the public good. The funded PSB programmes cover genres like minority language programmes, culture, information, current affairs, quality drama, local sports and children's programmes, many of which are not commercially viable otherwise. These programmes inform and educate the general public about important social, community and economic issues and policies. They also serve our national interests by strengthening our identity and culture, and promoting social cohesion and racial harmony. On this note, I would like to touch on the Indian language free-to-air channel – Vasantham. Mr Chairman, Sir, I shall proceed in Tamil. (In Tamil): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] Sir, Vasantham, the Indian TV service station, plays an important part in the life of Singapore Indian community. Today, Vasantham has only about 29 hours of programmes a week. The Vasantham programmes are telecast between Kids Central and Arts Central, both of which are in the English language. We have received much feedback from the Indian community asking for the improvement of Vasantham programmes.”
“For instance, on free-to-air TV, Channel 8 broadcasts dialect operas and Arts Central enjoys leeway to show arthouse movies with some dialect, if the films have artistic merit. On radio, FM 95.8 broadcasts dialect news daily. For more dialect programmes, viewers can choose from subscription TV services, including those offered by SCV and SingTel. In addition, dialect movies and dramas are readily available on DVDs, VCDs and videotapes. When the Speak Mandarin Campaign was first launched, only 13% of Chinese Singaporeans could speak Mandarin. Today, with the bilingual policy of schools and continued promotion by the Promote Mandarin Council, half of Chinese Singaporeans can speak Mandarin easily. This puts Singaporeans in an advantageous position to benefit from the rapid growth of China. As reported by My Paper, Singaporean managers are highly sought after in China and Hong Kong and one reason is our ability to speak English and Mandarin. An excellent example is Mr Harry Tan who upgraded "Days Inn", a motel chain originating from the US, to a 5-star "Days Hotel and Suites" chain in many provinces in China. He strongly believes that only Singaporeans can do this because of our bilingual policy. That we have achieved some success after almost 30 years of Speak Mandarin Campaign is not an outcome that is not irreversible. We should not inadvertently reverse this progress, the progress that we have made through an uncontrolled liberalisation of our dialect policy. So, Sir, while dialect is not frozen, while it may be cool, we still want Mandarin to be cooler. Apart from content regulation, MICA also seeks to foster social cohesion and bonding.”
“If there is a complaint, an investigation is launched which includes consultations with the MDA's broadcast advisory committees. With regard to the Straits Times' Forum page letter regarding a TV show, which Prof. Thio mentioned, which apparently showed a supposedly married gay couple who supposedly had an adopted child, we need to take a balanced view. The TV programme was a programme about home decoration and design. It featured a game room being converted into a nursery. There was no objection to the skills and talent of the designers or to the general entertainment value of the programme. The objection raised does not relate to the main features of the programme but to an incidental feature found in this one episode. The concern was that in the programme the people who were going to live in the redesigned home were two men and a child, not the usual man, woman and child. The viewer can extrapolate what the relationship of the two men may be and then from the extrapolation conclude that family values are not being upheld. As there is a complaint about the programme, MDA is investigating the matter in its usual manner. It will consult the Programme Advisory Committee for English programmes, or PACE, before making a decision if any guideline was breached. In regulating the media, MICA adopts a flexible approach wherever possible. Take, for instance, our dialect policy. We do not ban the use of dialects on broadcast media outright. Where practical, we allow some dialect programming to serve the needs of older Singaporeans and the arts community. In response to Mr Baey Yam Keng’s request for MICA to permit airing dialect content on TV and radio, I would like to point out that some dialect programmes are already available on radio, free-to-air TV and cable TV.”
“Hence, any individual in Singapore who uses websites for religious purposes has to register with MDA. This promotes accountability and also ensures personal responsibility for comments made on the Internet. We have had cases in the previous years where the law was breached, such as when racist bloggers blogged incendiary racist remarks, and we have not hesitated to prosecute them in court. Our controls have enabled the maintenance of our racial harmony in the face of sensitive material, such as the Danish cartoons. We will continue to be vigilant and to manage the risks brought about by new media, so as to ensure racial harmony amongst our people. However, with regard to the rest of the content in the Internet, we will continue to have a light-touch approach. Let me now turn to the traditional media where we have adopted a differentiated approach based on reach and impact. 2.00 pm Free-to-air TV, for example, has more stringent guidelines as it is a mainstream media that has wider reach and impact on the general public. By comparison, subscription TV, including cable and IPTV services, is given more leeway because its accessibility is restricted by subscription. With regard to the enforcement of TV programme codes, I want to assure the House that television, especially free-to air channels, will uphold certain norms and standards consistent with traditional family values. I would like to address Prof. Thio Li-ann’s query on the steps taken to deal with channels that air programmes contrary to these values. Our current system is based largely on self-regulation by the broadcasters who are to comply with a set of programme codes. Hence, programmes are not pre-censored.”
“Sir, the hon. Members have raised questions on the regulation of Singapore's media industry. Let me share with the House MICA's role in fostering a vibrant media industry to provide diverse and informed media content choices for the people, while safeguarding our social values and national interests. First, I will address Prof. Thio Li-ann's question on the regulation of new media. We have adopted a pragmatic approach which emphasises public education, individual responsibility and industry self-regulation to complement a light touch regulatory framework. Under the MDA class licence scheme, Internet service and content providers are required to exercise discretion to ensure that their content complies with the class licence conditions and the Internet code of practice. Prof. Thio wished to know if a person can make a complaint. The answer is yes. Anyone who comes across offensive content on the Internet can call or lodge a complaint via the MDA website. On average, MDA receives one to two such feedback each month. As for matters relating to libel and personal defamation, these lay outside the scope of MDA class licence. However, existing laws that protect an individual's rights still apply. So these issues are best dealt with the existing legal and civil channels. While everyone is free to express their views on their personal blogs, they should be mindful that they are still subjected to the laws of the land, such as the Penal Code and the Religious Harmony Act. Singapore's key vulnerabilities - the four kinds of race and religion remain and, in fact, are even more exposed to foreign influences in the form of religious extremism and terrorism reaching us through the new media.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for her comments. First, I would like to reassure the Member that in no way will these amendments endanger our current regulatory system. In excluding the companies from reporting requirements, only companies which are using low concentrations of these scheduled chemicals are involved, and this involves about 20 companies which are using chemicals under Schedule IIB and Schedule III with concentrations under 30%. The products involved are common household or industrial items such as photographic solutions, print cartridge and ink cartridge chemicals. So these are relatively safe chemicals from mixtures, from which it is generally not technically possible for any terrorist group to extract dangerous chemicals from. As for inspections, the current regime of scheduled as well as unscheduled audits will continue. Since the time the Act was passed, these audits had found minor infringements. Ten companies had been given warning and one company was fined because it was a repeat offender. We will continue to audit and inspect companies that deal with these chemicals. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Balaji Sadasivan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.”
“The National Authority will balance the exemption with audits and inspections on chemical production facilities and traders to detect illicit activities and enforce the Act. Outreach programme To ensure that the industries are familiar with the new amendments and existing controls under the CWPA, the National Authority has planned a series of outreach and courses commencing from November this year to educate the industry. Mr Speaker, Sir, this proposed Bill will bring our legislation in line with international standards in curbing the proliferation of dangerous chemical weapons. It will also provide the industry with greater clarity in our regulatory requirements. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 3.13 pm”
“(3) Concentration limits of mixtures containing scheduled chemicals that are subject to licensing At present, companies involved in activities such as production, processing or import and export of products containing a mixture of chemicals, regardless of the concentrations of the controlled scheduled chemicals are regulated and subject to licensing. In line with decisions made by State Parties to the Convention, chemical mixtures containing scheduled chemicals below a certain concentration will be exempted from reporting to the Organisation established by the Convention. The Act will provide for the Minister to prescribe the concentration limits for chemical mixtures where activities involving these chemicals are exempted from licensing. Implementation measures These are the key features of the Bill. 1. Exempt licence requirements for activities involving chemical mixtures of low concentrations Mr Speaker, Sir, in drafting the Bill, we received feedback from the industry, through the National Authority, that the implementation of concentration limits for product mixtures containing scheduled chemicals will reduce their cost of compliance. This is because they do not need to apply for a licence if their products contain scheduled chemicals below the specified concentration limits. 2. Enforcement efforts My Ministry reassures the House that the exemption of licensing for low concentrations of chemical mixtures will not increase the risk of the misuse of such mixtures by terrorists to produce chemical agents for their illicit purposes. This is because chemical precursors of high purity are required for viable production of chemical agents. It is not feasible to extract chemical precursors from chemical mixtures containing low concentration of such chemicals.”
“Sir, my Ministry is therefore proposing to amend the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act so as to align our domestic legislation and licensing regime with the Convention. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me now outline the key features of the Bill. (1) Appointment of Director-General of Customs for the administration of the Act First, Singapore Customs is currently the appointed National Authority to implement Singapore's obligation to the Convention. Therefore, it follows that the Director-General of Customs should be responsible for the administration of the Act, subject to the directions of the Minister. In addition, all officers of Customs would be designated as authorised officers to assist the Director-General in the administration of the Act. (2) New definition of "produce" We are inserting a new definition of the word "produce" in line with the decision made by the State Parties to the Convention. The term "produce" refers to the formation of the scheduled chemical through chemical, biochemical or biologically mediated reaction and includes the forming of the scheduled chemical as an intermediate, by-product or a waste product during the manufacturing sequence of another product, whereby such intermediate, by-product or waste product is chemically stable enough to exist for a period to allow for possible extraction and isolation, as their isolation is not possible under normal operating conditions. The new definition will provide greater clarity to our industry on the scope of control on the production of chemicals that is subject to licensing.”
“Mr Speaker , Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act ( CWPA) was passed in the year 2000 to give effect to Singapore's obligations under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, or the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), in short. The Act has established the licensing-based regulatory regime for the use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention or transfer of scheduled chemicals for permitted purposes. Permitted purposes included protective research, medical, pharmaceutical and law enforcement purposes. The licensing system is administered by the National Authority (CWC) established under the Singapore Customs. The licensing system has facilitated a gathering of information from companies dealing with scheduled chemicals to enable Singapore to make periodic declarations to the Organisation established under the Convention. This regime has served us well over the years, and our industry is familiar with the controlled chemicals and regulatory requirements. Reasons for amendments Why is there a need now to amend the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act? Let me elaborate further on this. Since the entry into force of the Convention, State Parties have met annually to discuss issues pertaining to the operational aspects of the Convention. Notably, State Parties were cognisant of the needs and demands of the global chemical industry and the legitimate use of controlled chemicals and have thus decided to lift certain declaration requirements for activities involving chemical mixtures containing low concentrations of controlled chemicals.”
“Ho Peng Kee); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 (Paper Cmd. 2 of 2007) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [7th Allotted Day]. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) in the Chair] Head I - Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (cont.) Resumption of Debate on Question [8th March, 2007], "That the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Mr Sin Boon Ann]. Question again proposed.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I can understand why some Singaporeans are questioning our continuing assistance to our neighbours, despite their unfriendly remarks against us. But I do not believe that we should stop being helpful even when there are difficulties in bilateral relations. As Minister George Yeo said in his COS speech on Monday, when he spoke about our relations with Indonesia: "We should still help them when they are in difficulty not because we expect gratitude or reward, but because that is the right thing to do.". As this House is aware, Singapore and Indonesia are close neighbours. The relationship is broad-based. From time to time, there will be periodic ups and downs. We should expect these. But we should respond in a mature manner. We should not hold back helping our neighbours during times of need. In this regard, as I noted earlier, Singaporeans have been more than willing to come to the help of our neighbours when disaster strikes. To cite just a few examples: in the aftermath of the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami, the Singapore Red Cross collected S$88 million from Singaporeans for their Tidal Waves Asia Fund. More recently, during the recent floods in Jakarta, our Muslim community here raised S$72,000 for the flood victims. The Singaporean community in Jakarta also rallied together and contributed relief aid. We should be proud of the fact that many of our fellow Singaporeans are generous and civic-minded. This augurs well for the people-to-people relations between Singapore and our neighbours. LEGAL PROFESSION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Legal Profession Act (Chapter 161 of the 2001 Revised Edition) and to make consequential amendments to certain other written laws", presented by the Senior Minister of State for Law (Assoc. Prof.”
“The cyber wellness programmes do not use the words "code of practice" or "code of ethics". Perhaps, when you are dealing with young people, the word "code" sounds rather authoritative. But instead, they use core values. And there are four core values that are promoted in the cyber wellness programme. The first is balanced lifestyle, that is, the users should embrace the Internet and integrate it into their daily lives and, at the same time, a balance has to be maintained between their physical lives and their virtual world lives. The second core value is embracing the Net and inspiring others, that is, users should harness the positive powers of the Internet to be proactive contributors who can inspire and benefit others. The third core value is astuteness, users need to be astute and street-smart when navigating the Internet, including disseminating information online and defending strangers on social sites, that is, they have to be aware of the dangers of the Internet. The fourth core value is respect and responsibility, users need to have a sense of respect for the Internet and other individuals, and that they should not abuse the power of the Internet nor condone subversive content.”
“There is a code of practice that all advertisers have to follow. Periodically, that is reviewed. This code is drawn so that there is a balance between the needs of the artistic creators who create advertisements and the needs of the general society; sometimes, their requirement not to be offended, particularly parents who do not want their children to see rather racy pictures. So a balance has to be struck and in every particular case, the advertisement has to be looked at and seen in the context of the code. With regard to the particular colour picture that he is talking about - it is a picture and it is hard for you to describe it - if there was a similar situation and there was a photograph, then the regulator would look at the photograph and determine whether or not it can be on the advertisement based on the code that covers advertisements.”
“Sir, let me begin with the real world before I go into the cyber world. Even in the real world, there is much overlap between laws, and a particular wrongdoing can come under several sections of the Penal Code, and it is for the Attorney-General to study the various laws and decide which one is applicable in a particular case. In cyberspace, the same is true. A law applies in cyberspace and so the same law and the same overlap that is found in the real world will be found in cyber space. The difference is that in cyberspace, it is a particular medium that is being used when compared to print, but the laws apply equally whether in cyberspace or in the real world. In cyberspace, what we do not do is that we do not go after every action that breaks the law, because it is impractical and impossible to police cyberspace. So, by and large, cyberspace is left alone and that is what we mean by regulating with a light touch. But where wrongdoing or bad action in cyberspace can have an impact on the real world, like the racist blogs, then we act.”
“It not only helps the younger generation but it also helps the hearing impaired and the elderly, particularly if the elderly are conversant only in the dialects and the programme is in Mandarin. By reading the subtitles, they can follow the programme. As news is one of the most-watched programmes on free-to-air channels, MDA has worked closely with MediaCorp to introduce real-time subtitling for English, Chinese and Malay TV news. Subtitling for the 9.30 pm English news on Channel 5 was launched in October last year. In December, the service was extended to the Chinese news at 10 pm on Channel 8 and the Malay news at 8 pm on Suria, both of which are the highest rated time slots for Chinese and Malay news bulletins. There is a technical problem in finding a programme that does Tamil subtitling. So subtitling for the Tamil news will be implemented when there is a viable system in the market that can produce real-time subtitles in Tamil. Besides news, major national programmes such as National Day Rally and National Day Message are also subtitled. But I agree with Mr Chan that we should subtitle more and more programmes so that viewers will have an opportunity of learning a language better.”
“Eng Wah, the operator of Crazy Horse, was well aware of the advertising guidelines, even before it decided to launch the show, and had at its disposal, various channels to promote the show before the launch. And as Mr Baey himself has pointed out, besides the advertisements, there was so much write-ups and free advertisement in the newspapers as there were so many articles about the show. So it may not be fair to say that the show failed because of lack of advertising opportunity. Sir, while we open up more, we must continue to be sensitive to our societal norms and values. The norms and values differ from country to country. Let me cite a recent article in Straits Times Life!, which pointed out that a person in Shenzhen had watched the movie "Curse of the Golden Flower" and wanted restrictions for the movie. Why? Apparently, “the abundant cleavage was too much for the 32-year-old electronics worker”. Interestingly, the article pointed out that "by contrast, in the United States - a place many Chinese consider as wildly permissive - the movie is rated R". This means that children younger than 17 must be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian to see it. The Americans were not concerned by the cleavage, but they were concerned by the violence. So society norms and sensitivities are different, and regulatory authorities have to be conscious and sensitive to these differences. Next, Mr Chan Soo Sen asked about more subtitles in programmes. MDA supports it. It is a good way for people to learn a second language, particularly the mother tongue. MDA has always been supportive of providing subtitling services for programmes.”
“It also recognises that it is important to study the long-term social, ethical, legal and regulatory implications of the new media. Thus, a high-level advisory committee will be set up for this purpose. More details will be available at a later date. Mr Baey Yam Keng had spoken about the Crazy Horse. It was a milestone to him, but he may be too young to remember that before Crazy Horse, we had Tropicana, and after that we had Neptune. Sir, we do want to be a global city. But the hallmark of a global city is its diversity and not its homogeneity. If we were a homogenous society, regulating what is acceptable and what is not acceptable would be simpler. But a diverse society will have a wide spectrum of views and interests as to what should be the norm. So MDA has to strike a delicate balance between the concerns, wants and needs of different groups. Let me now deal with the specific issue of the Crazy Horse. The Crazy Horse, as Members know, is a topless dance revue meant for a mature audience. Many parents will be pleased if their young daughters came home and said they wanted to take dance lessons because they saw an advertisement for a performance by the Singapore Dance Theatre. I do not believe these same parents will feel the same way if their daughters came home and said the same thing after seeing an advertisement for Crazy Horse. So there is a need for some regulatory control for advertisements of adult entertainment. I met the owner of Crazy Horse in Paris who told me that they have advertising rules in the European Union too. So we are not unusual in having advertising rules. Advertisements in Singapore must not be offensive to the public and should adhere to the guidelines of the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS).”
“But few seem to realise that everything sent over or posted on the Internet is likely to be stored somewhere and could be easily retrieved, even long into the future, and could be misused by someone else to their detriment. Given the perceived anonymity of the Internet, there are also netters who feel empowered to “blog any thing, any how”. Racist sites can be found on the Internet. Netters may not realise that they may be breaching the law when they post racist content. Many too are probably unaware that they could be sued for cyberspace defamation. MDA recognises the dangers of the Internet. Over the last few years, it has worked closely with NIAC and various partners to inculcate responsible Internet habits through Cyber Wellness programmes, which educate users and parents on the proper use and dangers of the Internet. Starting this year, the Ministry of Education has incorporated Cyber Wellness values and programmes into the school curriculum for younger primary and secondary school students. In fact, Cyber Wellness is for everyone - grassroots, community centres, businesses should start Cyber Wellness programmes to encourage and teach people about the dangers as well as the value of the Internet. With this three-pronged approach to managing the new media, there is currently no need for a separate Internet Code of Ethics. Furthermore, responsible websites do lay down terms and conditions which users have to abide by. Recently, a racially offensive video posted on YouTube was removed after it was flagged out by netters themselves. Such self-regulation is a positive and encouraging sign. The Government recognises that Singaporeans are tech-savvy and take very well to the Internet.”
“This light-touch regulatory approach has served us well in regulating online content, helping to facilitate the growth of the industry while allowing us to act if we find harmful content that threatens our social values and racial and religious harmony. Mr Siew asked whether we should review our light-touch regulatory framework. Last year, the National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC), a people-private sector body set up to advise MDA, reviewed the Class Licence Scheme. It found the light-touch scheme still relevant and appropriate in dealing with emerging media trends. The Member was also concerned about the use of the Sedition Act recently. The Sedition Act reinforces MDA’s light-touch regulation on new media. The proposed expansion of the Penal Code to cover electronic transmissions now will provide an alternative to the Sedition Act for charging offenders purveying inflammatory content that stirs up public mischief. Besides legislative action, another important limb in managing the new media is industry self-regulation. The MDA and NIAC work closely with the industry to promote industry self-regulation. For example, last year, the mobile service operators - MobileOne, SingTel and StarHub - developed and adopted a voluntary industry content code for mobile services which aims to protect users, especially the young, from undesirable and objectionable mobile content. The third prong, public education, is vital. Public education is vital and I totally agree with Miss Penny Low on the importance of public education. Our youths readily embrace the Internet, freely uploading personal pictures and videos on their blogs, MySpace and YouTube. Some are intimate self-exposures.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, you are TIME magazine’s person of the year for 2006. So are Miss Penny Low, Mr Siew Kum Hong and anyone who sits in front of a computer and interacts with it. TIME magazine’s selection of you as person of the year was meant to highlight the millions of individuals who, through their interaction in cyberspace, have created new channels and types of communication. Two hon. Members of Parliament have pointed out the problems related to the new media and I shall answer their cuts together. These are wild and exciting times in cyberspace. Blogs, YouTube, MySpace, Secondlife and Wikipedia are impacting the lives of millions. Many among the younger generation socialise in cyberspace. Some have termed this revolution in cyberspace as Web2.0, likening it to an updated version of software. While this revolution has brought the wisdom of millions together to create Wikipedia, there is stuff in cyberspace that can make you fear for the future of the next generation. There is a large supply of obscenity and stupidity, dishonesty and danger. So how does my Ministry deal with this brave new world? We have a three-pronged approach in managing the new media: (1) a light-touch regulatory framework; (2) industry self-regulation; and, (3) public education. Let me start with light-touch regulatory framework. Internet content providers are regulated under the Media Development Authority’s Class Licence Scheme. There is an Internet Code of Practice, which stipulates the type of content prohibited in cyberspace. The Class Licence requires Internet content providers and service providers to take down or deny access to such harmful content.”
“Sir, we cannot regulate MDA with a light touch and, at the same time, police it in the manner suggested. So, currently, our philosophy is to have a light touch regulation of the Internet which means that we do not look at everybody's blog site and website and then take objection to it and start investigations. But if there is a site that has offended a Singaporean and the Singaporean complains to the police, the police will investigate. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND MINIMUM SUM (Percentage of members meeting criteria) 11. Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what percentage of Central Provident Fund (CPF) members who turned 55 years of age last year met the Minimum Sum criteria; (b) what was the average amount in the CPF savings of such members; (c) how do these figures compare to previous years; (d) what are the main reasons why CPF members do not meet the Minimum Sum; (e) what is being done to ensure that more members will meet the Minimum Sum when they turn 55.”
“Sir, in any particular case, it will depend on the facts of the case. So if there is a site that a Member feels is objectionable, he can make a police report and then the Police, under MHA, will investigate directly and, if laws are violated, they will investigate.”
“I totally agree with the Member that we will work with MOE in educating our young people.”
“I think to educate young people requires more than funding from MDA. It really requires teachers, parents and the community to get involved, and for parents to teach young children does not require funding. But if there are good projects that require funding that will enhance safety, we would consider it.”
“So far, MDA has provided over $600,000 in funding to support Touch Community Services towards their programmes, in particular, the Cyberspace Risk & where U Seek Help (CRuSH) programme. So among the CRuSH programme, we have had the CRuSH roadshow, the project CRuSH Mandarin programme, the planet CRuSH programme. And these are all intended to educate young people about the Internet. MDA has also spearheaded other initiatives to promote cyber wellness in 2005, there was a Cyber Wellness Pilot Run for Computer Training Centre in September 2005 to March 2006. Then there is the RestFest which was conducted between 24th and 27th November which was the world's preeminent festival of Innovative Moving Image which occurred in Singapore and, during that period, gained the opportunity to educate young people. MDA is also collaborating with the School of Infocommunication Technology at the Singapore Polytechnic to produce animation clips, based on the theme "Internet Safety". So these are some measures that MDA is taking because education is the most important aspect of Internet safety, more so than policing. Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang (Nominated Member): Sir, the Minister of State mentioned the blacklist of Internet sites. May I ask him how long is that list nowadays?”
“I believe there are two parts to her questions. First, what measures are we taking to police, and second, the education messages. With regard to the first part, the MDA takes a light touch approach in regulating the Internet. So we do not police closely the blogger sites and what the bloggers put up on their blog sites. Because, by and large, bloggers want to communicate with their friends and to police all these blog sites would be intrusion into the life of the bloggers. However, if there is a specific complaint by a Singaporean to the Police about the law being broken by a Singaporean blogger, or a website hosted in Singapore, we will investigate and prosecute. Where we do come across postings that are offensive, we have asked people to take them down. For example, MDA issued an ISP of Friday.com with a take-down notice in October and November when their website showed links to materials that depict incest and there were postings of members soliciting for sex. When the website Floutboy.com was found to be trading and exchanging naked photographs of underaged boys, the website was blacklisted. So Singaporeans cannot access that website. Where there have been specific complaints, we have taken action. But the Internet is a place where there is a lot of rubbish and it is not possible for the MDA to clean it up. So where we have specific complaints, we will look into it and try to clean it up. But what is important is educating our young so that they can protect themselves when they use the Internet. She has asked what measures we are taking. Among the things that MDA has been doing, it has been actively supporting the efforts of volunteer groups, like Touch Community Services, to train and teach parents as well as teenagers on how to use the Internet.”
“The MDA has also funded public education efforts on the Internet. Furthermore, the Government has been working actively with the industry and the local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to promote greater industry self-regulation. This is to encourage the industry to provide a safe Internet environment for subscribers, especially families with young children. A positive result is that ISPs now offer Family Access Networks (FANs) to filter out undesirable websites to their subscribers.”
“Sir, I share the Member's concern about bloggers posting lewd photographs of themselves or others on their blogs. We recognise that blogs are a means of private communication used by individuals as well as groups. However, bloggers must realise that the materials they post in their personal blogs can be seen in the public domain. Posting of content, such as lewd photographs of themselves or others, would be offensive to many other Internet users. Bloggers could also run foul of the law. While some bloggers may do it deliberately, some others, especially young Singaporeans, may not be aware of the adverse consequences of their action. That is why we have emphasised the importance of developing public education programmes and industry self-regulation to work hand-in-hand with legal enforcement, so as to keep our online environment safe for all users. To date, there has been no police report complaining about lewd pictures posted by Singaporeans or lewd pictures being hosted on blogs in Singapore. When the Police receive public information on such cases, they will investigate and assess each case. Where offences have been committed, they will investigate them thoroughly. If an offender is apprehended, he or she may be prosecuted. The Media Development Authority (MDA) will assist the Police with these investigations. The Government recognises that legal enforcement alone is not enough, given the nature of the Internet where bloggers could be anonymous. It is crucial for us to address the issue by building up awareness and responsibility in using the Internet among our younger users. In this regard, education plays an important role whereby parents, schools and the community work together through various programmes to help promote safe practices online.”
“Sir, during the election period, anyone who distributes election material must be registered. POSTING OF LEWD PHOTOGRAPHS ON BLOGS 10. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) whether his Ministry has taken any action against bloggers who deliberately post lewd photographs of themselves or others, with or without their consent, on their blogs; and (b) how many people have been charged for such offences.”
“Sir, currently, only a handful of websites are registered with MDA, and they consist largely of political party websites, like Mr Low's party and the PAP, and registered political associations, like the Think Centre. In general, we have dealt with the Internet with a light touch and have allowed individuals to express their views on the elections and politics on their websites. But should an individual decide to use his website so that it looks like his party's website and does the function of his party's website or my party's website, then it is not an individual's opinion, it is a site that acts like a party's website.”
“Sir, email and SMS fall within the realm of private communication. So the Government has no wish to intrude into people's privacy. However, if he is still seeking to use mass email and mass SMS as tools to influence people or to affect the outcome of an election he should realise that he is still governed by the laws of the land, and this includes libel. They should not assume the fact that emailing or SMSing information gives them the licence to say anything they want. So the laws of the land apply, but SMSes and emails are generally considered as private communication, and we do not want to intrude on it.”
“Let me clarify to Mr Chia. Should he have somebody who takes his party's information, cyclostyles and distributes it, he must be his election agent. He should not allow people whom he has not authorised to do that.”
“If an individual acts like an individual, then he is an individual. But if an individual uses his website and acts like a political party, then even though he calls himself "an individual", we will have to treat it like a political party. So, as I have said, we need to look at the facts and details of each case and then decide.”
“Sir, every case will have to be considered on the facts of the case. So, one would have to look at the facts of the case that he has presented. What he is presenting is he is saying that an individual who acts like a political party.”
“Let me clarify. I want to clarify that private individuals are not prohibited from commenting on politics, either before or during the election period. They can give their own personal views, for example, what they think about the candidate or a political party. But if such individuals or groups use their blogs or websites as vehicles to promote political discussion in a consistent fashion or propagate political ideals or use their blogs as vehicles to support one party, in other words, they are called individual sites, but they really act like a party website, then they would be required to register.”