David T E Lim
Singapore
“Our entrepreneurs need to feel that they are heroes and not left-behinds, and be motivated by this feeling to attempt great things. We need a civil and a civic society, where people believe that this is where their heart and home is. Such outcomes are helped by the right economic policies.”
“As the CRC process demonstrates, the views of the public are widely canvassed when developing censorship policies. Likewise, we have many advisory and review and appeal committees. The public inputs are obtained to guide the implementation of censorship rules.”
“With Members' support and working closely with partners from relevant Government agencies and the private sector, MITA will endeavour to develop the design and media industries, and we will endeavour to make the creative industries a cornerstone of our economy.”
“Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to Monday, 25th November 2002." - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Six minutes past Seven o'clock pm to Monday, 25th November 2002.”
“He receives this amount whether or not he appeals to the Land Acquisition Appeals Board. Once he vacates the premises, he receives the remaining 80%. We have no knowledge of any land owner who has been made a bankrupt by the mortgagee bank because of the compensation amount awarded.”
“Sir, Dr Khor's question is whether we could consider sub-titling. We have said that we would explore this. But sub-titling means that it is no longer signing. It is put into a form that is in a regular language, so to speak.”
The complete record
Every one of 215 lines we hold for David T E Lim, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 5.
“The 1997 compensation to Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) was for the premature loss of its monopoly rights. Deloitte and Touche, an international accounting firm, was engaged by the Telecommunications Authority of Singapore (now the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore) to work out the compensation amount. They computed the compensation based on the loss of future earnings as a result of the early expiry of SingTel's monopoly rights. A review committee of civil servants endorsed the sum recommended. As it was based on loss of earnings, and as earnings would normally be subject to tax, the committee worked on the basis that the compensation was taxable. As this was a natural assumption, it never occurred to the committee to ask the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) for a specific ruling on tax. Unfortunately, subsequent events showed that the committee was mistaken. The chronology confirms that the error was an honest mistake arising from a wrong assumption by the 1997 review committee. While a lesson has been learnt from the error, it would be inappropriate to punish the review committee or any of its members for it. To do so would only encourage a culture where civil servants shy away from taking responsibilities, and avoid making decisions for fear of committing mistakes. This is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve, not just in the civil service but in Singapore society. However, it is no excuse for civil servants not to endeavour to get their facts right, and to check and double-check details and assumptions.”
“WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 2.00 PM SINGAPORE LAND AUTHORITY (Security deposit from voluntary welfare organisations) 19. Dr Chong Weng Chiew asked the Minister for Law (a) what is the rationale behind the Singapore Land Authority's requirement for 3 months rental deposits or security in lieu from charitable voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) since the rentals are being paid by their respective ministries; and (b) this being the case, will the Minister consider having this requirement waived as the 3 months' deposits are quite substantial and can be better utilised by the VWOs.”
“Both are good suggestions, and it is commendable that we should want to try to do more in these areas. Again, I would leave it to the broadcast companies to consider these suggestions. However, I would just say that while we can put on programmes on the arts or on ASEAN, at the end of the day, it is whether people watch these programmes. Broadcast companies are commercial entities. If we subsidise them with a lot of public funds, then we must be sure that the subsidies bring about a certain benefit. As it is, there are already questions about whether we should collect as much TV or radio licence fees as we do now, and we have explained why this is necessary, why this is important, and how this does benefit society through public service broadcasting on channels such as Suria or Arts Central. The fact that we can enjoy a certain degree of arts programming in Arts Central is because we have such public service broadcast funds. To do more means that we have got to raise more fees. And, again, I do not think that will be popular or acceptable at this point in time. But within the limits, I think we can take up the suggestions of both Mr Andy Gan and Mr Chandra Mohan. But we just need to bear in mind that it is one thing to produce a stage; it is quite another thing to produce the audience. 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. - [Mr David T.E. Lim]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Adjourned accordingly at Eighteen minutes to Seven o'clock pm.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first, let me deal with what Mr Chandra Mohan has raised on the question as to why we need to approve the appointments of Chairman, CEO and other directors of the Board for broadcasting companies. This has been the policy intent all along. There are provisions under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (NPPA) to ensure that we appoint people whom we feel would take on the responsibility of running the newspaper company. Likewise, we should do so for the broadcasting companies. There is no particular reason or trigger point, as Mr Mohan is suggesting, as to why we are doing the amendment at this point in time, except that it is a policy intent, and that we are making the amendments to the Act, and so we have put it in. I have explained earlier the reasons for doing so when I spoke on the NPPA. I emphasised in my Second Reading speech that television broadcast, as a media, is especially potent in the way it arouses emotions. It is one thing to read about a fiery speech in a newspaper, but that only appeals to those with a certain intellect who can absorb the meaning of the words. But when you see this on television, whether or not you understand the words, you read the facial expressions, you read the body language, you see whether the person is animated or not, and you see how the crowd reacts. And all that can create an emotive response. For that reason, we want to be particularly careful about how broadcasting companies operate. And for this reason, we have put in this amendment. Mr Speaker, Sir, Mr Andy Gan has appealed for the broadcast media to play a broader role in promoting the arts, and Mr Chandra Mohan has appealed for the promotion of greater understanding within ASEAN.”
“Lastly, sections 46 and 73 of the Act are amended to broaden the definition of foreign source and to widen the exemption clause in the Act respectively. As these provisions are parallel to the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act I shall not elaborate any further. Mr Speaker, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“We therefore need to amend the SBA Act to ensure that no single person or foreign party can buy up majority stakes in a broadcasting holding company and unduly influence their broadcast subsidiaries. Clause 4 of the Bill therefore amends section 43 to extend the definition of a broadcasting company, to include its holding company. The shareholding and management provisions in Part X of the Act will thus also apply to broadcasting holding companies. For existing broadcasting companies, MITA's intention is to grant approval to their holding companies upon application, for the relevant provisions in the Act. Depending on the situation, the Minister may also exempt certain holding companies from the provisions. Sir, I will now go through the other changes to the Act. Clause 3 amends section 20 to provide that no person shall provide a licensable broadcasting service in or from Singapore without a broadcast licence granted under section 20 or a class licence granted under section 21. This corrects the current legal loophole relating to the class licence scheme, where the continued operation of a licensable broadcasting service by a person or group after the application of his or its class licence has been suspended, is not addressed. The changes will not affect the light touch nature of the class licence scheme. Clause 5 of the Bill amends section 44 to clarify that the full Board of Directors, Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of a broadcasting company, are to be approved by the Singapore Broadcasting Authority. It also provides an updated definition of a "Chief Executive Officer". Clause 8 of the Bill amends section 47 to clarify that the 49% foreign ownership limit for a broadcasting company applies to the aggregate of shareholdings by foreign sources.”
“I stated that corresponding changes would be made to the Singapore Broadcasting Authority Act (SBA Act) as its ownership provisions mirror those in the NPPA. This Bill introduces those changes to the shareholding controls in the SBA Act. Based on the principle of safeguarding against undue influence, the Bill also proposes amendments to extend the provisions on broadcasting companies to their holding companies and make other updates to the Act. As I have already spoken in some detail on the changes to the shareholding controls in the NPPA, which are paralleled in this Bill, I propose to now concentrate on the other changes to the SBA Act. Sir, allow me to first explain that our regulatory regime for media companies takes a differentiated approach. Stricter controls apply to broadcasting companies, because broadcast is a more emotive media than print. In the wrong hands, it can be easily used to manipulate audience's opinion and undermine our hard-earned social harmony and stability. It is with this in mind that we have put in place ownership and management controls for broadcasting companies. However, changes to corporate structures can circumvent this intent. Let me illustrate. In the media business, a holding company with several media subsidiaries is a common ownership structure nowadays, eg, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is a holding company of subsidiary media companies like Fox News Channel and Fox Broadcasting Company. Such holding companies may, and in many instances do, have a large influence over the operation of their subsidiaries. However, the SBA Act currently does not apply to such holding companies. This is unlike the Banking Act where the shareholding provisions extend to designated financial holding companies.”
“Let me read new section 10F for the Member's benefit. It says: "Without prejudice to section 10G, if the Minister is satisfied that any person has contravened section 10A, 10B, [these two sections are the sections that refer to the 5% control and the 12% control] 10C(4) or 10E(5) or any condition imposed under section 10C(2), [which are basically elaborations of those sections earlier] or if the Minister has served a written notice of objection under section 10E, the Minister, may by notice in writing - (a) direct the transfer or disposal of all or any of the shares in the newspaper company held by the person or any of his associates.. within such time and subject to such conditions as the Minister considers appropriate;" Sir, I think what Mr Low Thia Khiang is perhaps alluding to is whether "fit and proper person" refers to a particular political affiliation. I give him the assurance that it does not. 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. - [Mr David T. E. Lim]. Bill considered in Committee, reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. SINGAPORE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 6.20 pm The Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Mr David T. E. Lim): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, a short while ago, at the Second Reading of the Newspaper and Printing Presses (Amendment) Bill, I explained the changes to the shareholding provisions of the NPPA to align them with the Banking Act.”
“Sir, the intent of clause 10F is to ensure that if a person exceeds the provisions of clause 10A and 10B, that is if they exceed the 5%, and the 12%, then the Minister should direct that they dispose of those shares.”
“Mr Speaker, can I ask Mr Low Thia Khiang exactly which clause he is referring to? If he is referring to new section 10E, there it says that the Minister may serve a written notice of objection on any person referred to in section 10A or 10B if the Minister is satisfied that the person ceases to be a fit and proper person. Is that the clause he was referring to? I am not quite sure of the question, Mr Speaker. I think a person who is "fit and proper" has a proper definition under the Act.”
“The controls are put in place so that Singaporeans can decide for themselves what kind of a life they want to have in Singapore, and we can decide for ourselves how our society will develop and grow. The controls are not put in place to silence anyone, nor are they put in place for the Government to tell the media what they can or cannot write. The Government does not tell editors what they should write in their editorials. Journalists can write op-ed pieces and, from time to time, they do write op-ed pieces that are critical of Government policies. They report on the news, sometimes to the chagrin of Ministers or Backbenchers, as they do not quite get the message they want reported. So there is no attempt here to determine how the media should report the news. But our objective is to ensure that we have a credible, a strong and a responsible media. And for this reason, we have put in controls. The control that Mr Low Thia Khiang referred to, as to who can own shares, and why this is up to the Minister to decide, refers only to substantial shareholdings. And there is a big difference here. Mr Low Thia Khiang, Mr Speaker, or any other Member in this House, or any other person in Singapore or elsewhere can buy shares in newspaper companies without any restriction and without any permission from the Minister. But when his aggregate of shares exceeds 5%, then he requires the permission of the Minister. This is to ensure that no one person, company or entity holds a large amount of shares and is therefore able to exercise undue influence over the operations of that newspaper company. Sir, I believe, I have dealt with the issues that Members have raised.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the speakers who have spoken in support of the Bill. A number of issues have been raised, some of them not directly related to the amendments, but let me take them in any case. Mr Andy Gan has asked that the media encourage the arts by giving it greater coverage. I leave this to the media to follow up on this suggestion. I also hope that they will give more coverage to the arts, since I wear the other hat of being the Minister in charge of the arts in Singapore. But to be fair, I think the coverage of arts has increased over the years, and some of the newspapers are publishing supplements from time to time. Some of them do have enhanced coverage of arts events in Singapore. Mr Chandra Mohan has raised a number of issues and also some suggestions for newspaper companies to cite websites when they write their articles. Again, I leave this to the newspaper companies to take up his suggestion. The power of web technology really is in the connectivity, and I think there are already many of the hyperlinks provided on the news sites that one can visit today. The substantial issues raised about this particular Bill concern control over the media. Mr Chandra Mohan asked whether other countries have also limits on ownership. Indeed, they do. As I know, foreign ownership of newspapers is capped at 20% in the United States. Likewise, in Canada, it is capped at 25%. In France, foreign ownership is not allowed. And I believe there are also ownership restrictions in Australia and UK, although in Australia these are being reviewed at this point in time. So we are not alone in setting ownership restrictions for foreign owners. The reason for this is that it is important that we do not have undue foreign influence in our local media.”
“Funding for English language/ contemporary groups is the highest amongst the language/ethnic categories because English Language theatre companies are amongst the most developed and established arts companies and have benefited from the NAC's 2-year grant scheme, which aims to develop and groom local flagship arts companies. The total number of applications and unsuccessful ones, based on the criteria, are as follows: FY2000 FY2001 Number of grant 879 971 applications received Number rejected 201 (23%) 218 (22%)”
“The breakdown of grants given out by NAC by art forms1 and by ethnic group is as follows: Art Forms FY2000 FY2001 Theatre $3.03m 40% $3.15m 38% Dance $1.41m 19% $1.63m 19% Music $1.52m 20% $1.49m 18% Visual Arts $0.94m 13% $1.09m 13% Literature $0.35m 5% $0.33m 4% Multi-Disciplinary / $0.24m 3% $0.66m 8% Others Total $7.49m 100% $8.34m 100% Language/ Ethnic Category2 FY2000 FY2001 Chinese $1.93m 30.2% $1.79m 26.0% Malay $0.17m 2.7% $0.27m 3.9% Indian $0.23m 3.6% $0.19m 2.8% English Language/ $4.05m 63.5% $4.63m 67.3% Contemporary3 Total $6.38m 100% $6.88m 100% 1 These grants from NAC do not include funding provided to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra by the Government and/or the Tote Board. The NAC does not provide grants to these two orchestras. 2 Figures in this table refer to activities and not for training as it is not meaningful to distinguish the types of training according to ethnic categories. 3 This category includes groups that practice in English and contemporary visual artists. Grants applications are assessed on the following criteria: (i) artistic merit of proposal; (ii) impact of audience reach; (iii) commitment in sustaining and advancing the arts form; (iv) artistic track record of the applicant; and, (v) demonstration of good planning, sound budgeting and effective use of resources. NAC's grants are given only to non-profit Singaporean art groups. They are not given to commercial companies presenting productions such as Miss Saigon, Cirque du Soleil and The Phantom of the Opera.”
“Today, there are 112 Senior Citizens' Clubs or groups in the Southwest CDC alone. Among them, 73 have set up mutual care and support groups among their members. For those who need a job, they can approach the CDC concerned for assistance. I am happy to inform Mr Ang that my Ministry is now working with Southwest CDC to set up two Neighbourhood Links at Jurong East and Chua Chu Kang respectively. Instead of building a new facility, we would like to suggest that Mr Ang may want to work with the CDC first to see how best we can leverage on the existing infrastructure and facilities and the two neighbourhood links that we are proposing with Southwest CDC, so that we can better coordinate the programmes and services to meet the needs of our elderly. Sir, I think I have addressed most of the concerns raised yesterday.”
“First, the extension of Government subsidy to cooperatives that run these services. Second, making subsidised premises available to cooperatives to set up and run the services. Over the next 2-3 years, MCDS will also implement further measures to encourage private operators to enter the eldercare field. One key initiative is a user-subsidy system in which an elderly Singaporean, who meets the eligibility criteria, will receive a subsidy, regardless of which service provider he goes to. So there is portability. Another initiative is to set aside 10-20% of the premises reserved for eldercare services for commercial operators to bid over the next five years. My Ministry is also constantly reviewing our subsidy policy to ensure that services remain affordable to Singaporeans. Last year, we introduced differential subsidy rates for elderly services such that lower income users receive a higher level of subsidy. MCDS has recently reviewed the eligibility criteria and I am pleased to announce that we will be raising the income ceiling for the 50% subsidy from $500 to $700. This revision will potentially benefit our seniors who are in the per capita family income range of $500-$700 and who need day care services or sheltered accommodation. Finally, I will address the specific suggestion of Mr Ang Mong Seng to set up a community senior citizens' institute. I agree that our community facilities should also cater to the needs of older Singaporeans. Currently, there is already an infrastructure in place to organise various activities for our seniors. For example, as Members know, they can sign up for courses in community clubs, participate in sports, social and recreational activities organised by our Senior Citizens' Clubs.”
“Mr Zainul also asked whether we have studied the experiences of other countries with regard to inter-generational programming. Sir, we have visited several countries, including Japan and Hong Kong, which face similar ageing challenges as we do. We will be visiting Australia and the United Kingdom to learn not just about inter-generational issues, but also about aged care and policy measures. Where feasible, we will adopt some of these learning points. We have to adapt them to the local context and perhaps also expand on our range of programmes. Sir, now onto care for the aged. Mr Charles Chong also highlighted the impact the ageing society will have on the care-giving role. Currently, our range of eldercare programmes, services and facilities are run by close to 70 voluntary welfare organisations. Over the next four years, we will step up these services to better support families in the care for the elderly at home. The initiatives being planned for include 400 additional day care places, more home help services, gerontological counselling, case management and a wide range of respite care services. In planning these services, my Ministry will work closely with the respective CDCs. However, to meet the rising demand, not only for a wider range, but for a higher quality of services, I think we need to bring new players into the field of community-based services. This will, of course, inject fresh ideas on how services can better meet changing demands, and be more cost-effective in meeting these demands. Starting this July, my Ministry will introduce a new incentive framework to encourage more cooperatives to provide eldercare programmes for seniors in the community, beginning with day care and home help services. The incentive framework will have two elements.”
“Besides community involvement, our elderly can continue to play a valuable role in the family, by promoting family value and transmitting positive values to their grandchildren. The role of grandparents will evolve in tandem with our more educated elderly population. Towards this end, MCDS supports public education programmes related to grandparenting. Ms Irene Ng will also be happy to learn that we are also developing more facilities that will bring the young and old together. The Neighbourhood Link is one such facility, located in studio apartments and HDB void decks. The Link mobilises volunteers of all age groups to help needy residents in the community. I visited one in Toa Payoh, well-located, not too far from the town centre, and they have lots of activities for the senior citizens to engage themselves in. With the help of the VWOs, we can continue to engage them in other types of activities. The co-location or close location of services for different age groups also promotes social integration, as does joint programming. The Tampines 3 in 1 Family Centre is an example of co-location of services for the young and the old under one roof. Children from the student care and childcare centres are brought to the eldercare centre daily for them to mingle with the seniors. Another example is our Singapore Boys' Home located in Jurong, next to the Saint Joseph's Home. This proximity allows our boys to help out regularly at the home and befriend the elderly residents there. The experience has been a mutually beneficial one. The elderly are able to share with the young their experiences, the history of Singapore and, in some instances, we found that they act as mentors to the boys. And the boys, in turn, bring companionship to the old.”
“I hope that we could see more of such community organisations coming forward to help us spread the message. We must recognise that in the life cycle, at different times, at different points in our lives, our needs will be different and therefore, we need to prepare for them. Therefore, my Ministry will intensify all our efforts to work together with other agencies to promote what we call, a culture of planning for the various transitions in our life, including aging or the so called "third age". The key, as Mr Maidin has rightly pointed out, is to start early. Sir, on the second thrust, both Mr Maidin and Mr Zainul have spoken about giving our seniors productive and meaningful roles to play. Over the next 4-5 years, MCDS will place greater emphasis on programmes to develop the potential of our seniors. We have launched the Active Seniors Programme. We have set aside $5 million for this programme over the next four years to pilot innovative projects designed to tap the talents and the experience of older Singaporeans for the benefit of our community. I am pleased to inform the House that the first six projects are currently being implemented. We welcome any other proposals from anyone or any community organisations. These projects will involve over 2,000 senior volunteers. Dr Lily Neo has asked specifically if senior volunteers can be reimbursed for incidental expenses, such as transport and what have you. Some of the VWOs, for example, RSVP, Singapore Action Group of Elders (SAGE) and Lions Befrienders, are already doing so and we will promote this as a best practice for others to consider. Mr Zainul and Ms Irene Ng also raised issues about grandparenting and the need to foster greater inter-generational interaction.”
“One key success factor, of course, is society's mindset, and Dr Lily Neo has rightly raised that as a challenge for us to discuss. We have already taken a systematic approach to have a public education programme year round, in order to promote positive attitudes towards aging and older people. Our target audience is across all sectors, including the elderly. We have and will continue to collaborate with various Government and non-Governmental organisations to promote positive public attitudes through public and professional forums, talks, media campaigns and production of resource materials on aging issues. We also have the annual Senior Citizens' Week and Grandparents' Day as forums to promote active aging and respect for our seniors. But Members will agree that changing mindsets will take time, and it will require the collective effort of everyone in our society, including the elderly. To this end, I am glad to learn that many community organisations are taking the lead to promote positive aging and senior volunteerism. For example, in last year's Senior Citizens' Week, more than 40 community clubs organised programmes and activities for the elderly and their families. The Central Singapore CDC, which I was closely associated with, has launched a programme to rope in elderly volunteers, who then read to primary school children every week, a programme called Read and Reach Programme. The Retired Seniors Volunteer Programme (RSVP) conducts a mentoring programme for school children. Last year, the People's Association Senior Citizens' Network launched the SPICES for Life Programme. This programme is designed to motivate older people to learn to pick up new skills, such as IT.”
“But there are a few outstanding recommendations that are still being studied, and these pertain primarily to changes to the Central Provident Fund and the implementation of a portable medical benefits system. All these recommendations, as Members will agree, have a tremendous impact on Singaporeans. Therefore, we should take a prudent approach in implementing some of these recommendations. Hence, we should study them thoroughly before coming to a decision. Mr Charles Chong is probably aware that the CPF issues and the question of portable medical benefits are currently being studied by the Economic Review Committee (ERC). And as the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, Mr Mah Bow Tan, will be releasing a more detailed progress report on the work of the IMC soon. Sir, if I can turn to the issue of social integration, Ms Irene Ng spoke passionately yesterday about making sure that there is a place for the elderly, and not for us to be overly focusing on the young. I think we need a balance. Social integration and active aging are the corner-stones of our national effort to achieve successful aging in Singapore. We want to achieve this with three strategies. First, of course, promoting positive mindsets and attitudes towards aging and older people. Second, creating opportunities to stretch the productive potential of our seniors and tap their wealth of experience, particularly in ways in which we can promote inter-generational contact and bonding. Finally, as Mr Charles Chong has rightly pointed out, strengthening our community-based services to support families in caring for their frail elderly members in their own homes. 1.00 pm Let me elaborate on these three strategies.”
“And based upon what we have seen, this is adequate to meet the needs of our family and our community. Sir, all these initiatives and programmes relating to the family that I have mentioned, must only be matched rightly by a change in mindset about care-giving roles within the family. We cannot but stress the impact of the couples' marital health on family well-being. In the first place, full and equal partnership in a marriage can help share stress and offer mutual support and this, of course, in turn contributes to work-life balance. Furthermore, children are affected by their parents' relationship to each other. Loving, cooperative 2-parent families are clearly the best environment for today's children to be raised. Both sets of parents, therefore, need to share the care-giving role. Father care is as important as mother care. If I can now turn to the subject on the elderly, I would like to thank all the MPs who have spoken on the issues pertaining to our seniors. Mr Charles Chong, Chairman of the GPC for Community Development and Sports, has asked about the progress of the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Aging Population. I am pleased to inform the House that the work of the Committee is bearing fruit. To date, over 80% of the recommendations have been or being implemented. I think we are quite familiar with some of them. The more recent developments include, of course, the Lift Upgrading Programme, the Five-year Eldercare Master Plan which was launched last year, the Severe Disability Insurance Scheme and, of course, the provision for barrier-free access in all our MRT and LRT stations. The infrastructure is being put in place to prepare for an aging population.”
“The course will be launched by the end of this year. Besides helping families in childcare, sometimes families have other concerns requiring temporary assistance. Mdm Cynthia Phua has raised some concerns about making accessibility better for families. She has also suggested the setting up of one-stop support centres to provide such frontline service for the families. Currently, this frontline function is undertaken by Family Service Centres (FSCs). Members of the public who need advice on family matters and they are not sure whom to contact, they can call the FSC helpline at the toll-free number 1800-8380100. This is a first-stop telephone hotline for families. Once they make the call, it will be directed to the FSC serving the area where the resident is living in. FSCs, as we know, are the first-stop neighbourhood-based focal point providing social services to families and they manage four core programmes - casework and counselling, information and referral, family education, and outreach. For example, if a family approaches an FSC for financial assistance, they will be counselled and, if necessary, referred to the nearest CDC which administers the various schemes. FSCs also have the expertise to deal with most family problems, but if specialised expertise or assistance is needed, they will work closely with CDCs and other organisations. So, coordination and networking among the social service providers are important steps to ensure that families get the help that they need, timely and effectively. At the moment, there are about 35 FSCs operating in Singapore. One more FSC will be established next year in Chua Chu Kang, and each FSC serves a population of between 80,000 and 160,000 residents.”
“The quality and level of their training have a direct impact on the quality of care provided by our centres. We stipulate the training requirements currently, and all centre supervisors have the required Certificate in Pre-School Management and Administration. In addition, 65% of all childcare teachers possess the Certificate in Pre-School Training. Last year, we took the process one step further. MCDS and MOE established a joint training framework for all pre-school personnel, and a joint pre-school qualification accreditation committee was formed to set training guidelines and accredit pre-school teacher training courses. To further enhance the professionalism and the quality of childcare in Singapore, MCDS announced in 1999 new training requirements for childcare centre personnel. All centre supervisors, and at least one teacher per centre, must possess a Diploma in Pre-School Education by the end of 2004, and all teachers must be trained at the Certificate in Pre-School Teaching by this date. Based on the projected number of training places provided by 15 training agencies that offer accredited training courses, there are sufficient training places to meet this current demand. Besides providing more childcare options, my Ministry is also committed to improving the quality of childcare. My Ministry, with the help of partners, such as the Association of Early Childhood Educators (Singapore) (AECES) will also be implementing training programmes for informal caregivers for children, such as maids or relatives. Short courses will be offered in different languages which will equip the caregivers with basic skills of caring for our young children. They will impart knowledge on physical care, hygiene, first-aid and, of course, child development.”
“Under this scheme, which we are piloting now with both the Southeast and Southwest CDCs, the councils will help us to recruit and maintain a list of caregivers who can care for children in their homes. The councils will also support them with information and training. After the training, the service refers and matches the caregivers with the parents who have no full-time care for their children. We are putting aside $150,000 this year for this initiative. So far, from what we have heard from the two CDCs, they have received many enquiries about this scheme, and the actual matching and referrals are expected to pick up soon. The two CDCs will also maintain a list of short-term or temporary caregivers to provide parents with occasional care services. Some parents may not need such a service on a frequent basis, but they may need such service because they have to go out and do something else and, therefore, they can rely upon this list. Sir, Mr Charles Chong and Dr Lily Neo also asked for more childcare centres. At the moment, there are 608 childcare centres operating in Singapore offering about 50,400 places, and the take-up rate is only about 76%. So there is still extra capacity. Since the delegation of childcare development to CDCs, the CDCs have played a significant role in identifying sites for childcare centres that are both convenient to parents and, at the same time, meeting the local needs. This year, we plan to develop another 60 childcare centres, which will give an additional 3,700 places for children. Mr Charles Chong also asked for better training for childcare teachers. I am pleased to inform Members that since 1985, MCDS has had a training system to ensure a steady supply of trained childcare personnel.”
“First, of course, is the Baby Bonus Scheme, which provides cash payment for six years - $500 per year for the second child, and $1,000 per year for the third child. The Government also matches the parents' contribution, so it is a co-payment scheme, dollar for dollar, up to a maximum of $1,000 for the second child, and $2,000 for the third child. This works out to be about $125 and $250 per month for the second and third child respectively, and these can be used to pay fees at the infant care centres. The second scheme is what I mentioned yesterday. The Centre-Based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare (CFAC) is available for low-income families. Together, these subsidies can help families cope with infant care fees. Sir, while affordability is an issue, it is equally important that parents are provided with childcare options other than centre-based options. As Ms Irene Ng has pointed out, studies have shown that home care, especially by one or two of the parents, by a mother or father, or a consistent caregiver, is far superior to a centre-based option. Infants are better cared in a family setting where they receive individualised care. I am, therefore, pleased to announce that my Ministry is piloting the Family Day Care Service as a care option, especially for infants and toddlers who require greater individual care and attention. The Family Day Care Scheme provides home-based care for children by trained caregivers, who are mainly housewives and retirees. It will provide a flexible care arrangement that will allow parents to work and to work out mutually acceptable arrangements with the caregiver. So it is an arrangement whereby they can work together with the caregiver.”
“More couples, especially women, are also working part-time during the early years of their children's development. Sir, in view of this, on top of the current subsidies for full-day and half-day childcare programmes which we have given to families, my Ministry will now grant a pro-rated childcare subsidy to both working and non-working mothers for flexible childcare programmes in licensed childcare centres. Under this flexible childcare scheme, parents will be eligible for a pro-rated childcare subsidy when they place their children in a childcare centre that offers programmes for a minimum of two half-days every week. This scheme will be implemented in January next year, and my Ministry has set aside $5 million for this financial year. Mr Charles Chong and Dr Lily Neo have asked for more help for parents with young infants, especially below 18 months. As Members will know, childcare operators can offer infant care services for children as young as two months old, provided of course they comply with certain requirements, both physical and staffing, because these are very young children. Therefore, we need a certain type of skills set. Such requirements, as we know, are critical because of the safety and well-being of our young children. Currently, there are eight centres providing infant care services but, at the end of the day, we will have to allow market forces to dictate the supply and demand for infant care services. Dr Neo also asked whether higher subsidies could be provided for infant care. Besides the childcare subsidy of $150 and $75 for working and non-working parents respectively, there are two other subsidy schemes that can be used for fees at infant care services.”
“Ms Irene Ng asked whether the civil service would extend the 5-day unrecorded paid leave for looking after a sick child to fathers as well. MCDS will work with the Public Service Division to review this. Also, Mdm Halimah asked about the implementation of family care leave. Again, MCDS cannot implement this unilaterally. We will have to consult the Public Service Division for the civil service, and the Working Committee on Work-Life, comprising officials from MCDS, NTUC, MOM and SNEF and, of course, Mdm Halimah who is a member of this committee. 12.45 pm Sir, I have discussed, so far, some of the programmes that we have embarked and will be embarking upon to strengthen the family. Let me now turn to the range of services and care options that my Ministry will implement in order to help Singapore families stay strong. We know that with the trend towards nuclear families, smaller families and dual-income households, families will require more assistance, especially in the area of childcare. I will describe what are the things that my Ministry is doing to increase some of the care options and improved access for childcare for families in Singapore. Sir, we are committed to increasing the range of the childcare options to help parents to fulfill their role. For a start, we have launched the Baby Bonus Scheme as a way to help parents to meet the financial needs of their children, especially when they are young. But parents do require more options in terms of childcare so that they will help them to balance their work and their life. Flexible work arrangements and part-time work for parents are becoming more prevalent these days, and this is because of the increased awareness among both families and businesses about family-work practices.”
“There is the emotional tug-of-war between a father who feels he is doing everything and earning an income, and a homemaker, or a working mother, who is exhausted and frustrated, because she is not getting the support and involvement from her spouse. Couples need to examine not only how much time each parent spends with their children, but also the type of activities that they are engaged in. While it is much easier for mothers, because of the way a mother's role has been socially conditioned, it is unfortunately less straightforward for fathers. But I am pleased to note that, increasingly, fathers too want to enjoy the joys of parenthood or fatherhood. Judging from the good response the Centre for Fathering has been receiving, fathers want a role to play in the family too. More recently, I have been told by some mothers that the way to encourage good fathering is for mothers to withdraw from some areas of activities, in order to provide some opportunity for fathers to be good fathers. Sir, I would like to congratulate my parliamentary colleague, Dr Maliki, for having taken the first steps to start Forum Adam last year, a seminar aimed at empowering Malay men to embrace a fair-share of parenting. The event attracted the highest number of 300 Malay men attending any Family Life Education Conference. Today, the publication Visi Adam serves to empower many Malay fathers on their fathering skills. Having fathers who are equally involved as mothers in the parenting partnership is a fundamental tenet on what it means to be a family. Sir, my Ministry promotes this underlying principle in the various education programmes conducted by our community partners.”
“Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, before I take Members through some of the initiatives that the Ministry is putting in place to help Singaporean families with care-giving responsibilities, let me answer some specific questions on the family that were raised yesterday. Dr Maliki asked if MCDS has a "family policy". We have widely-known principles that undergird all our social policies. May I take this opportunity to remind Dr Maliki that these are: One, family is the building block of society. Family ties are the key factors in rooting Singaporeans. They are the ties that bind us. Two, family is the first line of care and support. This principle is applied even in the implementation of our social safety net. So, whenever an applicant comes in through the CDC, we will check his family background to ensure the level of support that he has. So, family, as the first line of support, is a very important consideration in everything that we do. Three, strong and stable families are critical for the well-being of individuals, and for our nation. If families are weak, they will undermine the first two principles. Family, as a building block of our society, is an important principle for us in Singapore. But we know that family is a personal domain, and we respect that. But the health of society rests on the health of the family. This is something that we should not forget. Thus, the role of the Government is to provide the support, the infrastructure, to enable the family to fulfill its roles and responsibilities. I suppose we should support this, and not supplant it. Dr Maliki also asked about the role of fathers and husbands - a very interesting topic.”
“TERRORISM (SUPPRESSION OF FINANCING) BILL "to suppress the financing of terrorism, to give effect to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and for matters connected therewith, and to make a related amendment to the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 186 of the 1999 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SINGAPORE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Singapore Broadcasting Authority Act (Chapter 297 of the 1995 Revised Edition)", presented by the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Mr David T. E. Lim); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. NEWSPAPER AND PRINTING PRESSES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Chapter 206 of the 1991 Revised Edition)", presented by Mr David T. E. Lim; 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, 2002 TO 31ST MARCH, 2003 (Paper Cmd. 3 of 2002) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [8th Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Head I (cont.) - Resumption of Debate on Question [22nd May, 2002], "That the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Mr Charles Chong]. Question again proposed. The Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports (Assoc. Prof.”
“Sir, tariffs will change in response to competition in the marketplace. I am not sure exactly, in the case of Hong Kong, whether it changed only because of MNP implementation. But, certainly, to the extent that you have got competition in the marketplace, competition will drive rates to competitive levels. And this is what we intend to do in the Singapore marketplace, which is to ensure that there is competition in the marketplace, and we have that today. This is why, as I said yesterday in this House, that we have a very high level of mobile usage, mobile penetration. That shows that the existing model has not hindered the growth of the marketplace. Nonetheless, we will look at the matter. I do not know exactly how much it would cost at this point in time, because technology is changing all the time and there could be advancements that could bring the cost down. If so, then that would make it even more viable for the industry to come together and implement a network-wide mobile number portability system. BILLS INTRODUCED COMPANIES (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Companies Act (Chapter 50 of the 1994 Revised Edition) and to make consequential amendments to certain other Acts", presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (Mr Lee Hsien Loong); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. BUSINESS REGISTRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Business Registration Act (Chapter 32 of the 2001 Revised Edition)", presented by Mr Lee Hsien Loong; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.”
“Yes, I am aware that a number of countries implement a full network-based mobile number portability system. But this is a much involved technical solution. It does require setting up a database of numbers, as we are told, and it does require additional investment by the mobile operators. This will increase the cost to the mobile operators, and this cost must work, in some way, into the system of charging users. But, of course, the potential advantage of this is that it would make competition more viable in the mobile telephony industry, and therefore this is the reason why we are taking another look at the issue. Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no free lunch, so to speak. At the end of the day, if we want the convenience of this service, if we want the convenience of keeping our own telephone number, there is a solution to it. But this is the solution that is not costless, and therefore we will have to weigh carefully the pros and cons of whether or not it is advantageous to introduce this. Right now, those who want number portability pay for the service, and they pay a charge of several dollars a month, and they get the benefit of number portability. But if we implement a network-wide solution, then all users will have to pay for the higher cost, whether or not they change the telephone numbers. So there are pros and cons, and this is what we will weigh out.”
“Sir, call forwarding is a way to achieve number portability. In other words, if one switches operators, yes, he will get a new telephone number. But if someone calls his old telephone number, he will still receive the call. So, in that sense, his number has not changed to the people who are calling him, and that makes it portable.”
“IDA's responsibility is to ensure that we have a competitive marketplace, and we leave it to the market then to decide. Where there are restrictions to competition in the marketplace, then IDA will step in.”
“No, Sir, I said that service standards were not set. We have not set them because there is a competitive marketplace. If there is a competitive marketplace, you leave it to the operators how they want to achieve this. One of the problems, of course, with service standards in SMS today is because of people like Mr Khaw Boon Wan's daughter who sent out 700 messages a month, maybe a day! And there are many kids who find this a very fun technology, just to keep in touch with each other. But it puts a lot of traffic onto the system. One possible solution could be to differentiate service types, so that the business users could subscribe to more expensive service and therefore get better quality of service. But this is something for the market really to work out.”
“Mobile operators therefore have been required to share infrastructure in MRT tunnels. This limits their mobile capacity, and it makes it difficult to isolate problems to a particular operator. For these reasons, QOS standards have not so far been set. But IDA will continue to monitor the overall service levels closely, and work with the mobile operators to address and resolve the network congestion or quality of service problems when they arise.”
“Sir, Mr Low Thia Khiang has raised a number of issues concerning mobile phone services. Let me deal with them one by one. On mobile number portability, or MNP, IDA mandated MNP since the start of mobile competition on 1st April 1997. There are several technical ways to achieve portability. IDA decided at that time it was better to leave it to the mobile operators themselves to decide which was the best way. This is consistent with the regulatory practice in most other countries. However, the current solution adopted by the operators does not allow portability for mobile data services such as SMS. We recognise that this shortcoming can hamper competition and, likewise, innovation. IDA is working with the industry to review the existing technical solution, and it will ensure that the market remains competitive and able to deliver new services. On the issue of inter-operator SMS, that is SMS across different mobile operators, IDA has mandated this since February 2000. Any mobile user can send and receive messages to and from the customers of other mobile operators. Singapore is one of the very few countries in the world to have actually mandated inter-operator SMS. IDA is currently working with the four mobile operators to examine whether the inter-operator SMS service can be improved, and will consider whether or not to set minimum Quality of Service standards for SMS. Finally, on mobile coverage in MRT tunnels, IDA has mandated that all operators must provide coverage in MRT stations. But there is a problem here. We have not so far imposed minimum Quality of Service standards because of this problem, and that is, there is limited physical space in MRT tunnels. There is space for the trains but there is no space for a lot of other things.”
“The PAP is not just a private political party. It is the ruling party. It is the Government. It forms the Government. When office-holders declare their assets to the Prime Minister, they declare to the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister. The purpose of having this rule, as I gave Mr Steve Chia in my reply, was to ensure that the CEC members are people of substance and that they do not put proxies on board the CEC so that these proxies can be the fall guys for them should they run into trouble. This objective is achieved by the declaration that the CEC members make to the Prime Minister in their duties as office -holders.”
“I thank the Members for making these important issues as part of this debate.”
“To-date, Government information is available through a variety of channels, for example, mass media, governmental publications, the Government websites of which there are many, and the National Archives. Parliament is also a source of information where MPs regularly file questions to get specific answers. But legislating information access rights, as suggested, also has its pros and cons. Yes, it might improve transparency, but it will also shift more public resources to addressing individual demands, rather than collective benefits. It may also impose rigidities on the way information must be kept and managed in order to be made available for public scrutiny. And like data protection, a legislated approach to information access can raise costs and hinder innovation within the Government. The question is whether the public today is denied information they need, except for information that could compromise our security or national interests. Is there a practical need that is not met? In practical terms, we have more access to information than we really can use. But if there are specific needs that are not addressed, then we should take a look at them. The system we have today is working well. Instead of a Freedom of Information Act, there may be more practical value at this time to take a needs-based approach and cultivate greater civic awareness and involvement around specific issues that can benefit the community. Sir, the issues that the Members have raised on information management are fundamental to the development of our society, whether it is data protection, freedom of information access or censorship. Our society is neither static nor closed, and we will review our policies in these areas from time to time to keep pace with our economic and social development.”
“And we accept the cookies because we want to get to those sites. Also, complying with a broadly-based law could raise significantly business costs, and this would affect small businesses and start-ups the most. These benefits apply both to the private and the public sectors. Indeed, through e-Government, many new and convenient services have been delivered to the public. The Government's approach to data protection is, therefore, to set in place rules and processes that would safeguard privacy, without incurring high costs or stifling innovation. The civil service has its own internal guidelines, administered by the Ministry of Finance, that guard against misuse of information. The Second Minister for Finance elaborated on this in this House last week, so I shall not go into that further. Concurrently, we are working with the private sector to strengthen industry self-regulation. The industry-led National Trust Council is currently conducting public consultation on a Data Protection Code for the private sector. The draft code is modelled on international standards, and I would encourage Members to give their views to the Council as well. Finally, let me touch on free access to information. Mr Sin Boon Ann has argued that Singapore should have a Freedom of Information Act. He has raised this before. He feels that it is appropriate, in an information-oriented society like ours, that individuals should have free access to information held by the Government, and that this would make the Government more careful in the way it manages its information resources. Sir, it is natural as we become more and more of an information society, that the public will want to have great access to information that are important to them, and that affect their daily lives.”
“Also, requiring CEC members to declare their assets when they apply for a newspaper permit ensures that they are people of substance who have not tried to avoid their responsibilities by appointing proxies to represent them on the CEC, and to be the fall guys should they run into trouble with the law. Mr Chia has also asked if this rule applies to Petir and to the PAP. Yes, it does. But PAP CEC members declare their assets to the Prime Minister and SBA accepts that declaration as fulfilment of this requirement. Now, let me turn to the issue of data protection which was raised by Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung, who has informed me that, owing to an urgent personal matter, he is unable to be present for the response. The ability to store and move tremendous amounts of data and the open structure of the Internet make all of us vulnerable to information misuse or abuse. The Government is mindful of this. Apart from basic legislation, like the Computer Misuse Act, we have enacted sector-specific legislation, like the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act, the Banking Act and the Income Tax Act, to protect sensitive personal data like medical and financial records. Sector-specific legislation, however, may not cover all types of information that an individual may want to keep private. However, a wide and sweeping legislation on data protection may also not be the best way to move forward or to make things better. This is because such a law could deny companies' access to information that they need to come up with better ways to tailor products and services to customers. It would hinder innovations, and customers would miss out on useful and convenient services. After all, not all of us reject cookies. Some of us do like the taste of some of those cookies.”
“Mr Chairman, we also need to provide safeguards against another kind of abuse over the Internet, and that is the spurious use of the Internet to spread false information or to inflame emotions, causing hurt to affected parties and harm to society. This is why the Government has imposed certain registration requirements for political and religious websites, and political party websites. Mr Steve Chia claimed that this rule was the reason why the Sintercom website closed down. This claim is unfounded and his suggestion to waive the rule is unwise. Sintercom need not have closed down because of these rules. Registration does not impose any extra rule on content providers and websites. Nor does it disallow open discussion or criticism of Government policies. Yes, indeed, the public is free to access these sites and to judge for themselves the contents. These sites are bound by the class licence rules of the Internet, and by the laws of the land. Registration is a reasonable and prudent measure to establish accountability, and to deter irresponsible persons from using the cloak of anonymity to create mischief and harm. Mr Steve Chia also asked why it is necessary for the CEC members of political parties to be named as the publishers of party websites and newspapers, and to declare their assets. Sir, in politics, it is only too easy to run down political opponents or to stir up trouble under the cloak of anonymity. This is why it is necessary to remove this cover. It is reasonable and fair to expect CEC members, as the highest decision making body of a party, to stand by their views openly, and to take responsibility for what is published on their website or in the newspapers.”
“Sir, Members have raised a number of issues relating to the management of information in our society, namely, censorship, data protection and access to information. These are fundamental issues to the way nations are governed and to the way societies function. Each community has to decide for itself what these rules should be. While these issues are not new, our environment has changed, and we cannot duck these changes. We are a global city and, therefore, open to influences from everywhere, and we must adjust and adapt to them. One challenge is the Internet. The Internet has become a vital tool for business and personal growth. But, at the same time, it is also a source of all kinds of undesirable content, including pornographic content and hate materials. Filtering software, offered by the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), can help to keep out some of these materials. But regulations alone cannot prevent the naive and curious from being tricked or lured to undesirable sites. 3.45 pm I therefore agree with Mr Zainudin that we should educate the public and in particular, parents, so that they can take their own preventive actions to avoid such materials. Last February, SBA established a $5 million Internet Public Education Fund. To-date, $1.2 million has been used to support eight on-line safety projects. The fund has benefited organisations like the Parents' Advisory Group for the Internet (PAGi). PAGi was formed two years ago, and has trained more than 23,000 parents to provide guidance to their children on the safe use of the Internet.”
“Sir, in his reply to my query last year, my parliamentary colleague, Mr Yatiman Yusof, said that our National Heritage Board Act allows for declassification of Government documents after a period of time, and from time to time. I had a look at the Act and would add that it falls far short of what we are trying to achieve here for the following reasons. First, the Act does not set out any comprehensive framework for the declassification of information within a certain timeframe. Secondly, it does not confer upon a person a statutory right to ask for information that may be relevant to him. There are many more reasons but, for now, these two are sufficient. Sir, we have come a long way to feel that we are mature enough to consider such a legislation as the Freedom of Information Act. To be sure, we are not the first to look at this, as many countries in the west, such as the UK and the USA, have already done so. And if we want to move towards the developed standards elsewhere, it is about time that we seriously consider enacting such a legislation as I have suggested. On this note, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Government could consider such a legislation.”
“Freeing up information will also be consistent with our desire to become a knowledge economy. I believe that, with information, people can make better informed choices than they otherwise would have been able to do. While I can understand there is a need to consider issues of national security in deciding whether or not to release information, there could be other types of information where such concerns are not pressing. In this area, perhaps the Government can be more liberal and open in providing. Sir, I did say then that the Freedom of Information legislation serves two purposes. If I could recap, first, it imposes an obligation on the part of the Government to allow non-security, non-sensitive information to be made available to citizens where such information affects their rights. Often, information about a person may be gathered which has an effect on the way the Government decides on matters affecting the person which may not be accurate and which does not lend itself to being challenged by the interested party. Subject only to requirements of national security, I cannot see why such information may not be made available to the person concerned after, perhaps, an appropriate period of time. Secondly, the availability of information to interested persons, as of right, may have a salutary effect on civil servants. As a civil servant, if he knows that his record will be subject to public scrutiny at some point of time, he will be more careful perhaps in the way in which he documents his record. This will have a positive effect on maintaining and, perhaps, raising the level of conduct of civil servants.”
“As Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has noted that others, like Dubai, and Mr Zainudin has also noted Iran, have recognised the economic value of this industry and are aggressively promoting it. What can we learn from them? We must, at least, be equally aggressive. To give focus to the media industry, we will merge Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), the Films and Publications Department (FPD) and the Singapore Films Commission (SFC) into a single statutory body which will be called the Media Development Authority (MDA). MDA will promote the growth of the media industry, working closely with EDB and other agencies, to attract investments to Singapore and to develop our local content creation capabilities. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang wanted to know if our censorship regime would stifle the growth of the media industry. I do not think so. Because of our multi-racial and multi-religious society, we set guidelines for contents that are targetted at Singaporeans. But we do not impose our standards on others. Media businesses are welcomed to operate here within the laws of the land. The formation of the MDA will bring together the various content regulatory bodies, to ensure that all our content regulations are well coordinated across different media and correctly balanced to promote social harmony while encouraging industry growth. With the competition code in place and the formation of MDA, we expect to see renewed vigour in the media industry and the creation of new job opportunities for Singaporeans in the years ahead. Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines): Sir, last year, in the Committee of Supply, I raised the possibility of us having a Freedom of Information Act. My argument, if you recall, is that governments these days are expected to be transparent and accountable.”
“So overall, we can say that competition has given consumers in Singapore more choices and we are beginning to see some of the sought after benefits in the industry. Competition for free-to-air television and newspapers is currently between two media groups, each dominant in one field of media. So far, competition, while keen, has not been dysfunctional. However, our local media plays an important social role, and we must therefore ensure that social goals are not compromised as a result of competition. For example, we want to ensure that a certain amount of local programming is available during prime time on television. And we do not want our newspapers to compete for readers by sensationalising the news, or publishing sleazy articles. To ensure that neither group abuses its dominant position, and that quality does not decline, MITA is planning to implement a competition code later this year for the media sector. A draft code prepared by MITA's consultants has been circulated to the media industry for comments. Sir, as to Mr Zainudin's point and concern about foreign influence, I think he need not be concerned about this, as this is adequately taken care of by the existing rules under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, as well as the Singapore Broadcasting Authority Act. 3.30 pm From a broader perspective, the media industry goes beyond free-to-air television and newspapers to include all types of content creation and content delivery formats. This is a rapidly changing industry that offers new opportunities for growth, from film production to animation, to multimedia services, to video-on-demand and, soon to come, 3G multimedia messaging. Companies are merging so that they can leverage their capabilities across different technology platforms and market segments.”
“Sir, Mr Zainudin has asked whether competition in print and TV media has improved the quality of these media. And Mr Yeo Guat Kwang has asked for a progress report on the development of the media industry. When we introduced competition in the print and TV media in June 2000, we hoped that this would give viewers and readers more media choices, higher quality content, including better news. We also wanted to make our media companies stronger, and better positioned to compete in a multimedia world. After two years, viewers and readers have more choices. There are two more English language papers and a net increase of one free-to-air channel. There are more news and current affairs programmes on television. TV viewership and newspaper readership are up about 6-8 percentage points. And I am glad to say that the Programmes and Publications Advisory Committees have observed that the overall quality of both print and broadcast media has been maintained. Competition has also brought about innovations. New formats have been introduced for TV news, some channels leveraging their presentations off their pool of print journalists. The main local newspapers have introduced new features and offer more in-depth analysis and discussion of issues. The media companies have also started to link and cross-promote their contents across different media, such as TV, newspapers and the Internet. Take one example, Channel NewsAsia is increasingly recognised as a reliable and credible information source with a distinct Asian voice, especially in the wake of the September 11 incident. It not only provides Singaporeans with excellent news coverage, but now reaches more than 10 million homes across 15 countries in the region.”