Edwin Tong Chun Fai
Singapore
“These questions have been answered in the reply to Questions Nos 26 to 31 for Oral Answer on today's Order Paper. [Please refer to "Addressing Issues Identified in Legal Profession Sustainability Study", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time secti…”
“I am answering in my capacity as the Minister charged with the responsibility for the People's Association. The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme was first introduced in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with two key objectives: one, to help Singaporean households cope with daily expenses; and two, to support hawker…”
“If the incident is a result of bilateral obligations relating to data protection and inviolability of equipment not being complied with, then the Government will consider all available legal and diplomatic options, in accordance with the bilateral RTS Link treaties, as well as the relevant international law.”
“In 2024, community sentences under part 17 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 (CPC) were imposed in 86 criminal cases handled by the State Courts.”
“It is a five-minute journey across both ways; and with the availability of closed circuit television coverage and the real-time monitoring that will be done by the officers on both sides, we did not think that this will be necessary.”
“The Ministry of Law will provide an oral reply to this Parliamentary Question, together with other Parliamentary Questions which have been filed on this topic at the next available opportunity.”
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“It serves as a digital hub and repository for discovery of Singaporean music through platforms, such as its website, Instagram and YouTube. Notably, to raise public exposure to Singapore music, Hear65 and SMRT collaborated to launch the "I Play SG Music" campaign last August. Commuters across 125 MRT and LRT stations and bus interchanges can enjoy Singapore-made music, significantly boosting not just the commuting experience, but also enhancing public support for local music. NAC’s efforts are further complemented by our various cultural institutions in Singapore, which also play a role in promoting and showcasing our homegrown musicians. For example, (a) since 2001, the Esplanade has organised Baybeats, Singapore’s largest annual alternative music festival; and (b) as a celebration of Singapore's Mandopop artists and music, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre organises the annual crowd favourite Sing•浪(Singlang). We are proud of the achievements and accolades garnered by our homegrown artists, ensemble, and music professionals. At the national level, our national orchestras, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), broke into the top 20 of the UK's Specialist Classical Charts in July 2023, at fifth place and 16th place respectively. SSO also clinched third place in the prestigious Orchestra of the Year Award by Gramophone in 2021, the only Asian orchestra to be nominated that year. At the industry level, since 2017, the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) and music company Ocean Butterflies have staged the mandarin pop song writing competition SG:SW1.”
“The local music industry comprises a diverse ecosystem of practitioners, non-profit collectives and registered arts companies across different genres, languages and music styles. This reflects the cultural diversity and open nature of the Singapore society today. The National Arts Council (NAC) supports various aspects of a musician’s work, such as in content production, international export, capability development, and audience development. This is done through a suite of grants and initiatives for both individuals and organisations. The Presentation and Participation Grant supports both live showcases and production of albums, while the Capability Development Grant supports musicians to continually upskill through courses, workshops and masterclasses. NAC's Market and Audience Development Grant also supports musicians to tour overseas and showcase at international platforms. Annually, NAC supports around 100 music projects through its grant schemes, along with 10 major companies and two national orchestras which are funded at an organisational level. Additionally, NAC awards the NAC Arts Scholarship to outstanding art practitioners for undergraduate and postgraduate studies locally and overseas. This includes music-related disciplines, such as composing, conducting and music psychology. Developing our local music industry goes beyond just funding or grants. NAC actively spearheads strategic initiatives to foster collaboration, showcase local talent, and cultivate audiences for Singaporean music. A prime example is NAC's Hear65 platform, produced by independent music media company Bandwagon. Hear65 elevates the visibility and profile of Singaporean musicians through strategic partnerships with various events and companies.”
“In this case, we were mindful that if we looked at it holistically, if we wanted an opportunity for Singapore to be one of the stops, and then you look at the past tour history, it is very difficult to be one or two nights alone because of the setup. So, we had to look at that as quite a material consideration for discussing with the Taylor Swift team on how long and for what duration to host it in Singapore. And then we also have to judge what is the demand that we have in the local market. So, these, I hope, explain to Mr Giam some of the suite of considerations that we have in deciding how to approach this, which events to put a grant out to, on what terms, how to structure it and also taking into account the overall demand and objectives in Singapore.”
“Sir, I will try not to make my answer the 10-minute version. Mr Giam filed a question for tomorrow with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on STB's position on grants. That will be taken separately. So, I am not answering on behalf of STB. On the Member's two questions, well, let me deal with the second, which I think is also related to the first question. The real question is this: you have to make your calculations and work out what is in Singapore's and Singaporeans' best interests. If you do not have a certain economy of scale to play in Singapore over "x" number of nights for a period of time, you would not be able to reap the economies of scale. Then, there is going to be a very different balance to the considerations. The concert might take place in Singapore but for far fewer nights, or it might not even take place at all in Singapore. So, we have to look at the overall calculation and decide, for a particular event, what is the resonance with Singapore and Singaporeans? What international, regional draw might it have? We make this calculation overall and it is not in every case that we decide that we need to make a grant or we need to negotiate in a particular way. Every event, whether it is lifestyle, sporting, arts, culture or music, has a different consideration. We are motivated by different outcomes that we want to achieve. So, whether we shape it in one way, give a grant in another way or organise our framework to host the event in a particular way, all that is shaped by the outcomes that we want to achieve.”
“Last year, we worked with the schools to stage the rugby finals right after the Singapore Sevens. So, we had a pitch that was world-class. We had a venue that was world-class, finished on Sunday with the finals. On Monday or Tuesday, the schools stepped in. And because we were able to host it without the financial restrictions in particular that we had before, we had 8,000 school children at the arena, at the stadium, supporting and cheering on their schools. I was there and I think the feeling of camaraderie, the feeling of togetherness, being able to cheer your top athletes at such a forum is something that we value tremendously. So, these and other examples are what we want to go for, using the Sports Hub as a draw, as a vehicle and as an asset that the Government can use right across the spectrum and also combining it with non-Sports Hub facilities. For example, the rest of Kallang Alive, the precinct which I mentioned, there are parts which can be activated in support of and in tandem with the Sports Hub. So, all these are the main motivations for KASM when they do their calculations for events for any particular given year.”
“Sir, I thank Mr Xie for his remarks. He has raised an important point, but I think we should also set it in context. When we first considered the idea of taking back the Sports Hub, there were questions around whether we had a team who would be able to engage with some of the world's top artistes and promoters. Were we able to do this with large-scale crowds? Not forgetting that, as we were embarking on these plans, we were still in the midst of dealing with COVID-19. And so, when we looked at the plans overall, obviously, those are factors that had to be taken into account. Eventually, I think it is important for us to work out a broader horizon, mid-term through to long-term, and understand where we want to go in terms of targets. And we will do that. But I want to stress to Mr Xie that, as I said at the outset of my answer, KASM is not trying to deal with the Sports Hub only for economic return. To us, it is equally important that we have social return to the Sports Hub. To give the Member an example of how we have been able to achieve this, we work with top-tier marquee events, obviously high and good revenue-generating events. Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Jackie Cheung and Taylor Swift, being some examples. But in doing so and in making that revenue, we are able to plough it back into non-revenue-generating but highly impactful social events. I gave the example of the National School Games taking place at the Sports Hub. Almost three times the number of events compared to the best prior to COVID-19 days. All of that brings a certain feeling and resonance of school athletes to be playing at the top venue in Singapore at the Sports Hub. I have given this example to the media as well.”
“I thank Ms Usha Chandradas for her comments. On her first question on cross-marketing, obviously, where possible, we would endeavour to do so. And that is why we have seen, in the case of Coldplay, having a local opening act. In other cases as well, what we try and do on some occasion is, even if we cannot do it at the main event itself, at the periphery, on non-event days or in the lead-up or build-up to the A-list event that takes place in Singapore, we try to involve as many local artistes as possible. The Member has brought up some examples, and we will continue to do so. In the case of artistes, very often the terms and conditions stipulate not just who is performing, their overall set-up, but also the opening act for each of the performers. So, in those cases, we will not be able to change the sequence or change the identity of the performers. But rest assured that when we can, we will endeavour to expose our local artistes to such platforms. On the second point, yes, there is a confidentiality agreement and we will assess the terms, and we will take the appropriate measures under advisement.”
“On other occasions, we have also activated areas in the precinct to allow other members of the community to bask in the atmosphere. This includes both entertainment events, such as the Taylor Swift concerts, as well as sporting events. For example, at the Singapore Smash 2023, we had community activations at the OCBC Square and also across the island with tables set up at 18 venues through Singapore whilst the main event was happening at the Sports Hub. This provided Singaporeans with the opportunity to try their hand at table tennis and doing it on the same top-class tables that were used by the best players in the world. Beyond marquee entertainment and sports events, KASM has a dedicated team that looks at delivering more community programmes. While we cover a range of top-tier events that are ticketed, there are also non-ticketed and non-revenue-generating events, such as the large-scale festivals during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali. This ensures that we have strong social return by providing programmes for everyone to bond, interact and build affinity with the Sports Hub. For example, Sports Hub had hosted a record 43 National School Games (NSG) Finals event days in FY2023. That is more than twice the number of 16 NSG finals event days before COVID-19, which stood at 60. Sir, MCCY, SportSG and KASM will work hard, continue to hustle and do our best to bring top-class events here, but also continue to make the Sports Hub even more accessible to all Singaporeans.”
“I would add that grants alone would not decide where a performer goes. Promoters of top artistes will do their own calculations and assess where they want to perform and for how long. One major consideration is the location, which is key. There are many reasons why world-class artistes choose to host large-scale concerts in Singapore. These include Singapore’s strategic location, quality infrastructure, good amenities, safety, efficiency and diverse cultural offerings. KASM also proactively works with the artistes and promoters to make their experience of performing in Singapore a good one. All of this helps when attracting top-class events into Singapore. Singapore faces intense regional competition for these concerts and other such events, and we will need to continue investing in our infrastructure and software to continue attracting marquee entertainment, lifestyle and sporting events into Singapore. Sir, I want to add, before I conclude, that KASM’s mission goes beyond adding economic value to Singapore. It also extends to building Singaporeans’ affinity with the Sports Hub, as I said at the outset. We are exploring ways for more Singaporeans from all backgrounds to enjoy marquee acts. To Mr Xie Yao Quan's specific question, for some concerts including high demand ones like Coldplay and Taylor Swift, KASM retains some tickets and works with SportCares, which is SportSG's charity and philanthropic arm, SG Cares Volunteer Centres, SouthEast Community Development Centre and other organisations to give tickets to beneficiaries from lower-income families or at-risk families, as well as volunteers from these organisations, so that they too can be a part of the Sports Hub experience.”
“There has been some online speculation as to the size of the grant. I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated but due to business confidentiality reasons, we cannot reveal the specific size of the grant or the conditions of the grant. However, I can assure Members of the House that the economic benefits to Singapore are assessed to be significant and outweigh the size of the grant. The direct economic benefits include, for instance, additional tourist arrivals and additional spending on tickets, flights, hotel stays as well as entertainment, retail and dining in Singapore. Other cities which have hosted Taylor Swift concerts similarly reported an increase in economic activity arising from the concerts and we would expect the same in Singapore. Several market analysts have estimated a dollar range of the economic upside which we are likely to see from the staging of the concerts and whilst the event has not yet concluded, these may well be right. In addition, beyond the tourism and economic benefits, being able to host A-list artistes, such as Taylor Swift, will help position Singapore as a cultural hub in Southeast Asia, capable of hosting a range of different arts, music and culture events, as well as major sporting and lifestyle events. This helps to brand Singapore as a fun, vibrant destination. The Straits Times noted, for instance, that the benefits include, I quote, “economic growth, cultural enrichment, to global recognition”, whilst Nikkei Asia reported that the concerts, I quote, “underscore the city-state’s growing status as a pop culture destination”. The Business Times also noted that these events made us, I quote, “look like a modern, open-minded and vibrant place”.”
“We have also brought in marquee sporting events, including the FIBA Intercontinental Cup that came to Asia for the first time in 2023, the Super 750 Series Singapore Badminton Open, HSBC Sevens Singapore, WTT Singapore Smash, of which the third edition will begin sometime later this week, and innovative concepts, such as fitness racing series Hyrox. In the case of Taylor Swift, we moved fast and early to bring her show into Singapore. We did so as we recognised the large Swifties fanbase in Singapore and in the region and were keen to deliver the concert experience to them, right here at the Sports Hub. The idea for A-list marquee events to be staged at the Sports Hub was conceived of even before the Government takeover in December 2022, as we recognised the tremendous upside of such concerts to Singapore. In February 2023, my colleagues and I from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), SportSG and KASM went to the United States (US) to study the sport and entertainment industry. When the opportunity to discuss holding a Taylor Swift concert in Singapore came up, we broached it immediately, subsequently discussed it in detail and, thereafter, reached an agreement for Singapore to be one of Taylor Swift’s tour stops. We also saw the opportunity to make this a uniquely Singapore experience and it hence made sense to take a whole-of-Government approach and subsequently, other agencies, such as the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), were brought in. STB undertook its own assessment of the potential benefits of bringing the concert to Singapore and subsequently offered a grant to the concert promoter. STB assesses whether to give grants on a case-by-case basis, judiciously weighing up the benefits which might accrue to Singapore if the event was brought in.”
“Thank you, Sir. Sir, the Government took over the Singapore Sports Hub in 2022, with the vision: one, to establish Singapore and the Sports Hub as the leading sports and entertainment destination in the region; two, to inculcate a strong sense of affinity between Singaporeans and the Sports Hub; and three, to maximise synergies across the suite of facilities in the broader Kallang Alive precinct, in order to better activate the precinct. Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), the entity that was put in charge of operating the Sports Hub after Government takeover, set out to be more than simply a venue for hire. KASM has a team which actively identifies and curates suitable content and programmes, and brings them into Singapore. Our aim is to bring a whole spectrum of events to Kallang for Singaporeans, from top-tier marquee events to community-related ones, and from music concerts to sporting and social events. Since we took over, the Sports Hub has seen a 30% increase in sports, entertainment, and community and lifestyle event days since the Government takeover, compared to the best number of event days prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were some questions at takeover around whether the Sports Hub would be able to continue to attract top-tier events into Singapore. In the last year, apart from the ongoing Taylor Swift concerts, we have brought in several world class acts, such as Mayday, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Jacky Cheung.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, may I take Parliamentary Question Nos 1 to 4 together?”
“All these bode well for our overall arts ecosystem, which I am sure, no doubt, we will discuss more of next week.”
“I thank Ms Usha Chandradas for saying that the scheme is really good. I hope you will say that again at the MCCY COS. But the point is noted and, in most cases, the demand, especially for land in Singapore, does outstrip the supply. That is one of the challenges we face, not just in the arts sector, but really across a number of different sectors, including the sports sector. What we do through the scheme is to best optimise it, to understand the needs of the landscape. So, for example, we do not just give the land or the arts spaces to established companies for long periods of time. We try and ensure that there is a turnover so that newer, nascent arts companies in emerging areas, developing areas of artworks can have an opportunity to be in these spaces. So, that is how we manage it through NAC. I would also add to Ms Usha's point that we do from time to time try to expand the number of spaces. Ms Usha might know that later this year, Kampong Java will be open. Kampong Java is a space that NAC worked with SLA to obtain. It is a new space altogether, meant for artists and will be artist-run so that artists themselves will decide how to run the space, what kind of exhibitions to hold there, which arts companies will come in and use the spaces. So, it is our way also of working with the community to expand the number of spaces in tandem with the growing interest that arts companies have shown. Finally, my last point is to say that I am actually quite heartened that there is a lot more demand than there is space. Because it does show that there is a growing arts ecosystem and people are interested: people want to make art a way of life and they want to be able to work, perform as well as exhibit.”
“I thought I would jump in because if we do not answer it now, you might ask me during the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) COS. So, I thought I might as well deal with it now. Indeed, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu is right. For the arts spaces, they are managed centrally by the agencies, in this case, the National Arts Council (NAC). As the Member knows, NAC has the Arts Housing Scheme over different versions. I will not go into detail now, but depending on the size of the company, the nature of the artist, NAC has a programme where it subvents at the central level. So, it gives a subsidy at the central level, not through SLA because it comes through NAC. And when NAC is of the view that this company or this artist adds value in terms of the field of art or is able to place-make, amongst other considerations, it then decides on subventing the particular group or groups. That is how the arts companies and artists get their subvention – not directly from SLA but through NAC. I hope that clarifies.”
“Yes, we do not think we should prescribe how much each trainee will be paid across this duration. That is something that they can work out with the firms at which they are training. But we can and we have worked with Law Society to see what additional support can be given and whether it is in terms of leave days or indeed the mentoring scheme that Law Society has put in place. All of these are options for young lawyers whilst at training to level up and to be supported on their journey of learning as they seek to qualify and get called to the Bar. If the Member has other suggestions, as she often does, we are very happy to work with her, bring them on board and also work with the Law Society to ensure that our young lawyers benefit from these programmes.”
“And I want to assure the Member that that indeed is our aspiration. We do want to be ahead of the curve and that is why we have set up the framework. We have set up our working committee amongst the different Ministries, working with industry professionals and experts from around the world, precisely to do that.”
“You then have industry experts coming forward to give expert evidence on how to value intangible assets, in the same way as we now have industry experts who can quite easily value property and other types of assets. So, that is the trajectory that we are on. It is not something we can jump forward ahead by ourselves because what we do and how we do it has necessarily got to be done in tandem with other jurisdictions and other markets.”
“Sir, Mr Christopher de Souza is indeed right. If you take the Standard and Poor's 500 list of companies as an example, over the last five, 10, 15 years, a growing number of those companies reported that the majority of their assets are in intangible assets, no longer brick and mortar. And that is the trend. I think we have to be ahead of the curve if we want to be an IP hub that is of value to the business community. Indeed, also Mr Christopher de Souza is right that valuing it, how you do valuation, what standards, what parameters you look at, what are some of the features of an intangible asset that ought to go into valuation – all that has to be looked at. So, as I mentioned in my speech earlier, we are working with MOF and MTI, three Ministries coming together, to look at the landscape. In valuation, what is important is you must have a clear, objectively assessed and accepted standard. If you do not have that across different jurisdictions, different markets, it is going to be very hard for something to be marketed, to be monetised or even if you want to use it to raise money, raise capital or provide security, it is going to be difficult. So, the first thing that we have got to do is to agree on a set of standards and that is what we are working on now, working with leading industry professionals, not just in Singapore, but elsewhere in other jurisdictions, coming together. When we can do that, then, we will begin to build on that body of case law that Mr Christopher de Souza mentioned, because then, you will have cases that deal with transactions of intangible assets and how they are valued.”
“The Community Development Councils (CDCs) first launched the paper CDC Vouchers Scheme in June 2020 to help lower-income households defray their daily expenses and, at the same time, support local merchants and hawkers affected by the pandemic. Evolving from paper to digital, the CDC Vouchers Scheme was scaled up and launched nationwide in December 2021. The latest and fourth digital tranche launched on 3 January 2024, aims to help Singaporean households cope with the cost of living and strengthen support for heartland hawkers and merchants. The evolution of the Scheme from a paper voucher format to a digital one was driven by a spirit of innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders. The five CDCs and the People's Association (PA) worked closely with Government agencies like GovTech, IMDA, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and various community partners, including the Federation of Merchant Association Singapore (FMAS) and merchant and hawker associations. Together, we leveraged technology to design an inclusive and seamless digital voucher experience for residents and merchants alike. To ensure the Scheme is sustainable and cost-effective, the CDCs deployed a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach and used existing Government resources and systems, such as GovTech's RedeemSG (RSG) and GoWhere feature and SG Digital Office's Digital Ambassadors. Together, we will continue to improve the Scheme to serve our Singaporean households.”
“The Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) were established in 2015 to create a specialised process to resolve community disputes. Disputes are managed by CDRT with an adjudicatory process. We encourage parties to first try to settle matters amicably, including through mediation; and only turn to the CDRT as a measure of last resort. Resolving disputes amicably through mediation presents the best chance to preserve neighbourly relations in the long term. We track the number of enforcement orders made by the CDRT as one indicator of its effectiveness. From January 2021 to December 2023, the CDRT issued 126 CDRT orders; that is, first instance orders. In the same period, the CDRT made 14 enforcement orders, comprising 13 Special Directions and one Exclusion Order. The relatively low number of enforcement orders suggests that there is a low rate of non-compliance with CDRT orders. Nonetheless, we are mindful that this gives one indicator. It is possible that residents might not have chosen to pursue enforcement proceedings, leading to low numbers of enforcement orders. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the management of neighbour disputes, an inter-agency committee has been reviewing the Community Dispute Management Framework. This will include enhancements to be made to the CDRT processes and the effectiveness of CDRT orders. More details will be shared in due course.”
“Sir, I think this is the subject of a question that has been answered in writing, so I refer Mr Leong to it. The short answer is PRs and non-citizens, they are welcome to take part in events. They make up a part of the Singaporean society, so they are present in the events. A proportion of the PRs do take up leadership positions as GRLs, but not foreigners.”
“Sir, on the first question, we review the process regularly. We look at it periodically to assess whether or not the system that we have in place remains rigorous, given the evolving circumstances on the ground. For example, with the proliferation of social media a few years ago, we looked at that as an additional factor. We also look at the local ground conditions. What are some of the organisations that the GROs partner with, in fulfilling their mission or conducting their events. So, it is on a regular basis. The point, really, also is to not just focus on the systemic reviews and the processes that we look at regularly, but also to apply a common sense approach. When you assess an individual, when you get wind of, perhaps, a person becoming too close or unnaturally closer to one or more organisations, then, I think that you can surface it. Which segues into the second question on what are the avenues. Bring it up to senior GRLs. There are now grassroots' mentors that we appoint. These are senior, more experienced GRLs who have since retired from their position. They are deployed in various constituencies and serve the constituency as a resource person and more from a mentor perspective, to cast a broader view with their experience. And of course, there are also the grassroots' advisor and other organisations to whom you can raise any particular observations or concerns.”
“For instance, before GRLs join GROs and are appointed to leadership positions, they first serve as observers for a period of time. This is an opportunity for them to be given direct and hands-on exposure to grassroots work, but also an opportunity for PA to observe them and assess their suitability for appointment into GROs as full-fledged GRLs. Sir, we endeavour to make the best judgment of a person before deciding to appoint him or her as a GRL, with the appointment and vetting processes in place. But even the most rigorous checks cannot preclude the possibility of the person subsequently behaving in an unbefitting manner or discovering a hitherto unknown fact or circumstance. Where such facts are brought to PA's attention, we will take immediate action to reassess the person's suitability to continue as a GRL and revoke the GRL appointment if necessary.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, an important part of the People's Association (PA)'s mission is to foster social cohesion and racial harmony and build a strong and resilient community. To achieve this, grassroots leaders, or GRLs, volunteer with PA, to help PA with its mission. GRLs come from all walks of life, representing a diverse cross section of our society. They volunteer their time, effort and resources to serve Singaporeans and make Singapore a better home for all. GRLs also help the Government communicate policies to residents and receive feedback. This helps Singapore's interests. To fulfil this role, it is important that GRLs can discern information from misinformation and are able to critically evaluate information that they receive, including from social media sources. PA supports GRLs in this role by regularly sharing key information on Government policies, with regular dialogues, both formal as well as informal, held with GRLs on national and local issues. This also includes open discussions at regular Grassroots Organisations (GRO) meetings so that GRLs better understand the intent of various Government initiatives. In addition, the National Community Leadership Institute, or NACLI, conducts workshops to equip GRLs with the knowledge and skills to identify and manage misinformation. As leaders in the community, GRLs are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that befits their standing and role in the community, and also to act in Singapore's interests. There are sound processes and due diligence in place when appointing and re-appointing GRLs, regardless of their background, to ensure that they are able to carry out the above duties. We constantly review the appointment system to ensure that there is sufficient rigour.”
“There are 21 places of worship gazetted as National Monuments that sit on privately-owned leasehold land. The National Heritage Board takes into account factors, such as the character and significance of the National Monuments, their community function as well as any intangible cultural heritage practices associated with the site, when considering lease extensions.”
“Developing a core group of GRLs trained in mediation would also support the Government’s efforts in strengthening the Community Dispute Management Framework.”
“The People’s Association's (PA) core mission is to promote racial harmony and social cohesion and build a strong and resilient community in Singapore. This is achieved through our network of volunteers on the ground, serving and connecting with our residents across all neighbourhoods in Singapore. Amongst these volunteers are our Grassroots Leaders (GRLs), who are the critical backbone of our volunteer network, and they serve our community actively. They help to bond residents to promote neighbourliness, gather feedback for the Government to improve our policies and services, and be the last mile in our policy communications and delivery. They have become established and trusted leaders in their communities because of their sincerity, patience, good knowledge of Government policy and rapport built with their neighbours over the years. From time to time, there will be local neighbour disputes of different natures arising from a variety of factors, such as personal differences and local neighbourhood disamenities. As residents involved in these neighbour disputes are often known to the GRLs, GRLs would step in to try and resolve these conflicts peacefully and amicably by providing informal counselling and mediation. GRLs do not track the number of neighbour disputes that they have had to assist in, as such interventions are part of their day-to-day volunteer work in the community. To better support GRLs in mediating community disputes, PA provides training in basic mediation techniques and skills for nominated GRLs. PA has also developed protocols to guide trained GRLs on the steps to take during mediations. These steps include visiting neighbours in pairs and maintaining neutrality throughout the mediation process.”
“The Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) was established to take the lead and strengthen the Government’s partnerships and engagements with citizens. The Office serves as a first stop for individuals and interest groups keen to partner the Government. Through the Partners Portal on the SGPO website, citizens can submit proposals for partnership ideas. These proposals are not limited by domain. The Office will connect these individuals and groups with relevant Government agencies and existing resources to help turn ideas into action. Government agencies who hold the policy domain for proposed partnership ideas will take the lead in assessing these proposals and comply with existing funding and procurement guidelines. SGPO is in the initial weeks of operation and is closely tracking citizen proposals submitted through the Partners Portal. It is also taking this time to assess and finetune its systems and processes, including the appropriate metrics. The Office will update the public on citizen-Government partnership proposals at an appropriate time.”
“The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme 2024 was launched on 3 January 2024 as part of the Government’s continuing efforts to help Singaporean households cope with their daily expenses and support heartland merchants and hawkers. Every Singaporean household is eligible to claim $500 worth of CDC Vouchers 2024. Similar to previous rounds, Singaporean households will not be disadvantaged due to outdated addresses or co-tenanted living situations, as long as they can provide proof, such as a tenancy agreement or marriage certificate, that they are not from the same household and have not claimed the CDC vouchers before. Those with difficulty claiming their vouchers can approach their nearest community club for assistance. We encourage residents to update their National Registry Identity Card (NRIC) information promptly upon moving to a new address, as this will facilitate their CDC voucher claim. The CDC vouchers are not for resale nor exchangeable for cash. With the widespread participation of heartland merchants and supermarkets in the CDC Vouchers Scheme, residents have ample options to redeem their vouchers. The scheme makes it convenient for residents to buy a variety of essential goods and services to defray their daily expenses. The CDCs are working closely with online reselling platforms to prevent or stop the reselling of CDC vouchers on such channels. Members of the public who spot any such activities should promptly report them to the CDCs via the People's Association contact helpline at 6225 5322.”
“It is not desirable for the Government to step in and resolve all differences between neighbours all the time, so as not to take away the community’s capacity to resolve private disputes when they first occur. Where our private actions impinge on the lives of others and the peace of the neighbourhood, neighbours are encouraged to proactively engage with one another and come to a compromise in the first instance, with intervention by the Government only when necessary. We will continue to work with Singaporeans and community stakeholders to strengthen the spirit of neighbourliness and graciousness through shared social norms. We are intending for the existing legislation to be amended in 2024, to effect the enhancements to the CDMF. This will, among other steps, enable the pilot unit to be operationally ready and effective, alongside enhancements to the mediation framework and the CDRT processes. Further details on the implementation process of the proposed enhancements will be provided in due course.”
“Since we announced the review, steps have also already been taken to lay the groundwork to implement these enhancements. First, piloting a unit of dedicated personnel with the powers to investigate and enforce against residents weaponising noise against others. The Municipal Services Office has already stood up an initial team that is currently working closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB), grassroots and other agencies to develop operational protocols to address such severe neighbour noise cases where neighbours intentionally cause noise disturbances over a prolonged period. Second, enhancing the mediation framework to resolve more neighbour disputes at an earlier stage, including through mandatory mediation and by allowing settlement agreements to be registered as a court order. Third, enhancing the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) processes to simplify the service journey for affected residents, and equipping it with the necessary tools to deliver quick and effective relief for affected residents. We are studying these measures carefully as neighbour disputes can be complex and multifaceted, and we need to take into account various considerations in developing operationally feasible solutions, to strike an appropriate balance. In this regard, we had conducted a public consultation in May 2023 as well a series of engagement sessions with members of the public, academic experts and frontline officers in July 2023, and received more than 400 responses. Overall, respondents were supportive of the enhancements. A summary of the public feedback and our response can be found on the REACH website.”
“The Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF), introduced in 2014, aims at facilitating effective resolution of neighbour disputes, and fostering a more gracious and harmonious living environment. Since then, agencies have introduced upstream as well as downstream measures to improve the management of neighbour disputes, ranging from (a) public education to promote neighbourliness and amicable dispute resolution, through initiatives, such as the Singapore Kindness Movement's Be Greater campaign and Singapore's Friendly Neighbourhood Award, and the recently concluded Noise Experiential Lab to raise awareness of how our everyday actions at home can create noises and affect our neighbours, and practical ways to reduce noise levels and better communicate with our neighbours; (b) the setting up of a Community Advisory Panel on Neighbourhood Noise to develop community norms, which reflect a shared understanding of the acceptable behaviours to manage noise disturbances among residents; (c) developing mediation capabilities among grassroots leaders to informally mediate disputes; and (d) increasing awareness and accessibility of community mediation, while increasing the capacity of the Community Mediation Centre (CMC) to handle a higher load. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the management of neighbour disputes, it was earlier announced that an inter-agency committee, comprising the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Ministry of Law and Ministry of National Development, is reviewing the framework to ensure its continued effectiveness. The review is a comprehensive one, encompassing three broad areas of enhancements to better manage neighbour disputes.”
“Of the total $9.4 million awarded to Cultural Medallion (CM) recipients since 2001, $3.4 million remains unutilised as at January 2024. Reasons that CM Fund entitlements remain unutilised include recipients being in the process of conceptualising projects or recipients having no concrete plans yet. To increase the Fund utilisation, the National Arts Council supports and works closely with CM recipients who are still conceptualising their projects on the use of their CM Fund entitlements.”
“Singapore has a vibrant and flourishing creative economy which includes sectors, such as the arts and culture, media and design. The nominal value-added from these three sectors increased by close to 50% over the past five years, from $7.9 billion in 2017 to $11.7 billion in 20221. In the coming years, the outlook for the creative economy in Singapore is positive. The growth of the sector depends on many factors, including wider economic conditions. There are many opportunities for creative practitioners, especially if they are able to capitalise on growing demands and trends, such as leveraging technology and working with regional and international partners, to reach audiences beyond Singapore. The Government will also continue to provide support to help the sector grow by injecting funding, providing skills development opportunities and brokering partnerships with the private sector to open up opportunities for creatives.”
“SportSG's current system does not track the number of persons with disabilities who use the ActiveSG inclusive swimming pools and gyms, as it does not require its users to state if they have any disabilities when registering to be ActiveSG members. The National Sport Participation Survey conducted by SportSG, shows rising participation in sports by persons with disabilities – from 28% in 2015 to 54% in 2022. To support even more persons with disabilities to access our sports facilities, SportSG is taking steps to enable even more of its ActiveSG swimming pools and gyms to be inclusive. The number of swimming pools that have been retrofitted with ramps for wheelchairs has increased from six to eight over the past year. By the end of 2025, two more swimming pools will have ramps, as part of ActiveSG's rejuvenation plans. SportSG will study the feasibility and explore the installation of inclusive features, such as ramps and hoists, at all remaining ActiveSG swimming pools. All new ActiveSG swimming facilities will also be fitted with inclusive features. Eight ActiveSG gyms have been equipped with machines to make them accessible for users of all abilities. SportSG is on track to make all 27 ActiveSG gyms inclusive by 2026. To encourage gym usage by persons with disabilities, SportSG is developing an ActiveSG gym orientation programme for persons with disabilities that will be ready this year. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and SportSG have also been working with partners to update the Disability Sports Master Plan to further boost sport participation among persons with disabilities and will share more details later this year.”
“Informal volunteers who are ready for higher commitment and a more structured programme and are a SC or Permanent Resident (PR), may apply to be grassroot leaders (GRLs). Many informal volunteers who initially joined PA in the COVID-19 efforts, such as distributing masks, have come forward and joined us as GRLs. Currently, about 8% of the appointed GRLs are PRs. We want to enable both SCs and non-SCs, who make up our community, to contribute to ground activities and give back to our society. A proportion of these non-SCs also become SCs after a period of time.”
“An important part of the People's Association (PA)'s mission is to foster social cohesion and integration so that we build a strong and resilient community. This is achieved through our series of programmes and events, which bring people from all walks of life together to interact and bond with one another. Such connections nurture a sense of belonging that encourages all, Singapore Citizens (SCs) as well as non-SCs, who live amongst us, to care for and give back to the community. During COVID-19 for instance, we saw the importance of building such an inclusive community spirit. SCs and non-SCs came forward to volunteer, take part in ground-up groups – with community and corporate partners – to help the most vulnerable in our community and those affected by COVID-19. The SGUnited COVID-19 Social Cohesion Campaign had over 2,600 PA volunteers, including non-SCs, working together to run meaningful community projects. They put together and distributed care packs to vulnerable residents, cleaners and frontline workers within the community where they lived. They also helped provide relief to essential workers by wiping down public spaces, such as playgrounds. Such ground-up projects, initiated to support local needs, were made possible by our volunteers and enabled by opportunities from PA for greater community participation. We have different programmes with formal and informal volunteering, to encourage all – regardless of background – to volunteer and play a part in building cohesion in the community. For individuals who may be looking for ad-hoc volunteering opportunities, we have the Community Volunteers Scheme for informal volunteering based on causes, skills or projects.”
“The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth recognises the role of the commercial visual arts sector in contributing to a vibrant arts ecosystem in Singapore. Within the sector, intermediaries, such as the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS), contribute to growing the art market by supporting artists in their practices, promoting art appreciation and cultivating art collecting. The National Arts Council (NAC) has provided AGAS with organisational development and programmatic support through various grant schemes. Examples of support include, the Organisation Transformation Grant for their website optimisation upgrade and the funding of an AGAS exhibition during Singapore Art Week 2022. NAC also extends marketing support through featuring AGAS events on Catch.sg – NAC's arts and culture events aggregator resource and website, as well as through NAC's social media platforms.”
“The Government works with various partners to enable seniors to stay active, engage with and contribute to the community through volunteering. This includes efforts to: (a) Engage seniors at the workplace and in the community to encourage them to volunteer; and (b) Build the capabilities of organisations hosting volunteers to engage senior volunteers well, from volunteer training and development to volunteer recognition and appreciation. We do not have a framework to mandate or institutionalise the provision of "subsistence compensation" to volunteers, seniors or otherwise, when they undertake volunteer work. However, some volunteer host organisations do help to defray the cost of meals and transport that volunteers may have incurred whilst volunteering. There are also initiatives to promote active ageing through micro-jobs for seniors. For instance, the Centre for Seniors has worked with the Agency for Integrated Care and Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities on a micro-job scheme1, where seniors receive a small allowance for work done such as delivering food, organising programmes and outings, and providing medication reminders in person to frail seniors living in the community. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will continue to work with all partners to promote volunteerism and active ageing among seniors. Volunteerism is a calling and we hope to instil a volunteerism spirit in all Singaporeans, to reflect a shared sense of mutual responsibility to all Singaporeans. We do not, at this stage, intend to institute a framework to mandate or institutionalise the provision of allowances for volunteering.”
“It was announced in November last year that Singaporean households can continue to help the vulnerable by donating their unused CDC Vouchers 2023 to participating charity organisations from 1 December 2023 to 31 January 2024. Their contributions will make a tangible and positive difference for the various causes and beneficiaries.”
“The Community Development Council (CDC) Vouchers Scheme 2023 is part of the Government’s continuing efforts to help Singaporean households cope with their daily expenses and to support heartland merchants and hawkers. It forms a part of the wider Assurance Package that seeks to cushion the impact of additional Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the $1.5 billion Support Package announced in October 2022 to provide additional relief for cost of living for all eligible Singaporean households. The CDC Vouchers Scheme 2023, which ended on 31 December 2023, saw 97.7% of 1.27 million Singaporean households, claim their CDC Vouchers. This includes newly-formed households claiming their CDC Vouchers for the first time. This marked the highest number and percentage of vouchers claimed compared to previous tranches. Of the vouchers claimed, more than $360 million, or 96.5%, was spent at participating hawkers, heartland merchants and supermarkets. To build caring and inclusive communities, it was announced in December 2022 that Singaporean households had the option to donate their unused 2021 and 2022 CDC vouchers to a list of participating charities. These charities support diverse causes such as animal welfare, arts and heritage, children and youth, environment, migrant community, persons with disability and more. At the end of the donation exercise on 31 January 2023, almost 10,000 Singaporean households had donated close to $1.2 million worth of CDC Vouchers 2021 and 2022 to 245 participating charities. This is testament to the generosity of Singaporeans, uplifting one another in challenging times.”
“The Corporate Volunteer Scheme (CVS) was introduced in July 2016 and allows businesses to claim a 250% tax deduction when their employees volunteer or are seconded to Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs). To encourage more companies to contribute to society, the CVS was enhanced on 1 January 2024 so that volunteering activities for the IPC that take place outside the IPC's premises are also eligible for the CVS. The cap on qualifying expenditure per IPC was also raised from $50,000 to $100,000. Since the start of the scheme, about 170 companies have made claims under the CVS, with salary expenses being the most common qualifying expenditure. To date, no company has exceeded the $250,000 qualifying expenditure cap. The CVS is a scheme developed specifically to encourage corporates to mobilise their resources to make a meaningful impact on society. There are currently no plans to extend the CVS to individuals.”
“The Government has steadily increased and enhanced its provision of sports facilities for both public use and national team training over time, as part of its Sports Facilities Master Plan. To support the training of national teams and athletes, National Sports Associations are accorded priority in the booking of sports facilities. Sport Singapore (SportSG) also facilitates bookings by public agencies to deliver community sporting programmes, such as the Ministry of Education's school programmes and events. Apart from this, in all other cases, including for individuals and other groups, bookings are done through the online booking system. SportSG has been enhancing its online booking system to improve the booking experience by ActiveSG members. We have also introduced another avenue for individuals to play sports regularly through the ActiveSG Sport Interest Groups. Individuals can join the Interest Groups and take part in the selected sport without having to separately make a booking for the sport facility. From 17 January 2024, ActiveSG members can sign up for these interest groups via the ActiveSG app. The Government takes a strong view against the profiteering of bookings for public sports facilities. SportSG has adopted a number of enhanced measures to combat such practices. These are detailed in the oral reply to a Parliamentary Question on 4 July 2023. [Please refer to "Strengthening ActiveSG's Booking Software System", Official Report, 4 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 106, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“Loans are a common practice among museums to facilitate greater access to its collections for display to the wider public, as well as for research purposes. This helps the wider public gain a better appreciation of our culture and heritage. There are currently 283 objects from the National Collection which are on loan to non-museum entities, including the Istana and various Ministries, for display in their buildings. This forms less than 1% of our entire National Collection. The National Heritage Board (NHB) assesses such loans to non-museum entities based on their ability to enhance the profile of the National Collection and our Singapore culture and heritage. Such loans must be used for non-commercial purposes and the objects loaned must be displayed appropriately and respectfully. NHB also considers the security and the environmental condition of the proposed display space of the loan object. Additionally, NHB assesses the suitability of the object's condition for display in the proposed space and for the duration of the loan. NHB requires all borrowing institutions to minimally display a label text showing the title of the object, its artist (if applicable), its donor (if applicable) and a credit line to acknowledge the museum which manages the object on behalf of NHB.”
“Under the Dual-Use Scheme (DUS), there are free-to-play school fields and bookable school fields. No booking is required for free-to-play school fields, that is, members of public can access the facility spontaneously and at no cost. All bookable school fields under the DUS were almost fully-utilised in 2023.”
“The Festival showcased Singapore's diverse music tapestry and provided a platform for our local composers to present their compositions. Likewise, Mr Djamal Tukimin, a CM recipient in 2017, used the CM fund to promote his literary works and translate them into English. This enabled him to reach out to more readers locally and internationally and deepen their understanding of Singapore's literary heritage and culture. The 1986 CM Recipient, Prof Wong Yoon Wah, and the 1996 CM recipient, Ms Dan Ying, used their funds to jointly organise The Southern Literary Journey. They held multi-lingual poetry events in Singapore and Malaysia, which provided opportunities to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries. To date, 71% of the living CM recipients have partially or fully used their CM Funding. Of the CM recipients who had passed away and were eligible for the Fund, 59% had partially- or fully-utilised their CM Funding. The National Arts Council supports and works closely with the CM recipients to help them conceptualise their proposals and use the funds for their projects.”
“The Cultural Medallion (CM) is Singapore's highest national arts accolade, recognising individuals for their artistic excellence and contributions that have been important in shaping Singapore's arts and cultural landscape. To date, there are 135 recipients of this award, including three who were recently conferred the award in 2023. Although the Cultural Medallion Award was established in 1979, the CM Fund was only introduced later in 2001. It is available to all CM recipients, including those awarded before 2001. The fund aims to support the continuous development of our CM recipients' artistic practices and their commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists and audiences. It also seeks to positively impact the Singapore community through the projects undertaken by the recipients, both nationally and internationally. Each CM recipient can access up to $80,000 from the CM Fund throughout their lifetime, to support arts-related projects that meet any of the following objectives. First, community outreach, such as workshops and community showcases. Second, for the CM recipient to develop their artistic practice and craft, such as through further studies and residencies. Next, to facilitate knowledge transfer and develop other local artists, including mentoring younger artists. And finally, for profiling and documentation of CM recipient's work, such as through publications, exhibitions or other showcases. The Fund has supported many projects initiated by the recipients, ranging from the documentation and creation of new works to the development of other artists. For example, Dr Tay Teow Kiat, a 1993 CM recipient, used the CM Fund to support the 10th Anniversary Opening and Closing concerts for the 2023 Singapore Chinese Music Festival.”
“The Ministry of Education has safety policies and processes in place to guide schools to conduct co-curricular activities safely. The Singapore Sports School (SSP) is a Specialised Independent School that focuses on developing aspiring national athletes in pursuit of their sporting and academic aspirations. Its safety policies and procedures are, therefore, tailored to the specific context and needs of the student-athletes in SSP. SSP is working with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on a thorough review of the school's safety policies and protocols, to identify areas for further improvement, as detailed in my reply to Parliamentary Question No 59 on 6 November 2023. [Please refer to "Review Procedures at Singapore Sports School to Protect Safety and Well-being of Students", Official Report, 6 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 115, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] SSP aims to complete the review by the end of the year but will also progressively implement any improvements when ready. Any changes in SSP's safety policies and processes will be communicated to SSP's internal and external stakeholders, including its employed coaches, staff and vendors.”