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…”
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“I thank Mr Zhulkarnain, first of all, for his encouragement for this project to continue. And I think that is important because much as there has been an infraction at the process level, at the end of the day, this is a project that allows us to use materials that we would otherwise have really no use for. And the number of shoes that are discarded everyday amounts to a substantial number. Which is why we have been able, since the project started, to collect 10,000 kilogrammes of shoes and have already deployed them into the existing facilities that we have. We intend to continue with this – whether it is at playgrounds or other sports facilities. Mr Zhulkarnain knows from our masterplan that there are plans to install sporting facilities in, as far as possible, every town that we have. So, many of these facilities will take advantage of and use these sustainable materials. On Mr Zhulkarnain's point about having tighter contractual mechanisms, it is possible. So, some oversight, some checks, some unannounced, some audits, and some reports can be put in place. And all these can be put into the contract and the provisions for reporting. But, at the end of the day, I think it is also important to bear in mind that this is otherwise not a complicated contract nor a complicated arrangement. It is really for an aggregator to come and go around the different bins to collect the shoes. And it is really a question of taking the steps to ensure that there is proper segregation. What, as we can tell from the investigation, resulted in the problems that we have seen, came from a lax system for proper accounting and not allowing them to be properly sorted in segregated sections. That was the real problem.”
“On how regular such checks should be made, I am not going to be able to tell Mr Tan with accuracy as to how much time, how many days or how many weeks and so on. But you have got to leave some discretion to the project partners and if Mr Tan heard my answer earlier, Yok Impex was actually a subcontractor engaged by one of the partners. It is not an entity that SportSG deals with directly. At the same time, the degree of regularity should also depend on the extent to which the number of shoes collected and aggregated at the various centres reach a certain level that makes commercial sense for the partners to then go and collect it. So, I would say, we leave the precise engineering of the timetable to the partners to deal with, but I would like to assure Mr Tan that one of the learning points from this is precisely to also conduct these checks often and unannounced, so that there will be not just a check itself but also the whole framework and a system, to deter activities that do not comply with the contractual scope of the obligations.”
“This initiative has also led to more environmentally friendly materials being used in the construction of our public sports infrastructure. We assure the public that MCCY and the Public Service remains committed to the Singapore Green Plan 2030 efforts to support the national sustainability agenda.”
“The investigation found that the shoe recycling bins at Yok Impex's premises were not properly segregated from other sorting activities, resulting in some shoes which were meant for recycling being exported to other countries for resale. Alba-WH has since terminated the services of Yok Impex. The project partners have also taken steps to tighten the process chain. These steps include appointing only contractors and subcontractors that are not involved in any second-hand trading of textiles or shoes. Secondly, transporting all collected shoes to Alba-WH's premises without any aggregation or sorting at an intermediary premises; and thirdly, conducting regular spot checks and inspections at contractors' and subcontractors' premises. We will share these learning points across other recycling projects that the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and other Government agencies undertake in partnership with like-minded stakeholders keen to work on initiatives that protect our planet. To date, Sir, the project has otherwise been running well. Ten thousand kilogrammes of shoes have been processed and used in sport infrastructure, such as the running track at the Kallang Football Hub that has already been installed and an 888-metre jogging trail currently under construction in Jurong Town. The remaining recycled granules are planned for use at our Sport Centres, such as in Serangoon, Bukit Canberra and Punggol, as well as other jogging tracks, fitness centres and also playgrounds around Singapore. Sir, I hope that this episode will not deter the public from supporting such initiatives as these are important and impactful in protecting our environment.”
“Mr Speaker, the shoe recycling project is a joint initiative set up in 2021 by Dow and Sport Singapore (SportSG). Other partners, such as BT Sports and Alba-WH, are also involved in the project and play various roles in the process chain. Dow's role is to manage the integration of the respective roles and promote the use of safe and sustainable materials. SportSG promotes the use of these materials to install sports infrastructure and set up shoes collection points at its ActiveSG sports centres. Alba-WH is the appointed collection partner responsible for collecting shoes and delivering them to BT Sports, which manages the facility to grind the recycled shoes into granules for use as building materials. This facility is Singapore's first grinding facility, which is able to grind recycled shoes into granules for use as building materials. It was set up by BT Sports with the assistance of a grant from Government. SportSG pays only for the recycled granules which it receives from this facility and uses it for installation at public sports facilities. In January 2023, the project partners were alerted about Reuter's observations that shoes put into recycling bins in Singapore and intended for the shoe recycling project were being diverted for resale. An investigation was immediately commenced by the project partners to look into these observations. Alba-WH, as the party responsible for the collection of the shoe recycling bins, had engaged Yok Impex, another company, to do so for selected parts of Singapore. These bins were brought to and then sorted at Yok Impex's premises, before being sent to Alba-WH's warehouse for registering and weighing. They were subsequently delivered to the grinding facility.”
“I also understand that there is a request made for clarifications to be taken collectively, after the Minister of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) answers Question No 8 through to Question No 10 on today's Parliamentary Order Paper.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, my response will also address Parliamentary Questions for oral answer, besides Question No 5, 6 and 7 in today's Order Paper, Written Question No 25 and 26 in today's Order Paper and also Mr Yip Hon Weng's1 Parliamentary Question for the Sitting of 21 March 2023.”
“If you enlist early, sometimes at the age of seventeen-and-a-half, close to 18, about 21 months. By the time someone is 19 plus, before 20, he would likely be out there competing and the runway can then be uninterrupted. We had many athletes, in table tennis, Loh Kean Yew was one example as well. He did it early and then he put his energies into training, competing overseas, getting qualification for Olympics which he was successfully doing. So, obviously, you got to look at the different athletes in the sport they are in and also whether you are taking part in a sport that is individual or one which requires the whole team to be present. Because if you are talking about a team event, then it may make less sense for just one or two individuals to enlist at a different time as opposed to the rest of the team. All these are factors that we take into consideration.”
“I think I answered the first question when I delivered the Ministerial Statement on the Sports Hub. So, the answer is yes, it will be considered. But you also have to bear in mind that when the National Day Parade goes to the Sports Hub, or indeed, any venue, there is a long lead time and there is also a long time in which you need to then spend to remove the staging area, the performance area, holding areas and so on. And that in turn then leads to an amount of time that is lost before as well as after the event. In a situation where we are trying to activate the Sports Hub with events like what I have mentioned, then this downtime will be a problem. Bearing these questions in mind and also balancing the different needs, we will, of course, welcome the National Day Parade at the Sports Hub. But we need to think of how best to deploy the asset. 3.45 pm On the Member's second question, this is again not new. You can consider early enlistment. That is within our control and within most of the athletes' control. In terms of deferring National Service or going in later, these are broader questions that need to also engage other considerations. The fact of the matter is that National Service is for everyone who is eligible and obliged to serve. That is a paramount obligation and we have to ensure that we work within this framework to ensure that, at the same time, we look at the National Service as a framework but how do we navigate within that system. We have found actually, in our own experience and we have collected several data points, it is not just for footballers but athletes as a whole, that typically, an early enlistment where available, is preferable to the athletes' development.”
“I was going to respond to Mr Mark Chay's last question. Yes, the intention is to make this available. In fact, it is already in place. Mr Chay, as an ex-professional athlete and also top notch coach, would know that we regularly send our coaches, players, athletes, overseas to gain best practices, learn and to be immersed in an environment at the very highest levels and bring back that learning back to Singapore. We will have that and we will continue to do that. Certainly, the learning and thinking behind how we professionalise sport, which is common across all different sports, whether it is in football, aquatics or sailing as you mentioned, we will harness that learning. That is why Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) is there, that is why Sport SG is there, to centralise that learning and to deploy as far as possible to other sports so that other sports can also gain from this know-how and the learning. I did not manage to answer one of Mr Sharael Taha's questions, which was when the NDCs would commence. We intend to start the NDCs by this year and the indicative date is July this year. So, all the different strands and pieces that I spoke about earlier in my speech, the scholarship, sending players overseas on foreign scholarships, local scholarships, sports school, centralising the training with the SFAs, the coaching syllabus, pushing everyone through a centralised, cohesive pipeline, which is the NDC, all of these pieces will commence this year.”
“So, the structure and the framework that we have in mind is one where all these clubs and academies converge. It is not just if you play in the SFA that you will be recognised. If you are in a private club, you could also be scouted and picked up and put into the NDC. But the idea is to have a full convergence of this into one structure, one framework, one cohesive path and for that team to come together on a regular basis to play. I also mentioned just now in my speech that this is not something that will be static. If you make it in one season or one year, it does not mean that you make it in the subsequent years. You have got to continually earn your place. There has to be competitive tension so that you can come in, you can be dropped out from year to year.”
“I thank the Member Mr Sharael Taha. We intend to have a broad number of pipelines, all feeding into the National Development Centre (NDC). The intention is for the players to play with their clubs, so if you are with the JSSL, one of the private clubs, or ActiveSG Football Academy (AFA), you continue playing predominantly with the clubs. 3.30 pm But on occasion, we bring the squads together, I mentioned that earlier, so that they get to know one another, their playing styles, how they work together as a team, be further developed and enhanced, play competitive matches during the international FIFA seasons, so that they can have the ability to experience competitive matches as a cohort. And over time, this will become our national age group international teams – so under 13, under 15 and so on. To answer Mr Sharael Taha's question, they remain with the clubs where there will be primary training, or they remain with the SFA at which they compete on a regular basis. And I mentioned earlier also in my speech that we intend to set up the youth leagues, perhaps in the coming year or two, so that on a regular basis, the clubs will have a regular active competition at a high level so that they can play at that level, week in, week out, then on occasion, come together with the NDC. In terms of the cannibalisation, the intention is ultimately as I said, to have multiple pathways, so you can stay with the clubs, you can stay with the academies, but you have to converge. And the best chance of succeeding to build a strong pipeline for the national team is to have this convergence, because we are too small as a country and too small as a pool to have different district pipelines and pools which do not converge.”
“It is also how we see ourselves, all of us, as connected and bound to others in Singapore through arts, heritage, culture, sports and religion. It is about who we are as a people, our shared experiences, what we do to care for each other and look out for one another and the values we hold dear and live by. These are the threads that bind us and hold our social compact together. These are the threads that run through each of us as Singaporeans. Growing these aspects of Singapore is delicate work, but it is important and it requires the commitment of all of us, regardless of language, race, religion and social-economic background. On our part, MCCY will continue to work with all Singaporeans, join our strengths and inspire a collective action to build an enduring social compact where we stand and act as one united people, and we are proud to call Singapore our home. [Applause.]”
“While the SHGs were set up to provide customised support for their respective ethnic communities, they also work together and strengthen mutual support across the different ethnic communities. For example, the SHGs will launch a series of inter-SHG Youth Dialogues centring around themes emerging from the ongoing Forward Singapore exercise. This will happen in mid-2023. These dialogues will bring together young people from different backgrounds and different ethnicities and empower them to develop and lead ground-up solutions. The SHGs will also create more opportunities for volunteers to interact, to serve with one another across the different SHGs. We do not have volunteers from an SHG that come from only a particular group that the SHG serves. It is open and we encourage all volunteers to come, from a broad spectrum of different ethnic groups to serve the broader spectrum of society through the SHGs. These efforts by our SHGs embody the Singapore Together spirit – Singaporeans, diverse as we may be, stepping forward, working together and building a better nation. Mr Chairman, to conclude, I have spoken about our various MCCY initiatives – and my colleagues that follow will elaborate on many of these and speak of various other measures as well. But our principal focus is to deepen our roots and expand the reach of our arts and heritage. We do not do that just as an end in itself, but as a means to an end, to promote arts, culture and heritage, sporting participation and excellence, both at the community and at a professional level. We do this to foster neighbourliness, care and active citizenry, as part of the unique our Singaporean DNA. These efforts speak to what it means to call Singapore our home. Our home is not just a physical space.”
“They talked about and grappled with trade-offs and the complexities of policy-designs; and they expanded their network of friends, people they can talk to, connections that they can make and forge new friendships. We found this programme very successful, and we want to give more youths an opportunity to take part in this programme. From 2023, we will expand the programme to nominated Secondary 4 students from all MOE schools and madrasahs in Singapore. For students from the institutes of higher learning, NYC will develop a new leadership programme. More details will be shared when ready. Mr Xie Yao Quan has pointed out, and I agree with him, that there is value in having and promoting active citizenry, volunteerism and collaboration. And these traits must continue to underpin our society and our social compact. Beyond youths, we are encouraging individuals and corporates to play an even more active role to come together, work for the social good, leverage on corporate purpose and uplift our communities. We will therefore expand and deepen the capabilities of our SG Cares Volunteer Centres. We will resource them better, so that they in turn can support the various social service agencies that are under their watch and they are working with, so they can better channel volunteers and donations-in-kind to meet unmet needs. We will also support businesses in their efforts to be a force for good for society as they design their business practices and operations in ways that benefit their employees, their stakeholders, and, of course, the wider community that they serve. Minister of State Alvin Tan will share more details when he speaks. Mr Don Wee asked how our Self-help Groups (SHGs) are collaborating to enhance outcomes across ethnic communities.”
“These include policy co-creation platforms such as the Youth Circles and programmes such as the Youth Action Challenge that supports them, not just in talking about these ideas or listening to the suggestions, but in working with them actively to turn their ideas into action. From our ForwardSG engagements, we continue to see a very healthy, sustained youth interest in policy-making and want to create more opportunities to meet these aspirations. So, MCCY and NYC, are exploring ways to create more policy space, and also work on how to institutionalise involvement of more youths in policy-making and elevate their proposals for consideration onto a national platform. We will share more details when this is ready. Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked about our plans to expand our youth leadership programmes to provide younger student leaders the opportunity to engage on national issues and build strong networks. NYC and the National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI), in partnership with MOE, piloted the inaugural Our Singapore Leadership Programme (OSLP) last year. This was a programme, as a pilot, for about 50 Secondary 4 students from MOE schools and madrasahs. It took place in December 2022. All the student leaders who participated in the inaugural OSLP came from different shools. In other words, we had about 53 students from 53 different schools. "Leader" is defined broadly. Some were head of student councils; some were participants in their dance groups, and others, captains of their sports teams or members of the uniformed groups. We brought them together. They came together to reflect on and discuss issues which confront Singapore.”
“Sir, we have a comprehensive set of enhancements but they do not operate in silos, they work together to drive the right behaviour, and also actively facilitate the resolution of disputes at an early stage in a way that best preserves the relations between neighbours. Even strengthen the teeth on mediation and CDRT, and we mandate mediation, let me emphasise: even as we are looking at leveraging stronger laws, these should not be used as a first recourse. We interact with our neighbours on a daily basis. Most of us want to live peacefully side by side with our neighbours. When disputes arise and intervention is needed, we encourage disputing neighbours to go through mediation as far as possible, allowing parties to talk to each other about the issues that vex them and through the assistance of trained and oftentimes, very effective mediators, find a common path. It helps to preserve, and in some cases, even mend and make better the relations between neighbours. We will invite residents to share their views on this when we conduct the public consultation on the proposed CDMF enhancements later this year. 2.00 pm Sir, our diversity, which I have spoken about, and many Members of this House have spoken about on various occasions, must be harnessed for the common good. We need the diverse strengths and talents from the community to tackle the challenges we face as a nation and build Singapore's future together. Our youths play a crucial role in this regard. Youths today are well informed, more prepared, more ready and they want to engage with us to discuss policies. Ms Tin Pei Ling spoke about engaging youths. MCCY and the National Youth Council (NYC) have continued to engage and partner with youths on national issues in different ways. Let me elaborate.”
“In 2022, noise-related disputes made up about 65% of all neighbour-related disputes registered for mediation at MinLaw's Community Mediation Centre. This trend, by and large, has been consistently the case over the past few years. In other words, they form the bulk of all cases registered for mediation. In many cases, clear expectations on acceptable community behaviours as well as a mutual appreciation of what the parties are facing would go a long way towards improving the situation. Hence, we want to encourage disputing neighbours to find an amicable, mediated settlement of their disputes as far as possible. To support mediation services, we will expand the pool of mediators as well as forward deploy them as far as possible, into the community so, it is not just all centralised at the CMC. We will also be giving mediation settlement agreements more teeth and standing, to encourage greater compliance with the mediated outcomes. Finally, we will also enhance the processes and the powers of the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT), as an avenue of last resort, to give affected residents faster and more effective relief. This we have to do, because with all these steps that we take, by the time a case ends up at the CDRT, there would have been numerous attempts at mediation, at reconciliation, and these probably represent the most intractable and intransigent of cases. We want an effective and efficient, speedy framework to deal with these problems. Those steps are what I had elaborated upon when I spoke at the MinLaw Commitee of Supply.”
“Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and I have already spoken about the enhancements in different areas relevant to MND and MinLaw's COS debates respectively. To pull it all together, let me reiterate how we are enhancing this framework. First, we want to promote community norms as our first line of defence. I think Senior Minister of State Sim Ann made that very clear and I too, reiterated that when I spoke in my MinLaw capacity. Clearer social norms encourage the self-management of behaviours. As Senior Minister of State Sim Ann said, Municipal Services Office (MSO) has been working with partners to promote community norms for noise management recommended by the Community Advisory Panel on Neighbourhood Noise. Second, we are looking at allowing dedicated personnel to leverage stronger laws and help these neighbours resolve their issues upstream. In other words, before it gets to the stage where it becomes intransigent or intractable, and they have to go to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) or other adjudicatory tribunals to resolve their differences. For instance, this team will be able to conduct investigations, or direct residents to attend mandatory mediation or to stop the actions that are causing the nuisance pending the mediation or the adjudication. As Senior Minister of State Sim Ann shared last week, MSO will be piloting this with disputes arising from serious noise disturbances between neighbours. We will also explore consequences for recalcitrant offenders who fail to stop the actions as required. Third, we will increase access to community mediation and mandate mediation for certain types of disputes between neighbours. Let me explain why we start with noise and we also pilot this project with noise.”
“Eligible footballers can tap on existing support avenues to continue training and competing, whilst at the same time, fulfilling NS obligations. Developing talent takes time and our focus is really on laying a strong foundation for long-term growth and learning. We are putting in place a systematic infrastructure to expand, to nurture and to develop this pool of young players at the base level, starting from when they are 13. The best will be identified and put into a national development centre, as I have outlined. They will play and compete and train regularly, both locally as well as overseas. Over time, this initiative will provide us with a steady pipeline of players to choose from. It will take time, and much as I know, all of us are invested in the outcome of Singapore football and I have heard the emotional, passionate speeches made by Members earlier. I would ask for our continued and all your continued support for this system to ensure that our younger players have a chance to progress and become the pool for future national team selection. Sir, let me turn now to the management of community disputes. Many Members have spoken about this. The strength of our cohesive society, in my view, is not found only in what we have in common but also manifests in how we negotiate our differences and deal with conflicts that inevitably arise. Ms Joan Pereira, Miss Cheng Li Hui and Mr Xie Yao Quan asked about enhancements to the Community Dispute Management Framework (CDMF). An inter-agency workgroup, led by MCCY, together with MinLaw and the Ministry of National Development (MND), have been conducting a review of the CDMF.”
“We will also find suitable opportunities for our coaches to learn from the best, to be immersed in the environment, so that they can have an experience of what it is like to be coaching at the highest levels. For example, our partnership with Spanish LaLiga has allowed us to bring in experienced youth coaches from Spain to augment our local coaches, as well as provide overseas learning opportunities for them. Last but certainly not least, we will launch the inaugural UTR scholarship later this year. Our best young footballers will be sent to overseas academies that offer good quality education alongside the best football training and competitive environment. Sir, we know that receiving a good quality education is important for our young boys and girls. Therefore, through this stint, they will come back with academic qualifications that will allow them to continue future studies at the tertiary level in Singapore or overseas, even as they train and compete with the best amongst the overseas talents. We will start this programme later this year and we are considering a good academy in Europe to kick off this programme with. At the same time, similar local scholarships will also be available for suitable footballers who choose to enrol in the Singapore Sports School. Through this, we hope to prepare them for future overseas scholarship programmes and opportunities, and also spur more footballers to be enrolled in a full-time programme for their football development. More details of the scholarship will be shared when ready. For footballers with NS obligations, in other words, after they return, after they finish their stint, early enlistment is a possibility and one we have explored, quite successfully with several other footballers, for example, with Irfan Fandi.”
“Because we do not want anyone to be too comfortable or too complacent and we want to ensure that throughout the squads, across the different age groups, there will be competitive tension. These boys and girls will train and compete regularly as a team. We are looking at setting up a youth league that will give our players regular opportunities to be competing at high levels. They will also, from time to time, come together, to train as a squad, so that they can get to know each other, train and play together, and on occasion, also compete overseas for even further exposure. These players will also be supported with a comprehensive suite of sport science, nutrition and sports medicine. Second, I think Mr Faisal Manap and Mr Sharael Taha, raised these points on talent identification and scouting. They are important to us. We have a small population with a small base and we need to ensure that we have our eyes on all available talent all the time. We will progressively roll out training on talent identification for coaches and strengthen our scouts' capabilities in identifying the best of our young footballers. We also want to tap on the experience of our ex-national players, our ex-national coaches, who already have an eye for talent, having taken part at the highest level of the game. We will invite them to be trained and to be part of our scouting network. Third, on coaching. To ensure consistency in our training and development ecosystem, a common coaching syllabus is already being used, across all the SFAs and the national youth squads. More than 500 coaches and teachers have already been trained with this curriculum to date. We will also introduce coaching licensing and renewal after coaches have acquired the necessary Continuing Coach Education hours.”
“To Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap's questions on developing Singapore football, and I get this every year at every Committee of Supply, we launched Unleash the Roar! (UTR) in 2021 to develop a strong local pipeline of football talents. This was intended to be and it is a long-term plan that we have put in place to grow the base of participation, to identify talented players from a young age and provide these talented players with rigorous training and structured opportunities to be coached well, to compete regularly and to have a clear pathway to the national team. Let me elaborate on the next few steps that we have for our young talents. Since 2021, we established 12 School Football Academies (SFAs), of which two, have dedicated programmes for girls. We will expand the number of SFAs and also increase the programme intake over the year. These SFAs, together with the Singapore Sports School, the ActiveSG Football Academy as well as all private clubs and academies in Singapore, provide a broad base of participation for us to identify suitable talents. And this will be our foundational base. We will put in place a national framework to systematically select and develop the best players from this broad base. We will take the following steps. First, we will set up a national football development centre as the main training centre for all our national youth squads. Our best young footballers aged 13 to 17 will be drawn from all our available pipelines that I described earlier to these squads. This centre will be our primary pathway for selection to our national team. One central, cohesive path. Within this centre, players will be selected into core and also reserve teams, and we will review them periodically. Why?”
“In 2022, 148 community leagues and competitions were organised across 19 ActiveSG Sport Centres and bear in mind that for 2022, or part of that period at least, we were not able to come out and do these events. But once we were able to, we had more than a hundred of such events and leagues going on at the 19 ActiveSG Centres across Singapore. This involved more than 13,000 participants, including young children and seniors. Last year, we introduced the ActiveSG Cup which saw more than 1,300 participants across two sports – Basketball and Football. This year, we plan to introduce two more – Floorball and Volleyball. Sir, we see the value in life-long learning, even in sports and active participation and exercise, and we want to cultivate this interest and this good habit from when we are much younger. Therefore, all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged four to 12 years old will receive a top-up of $100 worth of ActiveSG credits. This will apply to all who are ActiveSG members or sign up as new members between 1 May and 31 October this year. Parents may use these credits to offset the cost of their children's ActiveSG programmes and cover their entry fees into ActiveSG facilities, such as our swimming pools. This, I hope, will encourage more children to play together with their peers, with their neighbours and their families outside of structured school sport participation. We are working hard to build more and better sporting facilities throughout Singapore. We will enhance access and also step up on having a greater variety of programming at these facilities. Our hope is that every Singaporean will have ample opportunity to enjoy, engage and excel in sports.”
“In fact, with the Government now taking charge of the Sports Hub facilities, we can better optimise the use of these facilities across various uses. So, to give Mr Mark Chay one example, SportSG worked with Singapore Gymnastics to ensure that our gymnasts could train at Sengkang Sports Hall, while their usual training venue at OCBC Arena Hall was activated to host the Singapore International Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup. So, we have one international gymnastics event at the usual training centre but, at the same time, we could use other spaces within our facilities across the island to continue the tempo of national training unabated. Our plans for the Sports Hub and Kallang Alive Precinct are part of a larger Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP) to develop and refresh National Training Centres (NTCs) for elite athlete training and sports facilities across Singapore for all Singaporeans to enjoy. Sir, Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked about our plans to enhance sports participation, Ms Hany Soh asked how we can ensure accessibility of community sports. Sir, we have seen more people participating in sports and exercise regularly. Let me just give Members a sense, based on our numbers. Based on our National Sport Participation Survey, residents who participate in sports and exercise regularly at least once a week has risen from 54% in 2015 to 66% in 2019. Even during, or perhaps, in particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic period, this continued to rise to 74% in 2022, which are all very encouraging signs. These indicators show that more Singaporeans are keen to get more active. 1.45 pm In addition to the sport events at the Sports Hub that I shared earlier, the public also enjoy sporting activities across Singapore.”
“Sir, there is a whole suite of activities for everyone, from community and sporting events for children, youths, families and seniors, to international marquee events. And we, certainly, hope that Mr Mark Chay would not find that it will remain a ghost town for much longer. The developments in the larger Kallang Alive Precinct, in other words, the areas outside of Sports Hub that can be used to synergise with Sports Hub is also on track, with the Kallang Football Hub, with four sheltered and three unsheltered pitches, and the Kallang Tennis Centre, comprising seven indoor and twelve outdoor courts, due to be completed later this year. With these developments, we will move towards using more of the whole Kallang Alive Precinct in synergy, to offer a greater array of international sporting events, alongside local programming. For instance, we can combine the facilities at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Indoor Stadium and the new Kallang Tennis Centre, and be able to confidently bring in marquee sporting events, such as, for example, an ATP1000 sporting event. In parallel, Singaporeans in the community can try out the sport at the community level, at community tennis sessions, for example, or tennis clinics for social competitive players and aspiring athletes, youth competitions and so on, activating the entire precinct, not just the Sports Hub, but the broader precinct that is Kallang Alive. So we will have a whole ecosystem of sports across a diverse range of sporting levels, all integrated with the other upcoming lifestyle and entertainment offerings. For our national teams, let me assure Mr Mark Chay that the NSAs continue to be prioritised in the booking of Sports Hub and ActiveSG facilities for national team trainings.”
“In the coming months, members of the public can look forward to more of such activities, including some National School Games finals, the National Stadium Open Houses, as well as grassroots events. Let me assure Mr Mark Chay that KASM is, indeed, working closely with all its partners, and that include the NSAs, to deliver more community programmes, but also to ensure that there is more synergy across the board. I thank Mr Chay for his efforts to market the Sports Hub's programmes. I want to assure him that we will also be stepping up on our communication efforts by leveraging social media, word-of-mouth, engaging our partners, work with more broadcasters to bring more Singaporeans to the Sports Hub, by raising awareness of the events and activities that we will have at the Sports Hub. At the same time, concerts and marquee sports events have also experienced an upswing also in the same period of time. A few weeks ago, we hosted Westlife, which sold out for three consecutive nights. This was notwithstanding that, on one of the nights, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' were competing for eyeballs just across the road at the National Stadium. Both were sold out, both happened on a weekday night, no less. The two concerts welcomed more than 50,000 people to the Sports Hub. In the coming months, Singaporeans can also look forward to world-renowned entertainment events, such as for those Members who are interested, Harry Styles, Blackpink as well as marquee sports events, such as the World Table Tennis Singapore Smash, happening this week and next, and the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens, happening next month. We also have FIBA, which is the International Basketball Association, which will be having its Intercontinental Cup in Singapore for the very first time.”
“And we want to optimise our sporting facilities and spaces to encourage more people to come together, socialise, play together. In this spirit, we took over the ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub, to unlock its full potential, to make Sports Hub more accessible to all Singaporeans, and to achieve a deeper integration with the rest of the Kallang Alive Precinct. We set up Kallang Alive Sport Management Company, or as Mr Mark Chay calls them, in short – and we all love our acronyms – KASM, which operates under the ambit of Sport Singapore. This will ensure a stronger alignment between what the Government aims to achieve and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that KASM will have to aspire towards. Sir, this project has shown early signs of success. Mr Darryl David and Mr Xie Yao Quan also asked about the developments following the takeover and our plans ahead. Let me share some brief highlights with Members. Under the new management team, we have had many activities in the past three months alone. And we took over on 9 December last year, so, just about three months. These events and activities include performances by live bands and dance groups as well as community events, such as the FunFam SportFest, a Big Walk event to usher in the New Year, and a Chinese New Year Stadium Waterfront Carnival. Last weekend, I just at the Sports Hub, and I saw many casual joggers, kids with their families playing football and playing basketball. It rained a lot, but we could use the promenade – an area around the 100Plus track – to great effect. Student-athletes have also been participating in the National School Games at the Sports Hub, competing hard, both at the National Stadium, as well as at the covered courts in the Sports Hub.”
“Two other National Monuments housing the National Museum of Singapore, and the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, are also scheduled for restoration. In addition to preserving our places, we have enriched the Singapore story also with treasures in our National Collection. Beyond physical objects and buildings, we have safeguarded and showcased our intangible cultural heritage. We have also deepened our collaboration with Singaporeans through co-created exhibitions and programmes. Mr Hazmi Zin from Rumah Makan Minang, for instance, was one of 45 business owners who participated in the Kampong Gelam Citizen Engagement Project and his participation, along with others, has enriched our understanding of the precinct's cultural heritage. For the second edition of Our SG Heritage Plan, we will make a bigger push to reflect a more layered understanding of the Singapore identity. Design, such as fashion, craft and architecture, is an important expression of our cultural identity and a catalyst for creativity and innovation. We have some top-class designers in Singapore among us, and we want Singaporeans to see their works and be proud of their achievements. We will, therefore, expand the National Collection to include designs. We also hope to strengthen the ties between our museums and the design community and industry. Sir, Singaporeans have shared with us their strong desire to be more involved in heritage. NHB will, therefore, explore new ways for Singaporeans to get involved in presenting and sharing our heritage with others. We will also support the heritage sector by using technology, and Minister of State Low Yen Ling will elaborate on this plan when she speaks. Sir, like arts and heritage, sport brings people together.”
“We have been working closely with the arts community, for example, to develop 45 Armenian Street. We set up a resource panel, and the resource panel comprises private arts practitioners: an actor, an independent music producer, arts academics and also a former chair of the Substation, to give their views, discuss ideas, think about what the 45 Armenian Street might look like. Our shared goal, to ensure that the space will remain an inclusive one that supports artistic experimentation and development of young practitioners. We have received the Resource Panel's recommendations, and NAC will build upon these recommendations to guide the development and design for 45 Armenian Street. And this is one example. Another example is Kampong Java, another space that I have spoken about previously. Sir, let me turn now to Our SG Heritage plan. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked about our plans to safeguard our National Monuments. Sir, we regularly restore our National Monuments to preserve the buildings for posterity and for our future generations. I had announced in 2021 that we will be restoring the Istana main building and the former Istana Kampong Gelam. Restoration works for the main Istana building are expected to commence early next year. The Istana has featured prominently in Singapore's transition from colony to sovereign state, and the upcoming restoration works will ensure that it will remain well-preserved and functional for its historical importance and as a venue for important state functions and community events. The former Istana Kampong Gelam, which houses the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC), has also closed for restoration and a gallery revamp, following the MHC Closing Fest last year.”
“It will help them to deepen their reach to existing audiences and broaden their exposure to new ones. In addition, with the upcoming University of the Arts, students will benefit from existing programmes offered by LASALLE and NAFA, as well as new programmes, to meet the needs of the creative economy. Our plans to grow the creative economy through our arts plan will, in turn, create better job prospects and pathways for our future graduates. In the next bound, there will be greater focus on increasing access to the arts, creating more occasions for people to share meaningful experiences through the arts. And we will do this by adopting a data-driven approach to better understand the needs and preferences of audiences and also by expanding partnerships to increase touchpoints. We will also leverage technology and innovation to expand the playing field for the arts. My colleague, Minister of State Low Yen Ling, will elaborate further on Our SG Arts Plan when she speaks. On arts spaces, we agree with Mr Darryl David that spaces for the arts are crucial in the arts ecosystem. The Government has, in fact, been very deliberate in developing spaces for the arts, ensuring that they are used optimally and efficiently; that there is also fair access and inclusive opportunities, especially for new groups and younger practitioners. We now have a diverse range of arts spaces. Artists can collaborate with one another at multi-tenanted arts housing spaces managed by NAC. MCCY and NAC also facilitate arts groups to take up direct leases on state properties and in commercial developments. In developing arts spaces, we engage closely with the arts community and also work to co-create spaces and think of ideas on how to use these spaces with members of the community.”
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we do want to consolidate the gains that we have made and unlock new opportunities that have come our way. It is thus timely to embark on a journey together with the sectors to envision the future. 1.30 pm Over the past 20 months, NAC and the National Heritage Board (NHB) have consulted over 2,000 stakeholders on the next edition of Our SG Arts and Heritage Plans. Many more provided their feedback online and also during roadshows across the island. These engagements are important, as we want these two plans to be co-created and co-owned with the arts and heritage communities. Through the process, I met many arts and heritage practitioners. They shared with me how the arts and heritage sectors in Singapore have, indeed, come a long way, as many Members here have appreciated, and how we can take these sectors, building on the strengths that we have, standing on the shoulders of the giants that have come before us, to take us to the next phase. Let me share some of the key shifts that we will be making. For our SG Arts Plan 2023 to 2027, we will place greater focus on the Creative Economy. Mr Xie Yao Quan spoke about helping the arts sector grow and develop these new capabilities. We agree. We have heard from arts practitioners and observed during the pandemic that increasing collaborations between the arts and adjacent industries present many opportunities for Singapore artists. They can cultivate new audiences and markets and develop new revenue streams. NAC will, thus, be looking at new focus areas, such as intellectual property rights, new business models and digital adoption. These measures will help artists and arts groups achieve greater growth and success.”
“We have performances such as Nanyin and Teochew Opera by Siong Leng Musical Association and Nam Hwa Opera respectively. This is in recognising that Chinese dialects are part of the Singapore Chinese culture and heritage, even as the Government maintains its existing language policy of promoting the use of Mandarin as one of our four official languages. The Government is committed to growing the arts and heritage sectors. Government funding has held steady in these sectors. Over the last 10 years or so, MCCY has committed public spending on arts and heritage at about $450 million every year. In addition, during COVID-19, we rolled out the $75 million Arts and Culture and Resilience Package to support our practitioners during the pandemic and injected an additional $12 million to help ensure that our talent is preserved and support the continued transformation of the arts and heritage sectors. Our arts spaces have also grown over the years. Just taking arts gross floor area (GFA) managed by the National Arts Council (NAC), this has increased by 35% over the period 2010 to 2020, and this excludes other arts spaces which exists in the private and commercial spaces. We also continue to support arts and heritage organisations to diversify their income streams via fundraising, with the Cultural Matching Fund and the Sustain the Arts (stART) Fund. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Mr Raj Joshua Thomas and Mr Xie Yao Quan asked about our plans for the arts and heritage sectors. Sir, the first edition of Our SG Arts and Heritage plans gave us a strong foundation, gave us a firm footing on which to launch the next chapter of the arts and heritage plans. Even during the pandemic, the sectors responded with resolve and enhanced their capabilities.”
“Under the Unite Pillar, our focus is to deepen our sense of belonging, strengthen our bonds and also entrench our sense of mutual responsibility and care towards each other. One thing that came through strongly from all these conversations was that unity in Singapore's context entails embracing diversity. It is not about being the same but being able to engage across all our differences. And it is also about being stronger than the sum of our parts. Participants spoke about deepening our shared culture, heritage and experiences. They spoke of creating opportunities for all of us to interact and connect with one another, and of how the arts and sports are integral in this respect. They spoke of bringing people across racial, religious and generational lines together, to work on issues that matter to them. My colleagues and I will address the various cuts raised by Members speak MCCY's work to strengthen our core identity. Let me start with our arts and heritage which connect us across communities and across generations. They help us deepen our sense of a shared identity. Sir, today, we have an established and vibrant arts and heritage scene. Our national cultural institutions, museums, galleries, as well as arts and culture groups offer diverse programmes throughout the year. In fact, recently, the Peranakan Museum and also the Children's Museum in Singapore reopened and opened their doors with refreshed and interactive exhibits to tell of our Singapore story. We also continue to celebrate Singapore's intangible cultural heritage and traditional art forms. These include activities organised by clan associations or arts practitioners which feature dialects as suggested by Mr Dennis Tan. And as Mr Tan knows, that is already being done.”
“Good afternoon, Mr Chairperson. First, I want to thank all the Members for their continued support for MCCY's work. Sir, unity lies at the heart of what we do at MCCY. Our work spans many sectors: arts, heritage, sports, youth, our community, volunteerism. And these are all threads which bind us to one another and give us a shared stake in building Singapore together. This unity has enabled us to achieve success as a country and also to be able to bounce back from crises. As Mr Sitoh Yoh Pin pointed out, Singapore's social compact is based on building a diverse yet cohesive Singapore. Mr Baey Yam Keng also spoke about citizens coming together to solve problems at a community and also at a national level. It was precisely to strengthen our civic bonds that we launched Singapore Together in 2019. It marked a shift towards deeper partnerships between the Government and Singaporeans and also amongst Singaporeans themselves. We engaged Singaporeans on national issues like women's development and also on our long-term land use plan, and partnered them to develop solutions on complex issues through citizens' panels and Alliances for Action. Forward Singapore extends this collaborative style of governance to further the shifts needed to strengthen our social compact, because a sustainable social compact requires the investment and also the co-ownership of all of us in society. Since the launch of the Forward Singapore exercise, over 14,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life have come together to discuss what we want to see for Singapore's future. And perhaps, more importantly, what each of us is willing to do, to get us there. The contributions of Singaporeans will shape and strengthen the eventual recommendations and the outcomes of Forward Singapore.”
“The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and NHB will continue to partner the community, private sector and other public agencies to facilitate more research, study, documentation and access to Singapore's WWII sites.”
“World War II (WWII) is a significant and poignant chapter in Singapore's history. Our WWII-related sites range from military installations, such as war bunkers, to civilian buildings and structures which have witnessed significant events during the war. The National Heritage Board (NHB) recognises the importance of protecting these sites and making them accessible to the public so that Singaporeans can appreciate Singapore's development journey, and the resilience of our people, set in the longer context of our history. Many of these sites are already publicly accessible. Tours are available for The Battlebox at Fort Siloso, and other WWII-related locations, such as the Former Ford Factory and NHB's two WWII interpretative centres: Reflections at Bukit Chandu and Changi Chapel and Museum. However, some WWII sites may not be suitable for year-round public access. These include sites located on private property or in restricted areas, such as military camps and training grounds. Some sites may also be located in areas which may not be safe for public access due to difficult terrain, or that doing so may negatively impact the ecology surrounding the site. Where possible, NHB partners property owners, heritage community and other public agencies to facilitate time-limited, special access for the public to some of these sites in a safe manner, as part of its annual Battle for Singapore series of programmes. These include the recent Fort Connaught Rediscovery Tour, as well as tours to Old Changi Hospital, and Former Admiralty House and Bunker in previous editions.”
“Every Singaporean household can claim $300 CDC Vouchers in 2023. This is part of the enhanced support under the Assurance Package to help cushion the impact of additional Goods and Services Tax (GST) for Singaporean households and the $1.5 billion Support Package announced in October 2022. Some Singaporean households might be unable to claim their CDC vouchers for a variety of reasons. This could happen, for example, when more than one Singaporean household resides in the same address. In such cases, the relevant household that has yet to claim their vouchers may make an appeal at any community centre/club. Households making appeals will have to provide supporting documents to show proof of household for assessment, for example, tenancy agreement, marriage certificate and key collection letters from the Housing and Development Board. In general, appeals will be approved as long as the applicant is from a different household and has not claimed the CDC vouchers 2023 before.”
“Grassroots Organisations (GROs), including Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs), promote social cohesion through various community bonding activities. They also raise awareness of and help administer Government programmes, including in last-mile delivery to support our population. The Grassroots Advisers (GRAs) guide the GROs in these engagement and outreach efforts. The GRAs and GROs may also directly assist needy households by leveraging a range of Government and local assistance schemes, such as the CCC ComCare Fund. In the case of Public Transport Vouchers (PTVs), the Government taps on the GROs to notify eligible households to claim their PTVs at public transport nodes. Through their networks in the community, GROs also play an important role to help raise awareness of and help administer the PTV programme. GROs also assess applications for PTVs from needy households who marginally miss the eligibility criteria or who might require additional PTVs.”
“On the latter point, it is really a question of whether you decide to fix it at 65 or 70. We have chosen 65. As I have said, by that time, most, if not all, of the Judges, have spent at least – on average – about 15 years on the Bench. So, the further extensions in the different forms that I have outlined, gives them the choice. On Ms Lim's first point, the Chief Justice says that when a Judge reaches 65, he is ordinarily offered an extension up to 68. But that is not the same as mandating that. So, ordinarily offered does not mean that in all these cases, it is accepted. There is still an option for a Judge to take one or more of the routes that I have indicated, such as being appointed as a Senior Judge instead, or perhaps taking on a case, depending on his or her preference on the caseload schedule.”
“I want to assure Ms Nadia Samdin that it is not because there is a sudden, urgent need to have lawyers quickly qualify and, therefore, we deferred the programme, which is from a six-month training period to a one-year training period. The reason for that is, as I explained in my speech, we have had COVID-19 for the past two and a half years or so. I think as we begin to open up, the firm processes for working from home and arrangements with the supervision of their trainees have been re-adjusted. So, we thought, given feedback from the firms, that it is better to let these practices settle because the way in which trainees work in the firms, how they interact with their seniors, with their mentors, with the senior lawyers, is going to be a key part of that training and a key part of that expansion of the one year. We wanted to let these new post-COVID-19 work processes settle before we implement the changes. As to when it will come onstream, it will be shortly – certainly, ahead of time and in good time for the trainees to be kept informed of the timeline and the arrangements. But really, there is no change in the regime at all. It is what the CPTL had recommended in terms of why one year and what that one year ought to comprise. It is just that the process will now kickstart in 2024 instead of 2023.”
“It is as I said. Usually, it is the nature or the cases that are most appropriate. Our studies have shown that the vast majority of neighbourly disputes result from noise. So, that would be one category of cases that we would like to put through mediation. I also mentioned re-mediation, in the event that cases which had previously gone to mediation but were not successful in maintaining the mediated position for a period of time, and new issues arise related to the mediated agreement. The CMC can re-mediate those. We also intend to make mediation the first port of call – something that will be required before a party can bring a case to the CDRT. The reason for this is because, as I mentioned earlier, we want to drive the parties' behaviour towards mediation. The best thing to do is to say that you should not be using CDRT resources, which really should be reserved as a measure of last resort, without trying the mediation process first. Those are broadly the three categories. We will, in the context of shaping the framework, be more specific about how they will be implemented in conjunction with the specific rules for mediation, and also the CDRT process and the rules for filing a CDRT claim.”
“Regular audits by auditors and compliance checks by PA staff are also conducted to send a strong signal in policing malpractices. As evident in the incident involving the former Residents’ Network (RN) Chairman, his offences came to light as part of PA’s review of the RN’s finances. Governance compliance has strengthened in recent years with the digitalisation of procurement and payment procedures via systems to reduce the amount of manual tasks and paperwork. This helps to tighten compliance with existing rules as every transaction is recorded in the system for future audits. There are also sound processes and due diligence in place when it comes to the appointment of GRLs, and we expect GRLs to conduct themselves in a manner that befits their standing and roles in the community. We do not condone nor trivialise wrongdoings. However, we should not allow a few cases to tar the good work by many more GRLs who have volunteered their time and efforts to build and bond the community and provide support to the residents, particularly during trying times such as in our fight against COVID-19, while conscientiously adhering to the financial rules at the same time. At the same time, no system can completely prevent attempts at fraud and misconduct. Therefore, PA will continue to identify new controls and measures, to strengthen our systems and processes to ensure that there is proper adherence to the financial rules and regulations, and to enhance the ability to detect irregularity.”
“Grassroots leaders (GRLs) are volunteers appointed by the People’s Association (PA) to serve in various grassroots organisations (GROs). They play an integral role in building and serving our communities actively through programmes and events they organise and schemes that they help to administer and also help PA to oversee and supervise local amenities. The work that they do contributes to our racial harmony and social cohesion and helps promote a diverse, united and resilient society. Numerous events are organised for residents each year. The GRLs, together with PA staff, plan the programmes, raise funds where necessary, and make decisions on how they will be executed. This process gives GRLs more ownership of their programmes and allows them to respond to the needs of residents more efficiently and in a more timely manner. This authority, however, is not at the expense of governance. The GROs are guided by a set of Rules and Regulations that stipulate their roles and composition, how they conduct their meetings and activities, and the authority to use their funds in accordance with the Financial Rules for GROs. The Financial Rules stipulates how the GROs should manage the receipts, payments and acquisition of goods, services and works. Beyond these rules, there are existing measures and safeguards put in place by PA to minimise conflict of interest (COI) and to uphold transparency in our grassroots procurement rules for goods and services to reduce the likelihood of fraudulent activities. Training is an important strategy to instil strong governance principles. To develop the competency of key Office Bearers of GROs, PA has induction and refresher training programmes to instil proper governance.”
“We would like to honour the achievements and contributions of centenarians in Singapore, and celebrate their longevity and contributions to Singapore. At present, there are various organic and ground-up initiatives which celebrate our centenarians, such as where grassroots volunteers visit the centenarians or their families and present them with a gift. We are heartened by these local community initiatives and encourage them to continue to do so. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the People's Association are studying the most appropriate ways in which Singaporean centenarians can be recognised at a national level and will announce further details when ready.”
“With these exciting programmes and developments, our Sports Hub will be a vibrant community, sporting and lifestyle space that all Singaporeans can enjoy and identify with.”
“The transition from the Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) to the Government has been smooth and was completed on 9 December 2022. Thereafter, SportSG and SHPL have been conducting due diligence on SHPL’s accounts. The termination sum payable to SHPL is $1.4 billion, which is around $0.1 billion lower than what was initially projected.2 This is mainly because we were able to bring down the cost of termination, excluding debt repayment and related costs, in the negotiations. With the President’s concurrence, the Government made an advance from the Contingencies Funds for the Termination Sum and will replace the advance through a Supplementary Supply Bill at Budget 2023. The replacement of the advance will not lead to a draw on past Reserves. The new management team has since organised a wide range of activities in the past two months. This includes performances by live bands and dance groups, a Big Walk event to usher in the New Year and a Chinese New Year Stadium Waterfront Carnival, among other events. Several schools have also played football matches in the National Stadium. In the coming months, members of the public can look forward to more of such community events, including some National School Games finals, National Stadium Open Houses, as well as grassroots programmes and activities. There will also be marquee sports such as the Badminton National Open Championships as well as world-renowned entertainment events from groups such as Westlife and Blackpink. The developments in the larger Kallang Alive precinct are also on track, with the Kallang Football Hub and Kallang Tennis Centre due to be completed this year.”
“As part of our efforts to support the busking community and the art of busking, NAC continues to actively work with venue owners to grow the number of busking locations across Singapore. Venue owners include Government agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), National Parks Board (NParks) and Housing Development Board (HDB) as well as Town Councils, business and merchant associations and commercial property owners. Of the 70 busking locations, about 30 are located in the city centre, such as Orchard Road and Marina Bay. The rest are spread across neighbourhood towns and parks across the island. To date, busking locations in neighbourhoods like Ang Mo Kio, Hougang and Paya Lebar have been well-utilised by buskers. Four new locations at East Coast Park, Tras Link Park and outside Ngee Ann City were added after busking resumed in March last year. As our buskers gain greater visibility, more event organisers and venue partners are now looking to showcase buskers at their events. We will continue to foster greater understanding among buskers, residents, venue partners and property owners, the Government as well as members of the public to support busking and its contribution to our vibrant city.”
“The National Arts Council (NAC) administers the busking scheme, which aims to enliven our city life and energise urban spaces. There were about 300 registered buskers in 2020. Since March 2020 when the pandemic hit, NAC suspended busking activities to support national efforts to contain the COVID-19 situation. With the resumption of busking in March 2022, the number of registered buskers has returned to pre-pandemic levels. NAC considers buskers an important community as contributors to building a vibrant arts scene and is committed to supporting them to hone their craft and giving them opportunities to showcase their talents with the wider community. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAC encouraged buskers to explore the digital space to engage their audiences. For example, NAC organised online busking sessions and subsidised the performance rights fees and provided each participating busker with an honorarium. The busking community demonstrated creativity, resilience and a positive spirit by adopting online channels to share their performances. In March 2022, when the suspension on busking was lifted with the relaxation of COVID-19 Safe Management Measures, NAC launched a new e-service portal to support the resumption of live busking. The portal was designed to give buskers access to more busking locations. Before the resumption of busking in March 2022, each busker only had access to and could busk at, five fixed allocated busking locations. With the resumption of busking and the launch of the e-service portal, buskers can now busk at more than 70 designated busking locations islandwide.”
“As a community-led initiative led by SFCCA, SCCC works closely with various clan associations to develop programmes and initiatives that celebrate the many facets of our unique Singapore Chinese culture. Every year, the Government also supports SFCCA and co-organisers on the annual River Hongbao celebration. We are aware of the growing interest among clans to preserve various Chinese regional dialects. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) recognises that Chinese dialects are part of the Singapore Chinese culture and heritage and welcomes the clans’ efforts to do so even as the Government maintains its existing language policy of promoting the usage of Mandarin as one of our four official languages. Chinese dialects continue to be used in informal communication and those who are interested can participate in classes organised by clan associations. There are also arts and culture activities organised by clan associations or arts practitioners which feature dialects, such as Nanyin and Teochew Opera. NAC and NHB support such activities through their grant schemes as part of promoting Singapore’s traditional arts and intangible cultural heritage. The efforts by the clans to promote the Singapore Chinese culture and heritage add to the diversity and richness of our cultural legacy and enrich Singaporeans’ appreciation of our unique multicultural identity.”