Janice Koh
Singapore
“So, let us not ignore the contribution of NLB to building up a reading culture and raising the literacy of Singaporeans. This is an episode that we will learn from and will move forward from. I thank the contributions of Members, both in and outside the House, on how we can move the process forward.”
“Only a happy mother can bring up happy and positive children. Positive attitudes cannot be taught by textbooks. They can only be taught by the parents' own examples.”
“I just want to mention this, that we recognise that we need to find something to develop the music sector more holistically and with a single vision. This is not new feedback. We have heard this also from the music sector. I agree that we have to take a holistic view.”
“Thank you, Madam. Just a quick response to the Senior Minister of State's reply. I just like to point out that, actually, with the Korean example, Korea does have broadcast quotas for its film and music. They were trying to feed the domestic market first before it could take off internationally.”
“The 21st century competencies put forth by MOE are attributes not easily attainable or even teachable through textbooks or testing. They present different teaching challenges compared to preparing students for exams.”
“" This programme is only in place at eight or nine schools, but there should be more and they should be formally integrated into the learning environment. Sir, the formal integration of drama would encourage schools to support teachers with the necessary resources and time to develop good drama curricula for our students.”
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“There is also a question of whether the police officers and auxiliary police personnel will have the appropriate language abilities to communicate with the Page: 90 people whom they seek to exercise power over, namely, foreign migrant workers in Little India. Given that the penalties for contravening the new laws are high, would the officers have the capabilities to communicate their requests or instructions clearly and effectively to the foreign workers? If not, it is easy to see how a miscommunication could spark another conflagration. Madam, Little India is and has always been an important gathering point for our South Asian migrant workers to relax on their days off; to be with friends, enjoy a meal or stock up on local provisions from home. And while, in recent years, it has become more crowded on weekends due to the growing numbers of foreign workers in Singapore, it has always been a bustling and colourful place, with a unique vibe and character of its own – an important centre of festivities and celebrations for our Singapore Indian residents, as well as a key cultural destination point for many tourists visiting Singapore. The intention to provide calm and security to all those who live and visit Little India is a sound one. However, the hasty enactment of this Bill, with its enhanced powers to stop and search, and to control and restrict entry and movement in Little India, may inadvertently choke, not only the businesses and retailers there, but the very life and vibrancy of the area. The over-focus on alcohol may lead to racial profiling of South Asian migrants, and possibly worsen relations between the foreign migrant community and our police officers over time.”
“If, say, a person is wrongly accused and suffers reputational loss or other loss, he or she would have no recourse, even if the officer or officers in question might have exercised their powers maliciously. As such, I would like to seek the Minister's clarification as to whether measures for external oversight and safeguards on the exercise of power will be put in place, and if these can be included into the Act. Madam, my fifth concern touches on auxiliary police and standards of police professionalism. Given that the enhanced powers under clauses 9, 10 and 11 are extended to not only Singapore police officers, but also to "approved persons" such as auxiliary police personnel, how do we ensure that those from external security agencies possess the same sense of public service and duty, and the same standards of professionalism as our own police force? The officers exercising these powers, for instance, must guard against any form of racial stereotyping and profiling, even as they continue to maintain law and order through inspections and controls. If persons of South Asian descent, be they Singaporeans, tourists or migrant workers, begin to feel that they are being singled out for inspection and checks in Little India, this could potentially increase racial sensitivities and tension not only in the area, but in other parts of Singapore as well. As such, situations must be handled with cultural sensitivity and care in maintaining the dignity of individuals. If these jobs are outsourced to external agencies, will there be specific criteria in selecting auxiliary police personnel best suited to exercising these powers? For instance, should only Singapore citizens, with the minimum number of years of training and experience, be appointed to these roles?”
“This is potentially damaging to building good interracial and community relations between our South Asian migrant workers and Singaporeans as well as undermines the respect and dignity we should accord our guest workers. Fourthly, Madam, the general lack of judicial oversight over how the discretionary powers conferred on the police will be exercised makes this Bill problematic. Without the mechanisms for external oversight, such as the Courts, the adjudication of reasonableness is left in the hands of the Executive, where these powers are potentially subject to abuse. Even if the powers are always fairly and objectively exercised, the Government and Police officers may be vulnerable to accusations of arbitrariness. Clause 9, for instance, provides extensive powers to the Police and auxiliary police to stop and search, and even strip-search any person within the special zone to inspect for prohibited items and alcohol. Even though the officer must Page: 89 "reasonably consider it necessary" to make such a request, what is considered "reasonable" or "necessary" is not spelt out in the Bill, and may lead to an officer exercising section 9 without having to explain his reasons for doing so. Discretionary police powers should always meet the test of "reasonableness", which the authorities are required to exercise when operating the Act. However, the Bill precludes any adjudication of its operation through the Courts or other bodies, other than an appeals process on certain actions, which may be made to the Minister. Without an external adjudicator, and in the event where the police officer and the suspected individual have different perceptions of what is "reasonable", then the reasonableness of police action can never be settled.”
“This pre-emptive Page: 88 strike gives the impression that the Government has already concluded that alcohol was a major factor and distracts from other possible causes that could have led to the riot. Additionally, the passing of this Bill before the COI presents its report risks influencing the outcome of its deliberations and potentially undermining the integrity of the COI findings. Thirdly, Madam, the over-focus on alcohol gives rise to other problems, including the risk of racial stereotyping and racial profiling. Public drinking goes on in many areas in Singapore, from the clubs and bars in Clark Quay to the street-side food stalls and coffee shops of Geylang and Joo Chiat, where many foreigners and foreign workers also congregate. These places, too, experience their fair share of fights, brawls and incidents now and again. If alcoholic inebriation is believed to have led to the riot, then based on this line of reasoning, riot-prevention must surely call for similar alcohol bans elsewhere. Lest I be misconstrued, I am not asking for similar bans to be established in other public areas, necessarily. I can see that alcoholic intoxication, particularly in hotspot areas where it occurs on a regular basis, causes great inconvenience to residents and other members of the public. However, in this Bill, the targeted approach of curbing alcohol in Little India as a response to the riot, without the support of the COI's findings, without a fuller understanding of all the other factors at play, runs the risk of racially stereotyping and profiling people of South Asian descent and migrant workers in particular, as being prone to public disorder when they drink.”
“After all, before the 8 December riot occurred, migrant workers have been gathering in Little India for many years without a similar incident. And after curbs and measures were introduced to bring the situation under control, the area has remained calm ever since. Second, regarding the timing of this Bill. The terms of reference of the COI include establishing the factors and circumstances that led to the riot, and recommending measures to improve the management of similar incidents in areas where foreign workers congregate. Given that the COI has yet to present its findings, there is a lack of research to support the initiatives under this Bill. I am concerned that the measures presented here, many of which deal with alcohol restrictions and regulation, while proactive, are not substantiated by data, and may, in fact, pre-empt the recommendations of the Committee. Madam, even as we raised questions on the Little India riot last month in this House, we were reminded to be careful about speculating on the various causes of the riot and to let the COI do its work. It was acknowledged then that while "alcohol was a contributory factor", it was probably "not the only factor". Without the evidence establishing all the key factors contributing to the riot, why then is so much attention specifically given to the regulation of alcohol sale, supply and consumption in this Bill? Tabling this Bill before the COI investigations and criminal proceedings are concluded raises doubts as to whether this piece of legislation, temporary as it may be, is a substantiated and reasoned response to the riot.”
“Madam, when the new Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill was introduced on 20 January 2014, it was explained that the intention is to provide the Police with powers to continue to maintain public order in Little India, as well as deal more effectively with local issues in the aftermath of the riot, and that this new law is scoped more tightly compared to the wide-ranging powers under the Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA). While it is commendable that the Government is serious in its efforts to ensure the safety and security of residents and the public in the aftermath of Page: 87 the riot, I would like to raise a number of concerns regarding this Bill. First, regarding the necessity for this Bill. I would like to seek clarification from the Minister as to why this new legislative framework is necessary, when there are sufficient legal powers already present in existing statutes like POPA. The Minister had explained that police powers in this Bill are far less than in POPA. And, similarly, in a recent televised dialogue on MediaCorp's Vasantham channel, Law Minister Mr Shanmugam reiterated that this new provision is limited in scope and that "the Government already has more power than this". Referring to POPA, he mentioned that "the Police do not need all such powers" and that "the new law reduces such powers". If we currently have sufficient levers under POPA to contain a situation like a riot, and given the short 12-month temporary timeframe for this Bill, why then is there a need to rush through new legislation instead of waiting until the Committee of Inquiry (COI) has completed its investigations and for criminal proceedings to be over?”
“Madam, just two quick supplementary questions for the Acting Minister. The first is: is the Minister able to give an estimated spending each year on promoting and profiling our arts and cultural assets overseas? And secondly, how exactly are we working with MFA to extend Singapore's soft power without a cultural attaché in our embassies? Is there room to consider establishing a cultural secretariat in certain key cultural capitals like Tokyo, New York, Shanghai and London, for instance?”
“It is not the intention of MDA to try and penalise every arts group out there. But, as I mentioned in my reply, we want the arts groups to work together with us to ensure a vibrant arts scene, yet at the same time meeting the societal norms and standards. We have to be socially responsible because, at the end of the day, we want to ensure that parents feel comfortable that their children of whatever age, when they attend a performance, the classification that we have given, or given by the arts group, meets the contents standards and the societal norms that we see prevailing in our society.”
“In addition, as I mentioned in my reply, we will first test this scheme through a pilot launch in the second half of this year, so that we can help the arts group to familiarise themselves with the classification standards, yet at the same time allow the MDA to understand better how the scheme will work at the ground and what is the feedback that we can gather from this. Even after we have formally launched the scheme, our doors are not closed. Both the term licensees and the content assessors can continue to consult MDA if they are not confident about classifying their performances. The most important thing is that when there is disagreement over misclassification or wrong classification, I think we will be reasonable and fair in assessing that decision, because, at the end of the day, we want to allow the industry to move forward rather than to hold it back. So, I will give the assurance to the Member Page: 28 that we will be flexible and understand the context by which the misclassification took place. On the adverse feedback, we are clear that we just cannot take it from one source. As the Member knows, we have the consultative panel that we can fall back on. In any of the performances that we have come across whereby there could be differences of opinion, we consult widely. We are prepared to even consult the arts group because they may have a different point of view. But, finally, we have to make the decision as to whether or not misclassification has taken place or not, and what are the measures that we have to put in place. As I mentioned earlier, the Bill will be up for consultation. Within the Bill, there will be discussions about what sort of punitive measures are being considered.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister. I just have two sets of supplementary questions. The first is: classifying content, even with a set of recommended guidelines, relies on some degree of subjective judgement. How does MDA intend to deal with disagreements with an arts group on the appropriate rating for a show? And in the spirit of co-regulation, will the arts groups be given a wider berth to make those judgement calls since they would be the ones who know their audience best? Secondly, in the event of adverse feedback or a complaint from the public, how will MDA assess whether or not a complaint is warranted and assess whether or not there has actually been a breach in guidelines? What will be the punitive measures and will there be an appeals process or recourse for the arts group in the event there is a difference in opinion? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I thank the Member for those very important questions because these are the sort of questions that I am sure the arts groups are also thinking about. On the first question as to how do we deal with disagreements, first of all, we will put in place measures to ensure that all the term licensees receive adequate training, so that they can do self-classification with greater confidence. But we recognise that this will take time. So, that is why we have included training and refresher training sessions for content assessors, so that they can get a lot more training hours.”
“I have three supplementary questions for Deputy Prime Minister Teo. The first is what were the specific incidents exactly that gave the Ministry reason to identify alcohol as one of the underlying causes of the riot? Secondly, regarding the safety of foreign workers in Little India as a result of the death in the traffic accident, are there safe places for the drop-off and pick-up of foreign workers in the very high traffic areas around Little India? And how do we moving forward intend to manage the high pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic there? Finally, what is the Ministry's view that it was largely the emergency vehicles and Police personnel who were the target of the rioters, and whether that is indicative of the attitudes of foreign workers towards these figures of authority and the state of their ongoing relationship?”
“Madam, I would just like to ask the Minister two questions. The first is, I understand that The Breakfast Network was also asked to take down their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Why were they asked to do so? And the second question is, if our newspapers are allowed to accept advertisements from foreign companies, is that not considered some kind of foreign funding as well?”
“Mdm Speaker, I have just three supplementary questions. First is: what happens when buildings and developments undergo demolition or major renovations that might involve the removal of previously commissioned artworks? Given that these artworks under the two schemes have either made use of public monies or tax exemptions, how do we then encourage public accountability for these works? And should there be a public agency involved in ensuring the care and consideration in relocating or the re-adoption of these public artworks? My second question is: what does the Ministry think might be the impact of URA ceasing its Arts Incentive Scheme and how will MCCY continue to encourage the good maintenance and the commissioning of new artwork? Would the Ministry consider increasing the tax incentive from the current two times to two and a half times tax deduction on the cost of maintaining these artworks and commissioning new art, for example? Thirdly, other than just a listing of the public art available, would the Ministry consider an online resource to share best practices of commissioning public art and case studies of successful collaborations so as to encourage more public art in our landscape?”
“Mdm Speaker, I have a question with regard to the deployment of top-performing teachers within MOE. The teachers who are graded highly or promoted, for example, over the course of Page: 42 their career, do they get posted to different schools so that they also share their experience and expertise amongst other teachers and other schools and students?”
“Madam, my final supplementary question is, even with the availability of legitimate content sources, evidence, at least in other countries where there is site blocking, shows that people will still go ahead to download it for free – even if the content is available in a timely manner, and even if it is affordable. So, the question is, is site blocking, in this instance, a more effective way? It may not be the most perfect bullet to tackle the issue but Page: 38 it is an effective way of at least reducing the number of key pirated websites. Are there any challenges or obstacles to enforcing or implementing something like site blocking in Singapore?”
“Thank you, Madam. I just have three supplementary questions. The first is, given that the consumption of online pirated material in Singapore is not insignificant, and, in fact, one of the highest in the Asia Pacific region, does the Government feel that this message needs to be reinforced, perhaps more visibly and strongly; and what else needs to be done in this area? The second question is: what does the Government feel are the key drivers leading to people downloading content illegally online here? Is it the lack of or limited access to legitimate content sources and how much of that has to do with our content guidelines which limit the kind of content available in Page: 37 Singapore, therefore, inevitably pushing consumers to download, for example, uncensored films and TV programmes illegally? Finally, evidence has shown that even when such content is provided in a timely manner, and affordable, there will still be people who will go ahead and download it illegally from pirated websites. What are some of the obstacles that the Ministry foresees in terms of allowing right holders to go to court to apply for orders for ISPs to block these specific sites so that these torrent sites are not so easily available to Singapore consumers?”
“Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I just wanted to clarify the last part of my question which was not answered – whether the Ministry would consider studying the impact of tuition and enrichment on educational attainment, since so little data is available on the private tuition industry and its impact on our children.”
“Is there a need, or is there some concern, to study this relationship between household income and expenditure on tuition and its impact on social mobility, given that we are facing rising income inequality and rising costs in Singapore? And what would be the impact of this study on our educational policy and our approach to making educational opportunities equal for all?”
“Mdm Speaker, I have just one supplementary question. I am happy to hear that MOE does not feel that private supplementary tuition should be desirable within a child's educational track, so to speak. However, based on scattered but available data, about 97% of Singapore students are enrolled in tuition and enrichment compared to, say, 49% of Primary school students and 30% of Secondary school students in 1992. The data is from 2008. The increase has been quite significant. Spending on tuition has also grown from about $410 million in 1998 to $820 million in 2008. Based on our most recent household expenditure survey, Singaporeans spend about 1.1% to 2.2% of their household expenditure on tuition and educational expenses. Richer families spend a higher absolute amount and also a higher proportion of their household expenditures.”
“Firstly, what are the penalties for these bogus fund-raisers and how are these penalties communicated so that it is a preventive measure? And secondly, how are we educating the public so that they are able to discriminate between the bogus fund-raisers and the genuine ones?”
“I thank the Acting Minister. Just two supplementary questions. The first is —”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Acting Minister. Arts festivals are often in a unique position to offer opportunities to artists whose passion is to inspire and stimulate us and to commission and support work that is genuinely creative. In a Festival context, we should not just be thinking about the market and what audiences want. To stimulate the creative muscle in our society, we should also need to expose audiences to the new, and we can do this by supporting artists in the creative process and then support the results of that creative process by getting it to the public. In this respect, giving the Festival its independence and artistic autonomy in terms of programming and commissioning is a critical step towards its success. The Government should therefore support those things which have, as yet, no market but show excellent potential. In this respect, my question is: how is the Government going to ensure that the Festival will be given its artistic autonomy while at the same time funding it sufficiently so that it does not become completely subject to the demands of the market?”
“Mdm Speaker, I have two supplementary questions for the Acting Minister. The first is: given that the guidelines under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention oblige governments to embark on consultation processes over the identification and nomination of potential heritage sites, was there any public engagement and communications undertaken in the lead-up to the nomination of the Botanic Gardens, and if not, why not? My second supplementary question is: how will signing the 1972 World Heritage Convention change the way the Government is currently engaging with local NGOs and community interest groups in terms of identifying future potential sites and future submissions, especially in light of the fact that potential sites require legislative protection by governments before they can receive UNESCO World Heritage status?”
“Madam, I would just like to congratulate the Acting Minister on his inaugural COS debate and applaud the Ministry for all the goodies that it has given to the arts and heritage. I have just two points. First, I appreciate that theatre rentals are already subsidised. I thank the Minister for agreeing to at least look into how we can further alleviate the financial pressure on our arts groups who are renting these venues. Second point is on free entry to museums which I think is a great piece of news. Could the Minister clarify whether we are looking at year-round free entry to all exhibitions? Or do special charges still apply on special exhibitions? Will it apply to the new National Art Gallery when it opens in 2015?”
“I therefore urge the Ministry to abolish or update NAC's funding guidelines, and restore the Arts Council to its intended role, not as a regulator of arts content, which is already being done by the MDA, but as a champion of artists and a promoter of artistic excellence. Traditional Arts”
“00 pm In light of this, I welcome NAC's New Grants Framework, which has raised the grant ceiling from 30% to up to 50% of total costs. However, even under the old grant framework, amounts were still way below the 30% ceiling. I therefore urge the Ministry to provide steady financial support to our flagship companies a lot more wholeheartedly, under this new 50% grant quantum. Finally, Madam, artists and arts groups need the necessary space and the leeway to reflect society's concerns and issues on the ground through their art. Currently, arts groups feel straitjacketed by NAC's restrictive funding guidelines, which discourage them from exploring issues that might be vaguely challenging or provocative. These curbs on expression – what one is allowed to say, think or express – limits the imagination and puts unnecessary constraints on creativity. It is the Page: 33 artist's role to look at contemporary issues that resonate and are relevant to their diverse audiences. To echo Ms Irene Ng, it needs to explain the Singapore saw to its people. Sometimes, their work raises questions about norms and values, but the arts provide us with a safe platform to reflect society's differences, and hold those up for reflection and debate. We need to trust that our arts groups will do so responsibly. I therefore echo Mr Baey Yam Keng's call yesterday for MCCY to be a champion for the freedom of artistic expression. Madam, Singaporeans are clamouring for greater transparency, openness, and a plurality of views, and our arts policies should better reflect the aspirations and expectations of the people.”
“But unlike our national companies, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), that together received about $13 million in Government grants alone in 2011, these groups receive substantially less Government funding as a proportion of their total operating budget. Page: 32 In fact, in 2011, 28 of our top funded arts groups received just over $5 million in total. Most of these groups are being funded at only 5% to 20% of their total operating costs. This puts a tremendous strain on them to rely on box office income and uncertain sponsorship revenue to cover the remaining 80% of their annual expenditure. Not surprisingly, there was great concern when NAC announced last year that some groups would be "graduated" from major grant funding, and that they are being encouraged to move towards self-sustainability. With a limited funding pie, the argument is that major arts groups must make way for smaller, emerging ones. Madam, this trade-off is a risky one. While I agree new groups need start-up assistance, it should not be at the expense of older, experienced companies who continue to pave the way in terms of artistic excellence, who play a leading role in providing mentorship and talent development, and who are here for the long term, providing employment for many Singaporean artists. Madam, our major arts companies work extremely hard for every tax dollar they received. A snapshot of eight of these groups will show that in 2011, on average, for every dollar of Government grant received last year, they raised about $10 from alternative sources. Yet, few of them have any kind of financial reserves or endowment fund to tide them over a rainy day. For FY2011, at least five major groups recorded a deficit. 12.”
“In fact, I do not see why venues for hire should be sharing box office receipts with arts groups at all, since they do not take any financial risks in the marketing nor share in the publicity costs for the show. Such receiving venues should simply charge a flat fee, or negotiate with the arts groups to go with one option or the other. In a typical year, an arts group that regularly presents work in a mid-sized venue pays an average of $150,000 to $250,000 in rent, if not more. Groups have fed back that the contributing costs include having to pay for manpower even when labour support is not required, and paying equivalent rental rates on Dark Nights, even though the theatre is not in use. Also, additional surcharges are levied for peak periods, including on small black-box studios, which tend to be used by smaller, amateur groups. Could the Ministry review these charges that go towards high rentals? Also, could the Ministry consider providing special rates for groups who are premiering new Singapore works? Second, our flagship companies need stable funding and a sense of financial security in order to plan for the future. The Necessary Stage, Wild Rice, Theatreworks, Singapore Lyric Opera, The Theatre Practice and The Finger Players count themselves as some of Singapore's most active, non-profit arts companies today. They have been in the scene a long time – some for over 20 years – enlivening our arts and cultural life with a spread of original, Singapore-made, as well as international plays, comedies, musicals and opera.”
“Madam, before I begin, I would like to declare my interest as an actor working in the arts scene and a Board member of the theatre company, Wild Rice. Madam, our local performing arts scene has burgeoned and matured over the last five years, nurturing many Singaporean artists and performers who now rank up there with the best in the world, and the Government has played a significant role in helping it grow to what it is today. This vibrancy however belies some of the pressures our arts groups are facing, especially the ones in theatre. I have met with many of them in the last few months, including those from the commercial sector. Let me share three challenges they face. First, high venue rentals and the rising cost of making productions have impacted the financial sustainability of these companies. Last year I raised a Page: 31 Parliamentary Question on the issue of venue rentals, explaining that, on average, the rental costs paid out by an arts group to rent spaces at School of the Arts (SOTA), the Esplanade or the Drama Centre can vary between 20% and 35% of their production budget. In response, Acting Minister Wong assured that the National Arts Council (NAC)'s new grant schemes would try to support arts groups with higher funding. While this is a welcome move, I would like to appeal to MCCY to do more for local arts groups at these venues run by public-funded institutions, which are not out to make a profit. For instance, the mid- and large-sized theatres at Drama Centre, Esplanade and SOTA currently charge a flat rental fee or a percentage of the box office, whichever is higher. This concept of "whichever is higher" makes the profit margin highly unpredictable for arts groups, and penalises them for working harder to fill bums-on-seats.”
“Through role play, we are invited to clarify values and problem-solve creatively with other participants. This allows us to question our assumptions and promotes a sense of ownership in the change we want to see. Community arts should therefore not be limited to mass participation events. While such events can harness hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteer performers, and Page: 28 promote social bonding, they may not provide a sufficiently deep arts experience. Can we invest in more artist-led workshops and performances that interface with Singaporeans in a deeper way? An example of this would be the Forum Theatre presentations by Drama Box, where the "call-and-response" form is used to encourage audiences to reflect more deeply about social issues. Finally, I would like to seek greater clarity on the roles and expectations of the different agencies involved in the community engagement initiative. While it may be a multi-agency effort, artists and arts groups feedback that the various agencies often have different agendas when it comes to funding and performing platforms. They also find it frustrating when cultural officers on the ground have little knowledge about how artists work. May I ask the Minister how the multiple stakeholders such as the PA, CDCs and CCs are working with statutory boards like NAC, NHB and NLB to support the artists in this engagement process? Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR)”
“It should be accessible and easily available to all. We should find more ways to increase access to the wide range of work produced by our arts groups to all Singaporeans, especially those who are less able to participate. This may include those from lower income households, full-time caregivers or parents with young children who are unable to get away from family commitments. A night out at the theatre can be an expensive affair. Even with student discounts for children, accompanying adults often pay full price tickets to attend the shows with them. Could the Ministry consider strategies such as partnering with arts groups to offer free or special-priced tickets to families on public assistance and students on bursaries, or even providing free child-minding at the theatre venue on specific nights or weekends, so that busy parents have a window to enjoy the arts? Could the Ministry also provide a sufficient level of funding to tour already existing productions or concerts by our local professional artists to performing spaces and galleries in community clubs and other venues around the island on a regular basis, so that Singaporeans have access to high quality productions and exhibitions in their neighbourhood? Third, community participation should not be limited to just the consumption of arts events, but should go hand in hand with ownership and engagement. It is through direct involvement in art-making and creation, say, at a workshop or in a performance, that we receive the transformative benefits of the arts, including identity formation, empathy building and self-confidence. For instance, community theatre and interactive performances, are designed to create safe environments for participants to re-enact real-life situations.”
“Madam, over the past year, "culture" and "community" have become frequently used buzzwords. Up to $210 million was committed under the Community Engagement Masterplan, the new MCCY was set up and the "Living Arts, Loving Culture" programme was launched to bring arts and culture to everyone. I welcome these developments. Culture is key to who we are, and community is the artist's bread and butter. I also believe that increasing and deepening Singaporeans' participation in the arts and in our cultural life is necessary to strengthening our cultural core. But now the hard work begins. There is no such thing as culture in general, or community in the abstract. Both involve the participation of many individuals in specific activities, often over long periods of time. There is no shortcut to a "feel-good" factor, and token participation just for the sake of it, has limited returns. So, what does this mean for the arts? First, welcome as it is, we should not let the new enthusiasm for culture and community obscure the fact that many Singaporean artists have already been actively engaging audiences and communities for many years. Their talents should be tapped, and they should be encouraged to expand their audiences to an even larger pool. Page: 27 As such, rather than pushing all our arts groups to start community outreach initiatives, could the Ministry enhance financial support and resources in the area of audience development, publicity and marketing to these arts groups, and encourage them to not only increase the numbers of attendees, but also to broaden the range and diversity of their audiences? Second, we should guard against a two-tier system that reserves high art for the elite and culture for the masses. Great art is not always easy, but it does not discriminate.”
“Thank you, Madam. I am really happy to note from the Senior Minister of State's response that MOE and I are on the same page with regard to the value and importance of Literature. I have got a two-pronged supplementary question, one is on passion and one is on perception. On passion, I totally agree that students should be free to choose their subjects based on what they are passionate about, but in the case of literature, how do we support those students who happen to be in secondary schools where the schools do not offer it as an "O" level subject, and we know that only 50% of these schools offer it as an "O" level subject. And on perception, you know, just yesterday on The Straits Times Forum online page, a Secondary 2 girl wrote in to the Forum Page to say that she did Page: 164 a poll of her friends to find out how many of them wanted to do literature. All of them said they did, except they were afraid of disappointing their parents if their grades were low. How can MOE reverse this impression of Literature and change the perception of parents?”
“The school is in shock, but Standard Operating Procedures kick in. The narrator goes through the motions of the funeral, but she finds herself numb. She wants to grieve but her eyes are dry. And as she walks past her form teacher, Mrs C, she thinks – and I quote from the story: "…it's not that I don't feel sad. Because Mrs C, you only taught us equations and solutions, and I was supposed to know the solution to every problem. I was supposed to learn the ways to solve them, these theoretical numbers and signs and symbols put together." You see, her education was incomplete: she lacked the language to come to terms with the enormity of her best friend's death. The author says this story is based on her true personal experiences. So, she did after all find the words, later in life. Literature is not about just quoting fine words from old books. It is about exploring ways to think the unthinkable, and to express ideas about what is difficult or intractable in life, that cannot always be quantified or solved like an equation. Madam, the world is not about to get any simpler. We need Literature. Scholarships for Regional Studies”
“Right now, trainee teachers are sometimes asked to teach English even though Language or Literature may not have been their subject of expertise at university. More can be done to prepare our English Language teachers to infuse Literature and "literary thinking" into their lessons. Third, we should consider infusing Literature into Social Studies. There are many literary texts that speak eloquently to the issues at the core of the Singapore story: poems, short stories and plays can capture the Singapore experience and what it means to be Singaporean in ways that a dry textbook cannot. The 2002 Total Defence Campaign for schools, for instance, featured a Page: 123 series of Singapore short stories, each encapsulating one aspect of Total Defence, and, I am told, it went down well with the students. In fact, why not consider folding in all the Humanities into the Combined Humanities subject, so that students benefit from synergies gained from studying Geography with History and with Literature? Indeed, this is how the Classical Humanities themselves were conceived and taught – as a pan-disciplinary study of human relations, endeavour, and expression. And, finally, we should make sure that all our schools offer Literature as a subject at every level. We may need to create an external teaching academy for Literature, as was done for Third Language studies, to pool together students from different schools that may not individually have enough candidates to run classes. Madam, please allow me to end with a little story by a Singapore writer Tan Mei Ching titled "In The Quiet", which is part of an anthology called "Telltale", taught as part of the "O" Level Literature syllabus. It is about a young girl who suddenly loses her best friend Audrey in a traffic accident.”
“In such a school, where students come either with no book or a book without a cover, and can barely read two pages because they can't sit still, Lit has given them the opportunity to discuss the issues they face in their own lives, which no other lesson in school gives legitimate time to discuss. That's why school seems irrelevant to them. But when we talk about the educational opportunities and family backgrounds in Mingfong Ho's "Sing to the Dawn", these kids suddenly pipe up to champion against sexism, and they respond to issues like the different chances rich and poor people get. How else, apart from Literature, do we engage the students who aren't motivated to learn?" Madam, we need Literature. It is high time we give Literature a boost in our schools and I hope MOE will consider some of these suggestions on how we may do so. First, we need to enhance the teaching of the English Language itself to include literary texts, techniques and skills. Our language use needs to grow up. In most well-developed educational systems around the world, language is not taught without Literature. For example, the New York Regents English examination and the International Baccalaureate are two recognised approaches that incorporate Literature into their language curriculum. Singapore's new 2010 English Language syllabus encourages the use of rich text. This could serve as a springboard to provide our classrooms with a broad range of literary works. These should be age-appropriate and resonate with our youth. Some schools are already trying to do this by introducing Singapore writing in their classrooms, and they report that students often relate better to home-grown texts. Second, our teachers need to be further prepared in order for standards of English to advance.”
“My concern is this: has this emphasis on academic performance perpetuated an unhealthy pre-occupation within our educational system to favour subjects with "model answers" and 10-year series solutions? If so, what does this say about our priorities in education and is it something the Ministry intends to redress? I think what we have here is a distortion in the market. Despite the benefits that subjects like Literature bring to the educational diet, schools and students will still shy away from it, if a subject is regarded as optional or secondary to other objectives, such as achieving top grades or top rankings. A vicious cycle then develops. As fewer schools offer Literature and fewer teachers are deployed to teach it, fewer students are able to take the subject, and so on. Among Literature teachers that I have spoken to, morale has been understandably low. The marginalisation of Literature is felt keenly on the ground. Many who are passionate about it have been deployed to teach other subjects because their schools do not offer Literature at upper secondary, or there are not enough students to fill a class. There are also stories of students who want to take "O" Level Literature, but are not able to do so at their school, including Normal (Academic) students, whom I hear are sometimes told that they are not bright enough to do such a "difficult" subject. In response, let me share a story from a Literature teacher who told me about her stint in a neighbourhood school. She says, and I quote, "Lit lessons Page: 122 required three teachers in my school: one to stop students from throwing chairs, one to keep students awake and the last one to deliver the lesson.”
“Madam, Literature at "O" Level saw a significant drop of 81% in enrolment rates between 1992 and 2012. At Normal (Academic) Level, the drop was even more severe – by about 91% over the same period. How did this striking decline come about? When these figures were published, I received a torrent of emails and messages from teachers, students, lecturers and writers offering many explanations. The most cited reason was the introduction of school rankings in the 1990s, which motivated many schools to concentrate on offering subjects which were Page: 121 a better "guarantee" of high scores at the critical "O" Level examinations. As a result, Literature, which is said to be harder to score in, was shed by many schools and students. This perceived difficulty seems to be a misperception, since pass rates for "O" Level Literature are on par with Geography and History, and as many as 40% of those taking Literature earn distinctions. Literature took a further beating when Combined Humanities was introduced as a compulsory subject in 2001. Social studies had to be paired with either Literature, Geography or History as an Elective. As you can see, the 2012 "O" Level enrolment rates show a disproportionate number of students taking Geography and History rather than Literature as an Elective. Some have argued that the nature of the social studies syllabus is better paired with Geography and History, and that these subjects are perceived to be more factual and, therefore, easier to score. Madam, I have no intention of starting "subject wars" between the Humanities. In fact, I am equally disturbed by the tremendous drop in enrolment rates for Full Geography and Full History between 2001 and 2012.”
“Mdm Chair, in a speech addressing the Humanities Educators Conference last year, the Minister for Education spoke about the importance of the Humanities in developing "21st Century Competencies" in our students. He listed many good reasons why the Humanities should be part of every student's educational diet, but I was surprised that Literature was left out entirely in his speech. Literature, of all the subjects we teach in schools, is most directly concerned with good critical thinking, written and verbal communication, cultural understanding, human empathy and imaginative possibilities. The study of Literature requires students to make sense of ambiguous data, multiple or conflicting sources of information and different points of view. Of all the disciplines on the curriculum, Literature gives us a means to think about not only what is or what was in the world around us, but what could be. Stories, be they in the form of novels, poems or plays, allow us to step outside ourselves and connect with the world much bigger than our own. It, therefore, opens up many avenues to teach ethics and values and helps us understand aspects of sociology, philosophy and history. In a simpler past, you could argue that these cognitive skills might have been less valued. In today's more complex and volatile world, these capabilities have become much more essential. It is no longer enough for us to count on a basic functional understanding of language. Madam, we need Literature. So, why has Literature enrolment rates at "O" and "N(A)" Levels been declining in our schools over the years? Madam, with your permission, may I ask the Clerk to distribute some handouts?”
“Perhaps, it is still too early to say, but to the extent that I see Deputy Prime Minister Tharman planting some seeds, I rise in support of the Budget. 5.28 pm”
“Page: 116 There are, of course, no pat answers as to how we will overcome some of these challenges, which will require us to depend on a sense of shared history and identity as our society becomes more and more diverse. But I would just like to take a leaf from Kuo Pao Kun, who said, more than 20 years ago. I quote, "I truly believe that the core issue in the next phase of Singapore's nation building is Culture. And the most active agent in this core is the arts, because the central concern about the nation's future rests on whether its people have retained and nurtured its source of creative energy – that dynamic, original impulse which initiated and expected the making of a nation against all odds." Madam, in closing, I would like to return to Deputy Prime Minister Tharman's Budget speech, where he articulated the need for Government to "shift gears for an economy and society in transition" and to support our common aspirations, one of which is to build "A home with a strong Singaporean identity and sense of belonging". The policies announced in this year's Budget, including more progressive tax measures and benefits to reduce income inequality and improve social mobility, the review of our preschool and healthcare sectors, as well as new investments to nurture the arts and sports, signal this shift in thinking. Whether these and future policy changes will eventually close our social and cultural deficits remain to be seen, but they are certainly steps in the right direction. To borrow a term used by the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke – are we seeing the "green shoots" of a social and cultural recovery in Singapore?”
“However, if we accept that a cultural layer is necessary to our national life, then we should re-think the goals of our education system to support individual development and holistic learning, we should see the arts, not as "icing on the cake" but an essential part of every child's education, heritage should be valued as national treasures, not viewed as a necessary trade-off for economic development, and policies and guidelines should release our creative energies rather than restrict and license creative impulses. We may have budget surpluses, but, perhaps, we are in cultural deficit. We have the hardware, but we are slightly behind on the software. Lacking the cultural ballast, we are experiencing a crisis of culture and identity today. The idea of the Singapore identity and what that means were raised several times in this House as we debated the impact of a growing immigrant population. Our anxieties over immigration are revealing deeper, more complex anxieties about who we are, how we live and how we perceive ourselves in relation to the world. Interestingly, it is telling that the NDPC's social health project findings mentioned by my colleague, Mr Laurence Lien, rated the areas of social connected and cohesion, education and cultural and values as neutral. These are the very aspects of contemporary life in Singapore that need to be strengthened, and perhaps if we perform better in these areas, perhaps if our social and cultural health was stronger, we would have the necessary immunity to cope when faced with economic infrastructural and demographic challenges.”
“It allowed the pursuit of many fragmented sub-cultures, but discouraged the formation of a broader Singaporean consciousness, so that it could exploit our capacity for hard work and our common desire to seek economic progress and material gain. Deculturalisation became an advantage in an economic-led growth model. It made us an effective workforce. After Independence, we have continued to put our focus on economic development, and today, of course, we see the fruits of that labour. But we have failed to invest sufficiently in a Singaporean cultural ballast, and we are paying a high price for it. This cultural ballast should be the Page: 115 foundation of our achievements as a nation, as one united people. Otherwise, the economic edifice we have built rests on shaky social foundations. Over the decades, we have developed a mentality that perceives almost everything in political, economic and technological terms. But, as a society, we are now short on those capacities that help us to deal with issues of identity, society and culture, as well as the intangible, the complex, and all those dilemmas and tensions that arise when values and norms collide. In fact, Kuo Pao Kun observed that Singaporeans are generally impatient with the intangible and the subjective. Writing in 1990, he could not think of another modern nation that could conceive of a national tertiary institution without a fine arts faculty, or where Tamil was an official language but whose national university would not revive its Tamil Studies Department unless there was market demand. Even today, our somewhat utilitarian approach to education has led to falling enrolment rates for Literature and the Humanities.”
“However, if the scheme comes with too many regulations and guidelines that restrict the use of the funds, or, worse still, is used as a means of replacing existing Government arts grants, then that would be harmful for the arts sector. I, therefore, hope that this commendable initiative will be implemented in the spirit of encouraging more private giving to the arts, as a way of strengthening the growth and the health of the independent arts scene here. Mdm Speaker, I have spoken so far on several specific policies announced in the Budget. I would now like to shift gears and take a look at a broader issue that needs to be addressed, but cannot simply be solved by fiscal measures. A cultural layer is absent in our national life. I borrow this idea of the need for a "cultural layer" from the late theatre practitioner Mr Kuo Pao Kun, who, in 1990, felt that it was critically missing in our society. He was not talking about orchestras, musicals, exhibitions or international concerts. We already had that. Kuo Pao Kun was talking about an aspect of life that involves study and reflection, thought and debate, imagination and creating. It is a way of seeing the world, not through the lens of what he called the "economic, political and technological", but through the lens of Philosophy, Culture and the Humanities, like History, Literature and the Arts. Madam, when our immigrant forefathers brought their diverse cultures and traditions to Singapore, these were largely localised practices and beliefs, which differed substantially between the villages, towns and provinces. Then, we were a divided population without a cohesive outlook. The colonial administration reinforced this weakness of ours.”
“But it concludes, and I agree, that there is no need to choose between two extremes, as there is still a huge middle ground to increase government healthcare spending in such a way to strike a balance between individual responsibility and giving Singaporeans the much needed peace-of-mind. Third, on the Cultural Donation Matching Fund. Madam, this initiative to provide dollar-for-dollar matched funding for private sector sponsorship to the Arts has been a long awaited one. Over the last few years, artists and arts groups have had to adjust to the pressures of rising costs in Singapore, not unlike the business sector. However, cash and in-kind donations to the Arts have not increased significantly over the last three years, and it has been a real struggle for the local, non-profit arts sector to seek new sponsorships, especially with increased competition from high-profile, international arts and sporting events, which tend to attract corporations who prefer higher mileage for their sponsorship dollar. As such, matched funding could incentivise arts groups to work harder at seeking alternative sources of private and philanthropic funding, while at the same time, spurring more corporations and individuals to give to the Arts so as to double-up the impact of their contributions. Page: 114 How successful this scheme will be lies in the question of who gets to decide on the use of these funds. Ideally, the artists and the arts groups should be given the flexibility to decide how the sponsorship and matched funds are used, and that these monies will go directly to them in support of their fundraising efforts, without heavy-handed interference.”
“Currently, MediSave excludes those with insufficient savings in their CPF accounts, which means, low-wage workers, the unemployed, including full-time caregivers and home-makers, the elderly and, in particular, elderly women, are all poorly protected. These Singaporeans also do not enjoy employer benefits, Page: 113 which help to defray high out-of-pocket medical expenses. In its review of our healthcare provision, I hope Ministry of Health (MOH) will consider comprehensive health insurance for every Singaporean, without discriminating against those who are unemployed or low-waged, as well as look at making MediShield even more inclusive, and ensure that those enrolled into MediShield do not drop out due to lack of funds in their MediSave accounts to pay for premiums. Mdm Speaker, Singapore is amongst one of the richest nations in the world, but our national healthcare expenditure is low at less than 4% of GDP, a far cry compared to many high-income Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and lower than Asian societies like Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Can we do more to increase our national healthcare spending and provide Singaporeans with a greater sense of security about their future, as we work towards a "Better Singapore"? A recent commentary on this issue in the TODAY newspaper notes that defenders of our existing system will argue for fiscal prudence, and will point fingers at the reckless spending of many financially struggling "welfare states".”
“How are we to become a compassionate society when we leave our sick with little choice but to sell their flats to finance their medical bills at a time when they are most vulnerable and should instead be focused on recovering and getting better? How many stories have we heard of elderly patients who decline curative treatments because they are worried about money and are either not comfortable approaching family members for financial help, or are not emotionally ready to give up their family home? I think, as a society, we need to ask ourselves if we can give each and every Singaporean the assurance of growing old with dignity, and a fair chance of getting good quality medical care should they need it without worrying about impoverishing our families. While I agree that it is prudent to impose co-payments to guard against over-consumption, perhaps there is room to find a better balance, and to consider examples of countries like Sweden and Germany, where an individual's share of the total bill for, say, medicine or outpatient fees, could be capped at a certain percentage of his or her monthly income. Also, the model of financing the healthcare of our elderly through the use of their children's MediSave accounts puts a huge strain on the children, who, in turn, have to save for their own healthcare needs in the future. We need to ask if this is still a viable option, especially with smaller families where the financial burden is being carried by only one or two children. What about the needs of elderly singles, who may exhaust their MediSave because they have no children to support them?”
“Madam, just a few days ago, a friend of mine wrote to tell me about her mother who was diagnosed with late stage cancer six months ago. The patient sought medical treatment at a subsidised hospital and was prescribed the chemotherapy drug Herceptin, once every three weeks. Herceptin is an expensive drug. Each dose costs $3,000. Despite the high price, the family went ahead because they wanted mom to be given the best possible treatment for her recovery. It turned out to be effective and she responded well. But, as a housewife, she had little in her MediSave, so the costs were borne by MediShield and her family's MediSave accounts. Her grant from the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) eased the financial burden a little. However, just last week, she was told by her doctor that the dosage had to be increased by three times, and it would now cost her $12,000 a month for Page: 112 treatment. Over six cycles, this would come up to a hefty $72,000. It now is clearly unaffordable. Even after tapping on the entire MediShield payout, the family would have to cough up an additional $27,000, and this time, MediSave was insufficient. She was also no longer eligible for further grants from SCS, and, with no other alternatives in sight, she was advised to sell her flat to finance the medical bill. Going back to her doctor, the patient was told that she could no longer be given Herceptin because she could not afford it, and she now has to continue treatment without it. Madam, this case may not be a unique one, but we need to understand what this experience does to a sick person. It breaks their confidence in the possibility of their healing.”
“These will help to ease the financial burden of raising a child, especially in homes where there Page: 111 is greater dependence on a sole breadwinner. At the school level, I am greatly encouraged that the learning support programme will be extended to students beyond Primary 1 and Primary 2, hopefully, to those at the upper Primary levels. Statistics show that one in two Singaporeans with children spend an average of $500 a month per child on tuition. One in three Singaporeans thinks our kids should start tuition at preschool, and 46% feel that tuition is necessary for our children to stay competitive with their peers. Mdm Speaker, trust in our teachers and in the system to not only look after the educational needs of our children, but to bring out the best in their potential and ability, is hugely important. A good learning support programme available to all weaker students at all levels will provide a safety net for those who fall between the academic cracks. It will go some way towards assuring parents, in particular those from lower income households, that their child will get the necessary support at school, without feeling the pressure to spend scarce financial resources on private, external help. Second, on healthcare. Madam, the Government's plan to do a thorough review of healthcare financing is a timely and welcome one. Singapore's healthcare system has been admired for its ability to achieve outstanding health outcomes at very low national cost. However, our system of healthcare financing, which still relies largely on individual responsibility and family support, can take its toll not only on Singaporeans from the vulnerable, lower income segments, but also those from middle income families.”
“We must raise the profile and status of our preschool teaching profession by making sure that remuneration and regard for this sector is sufficiently high, and eventually over the longer term, working towards raising entry levels into the profession to a Bachelor's or even perhaps a Master's degree. And even as we upgrade our preschool teachers, I hope we can also reduce student-teacher ratios for better developmental outcomes, and make class sizes less daunting for our teachers. Given the high immigrant population in Singapore, we should also do more to encourage preschool integration so as to promote greater acceptance of diversity. Early exposure to world cultures and traditions at a young age will encourage our children to develop a healthy respect for contrasting views and greater empathy for those from foreign lands. In the same way, early exposure to the arts can be hugely valuable to our children's academic, social and creative learning. I hope MOE, in setting up its own kindergartens, will take the lead in establishing such best practices for others to follow. During the debate on the Population White Paper, I spoke about the need to reduce our psychological deficits and to seek greater equality for all Singaporeans in our social policies. We can start with childcare benefits. If equal access to good quality preschool education is important for our children, then let us provide equal opportunities to every Singaporean child, no matter his family circumstances. Let us provide similar childcare benefits to both working mothers and stay-at-home caregivers. Let us eliminate discrimination based on marital status by allowing single parents to take advantage of Baby Bonus cash benefits, which can be used for their child's educational needs.”