Jek Yeun Thong
Singapore
“Would the Minister now consider it wrong to allow CPF members to use their CPF money to buy shares in the stock exchange, people whom the Howe Yoon Chong Report not so long ago would like us to believe that they could not be trusted to look after their own savings and yet they are now allowed to participate in the stock exchange casino, s…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, could I ask a supplementary question which either Minister can reply? Is the Minister surprised that the Voice of America, an organ created by the US government to counter Communist propaganda world wide, has been used to cast critical views on a non-Communist government such as the Singapore Government which is, in fact,…”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the Minister has not touched on my point regarding the tuition fees of University students. I do not know whether he would like to take this opportunity to answer or he would want to leave it to others to answer it.”
“Also, there is no danger that the students having taken the loans would abscond or not come back since at the moment all the male students going overseas are providing bonds because of national service. And as for female students, if we are still having too many of them, we can easily arrange bonds for those who intend to take the loan.”
“Yes, of course. I think the trouble with the press is that they missed my point on Education. The style they happened to like is what the Chinese call - wan shi bu gong (playful and not taking things seriously). So they really do not know what to do with me - I mean the press, not the Government.”
“Sir, since the Government is encouraging the people to have more babies now, the likelihood of these 3-room flats being unsold will be greater. Is it not a good point for the Ministry of National Development to try to convert these 3-room flats into, say, 6-room flats so that more babies could be accommodated?”
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“After the sales are completed, he will then pay to the newspaper owners, whose shares he has helped to sell, the proceeds of sale less his fees and expenses. In evaluating the surplus shares, the Public Trustee will not take into consideration the value of the goodwill as a result of the grant of a licence to publish a newspaper. We feel that if there is any value in the goodwill at all, the value arises out of a government act, i.e., the grant of a newspaper permit, and the benefit of such an act should go to the public and not the newspaper owner. The opportunity is also taken to make other minor amendments to some of the existing provisions in the Act and to repeal those which, experience has shown, serve no useful purpose. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Jek Yeun Thong]. Bill considered in Committee: reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. PAWNBROKERS (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.15 p.m.”
“In doing so, the interest of the public will coincide with that of the newspapers and we will truly have newspapers owned by the people for the people. If everything goes on well there is a real hope that a free, healthy and responsible press will gradually be institutionalised in Singapore. Newspaper editors and reporters need not be afraid of newspaper owners breathing down their necks. There will be no interference from the owners. The journalists will be able to carry out their duties according to their best professional judgment and with the interest of the nation at heart. The Bill seeks to prohibit any person from holding either directly or indirectly through a nominee or a holding company more than 3% of the ordinary shares issued by a newspaper company. In the case of newspaper companies with an issued capital of more than $4 million, persons holding shares in excess of the 3% limit will have to find their own ways and means of disposing of them by 1st December 1977. After that date, no one is allowed to hold more than 3% of the ordinary shares in a newspaper company unless he is given exemption to do so, otherwise, he will be committing an offence and his surplus shares will be forfeited to the government. However, for small newspaper companies whose issued capital is under $4 million and whose shares are therefore not quoted in the Stock Exchange, there are other provisions. In order to help the shareholders to dispose of their surplus shares, the Public Trustee will be entrusted with the responsibility to ensure a smooth and orderly transfer of such shares. It will be his duty to sell the surplus shares by ballot to the public at a price sufficient to cover his fees, expenses and the net asset value of such shares.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Newspaper and Printing Presses Act which was passed in this House in 1974 seeks among other things to safeguard public interest by ensuring that undesirable foreign elements do not gain control of our newspapers and use them against the welfare of our society. It is not intended to interfere with newspapers as an economic activity. Although the danger of local newspapers falling into the hands of foreign interests has been contained, the situation is still far from satisfactory because the ownership of some major newspapers remains in the hands of a small group of people. It is undesirable to allow any person or family to have monopolistic control of any major newspaper. In view of the great influence the news media has on public opinion and the possibilities of it being used to manipulate weaker elements in an open society like Singapore, it is essential to spread the ownership of newspapers as widely as possible. Governments in democratic countries are elected every four or five years, and are accountable to the voters. Because of this Governments so elected must be responsive to the societies they serve. But this does not apply to the press which is answerable only to its owners. The press may claim that it is answerable to its readers, but whenever there is a real conflict of interest between the public and the owner of the media, it is the owners' self-interest that the press will look after first. In seeking to break the monopolistic hold of newspapers by a few families and a small group of people, we are trying to spread the ownership of newspapers to as wide a public as possible.”
“If after thorough investigation we find amendments can be made which will ease irreconcilable couples in getting divorces earlier but without weakening either the family unit or the institution of marriage, we shall do so.”
“Although the figures for divorces are low when compared with the total number of marriages, nevertheless they indicate an unhealthy trend. We will have to continue to monitor the situation before considering a reduction of the period during which the parties have lived apart as a ground for divorce. Ever since it became publicly known that my Ministry appointed a Committee to review the Women's Charter. the press and some individuals have been speculating on the changes that would be made in our divorce laws. Some well-meaning, but obviously not really down-to-earth, suggestions have been made regarding the waiting period for divorce. Strangely, a proposal was made by some women's organisations to amend the law to permit divorce to be granted on the ground that the parties have been living separately for a period of only one year. Mr Speaker, Sir, as you are aware, the Women's Charter permits a divorce to be granted where the parties have been living separately for a period of not less than seven years and reconciliation is unlikely. At a time when we should strengthen the family unit, will it help to make divorce easier? In some countries where the laws have been changed to make divorce easier, the rate of divorce has multiplied. In certain western countries where divorce can be obtained easily, marriages appear to have lost their sanctity, but it is the children of such marriages who always suffer. A united family gives strength to our social fabric and a marriage must therefore be regarded as an institution to be cherished and preserved. For this reason, we cannot afford to make changes in our marriage and divorce laws without careful deliberation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Kim Chuan Village community centre referred to by the hon. Member for Paya Lebar was demolished in late December 1976 to make way for development by the Roads and Sewerage Department. Such development has resulted in the rapid resettlement of the residents from the area. Replacement for this centre is considered unnecessary as the remaining population is small and can well be served by the Lorong Tai Seng community centre about 1.6 km away. The hon. Member may wish to know that the People's Association is in constant touch with the relevant authorities on future housing development plans affecting the constituency. If future population growth in Paya Lebar constituency warrants it, the provision of another centre will be favourably considered. WOMEN'S CHARTER (Waiting period for divorce) 8. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Social Affairs if he will consider introducing legislation to amend Section 82 of the Women's Charter to allow couples to take divorce proceedings after a separation period of three years instead of seven years as provided in the law. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Affairs (Mr Chan Chee Seng) (for the Minister for Social Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, the proposal to reduce the waiting period for divorce is controversial, and the rising divorce rate clearly indicates that we need to be circumspect before introducing amendments to the Women's Charter to permit divorce on the ground that the parties have lived separately for any period shorter than the present period of seven years. Over the last five years, the rate of divorce has more than doubled - from 304 cases in 1972 to 803 in 1976.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Thomson must be referring to the Sin Ming Industrial Estate which, according to the information provided by the Housing and Development Board, has about 1,170 units of residential flats. In view of the small population size and the availability of three existing centres in the Thomson constituency which are within 1.6 km from the Estate, a new centre has not been planned for this area. DAILY-RATED EMPLOYEES IN SCHOOLS (Emplacement on monthly-rated terms) 4. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (a) how many daily-rated employees there are in the various schools, giving breakdown figures according to the different categories of posts; and (b) if his Ministry will consider taking steps to convert such employees to monthly-rated employees.”
“As regards the Department of Scientific Services, it provides a wide range of scientific back-up services to several Government Ministries and departments and not just to the Health Ministry. For instance, it examines food samples and water samples for the Ministry of the Environment, urine specimens for the Central Narcotics Bureau, the hospitals and the Police, exhibits connected with crime for the Police and liquor for the Customs Department. It also provides document examination services and radiation protection services for several Government departments as well as firms in the private sector. The department has been providing services in the field of pharmaceutical products for the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health. This is now being further extended to pharmaceutical firms in the private sector. Mr P. Govindaswamy: In view of the Minister's explanation. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $22,567,050 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $21,020,000 for Head R ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. Head S -”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as part of its efforts to promote scientific and technological development, the Ministry encourages research activities by local researchers both in Government and in the tertiary institutions through the award of research grants. Such grants are awarded for research on selected topics which are beneficial and relevant to our needs. Besides studies on energy sources, research grants have been provided for research projects in other fields such as engineering studies, pollution control, applied chemistry, biological studies and on technological development of specific industries. The findings of the researches are made available to relevant Ministries or departments for their use as appropriate. One such research project undertaken by the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Singapore is the possible use of solar and wind energy. Preliminary results indicate that it would be technically and economically feasible to use solar energy for the production of hot water for domestic purposes. Utilisation of solar energy for air-conditioning and refrigeration, though technically feasible, will not be an economically viable proposition. Similarly, in the case of the study of wind energy, it was found that it may be possible to utilise wind energy for the production of electricity on a small scale to power light beacons but the wind force was not strong enough for any large scale power generation. The training of local personnel in foreign countries is in general coordinated by the Public Service Commission. The Ministry is directly concerned only in training of manpower in the use and application of nuclear energy and ample opportunities are provided to train suitable local personnel in this area.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to inform the hon. Member for Delta that the sum earmarked for contribution to cultural organisations has always been $10,000. Although the provision appears to be higher in some years the additional fund was actually meant for renovation work to our theatres. For example, in FY 76 out of $186,500 provided in the subhead, $176,500 was used for rewiring and installation of fire fighting equipment at the National Theatre. The balance of $10,000 was used for contributions to cultural organisations. There is no reduction in the provision. Three criteria are used for approving grants. The organisations applying for the grant should be active. The project should have some merit and the organisation is in need of financial support. In 1976 grants were given to the National Junior College Drama Society, the National Theatre Club, the Experimental Theatre Club, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, the Alumni Association, Sri Warna, the National Book Development Council and the Stage Club. The National Theatre Club was given a grant of $5,000 for organising a wide range of activities. Grants of between $500 and $1,000 were made to the other organisations to assist them in carrying out various cultural activities, including the staging of plays and cultural shows, organising a workshop on bibliographical standards and an art exhibition. The Member would appreciate that cultural promotion requires the support not only from the Government but also from members of the public, civic and commercial organisations. The small grants given by my Ministry are a token expression of Government's support for healthy cultural activities.”
“Is the Member for Kim Seng suggesting that we should open up some kind of nudist colony in Singapore so that more tourists can be attracted to Singapore? I do not think that in order to satisfy the curiosity of the people we should allow this kind of film because knowing the end result would be empty cinemas, why do we have to do this? Why not put them to better use? Why waste the equipment? Why waste the time of other people?”
“It is more an erotic or pornographic film than an ordinary film made in an artistic way. So there is really no advantage in having film classification in Singapore because we would then have a lot of films coming into Singapore which are of no value at all. If the Member for Kim Seng has been overseas - I am sure he has - he would know that in most of the cinemas in Europe or the USA where X films are shown, in many instances, the cinemas are practically empty. So you can see that if we do have classification in Singapore, after a while I am sure our cinemas will also be empty after the people get tired of them. This would really be a waste of the facilities. It would be a better idea to let them show decent films and films which are of good taste so that everyone, not only the grown-ups, can enjoy. On the matter of the film which was banned it is entitled "The Raid on Entebbe Airport". It was banned on political grounds. Because of the representation made by certain embassies in Singapore and also because of other considerations, we have decided that it should be banned.”
“The Member for Sembawang wants to know the number of films banned last year. The number of films banned last year is 73. Forty of them glorified crime. violence, gangsterism or drug addiction; 23 were sex exploitative or morally objectionable; 9 were banned for political reasons; and one on religious grounds. It is not correct to say that we are relaxing our criteria on film censorship. It has always been our policy to see that films shown in our cinemas are decent, healthy and of good taste. But the judging of a film differs very widely from person to person and also from time to time. It is very difficult to lay down in detail whether a particular scene or a particular word should or should not be allowed and therefore we have this kind of difference in treatment. Very often, a film has to be judged in its entirety before a decision is made as to whether a particular scene should be cut. No, we are not relaxing our censorship on films. Perhaps you can describe what you are seeing as a more sensible or a more enlightening approach in film censorship. But when a film is cut, care is always taken to see that cuts are not noticeable. As to the classification of films, we have considered this matter. If I remember correctly, when the Member for Katong came to this House he was the first to raise this matter. We have considered this and our feeling is that it is not a very good idea to have film classification. If we do have film classification then there should be a lot of films which are of artistic value but which cannot be shown to the younger population. But unfortunately there are not so many of this kind of films. Most of the films that are supposed to be rated X are actually on sex exploitation.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is not easy to please everyone. The Member for Kim Seng is happy to see some relaxation in censorship but, on the other hand, the Member for Sembawang deplores this and is sad to see such relaxation. Films is always a popular topic for debate and it is perhaps the most popular entertainment for Singaporeans and it is also a profitable commodity. Film producers will produce films that can draw crowds, and after some time when a certain type of film has lost its attraction, they will produce something else. So you have films on the supernatural, ghosts, vampires, and so on. But such films are generally unrealistic and they provide a kind of escape for the ordinary people and nobody will take them seriously. To prohibit the exhibition of such films would be an exaggeration of their influence on the cinema goers. We have had our days when we were young. We all grew up in the days when these films were popular, but it does not mean that we are all ghost-fearing or vampire-fearing people. It really does not affect us at all. Even then all the films portraying the supernatural and those depicting sex are carefully scrutinised before they are allowed public exhibition. However, as the Government does not import or produce films, we are not in a position to select films for the people. I think it is also unwise to tell the exhibitors that they should show or import only a certain type of film. On the contrary, we should encourage the cinemas to show as many types of films as possible so that the people have a better choice of them. As regards young people indulging in sex, I do not think it is because of films. Sex comes to us naturally. I do not think it is because of films that cause these people to indulge in sexual activities.”
“We are not that kind of people. We appreciate their services very much and we would, when the time comes, again invite them, if they are still interested in it, to sit in the Committee.”
“I am sure if there are, they would have been exhibited in our Museum. The stuffed animals have all been taken over by the Singapore Science Council. I am sure he will find them there. It is not possible to have several museums in Singapore because it is already quite difficult to keep up with just one museum. I am sure we do not have the resources to keep more than one.”
“Sir, perhaps the Member has not been to the Museum recently. If he has been there. I am sure he will find something new there, something different. So it is not correct to say that the displays in the National Museum are all the same throughout the year. The National Museum Art Gallery which was officially opened on the 21st August last year has held art exhibitions continuously. So has the Young People's Gallery which is devoted mainly to student art. In addition, the three renovated gallery rooms for the University of Singapore art collection were opened to the public in the middle of March last year. On the ground floor, the National Museum has displays pertaining to the history of Singapore from the period of Temasek to the 1930s. 7.00 p.m. Under the final phase renovation of the National Museum there are plans to provide a gallery for the chronological history of Singapore and another gallery to illustrate the growth and development of Singapore City. Even now the displays in the old galleries are changed from time to time. For example, a display of the costumes, garments, tapestries and other artifacts used by the Straits Chinese of Singapore in the 19th and 20th centuries has just ended. The National Museum is worth many visits in the year, especially for its exhibitions. At least 262,000 people visited the National Museum in the last financial year. What the Member wants to see seems to be an increased number of exhibits, but this can only be acquired in time. But if there are no new museum pieces discovered, how can we create them? We have already dug up the whole of Singapore as a result of the urban renewal development, but so far we have not come up with anything worth exhibiting in our Museum.”
“Sir, CEPTA is devoting more time to educational TV, and therefore I think it is unfair to expect CEPTA to spend some of its time for the training of our technicians or our producers. In any case CEPTA has been of service to us, but I do not think it is a solution.”
“Sir, I do not understand what the Member meant by "caused". We do not deliberately cause these errors to happen. All these happen by accident. Mr Conceicao: Just a small point, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. When the Minister spoke about training, he might perhaps explore the possibility of collaboration with CEPTA. Although CEPTA is orientated towards educational TV, still the techniques are similar and there could be some economies derived out of collaboration in this respect between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education.”
“But if we delay this too long, the cameras which are at present serviceable will through disuse rust to such an extent that they may eventually have to be written off. At present, training is carried out on an ad hoc basis and while the trainee is in service and on the job. Some of the key members of the production staff have been sent to stations and training centres overseas to upgrade their knowledge and learn the latest techniques, particularly in colour. Upon their return these officers run sessions for the recruits and others who need training. But all this has to be done in addition to the senior officers' normal production and supervisory duties. From time to time. RTS also obtains the services of experts from overseas through the Colombo Plan scheme to carry out training sessions. For the duration of these sessions, normal production facilities and studios have to be diverted for training purposes. Until such time as the proposal for a training school is approved, I am afraid we will have to tolerate this unsatisfactory situation. However, as I have said before, most of these errors and mistakes are of an accidental nature. This is most noticeable in a programme which is telecast live, such as the news. But in a pre-recorded programme where there is opportunity for rehearsing and editing, these errors are not so common.”
“Sir, some of the errors committed by our TV producers and cameramen are purely accidental and not due to a lack of knowledge or of training. Nevertheless, it is my view that the RTS is now large enough and sophisticated enough to justify the setting up of a staff training unit or school. The training school will enable all newcomers to the profession to receive proper training before they are actually put on the job. At the same time, older hands can be put through refresher courses to update ideas and techniques from time to time. Many national broadcasting stations in this region have broadcasting training centres of their own. It is only in this way that technicians and production staff can thoroughly master the tools of their trade and learn how to use all the sophisticated equipment to the best advantage. Training facilities must be similar to but separate from the studios and equipment used for the daily output of programmes. To close down studios for training too often not only disrupts the normal flow of essential producion but is also uneconomical. No, it is not the Ministry of Culture that needs to be convinced of the necessity of a training school for our broadcasting staff. It is someone else and we will try to convince them. The time to set up the training unit or centre could not be more opportune than now. We have the building which was recently vacated by the staff now housed in the new Radio Centre. We have the redundant black and white cameras and related equipment. Basically, all that we need is a small staff to run the school, some funds to refurbish the old building and for some installation and modification work to be carried out.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have already said that it was a summary. Sometimes it is necessary to give a headline since it is a news service. The newspapers usually have headlines. Items which are summarised at the beginning and at the end of the news are the more important news items and are given headlines. In my opinion, this format is a good one. I do not think the practice should be discontinued.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Kampong Kembangan has made some very good suggestions. But regarding the telecasting of opinions by people to accompany the news, the problem is whether we can get the people to come forward to give their opinions. Local people are reticent on matters concerning local affairs. In many cases it is not possible for us to get the right type of people to come forward to give their opinions. Especially during a news telecast, when the news of the morning or the day has to be read in the evening, it is not easy to find immediately the persons belonging to the relevant discipline or people who have something to say about a certain subject to come forward and give their opinions on that subject which is about to be telecast in the news service. But if we are able to find these people, of course, it is good to telecast them. The reason for the news summary before and after the news is read is this. This has been the practice for a long time. The summary is to give those who switch on to the news a little late to know what has been read so far, and the summary at the beginning is to tell them what to expect. If from the summary they find that the news would be of no relevance to them, they may switch it off. The summary at the end of the news is to let them know the news items they have missed if they switch on too late.”
“I believe these songs will help develop our national identity and instil a sense of patriotism in our young people. We are asking the Ministry of Education, the People's Association, the SAF Drama and Music Company and the Institute of Education to popularise these songs. Moreover, these songs will shortly be printed in a booklet for distribution to schools and organisations. In fact, a local music school has been using some of these songs for teaching and examination purposes. However, given some time we should be able to build up a repertoire of local music and songs. But we should remember that great songs of the various countries were not written overnight. Very often they were written by unknown writers and because they reflected the common experience and aspirations of a people they became popular and handed down from generation to generation.”
“I agree with the Member that the effect which simple traffic slogans or other subjects have on TV viewers might be limited. However, when these are combined with other media, the total impact can be considerable, The RTS is at present planning a series of 13 programmes in all languages. dealing with road safety, including lane discipline. These will be telecast sometime between June and August this year in support of the lane discipline campaign. I also agree with him that our news reading should be more visualised. In fact, this is being done on TV. Therefore, during a Parliamentary report if the name of a Member is mentioned his picture will appear on the screen. But the normal practice of using map graphic is to pinpoint the cities or towns mentioned in the news. This is not possible for a very small village or town which cannot be located in the atlas. But this difficulty is overcome by resorting to the use of a cross to indicate the last location in relation to a better known city or town. At other times the RTS have used arrows to pinpoint locations. Now, background music for the news. Regarding news items, sometimes the time factor has to be considered. When an important newsreel comes into the hands of our producers they always like to show it on the screen as quickly as possible. In some cases it may not be possible for them to locate the appropriate music to accompany the newsreel. But in any case, I think the suggestion is a good one and our producers will look more closely into this matter. The Member for Moulmein has spoken on song writing competition. We are doing our best to popularise songs composed by Singaporeans for song writing competition.”
“For other types of TV productions in Tamil, we often go out of our way to arrange for recordings in the evenings on week days whenever artistes are unable to come in the day. Apart from the above, it is to be noted that the production crew in our studios are entitled to have at least one rest day per month, either on a Saturday or on a Sunday. So therefore there are even fewer Saturdays and Sundays to go round. 6.30 p.m. Singers for Tamil programmes are selected and auditioned by a panel of three judges. A singer is tested and auditioned basically for voice quality and ability to sing with the required tone, rhythm and correct pronunciation, and therefore there is no need for a band to accompany the singer. However, before a programme is recorded, the singer is given ample time to practise with the band during rehearsals at the studios. The quality of all the programmes depends very much on the standard of available artistes, including singers. The suggestion from the Member for Telok Blangah that RTS should utilise some of the interlude time to show trailers or excerpts of forthcoming programmes is a good one. In fact, this is being done on a modest scale through slides and announcements of outstanding entertainment programmes or other special events. To prepare trailers on a more elaborate scale which he has in mind would require more production and technical efforts and facilities which are not available at present. Attempts during the last two financial years to obtain two posts to back-up and improve our present TV gathering and presentation units were rejected. Until such time as the necessary staff are provided, the present modest methods of advance publicity will have to continue. In any case, we will try to vary and improve these interludes.”
“Sir, I am only just quoting this as an example. It is not only just the Parliamentary report. There may be some other show which comes up unexpectedly, for instance, a football match or a more exciting show. This has to be inserted apart from the normal schedule and, therefore, the timing is upset. But such changes, whenever possible, are always conveyed to the press for reflecting in the day's schedule. And if the changes cannot be conveyed to the press in time they will always be publicised on TV as often as possible. We try very much to keep our programmes on time but sometimes it goes beyond our control and we have to go beyond the scheduled time. I can assure the Member for Anson that this is no victimisation. This is purely because something crops up apart from the normal schedule. In reply to his criticism on a lack of outdoor shooting facilities for Tamil programmes, I must point out that outdoor filming facilities are limited. So priority is given to news coverages and documentary films, The materials shot are then used in news and newsreel and documentary films produced in all the four languages, including Tamil. A news magazine in Tamil, mainly made up of film materials shot on outside location, is also produced monthly. There is, therefore, no question of discrimination or victimisation at all. It is inevitable that most productions, irrespective of languages, have to be carried out on week days as there is only one Saturday and one Sunday per week. We cannot make it any more. The convenience of artistes is taken into consideration as far as possible in scheduling the recording dates of programmes. Children's programmes and family magazines in Tamil are, for example, sometimes shot on a Saturday afternoon or on a Sunday.”
“I will come to this point about punctuality. Punctuality is given very great importance by RTS. Where programmes are delayed, normally it is because of special reports or Parliamentary reports which affect the starting time of the programmes that follow. Sometimes Parliament sits but in the case of the last President's Address. Parliament sittings were extended for two days. There was no prior planning for this because the RTS schedule is normally fixed two weeks ahead.”
“The average length of a Tamil film is always very long, sometimes 2 1/2 hours running and sometimes three hours or four hours. If we were to show the Tamil film in a single evening, then there would be no other shows except that Tamil film. This will be unfair, and we would be victimising other viewers. If we continue to do this we may even antagonise other viewers.”
“It is entitled "Where TV is really commercial", and I quote:- "Bangkok: In most countries when a commercial interrupts a television programme the viewer has time to whip out to the kitchen and grab a cold beer. In Thailand, he has time for a shower. Often, he can also take a shampoo. And still have time to go for that beer." It went on to say that a viewer with a stopwatch timed a show "The Six Million Dollar Man" and he found that the show ran for about 48 minutes but the commercials went on to about 35 minutes. And there was a boxing show. The whole of the boxing show came to only 45 minutes but there were 63 minutes of commercials in that 45 minutes of boxing. That is really commerical TV that you find in other stations. As I have stated in this House last month, no commercials or advertisements are allowed in the News and in informational and educational programmes, although commercial interest or inquiries have been made in this direction. As for the commercials being inserted only before or after or in-between programmes, I think the advertisers have to be given some measure of return in terms of the money they spend on TV advertisements. This would be an assurance that there are viewers to watch their advertisements when they come on. It is no use having it at the beginning or at the end when TV viewers just disappear after the programme. The Member for Anson seems to have a kind of complex that he is being victimised. I can assure him that this is not the case. I am not a person who would like to victimise anyone, least of all our Tamil friends. He was talking about the lack of Tamil films or that a Tamil film is broken up into two parts. But the problem is this.”
“May I begin with a reply to the Member for Anson's first query regarding advertisements on television by setting the matter in perspective? The TV Commercial Service was inaugurated in January 1964. The rationale for it was explicitly stated by my predecessor, now the Foreign Minister, in his speech at the inauguration ceremony. Of the three ways of financing television, television advertising was considered by my predecessor to be the only practical and relatively painless way of financing television without making undue demands on the pockets of the viewer or of the taxpayer. The position still holds good today. TV commercials are not indiscriminately inserted into programmes. Almost all of the entertainment programmes that are acquired by RTS have, in fact, built-in commercial breaks or junctures designed by overseas producers of the programmes themselves. We do not make the breaks. The breaks were already there in the films, Maybe the commercial comes in during an exciting moment but it is already there. We do not put it there. Naturally, when the producer makes his film, he wants the viewers to watch the commercials during a very exciting scene. A one-hour programme has normally about six such built-in breaks for the insertion of TV advertisements. In a half-hour programme. RTS works on a maximum of two such breaks for advertisement and not more than 7-8% of the total weekly transmission time is given to commercials or advertisements. This compares to the 17% to 25% devoted to commercials in the case of other stations. If he thinks that we have too many commercials, he should take a look at the other stations. I should refer him to an article in Sunday, 6th March, 1977.”
“Sir,I beg to differ from the Member for Toa Payoh that the cinema reaches a wider audience. In fact, I think it is the other way round. Television and radio together would reach a far wider audience than the cinema. The number of TV licences 31st December, 1976 309,276, and an estimated number of 940,000 viewers watch television on any one night. Moreover. 70% of the population tune in daily to radio broadcasts. Thus television and radio have become the most effective means through which publicity programmes can be transmitted. So when the documentaries are screened on television, I think at any one time we would be able to reach the majority of the people. Also if it does not reach them at all, the documentaries that we produce which are meaningful and of good value are usually repeated. So the chances of the audience or the people missing them are actually very small. I do not think it is possible to make it compulsory for the cinemas to show the newsreels or documentaries produced by RTS because the RTS produce only 16 mm films. All the cinemas are screening 35 mm films, so it is not possible for them to screen the 16 mm films made available by RTS. If we do not produce 35 mm films for our documentaries, it is not possible for us to compel the cinemas to screen them. As I have already stated in my reply to the Member for Sembawang, since television has already taken over this function, I think it is more economical to let the RTS handle this.”
“In fact, it is a kind of symbol everyone would aspire to. In fact, this is what all good governments should be - to provide the people with good life, good opportunity in life, jobs, and long life, health. This is what a good government should be. And what is wrong in projecting these three legendary figures even though they may be very old custom? This is exactly the kind of tradition we want to preserve. We want to symbolise this sort of aspiration. These are very effective symbols, and I think it is worthwhile having them.”
“Sir, in answer to the Member for Toa Payoh, it is not a matter of passing the buck. We do not pass the buck to the MP. In fact, we respect the rights of the MP. If the residents in his constituency are disturbed, they would normally complain to him. Therefore, we have to ask the MP's opinion whether we should allow the wayang to be staged on the site applied for. If the MP thinks that the residents would be disturbed, then he would say "No". But if he thinks that it would not disturb the residents, then he would say "Yes". I hope that can satisfy both parties. On Victoria Memorial Hall, we are - not dismissing the idea from the Member for Katong. I was only saying that in my opinion it is probably cheaper to build a new one. Of course, I will ask my officials to find out what is the cost and whether it is feasible to convert it into a concert hall. The orchestra, as I have said, is not just a matter of money and the need for an audience. Our "Music for Everyone" series is doing just that - to create an audience so as to make our people attuned to this kind of music. But there is always the problem as to what sort of music should be promoted because if we promote the wrong music it will not enjoy the support of the people. In many instances, we found that the Chinese orchestra is a more popular one. Because of that, do we have to spend all our money on developing a Chinese orchestra? These are the problems that are troubling us, and I think they are not very easy problems. With all the help from the Member for Katong and others interested, we will try to solve them.”
“May I just deal with the problem of wayang sites again. When an application is made for a wayang to be held on an approved site, nobody bothers about getting any approval from the MP or the Housing and Development Board, because it will normally be approved. The problem arises only when the wayang organiser wants the wayang to be held somewhere other than an approved site, say, somewhere in front of a house or next to a certain block of building. In such a case the consent of the residents must be sought. Otherwise the MP himself will be in trouble because if the wayang causes disturbance to the residents living in the block of flats or nearby, then they will complain to the MP. So to respect the rights of these residents, it is always our practice to consult either the MP or the Housing Board officials because they are the people who would know whether or not the wayang to be staged on a certain site would cause a disturbance to the residents. Therefore, in these cases we must ensure that the residents are not seriously disturbed by these wayangs.”
“In fact, there is no necessity for the MP to approve the wayang site. But in some cases, an MP writes in to recommend that a certain site be approved for a wayang because, in his capacity as MP of that constituency, he is more familiar with the site and that he would be able to tell whether or not the wayang there would cause noise pollution to the residents. So in this respect the MP's recommendations are also taken into consideration.”
“This list is constantly being revised, and there are at present 693 approved sites on the list. The Member for Kim Seng may wish to know that my Ministry has all along been sympathetic in considering applications for wayang licences. On a number of occasions wayangs are allowed to be staged at sites not on the approved list, provided special arrangements can be made by the organisers to reduce noise pollution and traffic congestion. As the Housing and Development Board is the competent authority to comment on the suitability of wa yang sites in its estates, it is only logical for my Ministry to refer such applications to them for consideration. But in many instances we are faced with the choice of whether to please the residents in the housing estates or to please the wayang organisers or the Tua Pek Kong. I am sure the Member will agree with me that when it comes to a decision of this sort, it is obvious that we should let the residents have as much peaceful sleep as possible and leave the Tua Pek Kong alone. It has been the practice to seek the consent of the owner of a site before a wa yang licence is issued. In the case of housing estates, since the Housing Board is the owner, it is only appropriate that we should seek the consent of the Housing Board before a licence is issued. How would the Member feel if I were to issue a licence to hold a wayang in his garden without his permission? On the need to go to an MP for approval. I think it is wrong to say that whenever an applicant wants a wayang licence, he must go to the MP. I think what happens is that when his application is turned down, he goes to the MP. Like any other applications which are turned down, whether it is for a wayang licence or any other licence, the applicant will normally go straight to his MP.”
“It will also be difficult for us to keep tab on all the articles that appear in our newspapers. My Ministry will only intervene in cases of distorted reporting on sensitive issues. Newspapers which indulge in reporting which subsequently proves to be inaccurate, false or misleading, are acting irresponsibly. If they persist in doing so, they are creating a credibility gap between themselves and their readers, and it is up to them to answer their readers. But I do not want to go into the question of class struggle again with the Member for Khe Bong. Do we ignore this kind of writing in the press? No, we do not ignore them. We monitor them. We know what is going on. 4.45 p.m. It may be interesting to some of the Members here but I must say that this is one way the communists try to create public opinion. When I was young, I used to do this kind of thing. I used to write many letters, not just one, to the press to create a public opinion in order to prepare the masses for a revolution. But those were days long gone by. But I can see that the present generation of letter writers to newspapers are not many and they are also a bit childish. As we monitor them, we know what they are doing and we would take note of them and deal with them when the time comes. But to call them up whenever there is a nasty letter appearing in the press would not help solve anything. On the question of wayang sites raised by the Member for Kim Seng. I would like to inform the House that the list of approved wayang sites was drawn up in conjunction with the Police and the Housing and Development Board in 1975 in an effort to reduce noise pollution and traffic congestion that is often associated with the staging of wayangs.”
“In fact, on two occasions we wanted to start an orchestra but they failed very miserably. The success of an orchestra depends on many things. First, we must have the talent. We must have enough talented musicians and we must also have the audience to enjoy the music. We must also have a proper place for it to perform. We do not have all these. The Member for Katong mentioned that we have enough musicians. I beg to differ from his opinion. Yes, we have enough musicians. We have enough pianists and enough violinists, because when parents send their children for music education they seem to prefer the violin or the piano. But an orchestra is not just formed by pianists and violinists alone. There must be many other kinds of musicians in an orchestra to make the music pleasant. As regards conversion of the Victoria Memorial Hall into a concert hall, I do not know whether it is possible. Apart from the fact that it is the site of the first meeting of the PAP, it means that it is a monument of historical interest and therefore it should be preserved. But my own view is that converting the Victoria Memorial Hall into a concert hall may pose many problems. I do not know whether or not the acoustics there is a problem, but I am sure it is very expensive to carry out such a conversion. It may well be cheaper to build a new concert hall somewhere else instead of converting the Victoria Memorial Hall. The Member for Khe Bong is annoyed that some people write irresponsible letters to the press when they want something done. I must inform the Member that we are not in the habit of calling up newspaper editors and telling them what they can or cannot do or print. My Ministry cannot be responsible for what the press publishes.”
“Sir, may I clarify the point mentioned by the Member for Jalan Kayu? When I used the phrase "lowest of the low", this is in reply to the phrase levelled at me - gao gao zai shang ( ). Since there is this description of me sitting on the top of a very high mountain, therefore, there must be somebody down at the very low base. But I do not mean that every one is low or that there is this kind of people in our society or that there is this class structure. What I mean is that we as elected Members are ordinary citizens, whether we are Ministers or Members of Parliament. We pay income tax. We are equal before the law and we drive our own car and so on. In our society actually there is no such thing as low or high class. But since there is a reference by a Member that I was sitting on the high top of a mountain, therefore I must refute this thinking that we are sitting on the "high side" and ignoring the people on the "low side". I am sorry that I have given the Member for Jalan Kayu the wrong impression but this is really in reply to what the Member for Boon Lay has said just now. I must come back to the Member for Anson. When I made reference to his age, I did not mean any disrespect. In fact, it is an Asian custom to respect people who are old. They are supposed to be wise. I respect him for his wisdom and his wit. But I cannot promise quick action, as he said, in culture. I must say that there is no such thing as "instant culture". There is instant coffee or even instant Asia. I am sorry there is no instant culture. We are very much concerned with the development of music, as the Member for Katong has said. But the formation of an orchestra is not just money alone. We did have an idea of starting an orchestra.”
“Until the Member for Katong's suggestion.”
“Apart from the RTS staff doing their own talent scouting, organisations are welcome to write in if they think they can contribute to radio or television programmes and those found suitable after audition will be given opportunities to perform. The Member for Sembawang has also suggested that we should resume our old practice of producing films or newsreels for screening in cinemas. When we produced newsreels in those days, TV had not yet been introduced and the cinema then was the only visual medium within the reach of the general public. But since then, TV newsreel has made the cinema newsreel obsolete. What happens in the morning can be seen on TV in the evening. Since TV newsreel is much more effective than cinema newsreel, it seems a waste of money to continue producing newsreel for the cinemas. Mr P. Govindaswamy rose -”
“They are not artistes. We do not consider them as artistes. They are entertainers. They come and go. Regarding training of the staff, we do have training for the artistes in the television and radio services, but we must bear in mind that training is being undertaken by full-time staff in the Broadcasting Department who, apart from their normal duties, have to undergo this training. The training of artistes is a very time-consuming process. I do agree with the Member for Sembawang that fees for artistic services rendered on our radio and television are low when compared with other stations. But we have taken steps to revise the scales of payment and to improve certain rates. But whatever improvements that are going to be made will have to relate to the annual budget allocation for such fees; in some cases to the salary scales of permanent staff carrying out similar duties. There is provision for payment of up to $149 for a good 30 minutes of a TV drama script and $500 for an outstanding one. The crux of the matter is that the quality of the script submitted does not justify payment in excess of the $99 mentioned. 4.15 p.m. On the development of traditional cultures, I would like to assure the Member that radio services have provided ample opportunities for cultural organisations to perform in their programmes. Even with a predominantly local nature of its production, our radio services rely very heavily on local talent. They are also given opportunities to perform on TV. From 1975 up to the present, there were 18 series of cultural programmes produced on television using local talent, and no less than 19 cultural organisations drawn from the four language streams were featured in the RTS programmes last year.”
“The National Theatre Trust together with the National Theatre Club has been promoting various cultural activities. Besides maintaining a permanent art gallery at the Theatre's foyer, the National Theatre Trust organises song writing competitions, open air concerts and classes on music and dances. Let me stress again that the evolution of a Singapore culture is a long and time-consuming process. We can encourage it but we cannot direct it in the same way that we direct economic development. The Member for Sembawang has said that we lack artistes. Yes, we do lack artistes because there are very few people in Singapore. So we have very few artistes here. We do not have a large base of population from which to tap our talents. But in any case, if there are talents from other places, we are very glad to accept them. Mr Ho See Beng (Khe Bong): Taiwan.”
“But in the meantime we have a Chinese orchestra formed by the People's Association Chinese orchestra, of which we are proud as it enjoys a large following. On the matter of ASEAN art, music, dance and literature. I agree that steps should be taken for us to learn and appreciate more of the cultures of our ASEAN partners. It must be remembered, however, that ASEAN is only ten years old. But despite this, there have been frequent visits of artistes, painters, photographers from member-countries. Steps have already been taken at official levels, such as the ASEAN mobile art and photographic exhibition, the ASEAN exchange of radio and television artistes. exchange of radio and television programmes, the ASEAN film festival and the ASEAN literary award, to promote an awareness of the rich cultural diversities as well as similarities of member-countries. It is incorrect for the Member to say that the Young People's Gallery has become a museum piece. From April last year to February this year seven exhibitions of students' work were organised, and these exhibitions attracted over 100,000 visitors. The hon. Member may be interested to know that for the rest of this year another six exhibitions are being planned. Besides the Young People's Gallery, the exhibitions held in the National Museum Art Gallery and the other public galleries continue to attract large numbers of young visitors. My own Ministry's open air art exhibition for the young held quarterly also provides opportunities for our young budding artists. More than 2,000 young artists have participated in these exhibitions. The on-the-spot drawing exhibition held in the Zoological Garden was also a success, attracting more than 2,000 young participants.”
“Indeed, familiarity without substance may even breed contempt. The Member for Anson seems to be very impatient in seeing a Singapore culture coming into being and, indeed, I would be if I were his age. But this matter takes time. It may take years or even generations for it to take form. There is no way we can hasten it. Mao Tse-tung tried to do it when he started the cultural revolution. But look at what happened to him. His widow was discredited and the Cultural Revolution has fallen into disrepute. There is no culture and there is no revolution. But in Singapore it is the policy of the Government to preserve the inherited Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western cultures and to give them the necessary encouragement for their harmonious development into an identifiable culture of our own. We favour no single culture but allow the blooming and interaction of all our inherited cultures so that eventually a distinctive Singapore culture will emerge. We want a hundred flowers to bloom and our only regret is that there are not so many flowers around. For him or even for me, it may be a bit slow. We may not be able to see the full bloom of its glory. But if we do the right things now, those who come after us will be able to enjoy the benefits. As the saying goes, the forefathers planted the tree, the children enjoy the shade. We are not obsessed with the idea of forming a Western style symphony orchestra. If there are enough talents and musicians to form one and if it is within our budget to do so, we will form one. If not, we will let things lie. There is no hurry. There is no advantage in forcing something down the throats of the people if they are not ready for it.”
“The production of News Magazine in English had to be suspended in August 1974 owing to a serious shortage of staff in the English News Editing Unit. Of the 12 posts of News editors and sub-editors in the Unit, only eight were filled at that time. Since then the position has not improved. Production of News Magazine in English will be resumed when the English Unit has a full complement of staff. I would like to assure the Member for. Boon Lay that all the candidates selected for permanent and part-time appointments in the Department of Broadcasting are security-screened before assuming duty. Although they are all right when we employ them, we cannot guarantee that they will not do foolish things later on. Mr Harry Crabb is one of them. Mr Harry Crabb joined the Department of Broadcasting in 1960 as a temporary Broadcasting Assistant, and was promoted to Programme Assistant in 1964. He resigned from the service in 1971. Later, he was re-engaged as a part-time newsreader until July last year. I may add that good news readers are not easily found. So RTS has to engage part-time news readers. News readers will invariably become familiar to households over a period of time. However, familiarity is different from acceptability. The fact that Mr Crabb lost the elections, notwithstanding his familiar face, shows that he is not acceptable to the voters. Otherwise Pte Lau Teik Soon, the Member for Serangoon Gardens, would not be here. I think the people of Singapore are sophisticated enough not to go for familiarity or popularity of candidates, but to examine the records and achievements of a party before they cast their votes. I am, therefore, not in the least worried whether members of the opposition party are familiar faces.”
“On the one hand, it is the duty of Government officials to see that no information of a sensitive nature should fall into the hands of unauthorised persons. If there is any news story at all, it would be issued by the department concerned. They will wait until the most opportune time to issue it, in which case every journalist will get a copy of the statement. On the other hand, it is the duty of a journalist to dig out any information there is from a Government department, so as to be ahead of his rival journalists. So there is always this conflict of duty and interest. The Government official is in a dilemma. If he leaks out a story, he is in trouble, he will lose his job. If he releases the story and it does not get good coverage from the newspapers, he is also in trouble and he will also lose his job. So there is a constant battle of wits and manoeuvring skill between the two. I do not think the journalists should expect us to fight the battle for them. I do not think it is fair to blame the Ministry of Culture for the low standard of the newspapers. It is not true to say that Ministers are sitting in high places and ignore the people from the low - gao gao zai shang (). This is not true. Being elected MPs and elected Ministers, we meet the people all the time. In fact, we create the opportunity to meet the people. We canvas, we go round, and we meet the lowest of the low. The way the criticism was directed at us is very unfair. But if the newspaper boys want to see the Ministers every now and then in order to confirm or deny a story or even to create a story for them, then I think the Ministers are wrongly paid. They should not be doing that. It is not their job.”
“Sir, during the debate on the President's Address I have laid down the policy on the restriction of ownership of newspaper companies' shares. I have stated the principle, the objective and the reasons for such action. There is really nothing more for me to add now. As regards the details and how they are to be implemented, I think it is best to leave it to the legal draftsman. We have already instructed them to work out an amendment based on the principles laid down in the policy speech. This will be presented to the House in due course, and I am sure the Member will be able to read all about it when it comes up for the First and Second Readings. 4.00 p.m. Regarding public relations officers and the spokesmen for the various Ministries. I share the sympathy which the Member for Boon Lay has for his fellow journalists about their difficulty in getting information from the public relations officers in Government Ministries and departments. This is nothing new. He may wish to know that even our RTS reporters have experienced the same difficulty. Unfortunately my Ministry has no control whatsoever over this. The Publicity Division of my Ministry receives through its Press Section policy speeches and press statements issued by Ministries and departments for release to the press. It also helps to arrange press conferences for them. For instance, the one by G. Raman and Arun Senkuttuvan was arranged by this section. However, the Publicity Division is in no position to obtain information for reporters if the Ministry concerned is reluctant to release such information. There is always a tug of war between the journalists and Government officials.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I be permitted to reply to the first three speakers before the other Members speak?”