Lawrence Wong
Singapore
“Sir, we will provide more information. I see the value of getting Ministries to put out more information, to share more about how their resources are being used and what outcomes they have achieved.”
“Sir, I agree fully with Mr Azhar that human capacity, human capital is critical. In fact, I would say the long-term potential of Singapore, how far we go really depends on us being able to maximise our human potential. That is key and that is why we have long invested in education. And it is not just about the investments.”
“Sir, we have been maintaining that commitment of 1% for some time now. I do not think it is about saying that we just have to do more and spend more. As many have highlighted, we want to ensure good outcomes from our R&D spending as well. So, we will continue if the outcomes are good.”
“This has never been the case. Temasek, when it started, was always very clear about its mandate from the very beginning – commercial, not doing national service, focused on commercial outcomes.”
“Sir, the MOF economists when they look at fiscal projections use Government's forecast of the economy, which is also published. We would typically use the mid-point of the range and then, of course, because these are in nominal terms, you have to factor for that. And the projections are done on those basis.”
“Sir, I was relieved that Mr Loh said he only has one question, but he asked the most difficult question. To answer the question, we will continue to monitor cost of living across all segments of society.”
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“There are already upgrading programmes by MND that deal with the infrastructure. And we can certainly look at how these can be enhanced. What we would like to focus on in MCCY is to enhance the software – to bring arts and heritage programmes to more estates, including old estates. We will do more to link professional artists and curators with the different communities, and support programmes that bring out the distinct heritage and identity of our neighbourhoods. To help oversee all of this work, we will form a Heritage Advisory Panel which will include participation from the NGOs and experts across different disciplines. They will guide us in the upcoming heritage survey, research initiatives I talked about, and advise us on best practices, including the best practices from other countries and how they can be adapted to our local context. While the work is on-going, there are certain gems of national heritage that we already know about. And here I would like to update on our national monuments which testify to Page: 55 our diverse communities and our national development. We have set up the National Monuments Fund to provide funding support to non-profit monument owners for restoration and repair. This Fund has been well received. We will more than double our existing support to about $12 million over the next five years. This includes a new maintenance grant for non-profit monument owners that will alleviate some costs of upkeep and prevent deterioration to the monuments. Among our monuments and cherished historic sites – and one of the most important – is the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which we have nominated for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is not easy to qualify for the UNESCO mark.”
“And that is why we have, indeed, steadily been investing into heritage research and assessment. Prof Tan Tai Yong and Mr Chen Show Mao spoke about this, and I would like to assure them and Members that we have been stepping up our investments in heritage research and assessments and Page: 54 we plan to do more. If you look at what is done for the environment today, we have a systematic process to consider environmental impact in the planning and implementation of new infrastructure projects. We believe that a similar approach can and should be applied to heritage. So we will be initiating a nation-wide survey of our heritage. The aim is to get a more complete understanding of historical sites and their heritage value across the island. We will consider factors like the age of the buildings; the places where significant historical events took place; architectural merits; and the social and cultural value of certain landmarks to the community. We will pull information from the archives and conduct field visits and research. We will work closely with the community and stakeholders to pool our collective knowledge and expertise, and put up key findings and share them with the public. In addition, we will set up a Heritage Research Grant which will fund research from institutes of higher learning and NGOs. This research will complement the national survey and it will be incorporated into the overall survey. With these findings, NHB will work with URA to enhance heritage considerations at each stage of the planning process, be it in the 10-year Concept Plan or the five-year Master plan. We will also find creative ways to remember our heritage. Ms Tin Pei Ling talked about allowing old neighbourhoods to re-imagine themselves while preserving their defining heritage.”
“30 pm Mr Oh was motivated by his passion to serve the nation, and he learned this from his father, who would take turns with his fellow villagers to patrol the kampung during the days of Konfrontasi. This instilled in Mr Oh a deep desire to defend Singapore. His uniform will now join other artefacts to tell the Singapore Story in a more personal way. We hope that this will help to keep our National Museum appealing and accessible to all Singaporeans. And not to forget that it will be free-of-charge for all Singaporeans as well. By the end of the year, we will have a vibrant network of cultural icons within and around the Civic District. Winding through these nodes will be a new eight-kilometre commemorative trail called the Jubilee Walk. It is something which we will launch in November this year. There will be clear markers to mark out the historic points along the trail, and I hope this can be one of the lasting physical legacies of our Jubilee Year. All of these are significant investments. Including the National Gallery, we are putting a total of $740 million into our cultural institutions and SG50 landmarks in the Civic District alone. It is an important investment in our heritage, in our history, to remind us of the common history that unites us as a nation. Our heritage extends across other parts of Singapore as well. NHB has been working closely with the community to uncover these rich pockets of history. We created quite a buzz last year when we uncovered a forgotten reservoir in Mount Faber. We are also supporting an ongoing archaeological dig at Empress Place, which has yielded some interesting artefacts. All these need to be done more systematically to build up a rigorous assessment of Singapore's heritage across the entire island.”
“Beyond 2015, we are exploring the possibility of developing mid-sized theatres at the Esplanade to better support the needs of our arts scene, and we will consult the public on these plans in due course. Near to the Civic District is the Bras Basah precinct, where we also have exciting plans. We have medium-term plans to enhance the Singapore Art Museum so that it is properly conserved and, at the same time, a fitting showcase for contemporary art in Singapore and Southeast Asia, and this will complement the National Gallery which focuses on 19th century to modern art. More immediately, by September, we will complete the updates to the National Museum of Singapore. And this is the first major revamp of the Museum since it re-opened in 2006. The Museum will be transformed by multimedia experiences, public art and interactive spaces. And the slide shows you a glimpse – a sneak preview – of what you can expect in the National Museum when it re-opens in its full glory in August this year. The displays will be refreshed to include artefacts spanning 700-odd years of history and, especially, from our post-1965 years. Page: 53 The refreshed displays will also celebrate our "everyday" heritage. For example, you see on screen the iconic Setron TV, which was the first TV set to be locally assembled. We also have what you see on the right of the screen the National Service (NS) uniform which is the earliest version of the SAF uniform. This was donated by Mr William Oh, who was among the first cohort of Singaporeans enlisted into NS. In fact, he was so proud of his uniform that he tells us that he made sure he washed and ironed it himself. And he did it with a charcoal iron, old iron, not the electric iron. 1.”
“In 1963, as a young man of only about 22 years old, he opened his own furniture factory Page: 52 specialising in the repair and restoration of antiques. For this project, Mr Cheng and his workers had to dismantle the buildings' furniture into smaller parts, transport them out, and then carefully work on the furniture with traditional tools. They worked on many interesting pieces, including a table that was specially designed in the 1920s for the former Supreme Court building, which has been used by seven Chief Justices throughout Singapore's history. This is hard work, painstaking work that requires great patience and dedication. It is a skill that Mr Cheng has spent a lifetime honing. And he can now take pride in having played a key role in restoring our national treasures to their former glory. The Gallery's artworks are not yet ready, but we will have special sneak previews in April and May. And this will allow Singaporeans to appreciate the Gallery's architectural and historical significance. And when the Gallery opens in November this year, we will all get a chance to see some of the best visual art works from Singaporean and Southeast Asian masters. We are not just building new cultural institutions in the Civic District, but also updating existing ones. Ms Irene Ng asked for an update on the Esplanade's refurbishment which is on track for 2015. The Esplanade will be upgrading its Forecourt, which will re-open in August this year. It will be a garden landscaped with shaded areas and seating for families and friends to gather and to enjoy performances throughout the year. And it will provide better connections to the Esplanade MRT Station, Esplanade Park and the new Jubilee Bridge.”
“Madam, what we are doing is not just piecemeal but really an overall transformation of the Civic District. We have been working closely with URA and NParks to make this happen. By July, the portion of Empress Place between the Asian Civilisations Museum and Victoria Theatre-Victoria Concert Hall will be paved over to connect these buildings seamlessly – so, it will be pedestrianised. A spacious lawn will be created that can be used for concerts and events. The whole area will be made more pedestrian-friendly. Buildings will connect more smoothly to the waterfront. And we will spruce up everything with beautiful public artworks, like the ones you see on the screen which are commissioned specially for the Jubilee Walk. The new jewel of the Civic District will be the National Gallery Singapore, housed in the former Supreme Court and City Hall, and this will be the largest visual arts centre in the region. In fact, the art extends beyond the gallery because we are having local artists and architects design a new Art Connector to link the Gallery with City Hall MRT Station. The Connector will include a community mural of self-portraits by Singaporeans. So, even walking to the Gallery will be an experience in the arts from the moment you exit the MRT. The Gallery buildings themselves are national icons. City Hall Chambers witnessed the World War II surrender of the Japanese and it is also where the first Singapore Cabinet was sworn into office in 1959. The Gallery team has been carefully restoring the buildings and all the items found in the buildings. One company that worked on this is a family business run by one of our pioneer craftsmen, Mr Cheng. He started as an apprentice in his line of work at the age of 13 years.”
“And just next door, the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is undergoing a major revamp. There will be new museum galleries and a new entrance opening onto the Singapore River. Madam, with your permission, I would like to show some slides on the screen.”
“Mdm Chair, I thank Members for their interest in MCCY's work. Our Ministry has been very busy with SG50 celebrations. "SG50" is now a buzzword all over Singapore. I believe many Singaporeans are excited about what is in store for the year ahead. But SG50 is more than just a once-off celebration. Our objective goes beyond that. It is like a family holding a party. You spend time and effort to decorate your home, and when the day arrives, you have a wonderful celebration. When the party is over, you wake up in the morning and you are still the same family living in the same home, with the same responsibilities, the same hopes and anxieties about the future. But because you have spent time together, you have grown closer. You have reconnected with one another and talked about your plans for the future. And that is what SG50 is about. It is a time to reflect on what makes us Singapore – Singaporeans; it is a time to bond as a people and to build confidence for our future. Three themes shine through in our celebrations: our heritage, our culture and our future. And I will share a little bit more on each one of them. First, we embrace our heritage as Singaporeans. It forms the core of our national identity. One way to strengthen this is to build up spaces where people can be immersed in Page: 51 history; where they can explore and develop an emotional connection to the city. For Singapore, one important area is our Civic District – the birthplace of modern Singapore, containing many institutions that have witnessed important turning points in history. We have been doing a lot to preserve this sense of heritage and identity in the Civic District. We recently restored the iconic Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall (VTVCH).”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2015/2016, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now, and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“Madam, I have said on behalf of MCI, but I said with an interest as the Minister-in-charge of Sports as well and I would like to assure the Member that the broadcast of the SEA Games would be very extensive.”
“For example, we have collaborated with MediaCorp to produce materials for Polytechnic and ITE students. So, these are things we will continue to do to step up our efforts in public communications. Mdm Chair, we recognise that public broadcast and Government communications must evolve to meet the changing environment and expectations. By investing in PSB, by building up our internal capabilities and tapping on external resources, we can ensure more appealing and engaging communications and reach out to Singaporeans in more effective ways.”
“Through these collaborations, we can leverage on a greater range of creative talents to help explain complex policies to diverse audiences and that is what we have been doing as well. For example, to reach out to younger Singaporeans, we worked with Night Owl Cinematics, which is a popular YouTube content creator, to produce a series of Pioneer Generation videos aimed at the youths. Madam, I am heartened that several Members, like Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Mr David Ong and Dr Janil Puthucheary, have commended our PGP communications efforts. We continuously evaluate the effectiveness of our publicity efforts through various research Page: 45 studies and the indicators we look at include awareness levels and recalls. For example, according to a recent survey, nine in 10 Singaporeans said they were aware of the PGP and could name some of the benefits. Our videos also helped to raise general awareness, with eight in 10 respondents indicating that they have heard about the PGP through our videos on television. The videos on YouTube have also been very popular. The process of communicating the PGP has given us new insights. We have learnt the importance of customising content to different audiences, especially in today's fragmented media landscape. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and we have to continuously customise publicity materials to address the concerns of our diverse audiences. Our efforts will not stop at the PGP. MCI plays a coordinating role for policies with significant public impact to ensure that these communications are integrated across issues and platforms. We are supporting MOH and MOM's communications efforts for MediShield Life and CPF. We are also working closely with the relevant agencies to find ways to communicate SkillsFuture.”
“In order to address Singaporeans' needs and concerns effectively, we first need to have a good sense of the ground. As Mr Zaqy Mohamad highlighted, noise and chatter can often get in the way of obtaining authentic ground feedback. This is especially so when the voices of louder minorities may drown out the silent majority. Recognising these challenges, MCI is encouraging the Ministries to adopt data-driven communications, which means identifying the needs of the audience and understanding how best to reach out to them. By targeting and customising our messages to specific audiences, we can help Singaporeans better understand policies and how they may be affected or how they may benefit from these policies. This has been our approach for the PGP. We have customised publicity materials produced in languages our pioneers are comfortable with, including dialects. Materials were conceptualised to resonate better with each language or ethnic group. We also used familiar faces and personalities to help convey information in ways that not only inform and educate, but also resonate and entertain. Beyond mainstream channels, a wide range of platforms were used to reach out directly to Pioneers and their caregivers. We brought the PGP to bus stops, hawker centres, cinemas and even banks. We organised a series of roadshows in the heartlands. Our first four roadshows in Yishun, Boon Lay, Tampines and Ang Mo Kio were well-received. And for further reach, we will be holding four more roadshows in the coming months. Not all the communication efforts that we do need to be done in-house. There are many external creative resources we can tap on to complement our own efforts.”
“The take-up rate for Toggle has been positive and, through PSB funding, we will support MediaCorp in enhancing its Toggle service. In addition, we will continue to work to explore opportunities to work with other new media companies like StarHub, which will be making PSB-funded content available through its TV Anywhere platform. Through these efforts, we will maximise the reach of PSB in the most cost-effective manner and create a broad broadcast ecosystem that promotes the creation of quality and compelling local content. 1.00 pm The Government will continue to take a holistic approach, including supporting the development of media capabilities, in ensuring the quality, relevance and accessibility of PSB programmes to reach out to all Singaporeans. Mr Arthur Fong asked if we can have more dialect programmes. The Government has limited the exposure of dialects on free-to-air (FTA) TV and radio, primarily to emphasise the importance of Mandarin and to maintain high standards of Mandarin. Nevertheless, to cater to elderly viewers and listeners, we have allowed a limited amount of dialect programmes, such as dialect operas on TV and daily dialect news bulletins on radio. More recently, we have also allowed the limited broadcast of the Pioneer Generation Package interstitials in dialect on TV, so that we can reach out to our Pioneers in languages that they are familiar with and this is the direction indeed we are taking to have more customer-centric, citizen-centric communications and we are ramping up our capabilities to do such effective Page: 44 communications. MCI has built a suite of capabilities in content production, marketing and publicity, translation as well as research. These central resources can also be tapped on by other Ministries.”
“Our Malay and Tamil production houses have also seen significant increases in their production rates, allowing them to create more engaging, well-researched and entertaining PSB programmes. For example, on Vasantham, the producer of the period drama "Annamalai" was able to raise production standards by investing in extra cast members, period sets and authentic location shoots. On Suria, the company, Papahan Films, produced the first-ever Malay sci-fi drama Page: 43 series, "Firasat", which made good use of special effects and included a transmedia component to engage its audience. Both series scored high viewership on their respective channels and, again, they illustrate what we can do with higher production budgets. In addition to outsourcing PSB programmes to independent production houses, we will also do more through the PSB Contestable Funds Scheme (PCFS). The PCFS will open up production opportunities to more media companies, including smaller production houses and freelancers. And the PCFS will also enable other broadcasters like StarHub to commission more local content. Last year, with support from the scheme, StarHub commissioned 150 hours of local PSB programmes for its E-City and SuperSports Arena channels. While TV remains important, we will also support the development of new media platforms for PSB programmes to reach out to a wider audience. MediaCorp has been developing Toggle as its flagship Internet service that brings entertainment, news and information to audiences across multiple platforms, including online and on tablets, smartphones and connected TVs. All local PSB programmes are available for free on Toggle; they can be watched on-demand, anytime, anywhere.”
“It is a testament to how higher production budgets can lead to high-quality local programmes that can appeal to our viewers. Another quality documentary supported by PSB funding is "Wild City". It is a two-part documentary on wildlife in Singapore which will debut later in March on CNA. Again, this uses cutting-edge film-making technology to give viewers an eye-opening experience and a deeper appreciation for Singapore's natural heritage. The investments in PSB are not only benefiting English programmes. We are also increasing the quality of PSB programmes on vernacular channels which some Members had spoken about. On Channel 8, for example, we saw the broadcast of "The Journey: Tumultuous Times" last year. This is the second part of MediaCorp's blockbuster trilogy, which chronicled our history from the Japanese occupation to our pre-Independence years. The series drew a high viewership of close to 1.5 million viewers each week. Our investments in PSB have not only benefited MediaCorp, but it has also benefited the larger TV production industry because MediaCorp outsources about 40% of its PSB productions to independent production houses. With an increased production budget and greater contractual certainty, the production houses are able to put in place longer term plans to invest in and produce better quality programmes. One example is the Channel 8 drama "Three Wishes", which was produced by Wawa Pictures. It was the most-watched Channel 8 local production last year and it was so popular that there have been overwhelming calls for a sequel, which MediaCorp is considering. That is for the Chinese Channel 8. But the Malay and Tamil channels Suria and Vasantham are also doing well .”
“Commercially, it is not possible for MediaCorp or any production house in Singapore to invest so heavily in producing local programmes simply because our TV market is much smaller, compared to other markets. In fact, it would be more cost-effective for MediaCorp to purchase and broadcast foreign programmes on free-to-air TV than to spend on local productions. So, a high quality PSB operation cannot be sustained solely on a commercial basis. We must continue to provide our broadcasters with PSB funding support if we want to see more compelling and engaging local programmes. The Government will invest about $250 million per year over the next five years on PSB programmes. This is a significant increase over the $195 million on PSB per year which we have invested over the past three years. And we are already starting to see the benefits of such higher production budgets. One significant improvement is the launch of the revamped Channel 5 from 1 January this year. With increased PSB funding support, MediaCorp will progressively improve the quality and quantity of local prime-time shows on Channel 5. One new programme which has been launched is the daily magazine show, "The 5 Show", which offers different perspectives on topical issues like health, education and transport, infusing them with entertainment and Page: 42 humour. Later this year, we will see the launch of a new long-running local drama series on Channel 5 as well. In addition, documentaries like "Days of Rage" have brought to life the struggles of our Pioneers during the tumultuous times in Singapore. Almost 1.5 million people in Singapore watched this series and the feedback has been very positive.”
“Madam, we see these changes in media consumption happening year by year. But over the decades, it really amounts to a dramatic change in viewing habits. The reach of free-to-air (FTA) TV has fallen sharply from 92% in 2005 to 60% last year. At the same time, the reach of the Internet has increased from 43% to 73%, surpassing the reach Page: 41 of free-to-air TV. These trends pose a challenge for our broadcasters who are finding it increasingly difficult to retain existing viewers while reaching out to new audiences, especially the younger generation. Yet, PSB remains important today. PSB programmes reflect and shape our culture and identity, as well as inform and connect our people. And there is added significance for PSB programmes in our context, given our diverse population and society. We must continue to foster a common identity and shared heritage while celebrating our multiracial and multicultural society. So, we need our own quality programmes that Singaporeans can relate to and be proud of. We need our own programmes that can hold us together as a community and form the basis for our shared experiences and memories. And to achieve this goal, we will do more to raise the quality of our own local productions and enhance the outreach of PSB. First, we will invest more in quality PSB programmes. Our current budget for local productions pales in comparison with international productions. For example, Korean dramas typically cost three times as much to produce, compared to local ones. American TV programmes can cost six times more. And the reason is simple: good, compelling programmes need heavy investments in writing, editing, casting, camerawork, as well as innovative concepts and treatments.”
“Madam, I thank Mr Lim for the feedback. If, indeed, the car parks are under-utilised, I think we should more closely examine whether there is a better use of Page: 36 the car parks and whether they can be converted to other facilities, like sports facilities, which can benefit more people. As I have said, we want to make the best use of our resources and assets. Space is certainly an important asset for us and we are always looking at how best to directly promote sports participation. If the concern is about under-utilisation of car park space and the fact that we are not making the best use of these space resources or assets that we have, then let us take a look at that particular issue.”
“Madam, we are always open to ideas to improve sports participation and usage of our sports facilities. But there is also a need to ensure that the limited resources we have are put to good use and achieve their intended objectives. With free parking at sport facilities, there is a risk that the parking lots will be taken up by non-sport users. After all, many of our sports facilities are centrally located close to other amenities and transport hubs. Furthermore, there is no compelling reason why we should skew our support in favour of those who drive to our sports facilities, compared to the many who get there using public transport. All things considered, therefore, we prefer to channel our resources to measures that can directly benefit all users of sports facilities. This is why we launched ActiveSG last year and we provided ActiveSG members with a $100 credit, which can be used at our ActiveSG sports facilities and programmes. Every Singaporean, whether they drive or take public transport, can be an ActiveSG member and enjoy the $100 credit. The response so far has been very good. And close to 700,000 members have signed up and many are actively using our sports centres and facilities and participating in a wide range of programmes that are available. We are also building new sports facilities and improving existing ones, so that a majority of Singaporeans will have convenient access to sports and recreational facilities within a 10-minute walk of their homes.”
“Mdm Speaker, with your permission, I will take Question Nos 15 and 16 together.”
“On warranty clauses and remedies, whether with the existing or whether with the current provider or the new one, as I have mentioned earlier, these are commercial contracts between SHPL and its providers. It is left to commercial negotiations between SHPL and its providers. On service recovery, I have already explained what SHPL has done. Contractually, SHPL has an agreement with Sport Singapore to deliver certain standards and that includes ensuring that the facilities and the pitch at the stadium are of a sufficient standard for international play. Sport Singapore will hold SHPL accountable to these outcomes. I think what is important, is, as I have mentioned, Sport Singapore has been engaging SHPL at the very highest level. They have met the Chairman of the company; they have even met the senior leaders or the equity owners of this project. It is the equity holders, not just the management company but the equity holders. All of the leadership and the people involved in this project have given us the promise that they will do their best to rectify the teething issues and they would do it at their own cost. They have given this promise not just to Sport Singapore, but publicly to Singaporeans, and we will hold them to account for this.”
“Madam, on the first point of the technicalities of laying the pitch, timing and so forth, that is something that I think is best left to the experts. There will be different views on this. SHPL is engaging an international turf company to work out the solution for this "lay-and-play" approach and I am sure they would be well advised on having adequate time to put the pitch in place. Page: 33 A "lay-and-play" solution is not something new. It has been done around the world in many stadiums and so there is very adequate experience and expertise out there for us to make sure that this is done properly. I am sure SHPL will consult the experts and Sport Singapore will also supervise to make sure that this is done properly. On the second point about artificial turf and whether this has been considered, indeed, it was considered very carefully. As I had mentioned, SHPL did an extensive review of all the options including an artificial turf option. And the reason as I mentioned why it ruled out a fully artificial pitch is that, notwithstanding what the Member said about artificial turf gaining popularity around the world, there are still many top teams in football and rugby that will not play in an artificial pitch. That is the case today. If we had an artificial pitch, I doubt very much that we would have a Brazil-Japan match, for example, recently. I doubt very much that top rugby teams will play in Singapore. The situation may change because the artificial pitch is getting better, the technology is getting better and acceptance is growing. We are not ruling it out completely and SHPL will continue to monitor. I am sure they will continue to assess whether this can be an option in the future.”
“Madam, under the Project Agreement with the private consortium Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL), the National Stadium has to be able to host a wide range of sporting events. When it became clear that the current pitch solution was not able to meet the demands for the events calendar for the National Stadium, SHPL did an extensive review and decided to go with a natural turf "lay-and-play" solution, meaning they grow the turf separately outside the stadium and they lay over the pitch. This "lay-and-play" solution was preferred over a fully artificial pitch because top sporting events and top teams in sports like football and rugby demand a natural turf. The "lay-and-play" solution would involve, as I have mentioned earlier, growing the natural pitch under more conducive conditions of a nursery and then installing it at the National Stadium for such sporting events. The cost of implementing and maintaining the new turf is a commercial matter between SHPL and the parties it is contracting with. Under the terms of the Project Agreement, such costs are fully borne by the private consortium, SHPL, and not by the Government. Page: 32 The Member asked how the Government will ensure that SHPL does not pass the additional costs on to tenants and customers. SHPL has already made a public commitment that it will bear the full cost of the new pitch solution and will not pass on the costs to event organisers or end users and Sport Singapore will continue to keep a close watch on rentals, charges and ticket prices at the Sports Hub to ensure that this commitment is upheld.”
“The City Hall Chamber, commonly known to be the "Surrender Chamber", is being restored and will retain its original features when the National Gallery opens next year. Key elements, such as the timber flooring, chandeliers, wooden wall panelling and mezzanine viewing gallery, have been well-preserved. Subtle spot-lighting has been the only notable addition to the space. The Chamber is where the occupying Japanese forces surrendered on 12 September 1945. It also bore witness to two significant events in the history of modern Singapore – the swearing-in of Singapore’s first Prime Minister and Cabinet on 5 June 1959, and the inauguration of Singapore’s first Yang-di Pertuan Negara on 4 December 1959. The National Gallery Singapore will feature these and other significant historical events related to the building through information panels, guided tours and multimedia guides. Page: 111”
“Madam, I would perhaps first want to emphasise that our assurance to the Member and all our athletes is that we want to do everything we can to provide the best possible and timely medical support to all our national athletes. Any athlete who needs medical care should and will get timely and effective medical care. So, we will find the best possible solution to provide such medical support. What is the model? I do not think there is a silver bullet. We will have to work through various solutions and it probably will entail a mix of both a good network of partners as well as capabilities in-house. And as I had mentioned, we are continuing to build up and strengthen our capabilities within the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI). We are doing that not just in our search for a resident doctor but also building up our team of physiotherapists and trainers. Beyond providing medical care, in-house and through the network, the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) Medical Centre is also doing more going upstream, for example, doing more in terms of injury prevention, advising athletes on the steps that they should take to minimise injuries, conducting injury-prevention workshops or, for example, working more closely with the National Sports Associations and the coaches to look at the kinds of training regimes that athletes go through to ensure that they do not over-strain and they take the necessary safety precautions.”
“Madam, the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) runs a sports medical centre that is supported by visiting sports physicians and consultants, as well as a team of in-house physiotherapists and trainers. In addition, it has tie-ups with three public hospitals – Changi General Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Under these tie-ups, experienced visiting sports physicians provide quality medical support and specialist care to our national athletes. I agree with the Member that it is important for SSI to have a resident Medical Director to ensure a robust system is in place to oversee the medical needs of our national athletes. Sport Singapore has intensified the search for such a full-time Sports Physician and we hope to find a suitable candidate soon.”
“The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) also organises and promotes the annual Singapore Food Festival (SFF), which showcases our local culinary talents and local food, including heritage cuisines and restaurants. There will be several initiatives during our Golden Jubilee year to celebrate our food heritage. For instance, Let's Makan will support interested individuals in organising up to 300 Page: 117 potluck local home-cooked food sessions among small groups of neighbours. NHB will work with partners for special projects that celebrate food heritage, including documenting and featuring 50 signature Singaporean dishes and their recipes. Many stakeholders in the public, private and people sectors have an interest in our nation’s food culture. NHB has and will continue to do its part in celebrating and preserving our food heritage.”
“NHB recognises that food is an important part of Singapore’s shared heritage. NHB actively organises talks, exhibitions and events to promote our culinary heritage. The Singapore Philatelic Museum's popular interactive and multi-sensorial "Spice is Nice" exhibition for young children is a case in point. NHB also supports a range of projects to document our culinary culture. For example, it recently produced a six-part documentary based on its well-received publication Wartime Kitchen Food and Eating in Singapore 1942-1950. Many of these exhibitions and programmes are done in partnership with the community. For instance, NHB partnered a group of heritage volunteers to create a food and heritage trail for Balestier and plans to do more of such trails. The NHB's Heritage Grant scheme has also supported several food publications related to Singapore food, including a book by food blogger Dr Leslie Tay, author of the popular blog ieatishootipost. Education is another important way of preserving our food culture. Recognising that hawker food culture forms an integral part of our culinary heritage, NHB, in collaboration with NEA, produced a travelling exhibition on the history and evolution of hawker centres. NHB will also co-organise with NEA an Art and Heritage Initiative involving 75 schools and organisations to create site-specific murals inspired by our heritage and food culture to raise public appreciation of hawker centres which are unique to Singapore. In addition, the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and NEA piloted the Hawker Master Trainer Pilot Programme (HMTPP) to give aspiring hawkerpreneurs the opportunity to train with veteran hawkers in order to preserve our hawker heritage.”
“For a para-athlete like Nurul who plays boccia, she has spinal muscular dystrophy. She sits on a wheelchair and she takes a ramp to let the ball down to play bocce. We are working with Nanyang Polytechnic to do research on the design of the ramp so that, through research and development, we can improve the design and make it better for her. So, this is the support that we give to her. Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would just say that this year presents us with a wonderful opportunity to further excite and inspire Singaporeans about sports participation because, this year, we host the SEA Games in June and we host the ASEAN Para Games, for the first time, in December. Of course, we are working very hard to make sure that we organise a good Games for our friends from the region, but we also want to make sure that we leave behind a lasting legacy for the Games, for Singaporeans. That legacy must be one where we get more Singaporeans onto our journey of sports, participating in sports, supporting our Team Singapore athletes and, ultimately, living better through sports. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." (proc text)] Adjourned accordingly at 6.25 pm. Page: 112”
“Secondly, MOE has also replaced the CCA-point system with a revised co-curricular recognition system that places more emphasis on participation. The new system recognises participation in sports activities outside school, such as those organised by the community clubs and the National Sports Associations (NSAs). Under this new system, students who engage in recreational sports can also aspire to achieve good CCA records. Again, an important shift, because it addresses some of the concerns that the Member raised. There are these things that MOE is doing. I would not elaborate further. We can share more and, if the Member has specific questions on MOE, we can address that separately. I just want to go straight to a particular point on sporting opportunities for the disabled. This is a very important point that the Member raised and it is something close to our hearts as well. We want sports to be inclusive and we want to provide opportunities for all members of our society to participate in sports. We have been providing more support for para-sports, for our athletes with special needs. In fact, we have enhanced our high performance sports system to provide more support to all athletes, including para-athletes. In our system, we provide equal support to both able-bodied and para-athletes. For example, we have an athlete like Laurentia Tan who Page: 111 is a paralympian, who today receives $90,000 of funding support a year. It is not just meagre support for transportation allowance. Ninety thousand dollars a year in the form of stipends and grants to support coaching, competition, equipment. We are providing more support for both able-bodied and para-athletes. It is not just financial support but support in many other areas.”
“They will be implemented as such. For existing schools – close to half of them – already operate on this dual-use model. Our aim is to Page: 110 eventually open up all of the schools with dual use, so that the school sports facilities can be opened up to the public. This year, we are going to make further progress by putting out 15 more indoor sports halls and 10 more school fields. Dr Tan also raised several observations about the role of schools in promoting sports participation. I do not intend to get into all the details here. Some of these are probably more relevant to be addressed at the school level. So, it is a very specific level, for very specific feedback. I want to assure the Member that my Ministry – MCCY – and MOE are working closely, together with Sports Singapore, to address all of the concerns. I would like to share three broad areas – very broad, but very important shifts that we have already made, particularly to address this issue of mindset and culture. First, we want to expose our students to sports through a quality and rigorous Physical Education (PE) curriculum. The lesson time set aside for PE has been increased to at least two hours per week. MOE has also revised its PE and sports development framework in the past year to emphasise holistic development and to encourage lifelong participation in physical activities. So, the idea is to give students more opportunities to acquire fundamental motor skills, to gain exposure to a variety of sporting experiences and to participate recreationally in physical activities. Hopefully, many more of them would be like our Deputy Speaker and would be able to cite PE as their favourite subject in school.”
“Besides these programming activities through ActiveSG, we are also doing more to address another concern that Dr Tan raised, which is to ensure that there are sufficient spaces and facilities for sports to be carried out, particularly, given our constraints of land. That is why I had announced previously in Parliament that we are working on a long-term sports facilities masterplan. We have five regional sports centres mapped out for this masterplan, the first of which is being built in Tampines. We are now planning for the next one in Punggol. There will eventually be five regional sports centres. At the town level, we are also adding new facilities and we are planning for a new sports and recreational centre, for example, in Sembawang. We are progressively improving our existing facilities, like the Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex. At the local level, that is, at the HDB estates, we are creating more sports facilities. We have started work on sports facilities within the precincts at Boon Lay, Jurong Spring and Tampines. We will gradually increase these sports facilities across Singapore, in tandem with the implementation of the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP), under MND. We are doing this in tandem with the NRP roll-out. To make the most of our limited land space, we are also working with MOE to open up sports facilities in schools so that these can be made available for the public's use after school hours. These are what we call the Dual Use Scheme facilities. It is used for school purposes and for public sporting use. We have already opened up many facilities. In fact, for new schools, we are ensuring that all new schools are built and designed with dual use in mind. So, sports facilities in all new schools will be designed for dual use.”
“The third indicator goes back to participation: we know from our surveys that the overall sports participation rate is, in fact, on the rise. Dr Tan cited the national sports participation survey in 2011 where he mentioned correctly that the proportion of Singaporeans who exercise at least once a week dropped to 42% and that was from 50% in 2005. This national sports participation survey is done once every five years. So, the next one is in 2016, but in the interim years, in the years in between, we do some annual surveys, some annual dipsticks to get more updated data on sports participation. I am glad to share that our latest surveys for 2013 and 2014 show that the overall participation levels have, in fact, gone up to above 60%. We are not quite at Finland's level, which is about 70%, but we have made progress and I think we should continue to make progress. This is also consistent Page: 109 with anecdotal feedback. It is not just about the surveys because, as I have mentioned, if you look around you, besides what we are doing for ActiveSG, in recent years, there have been many more sporting events. The calendar is filled with many sporting events. The number of running events is on the rise. Apart from serious running events and marathons for the fitness buffs, you have many fun community runs, all of which are very well-subscribed. Cycling is another sport that is gaining popularity very quickly. The number of participants in the OCBC Cycle Singapore doubled from 5,400 in its inaugural year, to 11,500 cyclists last year. This is more than double, actually. These are several efforts of what we are doing to provide more programming opportunities and more opportunities for Singaporeans to participate in sports. We are seeing some results.”
“We see many such parents and children Page: 108 groupings coming together to participate in our programmes. They are doing it not for medals. They are not doing it for CCA points or grades, but they are doing it because they enjoy the game. They have the opportunity to spend quality time together as a family. So, that is one indicator of a success. Another indicator which I would share is that we are seeing a change in the numbers coming to our swimming pools as well as the profiles of people coming to our swimming pools. In the past, our swimming pools or swimming complexes were left very much for serious swimmers to come and then they swim laps. They do regular training in the swimming pools. Now, we are putting together more fun and innovative programmes in the pools. We have aqua, basketball, we have aqua spinning; it is cycling in the water, so that there is less impact on your knees – very popular with the elderly. We have flippa ball, which is a modified form of water polo. It is a junior version, so it is good for the kids. So, with all these programmes, we are seeing an increase in the number of people coming to the swimming pools and also a change in the profile. We are seeing more families spending their weekends at our swimming complexes. This reminds me of one of our sports pioneers, Mr C Kunalan, who told me when I launched ActiveSG last April that he hoped ActiveSG will kick start "a new trend of families having a sporty life instead of just spending weekends at the shopping centres." Now, I do not want to cause more problems for the retail market, but I do believe we are making progress in shifting mindsets. If we continue with these efforts, we can shape new and positive habits towards sports participation.”
“We introduced this at five sports centres and the response has been very good. We are also organising more outdoor activities and that is why we launched Sundays at the Park, for example, to bring sports programmes to the neighbourhood green spaces, where they are convenient, where they are accessible to the public, especially the seniors. We started off with just four parks and now we have gone into 12. The programme is so popular at Choa Chu Kang Park that participation quickly increased from 50 in the first session to about 250 residents now. These are some examples of what we are doing and have been doing, particularly after Vision 2013, the exercise we conducted in 2011. How do we know that these efforts, including the ActiveSG programmes, are making an impact? Well, I will share with the House some indicators. First, ActiveSG has grown quickly and steadily in its membership. Less than a year after its launch, we already have more than 670,000 members today and these are not passive members. These are members who are actively using our sports centres and facilities and participating in the diverse range of ActiveSG events, from learn-to-play sessions to sports camps and workshops. For example, over the recent December holidays, ActiveSG organised an in-line skating competition at the Pasir Ris Sports Centre. This was a competitive event, but the parents we spoke to were less concerned about winning than being able to bond with their children. One parent, Mr Ang Joon Hiang, was grateful for this opportunity to bond with his son, because they took part together in the father-son category and he requested for more of such family-friendly sport activities in the future.”
“Through ActiveSG, we are bringing together a wider range of sporting programmes to the community, relevant for different skill levels and different age groups. For example, we partnered the Singapore Athletic Association to introduce kids athletics programmes, so they use modified equipment, such as lower hurdles, foam javelins to develop their motor skills. For seniors, we have weekly gym orientation programmes, we invite them to come to the gym, work out and we give them tips on how to use the gym equipment. Page: 107 I agree with Dr Tan that we must continue to find opportunities for older Singaporeans, active seniors, to engage in sports to stay healthy. When ActiveSG organised the Singapore National Games last year, we made a special effort to reach out and encourage many active agers to take part in the masters category of the game. One of them is Mr Mike Ang. I met him at the closing ceremony of the games. He and his teammates participated in futsal. They are alumni from St Michael's Secondary School and they have been crazy about football since the 1960s. So, they participated in football, said this was a good opportunity for them to relive their football days. They made it all the way to the quarter finals before they got kicked out but, even so, he said that if the match had been longer, his team would have won. Clearly, the competitive spirit is there and I am sure he will be back again for the next national games. There are also many ActiveSG programmes that we are running to encourage busy Singaporeans to maintain an active lifestyle. We have something called urban trekking. I asked them what urban trekking is. It is basically walking, but you use walking poles, like ski poles. So, it is like Nordic walking for a full body workout.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank Dr Tan for his observations and his suggestions to improve sports participation in Singapore. Dr Tan spoke of several emerging gaps in our sports participation and trends that he had noted of some concern in our sports culture. These were, in fact, surfaced in our extensive conversations when we did our Vision 2013 masterplan. That was a masterplan for sport. It was an exercise that we undertook in 2011. I should highlight that when we had these conversations, while we heard many of these concerns, we also heard many positive things and one of the things that struck me when we had many of these conversations was that Singaporeans do continue to have a strong interest in sports. It is not just the people who had experiences in the past and reminiscence about the good old days. Young Singaporeans, too, continue to have an interest in sports and there is nothing like sports that continue to excite us, that continue to stir our passions and bring our community together. You can certainly see that and sense that when you go for sporting events. There are many more in our calendar. They are all well attended and you can feel the excitement among the participants there at all of these events, be it a football game or say when we recently won the Asian Championships for netball in the New Singapore Sports Hub, the crowd was cheering for Team Singapore and the excitement was palpable. So, I believe that many Singaporeans, young and old, continue to enjoy sports and they want to get involved in Sports. What they need are perhaps more opportunities to participate and to experience the joy of sports together. And that is why we launched ActiveSG last year as a national movement for sports.”
“Madam, I acknowledge that there had been negative publicity in the first few events or the first two, in particular – the Juventus game and the Brazil-Japan game – because of the conditions of the pitch. I would say that we will be able to overcome this negative publicity if we get the solution right. So, if you look at the coming Suzuki Cup and the way the pitch conditions are significantly improved compared to before, and if you look at what we are planning going forward in the calendar, so long as we get a good solution, we will work out the best possible solution going forward. Then, we will be able to overcome the initial phase of negative Page: 38 publicity. I would say also that we will still continue to receive a lot of interests from sporting event organisers to do events in the National Stadium, and, in fact, more than we probably can cope, given the event schedule that we have for the National Stadium. Notwithstanding the impact of the first two matches where the pitch conditions were not ideal, there is still very strong interest by sport promoters everywhere in all the different sports, whether it is football or rugby, to have events anchored in our new Sports Hub.”
“But the Stadium was not there, so they could only attempt to replicate something which they thought would be ideal for the conditions of the National Stadium. The results were done and the tests were shown. In fact, the people who were doing the tests were from an agency that was specifically recommended by FIFA. So, it was not just done by themselves. They had done it through an outsourced agency recommended by FIFA and they had done it extensively to show that this was the best solution available at that time. With the benefit of what we have now, we are re-examining the test results, the assumptions and we are asking them to do many more tests so that we can be very sure of a robust solution going forward.”
“Madam, let me take the second question from the Member first. The non-payment and the deduction of availability payment, as I have said earlier, is part and parcel of all PPP projects, not just in Singapore. Anywhere in the world there is PPP project, these sorts of provisions are there and happen all the time. So it is in our case. There are provisions for deduction in the availability payment. This is spelt out in the contract. We have had many meetings since the statement made by SportSG and many meetings and discussions between SportSG and SHPL. There is no strain in the relationship. The consortium understands that they had fallen short in this particular Page: 37 case, they accept the consequences and, as I have said earlier, they are moving forward with solutions. So, that is where the team is at, working together to find solutions, both for the short term – for the Suzuki Cup – and for the medium to long term. On the earlier question of the involvement of the Government in the construction, yes, there was consultation. It could perhaps have been done much better. If you look back and look at whether or not more attention could have been paid in terms of the solution that was arrived at for the pitch, perhaps, in hindsight, we could have put in a lot more attention in terms of looking at the results. What I can say is that during the construction phase, the consortium had indeed done experiments and tests and derived the best solution for the pitch. At that time, the tests were done under a shade in the Orchid Country Club and so they were trying to replicate the conditions of the Stadium in order to find the best grass and best solution for the pitch.”
“Madam, I thank the Member for the question on this worst case scenario that SHPL is unable to perform. I would, first of all, want to clarify that as a consortium, they have taken ownership and responsibility. They are already, as you can see, putting in their own investments – whether it is in the purchase of growth lights; whether it Page: 36 is in the rescheduling of events – they are already taking these decisions to ensure that the pitch is done properly. That is something we should acknowledge that the consortium may have fallen short in the first instance with this pitch at the early stages, but they have taken ownership and they are now putting in the necessary remedial measures. I would also say that it is not such a straightforward matter to get it right, right from the start, because in many of these stadiums around the world, in big venues, there is always an initial bedding process, a teething process where you have to go through some of these humps. That is something that I think they are facing now. The good news or the thing that I am assured by is that the consortium is taking full ownership and responsibility of the issue. But if it should come to pass that there is such a scenario where there is truly non-performance, the consortium for some reason or another is not doing anything to solve the problem or if it is a very bad breach of the terms of the project agreement, then indeed there are exit provisions that we can activate. I do not think they are anywhere near that in this particular case.”
“I would say if you look at the experience so far and compare with what we have seen in Jalan Besar Stadium, what we have seen in the old national stadium for the events and for the sporting activities that we have had in the Sports Hub, I think they are within a comparable range. For example, the Brazil-Japan match ticket prices were comparable to what was in the old national stadium when Liverpool came to play in the old national stadium. We have had many sporting events within the new Sports Hub organised by our National Sports Associations where ticket prices are very affordable and accessible to all Singaporeans.”
“Madam, with respect to the questions, on the annual payment, I do not have a figure at hand but I would say that the annual payment is over a stream of a period of time which eventually would amount to the overall cost of the project. The overall Page: 35 cost of the project is something at a region of $1.3 billion. As a PPP, instead of forking out $1.3 billion upfront, the Government does not do that. It is done by the private sector but we, instead, pay an annual stream of payments over the 25-year period for the usage of the stadium; of the facilities within the Sports Hub. That is how it is designed and constructed. Within the project agreement, there is indeed a provision for deductions in the availability payment in the event of non-performance or non-availability of use. And this is quite standard in a PPP arrangement. Even in a mature PPP in other countries, you will often find deductions being made in the event of a non-performance by the private partner. This is something that SportSG will carry out in accordance with the provisions in the project agreement. On ticket prices, that is something that would be set by event organisers, not necessarily by Sports Hub itself because the events that are taking place in the Sports Hub may be put up by a National Sport Association, it may be put up by SportSG, it may be put together by a private events promoter. These are not regulated prices; these are left to the market. So, the property owners and the event organisers, which are usually commercial organisers, would then have to decide what is the appropriate price range to set these prices.”
“We are also asking our own experts, for example, from the National Parks to look at the results and to satisfy ourselves that whatever the solution as proposed by SHPL is a robust one. On private and public use, the public use will pertain to events like the National Day Parade, for example. Not that it is going to be happening next year in the Stadium, but if something like that were to happen, that would be an event that is for public usage. So, in the near term – between now and December or early next year – we have no public events that are in the calendar.”
“Madam, as I have mentioned earlier, the requirement is stated in the project agreement that spelt out between SportSG and SHPL. SHPL is required to deliver on certain outcomes, so it has to take upon itself the responsibility of ensuring the pitch allows for multi-purpose usage and is robust enough to withstand that usage. In the course of coming up with the present solution, SHPL had done a series of tests and these test results were shown to Sports Singapore to show that these tests were done and that the proposed solution that was eventually put in place was the best solution that they had, based on the conditions that they had tried out earlier. Of course, as I have mentioned, we know now that it has not worked out as planned, not necessarily because the proposed solution is not the desired one but perhaps there were other extenuating circumstances – as I had mentioned, the project was late and the grass itself had not had time to stabilise before it had to deal with a very heavy event schedule. Page: 34 The current arrangement or presently, even with the postponement of the events in the coming months and the time that has taken to allow the grass to grow, we have already seen significant improvements in the pitch. This is something that is being done in the interim, for the Suzuki Cup. Beyond that, there is now a process of going through some of the earlier test results all over again – just to ensure that the solution that is being proposed is truly robust. And this is again a process which we have asked SHPL to undertake. They will do a series of experiments and tests to assure all stakeholders that they have a robust solution for the medium and long term. They will be sharing the results with the Government, with SportSG.”
“They will assess if the current pitch solution is viable beyond the Suzuki Cup, or whether more extensive changes are needed in the medium to longer term to ensure a consistently robust pitch. These are still being studied, and SHPL intends to put in place longer term measures after the Suzuki Cup. SportSG will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that SHPL does everything that is necessary to establish a top quality pitch for the National Stadium.”
“It had carried out testing before deciding on the hybrid Desso GrassMaster pitch. This is a hybrid pitch which is primarily natural turf anchored by artificial fibres. It procured a cover that was designed to allow activities and concerts to take place on the pitch with reduced impact on the grass. This had been tested but it did not work out as planned, and in part because the grass was not anchored deeply enough. It did not have time to grow and anchor itself deeply enough, and so, as a result, the repeated use and coverage of the pitch ended up damaging it. SHPL recognises that the poor condition of the pitch and the changes in the event schedule have brought about negative publicity to the project. This is also not in the consortium's own interests and, hence, it has stepped forward to take ownership of the issue. It has acknowledged its own shortcomings and it has embarked on the necessary remedial actions to improve the condition of the pitch. Earlier, SHPL had procured growth lights at its own cost to enhance the growth of the grass. And after the recent Brazil-Japan match, the Asia Pacific Dragons – Maori All Blacks rugby match was cancelled and the Jay Chou concert postponed and this was done to give the pitch more time to stabilise before the coming AFF Suzuki Cup in November. SHPL is Page: 33 bearing the costs arising from the cancellation and postponement of these events. With the freeing up of the events schedule and the measures put in place so far, we have already seen improvements in the pitch conditions. At the same time, SHPL has been engaging local and overseas experts to fundamentally re-examine its earlier assumptions and models for the use of the pitch.”
“Madam, Members have expressed concerns about the condition of the pitch at the National Stadium and its impact on Singapore's reputation, and I share Page: 32 these concerns. Under the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement, Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) designed, built, financed and operates the new Singapore Sports Hub for 25 years. The intent of the PPP is to leverage the private partner's expertise and network to create a vibrant mix of sports and lifestyle activities that would be accessible to all. SHPL is required to make available the various facilities in the Sports Hub for public and private use, according to the specifications and standards detailed in the Project Agreement between SHPL and Sport Singapore (SportSG). Developing a major sporting venue in land-scarce Singapore does present several unique challenges. Many stadiums around the world are designed for a specific purpose and they are not used intensively all year round. This is perhaps possible in countries which do not face space or land constraints. In Singapore, it is a luxury we cannot afford. As such, SHPL was asked to deliver a multi-purpose Sports Hub, which could accommodate a vibrant calendar of sports and entertainment activities. By and large, I would say that the expertise brought in by SHPL has helped to make the Sports Hub an integrated sports and lifestyle destination for Singaporeans to enjoy. However, it has faced problems with the National Stadium pitch because of several reasons. For one, SHPL had taken three months longer than expected to complete the National Stadium and this meant that there was not enough time to allow the grass on the pitch to take root and stabilise. In addition, SHPL misjudged the impact that the intensive events schedule would have on the pitch.”