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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“I thank the Member for the very useful opportunity to clarify what was also raised in The Straits Times' Commentary today. We already have many existing grants to support overseas performances, which operate on an open-call basis. The new $20 million fund is meant to complement and enhance our existing efforts, and it will operate in a different way to build on what we already have. It will be quite complex if you think about it, when we want to showcase our artists overseas, we have to think about what markets to go to, which audiences we want to target, if at all, what events and platforms. And these are international events which will have their own curators and organisers. We will also have to take their views into consideration. It may be an international showing; an international platform which may be curated separately, and we have to work with international stakeholders. So, in working and operationalising this $20 million fund, we envision that it will operate differently from existing mechanisms using an open call. I think Page: 25 this will be more complex and it will require more consultations with the different stakeholders, including international organisers as well as our overseas missions. So, as we implement and operationalise the fund, we have to take into account these considerations. But I would like to assure the Member that one important group we would certainly want to consult is our local artists and our art community. As we work out the selection process and the criteria for the use of the fund, we will be having extensive consultations with the artists and arts groups in Singapore before we make any decisions and finalise the mechanics of the fund. 12.15 pm”
“Now, we are all familiar with the Chinese proverb that family wealth does not last three generations. It is not just a Chinese saying; in fact, similar sayings can be found in many cultures. But there are also exceptions to this. And so it is for our country – our nation's destiny is not preordained, it is what we choose to make of it. As we celebrate SG50, I hope that our youths will take the time to reflect on what they would like to do and what kind of Singapore they would like to have in 50 years' time. Their attitudes and mindsets are important – if they take Singapore today to be the pinnacle of achievements, then the rest of the journey will be an inevitable downhill slide. But if they see today's Singapore as a springboard for new and better possibilities, if they uphold the same pioneering spirit of our founding generation, then 50 years later, we will see an even bigger and better celebration for our centenary. Page: 24 Mdm Chair, we are investing in our youths, and I have faith in them. They are our future and we will work with them to make Singapore a good home for all generations.”
“We have also developed resource kits for interactive lessons that will inspire students to organise their own activities, which can also be supported through the SG50 Celebration Fund. In the coming months, MCCY will look at how to better engage youths through more youth-oriented spaces such as *SCAPE. All this will require more resources in NYC, so we will plan to strengthen its capacity and enlarge its reach Page: 23 to even more young Singaporeans and youth organisations. Finally, Mdm Chair, to wrap up, let me go back to our SG50 celebration next year. I think it is an occasion to celebrate what we have achieved, but it is also an important milestone to reflect on what we want for the future. What will Singapore be like in 50 years' time? In the Our Singapore Conversation, many Singaporeans shared their aspirations for the future – we want a strong "kampong spirit", we want to build a caring and compassionate society; we also want to strengthen the things that bind us together, like our national heritage, our shared memories and our communal spaces. The arts, heritage and sports, which I spoke about earlier yesterday, are part of this shared identity. At the end of the day, it is for our youths today to shape the next 50 years into the Singapore they want. This generation of youths – those who are in their teens to their 30s, they are the post-post Pioneer Generation. In other words, we have the Pioneer Generation who are above 65; the post-Pioneer Generation – I suppose it will be many of us, 40s to early 60s – and the youths today who are the third generation. Our pioneers laid the foundations for Singapore's rapid development. The next generation benefited from their hard work, and continued to build modern Singapore. What will the third generation do?”
“The pilot group will be drawn primarily from nominations by youth sector organisations (YSOs) and the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). This first run will enable us to improve the design of the programme, and fine-tune the working protocols with different partners. So, we have brought in Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) as a key partner to implement the Youth Corps and we are also looking for other community partners to be involved. After this first run, we will open up applications to more youths later in the year. I would encourage those who are passionate about impacting their communities to come forward and apply. We have a rigorous selection process, as Mr Hawazi Daipi mentioned, but we do not want that to be a deterrence to youths from stepping forward. We are not looking at academic qualifications. We are looking for youths with strong leadership qualities, a commitment to serve the community and a desire to learn. And we do want a diverse mix of youths in the Youth Corps. And that is why, when we do the Youth Corps programme, we look forward to a mix of students from ITE, Polytechnics and Universities coming together. The Youth Corps will be the first national level programme of its kind. It is also a first in many steps towards more impactful youth development and engagement. To better support youth engagement in the community, NYC will strengthen its partnerships with schools and tertiary institutions, as well as other youth organisations. For example, we are working with schools to enable students to contribute their SG50 celebration ideas. I think it is something that Miss Penny Low highlighted just now.”
“This is a key priority for us in the coming year and I will share more when our plans are ready. Finally, let me touch on our plans for youths. Several Members spoke about this, and I share their hope and optimism about our young people. We want to expand opportunities for our youths to contribute in a sustained and meaningful way. And that is why we decided to set up the Youth Corps. Both Miss Penny Low and Mr Hawazi Daipi asked for more details about the Youth Corps. Over the past few months, we have consulted youths from our Institutes of Higher Learning as well as many community partners about what they would like to see in the Youth Corps. We have also been studying youth-related and community organisations in other countries. We are still finalising the programme details, but for now, we envisage that it will be a one-year programme with the following key components. First, a structured residential training programme that equips youths with knowledge and skills in leadership, project management and service learning. Second, an overseas community project in one of the regional countries. Third, a community project in Singapore, undertaken in partnership with an existing NGO or community group, which would be sustainable and Page: 22 impactful and meet the needs of the community. There is still much to be done and I have asked Minister of State Desmond Lee, who is also a board member of the National Youth Council, to chair an advisory committee comprising experienced youth leaders and members from the 3P sector to guide the development of this programme. The Youth Corps will be launched in phases with a pilot intake in June this year; we think it is about the size of 200 youths.”
“And he said, "If you take from society, you must give back to society. This is something I always tell my employees." To transform our workplaces, we have to transform mindsets – that companies have the ability to give, no matter their size or their industry. When our corporate leaders set the tone, individuals in the workplace will have the opportunity to practise giving too. Companies can also encourage other companies to be involved. One example is ABR Holdings Limited (ABR). They manage several food and beverage companies like Swensen's and Gloria Jean's, and have nurtured a spirit of giving that not only engages their own employees but also other businesses and their consumers. They use their F&B outlets for charitable Page: 21 causes, bringing cheer to children from Club Rainbow with life threatening and chronic illnesses by hosting birthday parties for them at Swensen's. And when it comes to fundraising, ABR also ropes in their suppliers. For the World Mental Health Day last year, ABR provided dollar-for-dollar matching for donations from their suppliers to the Institute of Mental Health. These are just some examples of how companies can leverage on the networks and resources that are already at their fingertips to do good for communities in need. I hope that more companies will start to get involved. Public sector agencies can also step forward. Making giving a workplace norm sends a powerful message. It says that giving can coexist with the demands of building one's career and family, because one can never be too busy to do one's bit for society. So, we in MCCY plan to do more to break down these barriers to corporate giving. We will work with our partners like NVPC, as well as like-minded companies to champion a strong corporate giving culture in Singapore.”
“So, we must do more to take a life-stage approach in volunteering, as Miss Low Page: 20 said, and encourage corporate giving. In his Budget round-up speech, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman spoke about transforming the workplace culture and our social culture in two aspects: embracing older workers and self-service as the default. I would like to suggest a third aspect, which is to make giving part of the DNA of corporate Singapore. I believe this is something which several Members also mentioned, including Assoc Prof Eugene Tan in an earlier speech. The workplace is where individuals spend a significant amount of their time. Our workplaces need to transform, if we want acts of giving to be a natural extension of work life. I have spoken to several corporate leaders and many have expressed interest. However, some do not know how to get involved, lack confidence that their contributions will be put to good use, or think that giving makes little business sense. Some local companies may also find it harder to get involved than larger ones, or the MNCs, which have the experience of corporate giving in other countries. They also face resource constraints and the resultant costs may not seem sustainable. Despite these challenges, there are SMEs in Singapore who make an effort to practise corporate giving because they want to give back to society. Take for example civil engineering company Feng Ming Construction. Feng Ming has a policy of donating one per cent of the value of each contract that it clinches. And aside from cash donations, Feng Ming also organises visits to homes or orphanages, and movie day outings twice a year, with all the staff taking part. According to the Managing Director, Mr Lim Hong Beng, he does this to instil values in his staff.”
“I agree with her and we are looking into this as part of the community dispute resolution framework but I would say that this is, in fact, a broader issue that requires further study into our mental health provisions, especially in the community. Again, here, the relevant agencies are looking into this, namely, MOH and MSF. 12.00 pm I have spoken about the importance of good neighbourliness and kindness to harmonious living. Another value that Singaporeans cherish is giving. Singaporeans are a generous people. They are willing to give of their time, treasure and energy to those in need. This spirit of giving was certainly in our Pioneer Generation – they were prepared to serve, make sacrifices for one another and for the nation. And this same spirit of giving must continue in future generations. I think one good sign we see is in the trends of volunteerism. A survey by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre shows that nearly one in three Singaporeans is engaged in volunteer work today, compared to just one in five two years ago. And Singaporeans are also donating more to help others. We hope that more Singaporeans will continue to step forward. One challenge, as Mr Seah Kian Peng highlighted, is the "bathtub effect" in our volunteerism trend. Members can see it very clearly in the chart [Please refer to Annex 1.] Volunteer involvement is high among Singaporeans aged 15, in the younger age groups, but it declines sharply in their mid-20s as they enter the workplace. And participation comes back up again in their 30s, but it is still not as high as before. As highlighted by Members, like Mr Seah Kian Peng and Miss Penny Low, obstacles to volunteering are chiefly when individuals enter the corporate world.”
“The tribunal can also make judgements and issue orders which will have to be complied with, failing which there will be consequences including prosecution. The tribunal will provide legal recourse for difficult cases and especially for aggrieved parties. But I must qualify that the tribunal should neither be the first recourse nor the main way we resolve our disputes. This would be counter-productive. We want to promote community ownership and collective responsibility and mediation should remain the first priority. Ms Irene Ng also agrees with that and several Members as well. We do want the tribunal to be there but it should be there as a last resort, for the difficult cases. For the tribunal to work well, we will require better frontline responses to community disputes and more effective enforcement capabilities. These are complex implementation issues, which the relevant agencies are working through, and we will build these capabilities progressively, starting with a few estates, learning from the experience and then scaling up over time. Page: 19 Mr Vikram Nair also asked about clear rules and penalties. As I have mentioned earlier, our key thrust is on public education and mediation but we recognise there are cases which do require rules and penalties. So, we are also looking at legislative amendments such as to the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act to allow the Police to take enforcement action if needed. Ms Irene Ng highlighted that some of the more difficult dispute cases may involve persons with mental health issues and that we need to find different ways to tackle such cases.”
“It is sometimes useful to have a neutral party to help disputing parties communicate better. Grassroots leaders already undertake this role and they do their best to informally mediate disputes between neighbours. Page: 18 Residents can also seek formal mediation at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC). It has a fairly good success rate. Out of the 521 cases heard last year, about 70% were successfully resolved. We believe that mediation continues to be a very important process as both parties agree on a solution, so there is ownership and responsibility to follow through. It also helps to preserve and mend relationships, so that neighbours can continue living harmoniously alongside one another. So, we also intend, as part of our enhanced framework, to increase the CMC's capacity and provide more mediation training to grassroots leaders. However, as several Members have noted, we cannot compel people to go for mediation. Currently, 60% of the cases registered with CMC do not turn up. There are also several difficult and long-standing cases that are initially resolved through mediation but later flare up again. Several Members spoke about some of these very difficult cases and "deadlocked disputes". I share their concerns and that is why we had earlier set up an inter-agency team involving my Ministry, together with MinLaw, MHA, MND, and the team has proposed several measures to strengthen our community dispute resolution framework. A key part of the framework is a Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal to adjudicate difficult cases between neighbours. The tribunal will have the powers to mandate mediation, to give parties the chance to communicate and compromise.”
“We have spoken to some stakeholders on managing community disputes. Many say that building strong neighbourly ties can help to reduce conflict. If neighbours know one another, they will be more likely to broach issues sensitively and come to a consensus. Most of the people we consulted called for more public education efforts to encourage consideration and graciousness in our community and we agree with them as well as with suggestions from Members to put more effort in this area because day-to-day acts of kindness will help to make our communities a more pleasant place to live. Every day, there are many Singaporeans practising good neighbourliness and kindness in their communities. Like Mrs Chandra Sivarama Krishnan – she has been there to help her elderly Chinese neighbour Mdm Ah Ho for 20 years. Her neighbour can only converse in Chinese, but the language barrier has not stopped Mrs Chandra from reaching out. Though they can only communicate through hand signals, Mrs Chandra helps her neighbour with reading letters received in English and she explains the contents as best as she can. She also checks on her neighbour regularly to make sure that she is doing well. Once, when the electricity supply was cut off, she helped to ensure that the problem was fixed. Her story shows that kindness can go beyond the boundaries of race and language, and these are the acts of kindness we want to promote. MCCY will continue to work closely with partner agencies like HDB and the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) to encourage neighbours to get to know one another to strengthen the "kampong spirit" in our urban city. At the same time, we recognise that there are some who need help resolving tensions with their neighbours.”
“I had asked Dr Amy Khor to speak on that earlier in her capacity in the People's Association (PA) and as a mayor. But since Mr Patrick Tay was not here to file the cut, she does not have the opportunity to respond. I would just say that I agree with Dr Teo that the CDCs play an important role in strengthening social harmony, and MCCY and PA will study how best to support the CDCs to do more in this area. One challenge we face in Singapore is that living in a crowded city heightens our sensitivity towards disagreements. Little things such as noise, smells and the use of common areas can cause unhappiness. We can find it especially difficult to get along with those who live closest to us. Good neighbourliness is an important place to start in building harmony. I give an example of residents in Opera Estate holding an annual street party where they play games and enjoy potluck. It is a small way to bring neighbours together but has been going strong for the past 14 years, and still going strong. One of the organisers, Mr James Suresh, says, "We aren't just a loose collection of people who happen to live on the same street. We are neighbours, and when we begin to think of each other as friends, it becomes natural to care for and Page: 17 help each other." By showing care and concern for our neighbours, we can make Singapore a better home for all, and I emphasise community ownership, as many Members here did just now as well, because the effort has to come from ourselves. We can live peacefully together if we show consideration and learn how to give and take. To this end, I agree with many Members like Ms Irene Ng and Mr Hawazi Daipi that citizens should try to resolve their personal conflicts amicably, amongst themselves.”
“Some of the sessions are with specific communities, some cover many communities, but we have many platforms as well; our schools and our public housing estates are natural platforms for interaction and mixing. Our Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) promote dialogue and foster friendships across faiths and ethnicities. We have a National Page: 16 Community Engagement Programme which brings the different communities together to discuss many issues on interaction and multiculturalism. On occasion, some of the issues we discussed have to be done behind closed doors. That is because we know that there are sensitive issues that need to be addressed and not all issues lend themselves well to an open discussion, which may end up causing different groups to raise their demands that they want, reduce the common space that we share and raise temperatures. We do not think that is a useful approach. We have a mix of different platforms, both closed-door and open consultations, which we will continue. And indeed, that is the approach that we have. We want to give maximum space for each community to nurture its own roots. The proviso is that these efforts must not pull us apart, but should bring us together. To cite the analogy that Mr George Yeo once gave, we want to let Singaporeans nurture our own ancestral roots, but these roots must all support the same Singapore tree. That is how we can continue to strengthen our multiculturalism in Singapore. There are also important institutions that help to promote social mixing and multiculturalism, and strengthen our common space. Dr Teo Ho Pin spoke earlier about this in the Budget debate on the role of the CDCs.”
“Yesterday, I spoke about looking to the past and also to the future as we imagine what Singapore can be. We must also not forget to think about the values we should uphold because these will underpin the choices we make. As we approach our 50th birthday, it is timely to reflect seriously on these values and how we want to anchor our society as we enter a new phase of development. When Mr S Rajaratnam was asked many years ago whether we can create a national identity, he said and I quote, "We must first accept the premise that it is an act of faith that a national consciousness is desirable, possible and inevitable." So, it is an act of faith and it was on this conviction and faith that our pioneers went about building Singapore and strengthening our Singapore identity. At the same time, we hold a high ideal in Singapore, which is that the Singapore identity is open and inclusive. It is an identity that espouses unity in diversity. We do not insist on any Singaporean having to choose between his ancestry and being Singaporean. You can be Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian, Jew, Parsi, Arab, whatever your origins – you can be that and Singaporean at the same time. This is our approach to multiculturalism and this is how we have developed over the last 50 years – learning to trust and respect our different races and religions, and to live peacefully with one another. Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap asked about more public consultations and dialogues in order to strengthen this approach to multiculturalism. And indeed, we do have many platforms for consultations and dialogues. Some of them are open, some of them are closed door, depending on the nature of the topic.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2014/2015, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“I agree with the Member and that is indeed something which we are doing. As I have mentioned, MDA is looking at how we can strengthen the SFC to play the role of developing and promoting local content. Page: 95”
“", the answer was, "We did not do very much because a lot of these came initially through the media companies themselves. CJ Entertainment, for example, big conglomerate. Media companies invested in it because it was a big market, because it was commercially viable. They invested in content and so the industry grew and, over time, as the Government sort of saw its success, saw it taking off, and the Korean wave taking off in music and film, that is when some of the government initiatives came somewhat later." This was what was told to me and related to me by a government official. I just like to relate that to Members because there is always this perception it became successful through extensive state intervention, which was apparently not the case. 3.15 pm”
“Just to elaborate on the issue of National Film Centre, a centralised body and the efforts that we are doing today. Like I said, just because we are not starting a national film centre does not mean that we are sitting back and taking it easy. Our focus, as I mentioned earlier, is to strengthen all the different parts that we are doing now. That is a more important priority than to get bogged down with organisational structures and how to organise. That may eventually result, in the long term, in a national entity or a centralised entity. But even with the work that we are doing today, which spans across different agencies, there is a need to strengthen each of these functions, and that is our priority and we are doing so. If you look at some of the work that we are doing, for example, within the NHB family, they are looking at the promotion of the Singapore film showcase in France next year as part of our Singapore Arts Festival. We are doing more for films through the Singapore International Film Festival. Across a wide range of different agencies, I think the work for films will grow, there will be more effort and we want to make use of the momentum that has been created with the success of "Ilo Ilo". This is something we are focused on. Just like in the music industry, this is something that MCI and MCCY are both involved in and both sides are discussing and looking at ways in which we can better promote film. Page: 94 The Member mentioned South Korea as an example. I would say there is a certain perception in Korea that a lot of the efforts that went into the promotion of Korean films and the success were done through state intervention. Interestingly, when I went there and asked the government, "What did you do to promote Korean films so successfully?”
“To clarify to the Member, I said that we are open to the idea but it is a long-term endeavour. Our focus now is to look at how the different pieces that we are doing which cut across several agencies can be strengthened. It is something that we have not set a timeline for. We are not saying we ought to have a national centralised film agency by "X" date. What is important now is we know the work is done by different parties, the Singapore Film Commission in MDA, the Cinematheque at the National Museum, the Singapore International Film Festival that has just started, we have an archives Page: 92 in the National Library Board. These have to be better coordinated – each individual function needs to be strengthened as well, and that is the focus of what we wanted to do in the coming years. Over time, as we develop these capabilities, there may be more synergies and we may eventually have a single entity. That is something that I think we have to develop organically.”
“I was going to repeat exactly what the Minister said. I think it is a good suggestion and we will work with MDA and MediaCorp to see how this can be done.”
“Mdm Chair, I would just like to clarify again that our position on the National Archives and declassification is not specific to particular types of information but broadly as I sketched out earlier. Meaning to say, all Government records beyond a 25-year period are deemed as public archives. That is stipulated in the NLB Act. Access would be provided to any of these public archives but there is a proviso that we will have to check with the relevant agencies and to make sure that these are unclassified information. Cabinet Papers are classified and they are not made available. I would say also that when you look at declassification policies, our approach is not transparency for transparency's sake. Our approach is transparency that leads to good governance. If you look at what some countries have done, where they have gone somewhat overboard, with freedom of information legislation, or open access, it has not always led to better governance. What has happened is that the legislation that has been put in place has inadvertently led to more opaqueness and avoidance of records. Policy Papers or Cabinet Papers which are written may not have full information and full details because the civil servants writing them know that these will be made available. We have to be careful of such inadvertent consequences, which we do not want to have in Singapore. Our purpose is to promote good governance. Our approach is that we want to make more information available but it would be subject to the broader conditions and philosophy which I stated earlier in my speech.”
“Yes, I will do so. Finally, I will just make reference to Mr Arthur Fong's mention of the need for more to be done to build national identity through our libraries, especially as we approach our 50th anniversary next year. One key initiative of NLB is The Singapore Memory Project, which aims to put together a collection of memories with the help of the community. Such memories can help contribute to a more complete picture of our nation's memories and history and since its inception in 2011, the Memory Project has been working closely with the community partners to create content. Last year, the focus was on an exhibition called "Gift of a Generation", which featured many of our Pioneer Generation. That was important because it helped to pass down the conviction and values of our Pioneers to a young generation. Mdm Chair, let me conclude by reiterating my first point about the need to continue to support local content, whether through TV or films, or in making Singapore content, like the archives, more accessible. We will support the production of content that speaks to us, that makes us proud, and that eventually forms part of our shared experiences and memories as a people. At the end of the day, all of these efforts will help bring us closer together and build a more connected Singapore.”
“In our case, we have the Cinematheque at the National Museum and we also have the Singapore International Film Festival which MDA is supporting and we should make a comeback later this year. There is also an archival function, and here we have the Asian Film Archive (AFA), which was recently made a subsidiary of the National Library Board. It has a holding of over 1,600 films made in Singapore and the region since the 1950s. Many of the films are classics and would be familiar to some of us, such as "Moon Over Malaya", an old Cantonese film made in 1957. There are also iconic Malay Cathay-Keris films, such as "Mat Bond" and "Orang Minyak." Many of these films and others like them are in need of restoration, and we will have them properly conserved and digitised. These films from AFA will be made more accessible through screenings in libraries and other collaborations with film festivals. The other key function of curation and promotion of local films is currently undertaken by the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) in MDA. For example, to profile local films, the SFC partners film organisations, such as The Arts House and The Substation, MDA is now studying how it can beef up resources in the SFC, so that it can do more to develop and promote local films. In the longer term, the question is whether there is a need to amalgamate all of these different functions under a single entity. I think there are merits to such an idea, so it is something that MDA is open to reviewing with the relevant agencies. But as Ms Irene Ng said, this is a long-term gain that we are getting into. For now, we will focus on building up each of the different areas, so as to strengthen our capabilities across the entire value chain of film development, Page: 87 archival, curation and promotion.”
“All unclassified information is made available upon request, and also released on various platforms, such as on the websites of public agencies and through periodic press releases. There are some Government records which are not available for open access, including those relating to our national defence, foreign relations and internal security, as well as documents which may be bound by confidentiality obligations or personal privacy reasons. I would say that these conditions are also found in other countries. In the UK, for example, the government may refuse to disclose classified information which, if released, may harm certain public interest or, if it is too costly or time-consuming to retrieve the information. Having said that, I have sketched out a broad approach with regard to the archives and I would assure Members that MCI and the National Archives will continue to work closely with Ministries and agencies to progressively make more information available to the public. Page: 86 Our national heritage can also be found in film. Film is an important medium that captures our moments in time; whether showing us Singapore's changing landscapes, or portraying simple, enduring traditions that are handed down to us. Ms Janice Koh suggested an independent National Film Centre to facilitate audiences' appreciation of film, as well as promote our stories, film culture and heritage. I think Ms Irene Ng also suggested a centralised film body backed by the Government. In fact, I had discussed this idea recently with several young film-makers and I explained to them many of the functions of such a Film Centre are already being undertaken by various agencies. For example, a National Film Centre would typically showcase local films and would hold a Film Festival.”
“Our archivists need to carefully work through such recordings to document and Page: 85 digitise them. One such recording is the first Parliamentary sitting broadcast over radio and this recording was the first Address for the Opening of Parliament, delivered on 8 December 1965 by then-President Yusof Ishak. [A slide was shown to hon Members.] And if you look carefully at the picture, on President Yusof Ishak's right is a soldier, a very young Winston Choo who, of course, later became our first Chief of Defence Force (CDF). Another recording on 14 December 1965, just six days after the first address, was delivered by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who expressed his hope for a new quid pro quo relationship with Malaysia. Let me now respond to Mr Low Thia Kiang's query on the National Archives. Since the transfer of the National Archives to NLB, NLB has been working on a unified search platform that will allow users to access the different databases. This will enhance access to content from the archives as well as the National Library. The unified search portal will be launched this year and, through the revamp, portal users would also be able to access Oral History interviews. All these will help increase usability and accessibility of the contents in the National Archives. Besides the search portal, the National Archives also provides for public archives to be inspected by any person for purposes of research and reference. Any such request to research Government records can be made at the National Archives' Reading Room and the National Archives will then consult the relevant agencies about providing access with these records.”
“MediaCorp will continue to feature Singaporeans and share their inspiring stories of how they have overcomed their challenges and pursued their dreams. On sports programming, I would like to respond to Mr David Ong's call for more airtime for our athletes on local PSB channels. In 2013, Channel 5 televised major sporting events like the SEA Games, the FINA Swimming World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, all of which featured Team Singapore athletes. MediaCorp will continue to support sports this year. For example, our S League teams are featured "live" on OKTO on Friday evenings when matches are on and, later in the year, we can look forward to MediaCorp's coverage of major sporting events, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Youth Olympic Games. I agree it is important for Singaporeans to be able to cheer on and celebrate the achievements of our local athletes who train hard to do our country proud. Let me assure Mr David Ong and the House that the Government will continue to provide PSB funding support for the telecast of sporting events that feature Team Singapore athletes. And, next year, when we host the SEA Games, I am sure we will ensure that there will be adequate "live" coverage of our team Singapore athletes. To further enrich PSB programming, we can tap on rich Singapore content in our archives. The National Archives is a rich repository of official and personal records, photographs, broadcast productions and oral histories, among others. It contains stories of our nation and our people: they tell the stories of what we have been and how we got to where we are today. These records sometimes require laborious documentation work, especially for recordings that are transferred to the archives undocumented.”
“The PSB Contestable Funds Scheme, for instance, has been revamped to allow for media companies to pitch their ideas for funding to develop programmes with Singapore content which could also be marketed overseas. As Ms Ng highlighted, we want to take an integrated approach to help individuals and companies along the content value chain. MDA's suite of grant schemes helps local media companies to develop compelling content showcasing Singapore stories and capabilities to the international audience and we do so at key content markets in Hong Kong and France, for example, as well as major industry forums like MIPCOM in Cannes, which is an industry event where international industry professionals in TV and film network come together and they trade content rights, and profile their work to distributors. MDA also serves as a referral centre for both local and overseas content creators, by providing information on the local industry, as well as connecting interested parties, including those who would like to film in Singapore, with the relevant Government agencies and entities. Ms Ng also spoke about the Page: 84 importance of quality scriptwriting and I agree fully with her this is something that MDA is looking to develop. Miss Penny Low has suggested that more can be done on TV to profile passionate Singaporeans in the charity, arts and sports sectors and I agree that this is something important which we are already doing and we have many such examples in PSB programmes. For example, the Vasantham programme, "Kalaimanigal", features former Singapore Cultural Medallion winners from theatre, dance and literary arts. The programme "Off The Path" on Channel U showcases talents in diverse fields, such as entrepreneurs, gourmet chefs, and even our very own Singaporean CSI agents.”
“In response to Miss Penny Low's query, I will now provide an update on new programmes supported through PSB funding in the past year. Last year, we announced $182 million of additional PSB funding support up to 2016 to improve the production quality of local programmes and to increase the number of current affairs and documentary programmes across our four Page: 83 official languages. In the last year alone, over 2,000 hours of PSB programmes have been produced. They include programmes like "Mata-Mata", which is a historical drama on Channel 5, and "Veethi Varai", a social drama on Vasantham. We have also seen a strong suite of current affairs and documentaries being produced. For example, "IT Figures" is a current affairs series which explains the interesting numbers and statistics behind everyday issues like transport, housing and education; and on Suria, we have "#FORUMsg" which discusses national issues from the perspective of the Malay community and which also has interactive elements, such as viewer participation through social media, email and phone calls. 2.45 pm I am happy to hear Ms Irene Ng's positive comments of the documentary "Days of Rage." This is a documentary series which combines dramatic reconstructions, eyewitness interviews, rare archival documents and state-of-the art computer graphics to take viewers on a journey through our turbulent history. All these mean higher production costs, and, so, it is made possible only through PSB funding. With PSB funding, we hope to produce even more quality content and documentaries like these. I agree with Ms Ng that the production and promotion of such compelling Singapore content can help profile our local TV and film talents both locally and overseas.”
“Mdm Chair, MDA works closely with our local media industry to boost its competitiveness, as was mentioned by Minister earlier. This is not only for economic reasons; we also want to develop our talent to support production of local content that can resonate with Singaporeans. Let me elaborate on this. Many of us would remember adjusting our daily schedules around TV programmes; we would rush home to watch the evening news and, perhaps, a local drama or sitcom with our families. Some programmes like "The Awakening" in the 1980s and "Growing Up" in the 1990s continue to resonate with many Singaporeans. They are part of our shared memories and bond us as a community. The media landscape today is very different. While free-to-air TV remains the dominant local media platform in terms of reach, the Internet is fast catching up as an alternative platform for information and entertainment, especially among the young. The media industry is also facing intense competition as our local broadcasters and producers compete for viewership with a diverse range of overseas content. It is all the more critical that we continue to encourage our media industry to produce good local content. Minister spoke earlier about MDA's industry development efforts. Another important aspect of Government support for the local media industry is through Public Service Broadcast (PSB) funding. Here, I would like to thank Miss Penny Low, Ms Irene Ng and Mr David Ong for speaking in support of TV and the quality of local PSB programmes. Indeed, the Government recognises the importance of PSB programmes and we have devoted a significant amount of funding support over the years.”
“Madam, as I mentioned in my speech earlier, we have an estimate and that estimate comes from the people who have been counselled by the Credit Counselling Singapore. Over the period of 2008 to 2012, there were about 6,000 individuals who had debts exceeding their annual income, that means debts exceeding the 12-month limit. So, that is an estimate, it is not precise because it is not based on actual data from the financial institutions or from moneylenders but that is one estimate that we have based on people who have actually approached the Credit Counselling Singapore.”
“MAS monitors the level of household leverage in Singapore closely. The focus is on banks as bank lending accounts for more than 98% of household credit granted by commercial entities. The consumer credit bureaus currently collect data primarily on bank credit. While other sources of private consumer credit, such as moneylenders, pawnbrokers, hire purchase for motor vehicles and vendor credit, are currently not significant in aggregate, MAS monitors their contribution to household leverage by working with relevant Government agencies, such as MinLaw and MTI. MAS also works closely with these Government agencies to implement policies to encourage financial prudence among Singapore households. For example, the maximum amount of unsecured borrowings by any individual is generally capped at four months' income per lender. This is regardless of whether he borrows from a financial institution regulated by MAS, or a moneylender regulated by MinLaw. Likewise, a single set of rules on loan tenures and loan-to-value ratios for motor vehicle loans applies to borrowers, regardless of whether the loans are granted by financial institutions, hire-purchase companies or moneylenders. For housing loans, MAS' rules require financial institutions to take into account borrowers' total outstanding debt obligations, including housing loans from the HDB, motor vehicle loans under hire-purchase arrangements and loans extended by moneylenders. Household balance sheets in Singapore are, on the whole, sound. Household assets are in excess of liabilities, with a large buffer between the two. However, some households are at risk because of overborrowing. MAS will continue to work with relevant Government agencies to monitor household leverage and promote responsible borrowing. Page: 128”
“Madam, on the first question, I do not have a single figure because, as I mentioned earlier, we have many efforts to promote our Page: 41 cultural assets and creative assets and it extends across different agencies. We do not have a central fund to do so but the efforts are multi-pronged and so I do not have a particular figure that tracks this. As I mentioned, if you look at all the different schemes under NAC and MDA, you would have a sense where our efforts are. On the second point about how we work with MFA and whether or not there is a way to improve our efforts in cultural diplomacy, I would say that we are already discussing very closely with our missions and whenever we have artists who are going overseas whom we are supporting – filmmakers or designers – we make an effort to touch base with the missions that are based there with the ambassador in that particular country. We will work with the ambassador and the mission overseas to think about how they can best utilise or make use of the opportunity of having Singaporean artists showcase their works in that country, how the ambassador and his team can then make use of that opportunity to also project Singapore and to make use of that opportunity to extend our cultural diplomacy efforts. So, that working relationship is already being formed between MCCY, NAC and all our overseas missions. 3.00 pm”
“Again, we are deviating quite a bit from the original question of what the Sports School review is supposed to be. This is a matter of selection of athletes which is the purview of National Sports Associations (NSAs) and the SNOC, and these are people-based organisations. But I agree with the Member's observation and comment that it all has to be based on merit.”
“Firstly, the parents and the students have a choice. We would have a diversity of options for them to choose from, whether or not they want to do more and focus more intensively in sports training, or they want a more balanced approach. Secondly, I would say even for the Sports School, as we do this curriculum, we are also mindful of thinking about how the Sports School can extend beyond what it is doing with its own students and reach out to students from other schools who have the potential to excel and to be part of the Juniors National Team or to be part of the National Team, to see how that training can extend to them. In that sense, while the review is for the Sports School, we are also looking beyond the Sports School. Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Madam, while I welcome the partnership between NSAs and the Singapore Sports School, I hope the Acting Minister can give the assurance that for athletes who choose not to go to the Sports School, the National Sports Associations will not discriminate against them. If we go on the basis that "Oh, you can't train so many hours", I think that is very unfair. We should look at the performance and I think that is all that matters because after all, we are a meritocratic society.”
“That is exactly the motivation behind this particular review: that we recognise that for student-athletes with the ability, the potential to excel at the international level, grappling or balancing the demands of both the academic and sports training based on the current curriculum in the Sports School, may be a bit difficult. That is exactly the motivation behind the review that we are doing. I would caution going the other extreme which some countries have done, which is to hothouse students from a very early age and focus only on sports training without any education. I think actually it ends up to the detriment of the student especially for the very many who are unable to excel at that level and the attrition rate is significant. Many end up with not very much of a sound Page: 19 education to fall back on, and they have difficulties finding a good job and progressing on in their careers.”
“On the first question: indeed, the direction of the review is to look at, as I said earlier, how we can customise the curriculum better for talented student-athletes. For that particular group of athletes with the potential, the ability to excel at the international level, and also the commitment Page: 18 to do so, our sense at this stage is that we can have a better balance between sports and academics and, in particular, give a bit more weightage to the sports. So, lighten their academic curriculum so that they can focus on their training but we still need to assure them of quality education so that they can progress to the next level. That is the intent. We are studying other international models and we are looking at what we can do in terms of tying up through-train programmes so that when these student-athletes complete their education with the Sports School, they have assurance of a good education and also assurance to progress to the next level. So, indeed, that is what we are doing for the SWS programme. On the second question: that merits a completely separate Parliamentary Question (PQ) in its own right. Whether or not we are going to review DSA admissions is something that will also require MOE's inputs. I would not be in a position to answer this today. I know where the Member is coming from in terms of DSA admissions with schools. It is something that MCCY has noted and we will continue to look at this with MOE. If the Member would like to file a separate question, we can address that separately.”
“The review will examine how we can further enhance this programme, and also explore partnerships with more tertiary institutions, including local and overseas Universities, to extend and expand the range of through-train programmes, as suggested by Er Dr Lee. We are mindful that the needs of the different sports are different. So, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, the review will consider how the sports and academic programmes can be better customised to each sport. We will also see how the Sports School can partner more effectively with the National Sports Associations (NSA), the Junior Sports Academies which MOE runs, and the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) to attract top-tier student-athletes in each field, and provide them with an attractive pathway to pursue their sporting aspirations. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Acting Minister for a comprehensive answer. Thank you for mentioning the SWS programme. I would like to ask the Acting Minister two supplementary questions. The curriculum for the SWS programme is still almost the same as any other school. I would like to ask if there is any intention to lighten the curriculum as in many other sports schools in other parts of the world. The next question is: is there any intention for MCCY to work with MOE to finetune the Direct School Admission (DSA) exercise because I notice that a lot of good table tennis players have been grabbed by a lot of good schools, especially RI and RGS? Is there an intention to specify minimum PSLE score? Because it is quite unfair to other students as well because they take in players without specifying their PSLE scores so long as they are good in games.”
“The Singapore Sports School (SSP) has largely succeeded in its aim of combining an excellent sports programme with a quality academic education. Within a decade, the school has produced several Olympians and world champions. At the recent Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar, SSP student-athletes and alumni accounted for almost half of Team Singapore's gold medal haul, or 15 out of 34 gold medals. The school has also done well in supporting the academic needs of its student-athletes. Last year, more than 90% of its "O" level graduates were eligible for places in Junior Colleges, Millenia Institute and the Polytechnics. Nevertheless, given the increasing level of international competition, the SSP plans to step up its game. Hence, MCCY has announced a strategic review to see how the Sports School can become a national sports academy of excellence and provide talented student-athletes the best environment to train and develop their full potential. Page: 17 The review will see how we can better optimise the training and competition schedule of our student-athletes, and still give them a sound academic education so they can progress to Institutes of Higher Learning. This could mean, for example, a more flexible curriculum for those with the potential to excel at the international level. As it is – and Members would be aware of this – the Sports School has already been piloting a customised academic curriculum which wraps around the student-athlete's training schedule, or what is known as the School-Within-a-School (SWS) programme.”
“We are also working with the Singapore National Employers' Federation to encourage more employers to promote integration among their employees. Many civic groups and individuals are also doing their part to help integrate newcomers. These include Connexions International, which seeks to build friendships with international students and help them understand Singapore society. Another community organisation, the Singapore Loving and Giving Society, organised a seminar to help new immigrants and international students better understand our social norms and adapt to life in Singapore. These are just two examples of the numerous ground-up projects, supported by the NIC, that contribute to integration. Even as we work continuously to sustain integration, there will be future occasions when the spotlight is thrown on some foreigners' comments or Page: 153 behaviour. At such times, it is our balanced responses that will be important to mitigating negative emotions and maintaining our social cohesion.”
“There have recently been occasional waves of negative sentiment towards foreign migrants, especially on the Internet. This is, in part, due to the way social media amplifies and quickly spreads negative sentiments. However, it is heartening to see that such anti-foreigner sentiments are often countered by many people who urge reasonableness and calm. Public education has an important part to play in raising public awareness that we need to be more discerning in what we read and more responsible in how we behave on the Internet and social media. In this regard, the community and stakeholders, such as the Media Literacy Council, have an important part to play in developing programmes to promote information and media literacy. The Government is also studying how our legal framework can be enhanced, so that people can be better protected against acts of harassment and related anti-social behaviour, both in the real world and online. Beyond these measures, it is important to sustain efforts to integrate newcomers into Singapore and promote mutual understanding between locals and foreigners. The National Integration Council (NIC) has been working with its partners to broaden and deepen our outreach to immigrants and foreigners, to help them understand and adapt to our culture and social norms. In the community, we will continue to promote volunteerism to newcomers, including in civic organisations, as well as major events like the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. Through volunteerism, new immigrants will be able to foster friendships with locals and showcase their contributions to society. In our schools, we will continue to create opportunities for all students to interact and share common experiences.”
“Our bilingual policy rightly encourages Chinese Singaporeans to speak Mandarin rather than the Chinese dialects as it provides a common language which allows Singaporeans to access the wider Chinese culture and economic opportunities. However, Chinese dialects continue to be used in informal communications, as well as in traditional Chinese arts and cultural forms. For example, they are still used in hawker centres, markets, as well as in getai performances and Chinese opera. To preserve the use of Chinese dialects, the Chinese Clan Associations organise dialect classes for children, as well as for Singaporeans of all ages who are keen to improve their proficiency in these dialects. MCCY recognises that the Chinese dialects are part of the Chinese Singaporean culture and heritage. Thus, the National Heritage Board provides grants to several Clan Associations to help preserve their heritage and promote their activities, some of which are conducted in dialect. Dialect also continues to be used in traditional arts funded by the National Arts Council, such as in Cantonese and Teochew Opera, as well as in some contemporary theatre productions. The National Library Board's Library@Chinatown has a specially curated collection on Chinese arts and culture. This includes materials in Chinese dialects, such as Chinese opera videos and nursery rhymes, as well as audio recordings, stories and films offered in partnership with Rediffusion. These efforts will help ensure that the use of Chinese dialects as part of the culture and heritage of Chinese Singaporeans remains accessible to future generations.”
“The answer is, "Yes". As I mentioned, Sistic keeps the ticket revenues and holds them until the event is over. Because Sistic has that practice, it is able to refund all the revenues it has held to the consumers who bought tickets for that particular Korean pop concert, through Sistic.”
“The cancellation of events is not something that can be completely avoided. Even in major markets like London and New York, you do see cancelations. If we look at the cancellations that we have had over the past year, the number that we have is not large. From what we can see, we have had five cancellations throughout the whole of 2013. Most of the events have had refunds of ticket sales. In this particular case with the Korean pop concert that was mentioned, as the Member highlighted, the company went bankrupt, and so, not all of the Page: 10 ticket sales were refunded fully to consumers who had made the purchase. On the specifics of the company, I do not have the full information of what happened within the company and whether the officers in the company had contracted debt, as the Member had mentioned, or whether there were commercial practices which were found to be not appropriate. That is something that will have to be investigated, but I do not have the information at this stage.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would say that we are, indeed, looking at the range of sports and discussing very closely with each National Sports Association (NSA) to see how they can identify athletes in the sports that will be featured in the SEA Games to make sure that they are well prepared to achieve good results during the SEA Games. We are, indeed, taking that focused approach in preparing our athletes and working with the NSAs for the SEA Games. The Member talked about the performance of the SEA Games in relation to the High Performance Sports system which was recently introduced and the Sports Excellence (SpEx) Scholarship. It is not related because the SpEx programme just started. So, we cannot say because of this, therefore, the results we saw in the recent SEA Games. I wish it were so. But the results of the SEA Games were the results of the years of training and investment that have been put in by the respective NSAs, through the support of the Singapore Sports Council (SSC). With this additional injection that we are putting in now through the SpEx Scholarship and the High Performance Sports system, we think that that would prepare us even better for SEA Games 2015.”
“The original plans for mid-sized theatres in the Esplanade remain on the table. We are working out the detailed specifications for this project, which will have impact on the costs, the funding model, as well as timing. These are issues which MCCY is presently studying. In the meantime, the reopening of Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, targeted for August 2014, will help alleviate the demand for mid-sized performing venues in the city. The theatre will have around 600 seats and the concert hall, around 670 seats. Page: 163”
“I understand the restrictions will apply more in terms of the actual receipt of funding by the corporate entity to run its business but there will be issues of advertising, because if you look at Internet advertising, it is growing. And then the question would be where do you get these sources of revenue from. So, that is something that MDA has been in discussion with The Independent, particularly in sorting out some of the implementation issues. But the main concern with foreign funding would apply, firstly, to receipt of funding by the corporate entity itself to run its business which, I think, the undertaking by these entities would then address, because then they would undertake not to receive foreign funding. On advertising itself, I think that is something that we have to discuss the specifics, because it is more complicated in the Internet world where you may have difficulties in tracking the source of funding. But that is something that they are working through in discussion, the details, between MDA and The Independent.”
“I will take the second question first with regard to foreign advertising or with respect to newspapers being subject to foreign influence, for example, foreign advertising. There are actually very clear provisions set out in the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act which give a lot more control over the newspapers, and that is why, in a way, that concern is addressed specifically with provisions under the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act. The same concern with respect to foreign funding but there are more control levers, regulatory levers, there with respect to newspapers, but not so much with respect to the Internet providers. That had not been envisaged. The principle is there in the Broadcasting Act but the regulatory levers are not there in the class licence, and that is why the recent updates to the class licensing scheme and the registration provisions require some declaration of undertaking. For the first question on the take-down of Facebook and Twitter, that, I think, only came after The Breakfast Network decided that it would not be able to comply with the registration. And I think that is something that when MDA looked at the decision that The Breakfast Network had come to, in deciding not to continue, it felt that then as a company, as a corporate entity, it will not have the licence to operate on the Internet whether on Facebook, Twitter or on the website. Therefore, the decision was to ask The Breakfast Network to take down these sites. Page: 33”
“I thank the Member for the feedback which they have, in fact, also given to MDA. But I would say that The Independent has actually submitted their forms. So, whether or not it is onerous, they have, in fact, applied and they have submitted all their forms, and that is being reviewed by MDA presently. We are very open to trying to see ways in which we can streamline the process of application.”
“As I have mentioned earlier, any case of such unsolicited SMSes should be raised with the PDPC. The PDPC will investigate Page: 28 each and every inquiry or feedback that has been given to them. Enforcement is, indeed, an issue for something like this. It is not just unique to us. All countries that have set up DNC Registries face this issue and grapple with this issue. It is an important issue which we need to understand better. The PDPC is committed to following up on each and every complaint or feedback that it receives. It will do the investigation for each and every case and follow up with prosecution, if necessary. There are phone numbers and websites. These are all available for members of the public to follow up with.”