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.”
The complete record
Every one of 3,205 lines we hold for Lawrence Wong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 63 of 65.
“We have good examples of private giving to arts and heritage, like the donation by Mr William Lim which Arthur Fong highlighted earlier. But I agree with Mr Arthur Fong that there is more that we can do to promote private giving to the arts. Over the last five years, while the number of arts organisations has increased, total private giving to the arts has remained more or less unchanged, at only about 3% of all charitable donations. Compared to other countries, we still have some way to go – because if you look on a per capita basis, giving to the cultural sector in Singapore stands at about $7 per person, compared to $13 in Australia, $14 in the UK and $35 in the US. So, we must do more to encourage cultural philanthropy, and that is why the Deputy Prime Minister Tharman had announced in his Budget Speech that the Government will match private sector donations to arts and heritage groups, museums and institutions. We will set aside $200 million in a Cultural Donation Matching Fund to finance these matching grants. We can only have a thriving arts and heritage sector if our people have a personal stake in Singapore's culture, and feel the desire to contribute to its growth and development. Some Members asked about the implementation details of the Matching Fund. Ms Janice Koh asked for more flexible administration, I believe, earlier in the Budget Debate. And Mr Ang Hin Kee suggested extending it to clan associations and arts schools like NAFA, LASALLE, and also to cover building Page: 55 projects. We will look into all of these suggestions.”
“Our social norms and values are changing. At this turning point, the strengthening of our local identity and cultural ballast becomes all the more crucial. In 2010, the Government launched a $23 million National Traditional Arts Plan to support our traditional arts forms. Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Sam Tan, will elaborate further on the progress of this Plan, and what else we are doing to preserve and promote our traditional arts. (In English): Finally, on arts and heritage, the final point I would like to make is that while the Government will do more and will do its part, we should not rely solely on State financing for the arts and heritage. You can look at what countries do, and in Europe for example, funding for the arts tends to be state-controlled. But the experience there has not always Page: 54 been positive. Besides being subject to budget cuts whenever there is a fiscal tightening, too much bureaucracy can also stifle artistic development. Because the public officials will then have to decide what can or cannot be funded, and there will be tremendous frustration on the ground. Indeed, many in the arts community have shared with me that when it comes to the arts, they prefer that the Government do less, not more; and open up the space for creative and artistic expressions. On the other hand, another model in the US, funding for the arts is overwhelmingly reliant on private patronage. It is not bad but it also has its downsides – because art is not just a private enterprise, it is an essential element of our collective culture and identity. What we need is a kind of partnership between the Government, corporations and individuals. We must find the right balance between state support, private giving and commercial activity.”
“NAC had earlier announced a hiatus from the Venice Biennale this year. We have reviewed this, and decided that our participation in the Venice Biennale is important in profiling our artists internationally. I am happy to say that plans Page: 53 are currently underway, in consultation with the relevant agencies and stakeholders, to pave our return to the next Venice Biennale in 2015. The third area is the traditional arts sector. The traditional arts, such as Chinese ink painting, bangsawan Malay opera and Indian dance, these are an important part of our culture and heritage. They provide a link to our past, and to our ancestral roots; and at the same time, because the traditional arts in Singapore have evolved with a certain local flavour and character, they also contribute to our distinctive Singapore culture. So, we will continue to support and promote the traditional arts in Singapore. Mdm Chair, allow me to say a few words on this in Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Madam, the Government has all along been supporting the preservation and promotion of our traditional arts to enhance Singapore's multicultural flavour. By influencing one another, our traditional arts forms can evolve into a unique blend that is our distinctive cultural resource. In this manner, we will become a true nexus of cultural exchange between East and West. Over the years, through our arts practitioners' painstaking efforts, and with the support of the Government, our traditional arts sector has achieved remarkable results. Today, it is a significant sector in our arts and culture scene. The Government is committed to supporting our traditional arts practitioners, to lift this sector to the next level. Our Singapore society is entering a transition.”
“On space provisions, we will do more so that we can have more options for our arts groups, and when the refurbishment of Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall is completed and re-open in mid-2014, these two venues will provide much-needed, professionally fitted-out and managed mid-sized venues in the city, in addition to the current Drama Centre. We are also looking at ways to promote excellence in the visual arts sector. We already have a growing calendar of exciting visual arts events, like the Singapore Art Week which was held earlier this year. And we had many people who had come to see the art exhibitions. There is also growing interest in Singapore art, whether it is works by our pioneering artists like Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen, or by our current leading art practitioners like Iskandar Jalil, Ming Wong, Thomas Yeo, Tan Swie Hian. To build up our visual arts sector further, we will do more to strengthen our art professionals' capabilities, in areas, such as critical research, writing and curatorship. The visual arts sector will also receive a further boost when the National Art Gallery opens in 2015. Together with the Singapore Art Museum and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, we will have three visual arts institutions under MCCY. I think there will be benefits to strengthening this visual arts cluster comprising these three institutions – to achieve better coordination, to deepen our capabilities, to boost scholarship and to maximise synergies. So, that is something that we are looking at to form and to develop this visual arts cluster. We are also looking at international platforms for the visual arts. One of the most important contemporary visual arts shows in the world is the Venice Biennale.”
“While it is not possible to house all our artists and arts groups in subsidised spaces, NAC will continue to develop alternative options by working with partners, such as commercial developers and community centres, to co-locate artists and arts groups in their facilities. I will also now briefly highlight our plans to promote artistic excellence in three different sectors. The first is the performing arts sector, and that is something that Ms Janice Koh had mentioned. The pinnacle performing arts festival is the Singapore Arts Festival. And as Members are aware, a Review Committee was set up last year, and it submitted its recommendations for the Festival to have a sharper focus on artistic quality to inspire audiences. The Review Committee also called for the Festival to be run by an independent festival company. My Ministry has reviewed the recommendations, and we agree with the broad directions set out by the Committee. So, NAC will set up a new company to take over the running of the Arts Festival which will return in 2014. This is one example where we are happy to step back and give the arts community greater latitude in creative expressions. The company will be given the autonomy to determine the Festival's artistic direction. This will allow the arts community to expand its programming capabilities and, over time, enable the Page: 52 Festival to develop a stronger identity of its own. On theatre space which is something Ms Janice Koh talked about, I think it is an issue of both cost and space. On cost and charges, it is something we are prepared to review, and we do so from time to time. But I would say that we already charged local arts group subsidised rates despite running these theatre spaces at a loss.”
“With this additional investment, our artists will have greater support to pursue their passion and to hone their craft. I should perhaps say a few words about funding guidelines which Ms Janice Koh talked about earlier as well. Our guidelines are there because of the need for accountability in the use of public funds. NAC will apply this with a light touch and provide space as much as possible for our artists and art groups to express themselves creatively. I think the key does not lie in funding Page: 51 guidelines per se, but the key lies in building a discerning audience that is supportive of artistic expression even if it may be sometimes provocative or controversial. And that requires deep dialogue and engagement between our artists and the broader community, different diverse groups which MCCY and NAC will facilitate so that we can gradually open up the space for more artistic expressions. Complementing our support through the grants framework are national platforms like the Singapore Arts Festival, the Singapore Biennale and the Singapore Writers Festival. These platforms also support our artists and arts groups by commissioning local works. And through these platforms, our artists will have the chance to profile their works both locally and abroad. Besides the NAC grants, we also have arts housing subsidies. The number of artists and arts groups who benefited from subsidised studios has increased to more than 170 in 2013 over the past five years – this is an increase of almost 90%. In addition, artists and arts groups benefit from the project studios and the pay-per-use rehearsal and performance spaces in these arts housing facilities.”
“Again, these are areas which Members have highlighted, and the new grants framework is indeed aligned in this direction. For example, we have enhanced the grants to support original and innovative content; and we have introduced new grants to support productions in both local and international markets, as well as to build audiences at home and abroad. Third, we have a longer funding tenure to give grant recipients greater financial stability and the ability to plan for longer term projects. For example, under the revised organisation-based Major Grants Scheme, the funding tenure has now been extended to three years. Ms Janice Koh voiced concerns about the possibility of some arts groups graduating from the Major Grant Scheme after three years. I would like to assure her that NAC will continue to support companies that play a key role in our arts scene. It may or may not be through the Major Grant or other grant schemes, but there are other grant schemes which we can tap on, and which now include higher and more comprehensive levels of support. 12.45 pm Finally, we are also going to be more inclusive in supporting a more diverse range of art forms as well as applicants. In particular, commercial arts companies and intermediaries such as galleries, presenters, producers and publishers will be eligible for almost all project grants, in recognition of the role they play in a vibrant arts and culture ecosystem. These revisions in NAC's grant schemes will raise funding to our artists and art groups to around $94 million between FY2012 and FY2016. And it is a significant increase of almost 140%, compared against the previous five-year period from 2007 to 2011.”
“NAC's direct assistance to our artists and arts groups, such as through grants, arts housing rental subsidies, scholarships and training, has almost doubled over the past five years. In this year's Budget, state funding for the arts will increase by a further significant amount, and I should say that we are fortunate to be in a position to do so. As the Culture Minister, I will be the first to stand up to beat the drum for more funding for culture. But I think we should be glad that we are having more state funding, because when I talk to my counterparts in other countries, they are quite envious of our position. Around the world, we see governments tightening their belts and funding for the arts is often the first to be cut. In Singapore, I am glad that we have an Exchequer that is supportive of the arts, and has agreed to increase our arts funding, as well as sports funding, but that is a separate topic which I will talk about later. Over the past year, NAC has done extensive consultations with artists and arts groups on how the Government can provide better support for them. Based on their feedback, NAC has recently improved its grants schemes . I would not go into the details because it is already made public, but there are some directional shifts which I would like to explain. First, we will offer more integrated support throughout the entire art-making process, from creation to production to market and audience development. Those were the points that some Members mentioned. So, we Page: 50 are not just looking at specific parts but the entire spectrum of art making and we will provide funding. Second, we will have more funding provisions to help our artists achieve artistic excellence, to encourage new creative and innovative content, and build capabilities.”
“But I think it is best to demonstrate it by showing Members a picture of what an infra-red photograph looks like, and that is what the students are trying to do. And I think there are many other examples of young people participating in the arts through these efforts that we are doing, and we will continue to do so and give maximum exposure in the arts to our students. Fifth, the Government will continue to support our local artists and help them in their pursuit of artistic excellence. There were Members who spoke about this, like Ms Irene Ng, Ms Janice Koh and Mr Arthur Fong, and I share their views that we must continue to support our local artists in their pursuit of Page: 49 excellence. We must recognise our local artists who have dedicated their lives to excelling in their craft, and there are many of them whom we can be proud of. Like Mr Kwek Swee Boon, the founder of his own dance company The Human Expression Dance Company – THE. He did this together with his wife and a small team of dancers. It was very difficult at first but in three years, THE is now touring cities like Paris, Dubai, and they have built up a reputation for themselves as a contemporary dance company combining western and eastern forms of dance. Without our artists, we would not have the quality of artwork and performances that ignite our imagination, stir our spirits, and inspire our creativity. There are some perceptions that state funding for artistic excellence have been compromised somewhat, because of funding for community engagement in the arts. I would like to clarify that, in fact, the Government's support for artists and arts groups has actually increased significantly over the years.”
“Last year, we had the Arts and Culture Education Masterplan, where teachers were given more access to training in teaching the arts, and students were given more support to put up performances and pursue artistic projects. Through these efforts, we want to make sure that every child in school can regularly take part in different cultural activities and learn to express themselves through storytelling, arts and crafts, singing, music-making and dance. We also want them to have the opportunity to appreciate artistic excellence and be inspired through visits to the museum, theatre, concert hall, or heritage sites. One of the initiatives under the Masterplan is the new Arts and Culture Presentation Grant (ACPG) for schools, which MCCY and MOE launched late last year. The grant hopes to create more opportunities for youths to have a deeper engagement with arts and culture, and to share their artworks beyond the school community, especially in public places. We have awarded the grant to 37 schools, and we have made a special effort to support schools that may not have the resources to showcase their students' performances and artworks to the public. The proposals that were submitted, and that we have seen, are all very promising. Like this picture of Serangoon Junior College student putting up a series of monologues, skits and a play, with the scripts mostly written by the students themselves. Or ITE College Central, the students are using the grant to do something interesting, using infra-red photography to create images. I asked them what infra-red photograph was about, and they gave me a technical explanation which I could not understand.”
“With support from NAC, she worked with the Asian Welfare Association's Seniors Activity Centre, to organise a craft project for seniors, where she taught them to incorporate creative elements into patchwork. When she first started the workshop, the seniors were worried about making mistakes. The most common excuse was, "I cannot draw", and the second most common excuse was, "Just tell me what to do and I will do it. But Bee Aye insisted that they come up with their own creative expressions. So, she asked them to start with something simple – to cut out simple pictures showing stories of their past and stitch them into craftwork – and the result was colourful, everyday scenes; the places they used to work at, the homes they used to live in, birds, flowers, even an image of the trams that used to run along downtown Singapore. As Members can see from this picture, the seniors were proud to showcase their handicraft, as they had achieved something which they never thought they could do in the past. These are all examples of how the arts can develop self-confidence, promote creative expression and transform lives. There is still much more we can do. The key to do this well is good implementation on the ground. I recognise that we can do better, but we are committed to do this well, and we will take in feedback and suggestions from Members on how we can improve our engagement on the ground. If there are suggestions on things that we can do better, we will study them, and we will step up our community engagement Page: 48 efforts in the coming years. Fourth, we will also reach out to our young people and our children and strengthen arts education in schools.”
“Around the island, we had 140 PAssionArts Hotspots like the one shown here, where residents have a chance to showcase their artistic talents every month. The spirit of ground-up arts initiatives is captured by this group of young Singaporeans. They wanted to show the importance of valuing the contributions of our foreign workers. So, they made friends with a group of Bangladeshi workers, and even went to visit their families in Bangladesh. With support from the NAC and the Singapore International Foundation, these young people presented the personal stories of our foreign workers through a photography exhibition and a short film screening at the Arts House. Page: 47 Later, they even formed a music band with some of the Bangladeshi workers. They learnt about their music, and they put up a performance that combined their music with rock, pop and indie sounds. It is a wonderful example of what we can do to build bridges across communities through the arts. Some Members – Ms Irene Ng, Ms Janice Koh – have suggested that the best way to engage the community is to draw on the expertise of artists and art organisations. I fully agree with them. Community arts is something that we want not just for the numbers, but for deep engagement and to help transform lives. I think our artists are in a very good position to do this. Today, many of the NAC's grant recipients, like The Necessary Stage and DramaBox, actively engage the community through quality programmes. Going forward, NAC will do more to work with arts practitioners who are keen to engage the community and co-create arts projects with them. Ms Tay Bee Aye is one such example.”
“I hope this move will encourage more Singaporeans to visit our museums and heritage institutions. There is a lot you can see, learn and enjoy, especially for people with families and children. More importantly, I hope that Singaporeans take pride in our museums. At the same time, we will make sure that our museums step up their outreach and programmes to the community, so that more Singaporeans can come to our museums to appreciate and enjoy our diverse culture and heritage. The third strategy we have is to continue with efforts to engage our communities through the arts. Mr Arthur Fong and several Members mentioned about this, and Ms Janice Koh also made a point about how arts programmes should be kept affordable, especially for low-income families. And that is what we are trying to do with our community outreach, and there are many activities that we have started which are accessible to all. For example, we have provided learning opportunities to appreciate the arts, through the Arts and Culture 101 programmes in our libraries. We have also brought the arts closer to our people, through our community clubs, libraries and parks. An important part of what we are trying to do is to promote ground-up initiatives, whether in singing, dancing, acting or playing a musical instrument. Since we rolled out the Community Engagement Masterplan last year, almost 250 new community interest groups across various art forms, such as pottery, theatre, singing and the ukulele, have been formed. Recently, we had the PAssionArts Singing Festival, and as Members can see in the picture, very good turnout, lots of participation, more than 35,000 people took part.”
“Mr Baey Yam Keng had raised this idea in 2011, and Ms Janice Koh also asked about this in a PQ last year. I have discussed this with our museum team. Over the years, we have progressively expanded the scope of free admission. For example, we now have free entry in the month of August, but we have stopped short of doing it all year round. The key consideration was to ensure sustainability over the long term. This remains a concern and so, from time to time, when we bring in special exhibitions with external partners, there will be entry charges to help cover the cost. In fact, this is done in museums all over the world. Aside from these periodic special shows, I am convinced that there are significant merits to opening up our museums for all Singaporeans to enjoy. Take the example of Ms Tay Bee Luan – she has two children, and she wrote to NHB last year to tell us how much she appreciated the free museum entry month in August. She does not have a high household income, so costs are a concern, but she made full use of the free entry in August and brought her two children to the national museums every weekend. She could not complete all the museums last August, and I know they are looking forward to the next time they can go to the museum. There are many others like them who will benefit from greater access to our museums. After careful consideration, I have decided to make entry to our national museums and heritage institutions free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents all year round. We will start from 18 May, with the launch of this year's Children's Season in the museum. I think it is a fitting day to start free Page: 46 museum entry, because 18 May also happens to be International Museum Day.”
“Rocky Point is around the current Fullerton Hotel area; so, the painter was there looking across the Singapore River, and Members can see some high points or high features in the background, that is probably Fort Canning where he was looking out to. This painting is one of the earliest surviving depictions of Singapore and provides an eye-witness account of a pivotal moment in our history. There are many more wonderful items like this in our National Collection, in our museums, that tell the story of how Singapore has evolved as a nation. 12.30 pm We want to enhance this content in our national museums, so that they can better tell the Singapore Story in a way that resonates with Singaporeans. So, over the next five years, we will invest $62 million to help our museums build up their collections and conserve these collections with new techniques. We will increase access to our collection through our museums and also online, so that our artefacts and artworks can be enjoyed by both the present generation Page: 45 and kept safe for future generations. Our museums are not just about objects and exhibitions; they are really about our people. And we want our museums to be central to the cultural and community life of all Singaporeans, enjoyed by young and old alike. Here, I acknowledge that there is scope to improve. Our surveys show that although three in four Singaporeans agree that participating in heritage activities and visiting museums are important in developing a sense of belonging, only one in five Singaporeans actually visited our museums and heritage institutions. So, there is a bit of a disjoint – 75% say it is important, but only 20% actually visit. Some have suggested having year-round free entry to our national museums.”
“Even as we develop our heritage at the community level, I agree with Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and other Members that we cannot neglect our National Museums because they are key repositories of our nation's memories and history. Through our museums, we celebrate the story of Singapore and Singaporeans, and provide a link to history for us and our children. Through Page: 44 our museums, we also see Singapore's development in relation to other civilisations and broader world events. Take, for example, the picture of a collection of shipwrecked treasures from the Tang dynasty, salvaged off the Java Sea. It shows how Singapore has long been at the crossroads of maritime trade between China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This exquisite gold cup that Members see at the top of the picture was probably a diplomatic gift made in China on its way to the Persian courts. How do we know this? Well, first of all the octagonal shape of the cup is clearly not Chinese and, secondly, the figurines on the cup which are Middle Eastern. Singapore was at the centre of international trade even back in the first millennium. But the significance of our central location would be most keenly felt only a thousand years later in the 19th century, when Malaya became a chessboard for the European powers vying for supremacy through their colonies. The British were then searching for a new port south of Penang, and they despatched their ships, Discovery and Investigator, to look for a suitable harbour. This old monochrome painting was done by a midshipman on one of the ships, Discovery, way back in 1819, the year of Singapore's founding. Members may not be able to make it out, but there is a small sort of a few words at the bottom of the painting that says it is a painting from Rocky Point.”
“So far, we have 10 heritage trails: from heritage trails marking historical sites of national importance in the Civic District and along the Singapore River to sites that showcase our community memories in neighbourhoods like Balestier, Queenstown and Yishun-Sembawang. Members can see the map of the completed heritage trials. This year, NHB will launch three more heritage trails in Toa Payoh, Tampines and Tiong Bahru. There will be more to come after that. Our longer-term plan is to develop an island-wide network of community museums, galleries and heritage trails. In developing all of these plans, our approach is to partner the community to celebrate our heritage together. We want to encourage more ground-up heritage initiatives, and we will engage students, volunteers and heritage interest groups, and facilitate self-initiated heritage efforts. NHB will also widen and deepen its engagement with heritage enthusiasts, including bloggers, people in our educational institutions and non-profit organisations like the Singapore Heritage Society and the Organisation of Senior Volunteers (RSVP). It will also nurture heritage champions, equip them with the necessary training to become lifelong advocates, and provide them with assistance to develop self-initiated projects. Through all of these channels, we want Singaporeans to have the opportunity to move beyond being passive audiences of heritage content to being active creators and participants. Together, we can celebrate the unique aspects of each community's heritage, and make the Singapore story come alive, as seen and told by Singaporeans. That is our first strategy around heritage and the past. Second, we will also enhance our National Museums and make them more accessible.”
“This is our first community museum, which was opened earlier this year, and it had very strong response from the citizens and residents in the community. I have shared examples in the East, Central and Western regions. But, in fact, every part of Singapore is unique with its own flavour, and we want to foster a sense of pride in the community for the distinctive heritage that we have in these different parts of our nation. To achieve this, we have to strike a balance between preservation and development. Our old buildings, structures and sites are part of our built heritage. They help to preserve memories and contribute to the unique character of our living environment. NHB will work closely with HDB, URA and other agencies to consider heritage elements in our development planning process. We want to make Singapore a modern city with deep roots. We will also expand our heritage-related activities and projects to strengthen our Singaporean identity and way of life. I agree with Mr Alex Yam that we should celebrate the masters of our vanishing trades. This is why NHB has been working hard to document and highlight the things we all cherish as part of our heritage – like our traditional bakeries, or this picture here which shows a street barber at Aliwal Street. And Members can see several students gathering around the barber. They are trying to record what he is doing to Page: 43 preserve the memories and keep them for future generations of Singaporeans. To give Singaporeans a greater sense of ownership over our heritage, MCCY and NHB will develop more community-based museums, heritage galleries and trails in neighbourhoods all over Singapore.”
“And I remember going to East Coast Park on weekends, it is not as green as it is now because the trees were newly planted and you could not see a lot of greenery at that time, but I remember going to East Coast Park, the beach, every weekend. I remember the schools that we went to in the neighbourhood – not in Marine Parade because it was a new town and there were no schools there, but we went to schools further out in Haig Road and Tanjong Katong – and the famous Katong laksa and chicken rice in East Coast Road. So, that is my memory growing up. Page: 42 In the central part of Singapore, you have Queenstown which Dr Chia Shi-Lu spoke about. It is our first satellite estate named in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth's coronation. This is where we had the Tah Chung Emporium, the three cinemas at the town centre – they were the hip places to hang out in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, you can still see some of the old buildings there, like Princess House which was where the HDB's first office was located, and the old wet market. Queenstown is well loved by the community so much so that there is a civic group, My Community, which came up with five heritage trails of the area on their own. In the West, in Jurong, we have other historical markers. This was where we started Jurong Industrial Estate more than four decades ago. We had a Vespa company producing Vespa then. We had the first built-up hawker centres in Singapore; and we also had our first drive-in cinema where many Singaporeans had their first date. And as Members can see from these pictures, there are many other exhibits about Jurong which we brought together at the Taman Jurong community museum.”
“On arts and heritage, what are our plans? First, we will engage Singaporeans in preserving and remembering our past. To nourish the Singapore soul, we must embrace the past and celebrate our heritage. One way to do so is through major national events – to remember the good times as well as the hard times that we have been through as a people. That is why we are doing something to commemorate the 10th anniversary of fighting and containing the SARS outbreak, as Minister Gan mentioned in the MOH COS. But besides these national stories, we must also make the Singapore story one that is personally meaningful to every Singaporean. And for many of us, our memories of Singapore are more localised; they are linked to the familiar things that we grew up with – our HDB estates, our schools – something that Mr Baey spoke passionately about at the MOE COS, our community parks and gardens, our favourite food stall in the hawker centre, or the old mama stalls in the HDB void decks. As Mr Sitoh Yih Pin said very eloquently just now, heritage is not something that is detached; it is part of our everyday lives. Singapore may be a small country, but there are special characteristics in the different parts of our little island that reflect our unique history and identity. Several Members like Dr Chia Shi-Lu and Mr Alex Yam, spoke about this and I fully agree with them. Let Members give some specific examples. I grew up in the East – in Marine Parade – and I tried long and hard to find an old photo that would show Marine Parade when I was growing up in the 1970s. I managed to find one in the archives – one of the point blocks where I used to stay.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2013/2014, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“It is an on-going process to build relationships between the people and the Government, so as to shape better policies and improve the lives of all Singaporeans. The Government will do its part by stepping up our engagement and communication efforts so that, together with all Singaporeans, we can build a better Singapore for the future.”
“An important part of this engagement is to ensure that our conversations are grounded in facts and that our citizens are well-informed on policies, a point that several Members also highlighted. We already have websites like "Factually" where people can find key facts relating to Government policies. Other agencies also have similar sites, like "HDB Speaks" by HDB and "Mythbusters" by MOT. But platforms alone are not sufficient. It is one thing to have a platform where you clarify facts. I think it is more important to engage online, to be present, to engage − so that any distortions, half-truths or untruths can be corrected quickly and we can all agree on a certain set of facts to debate from. While we do more through social media, Mr Seng Han Thong also reminded us that there are Singaporeans who may not be comfortable using such platforms, and we need to be mindful of these Singaporeans and how we get our message across to them and how we engage them. So, I would like to assure Mr Seng and Members of this House that the Government will continue to leverage on both traditional and digital platforms to ensure that we engage with a wide spectrum of Singaporeans. We recognise that they are very diverse audiences and our messages have to be customised and better targeted at these different audiences in order to resonate with them. That is something we will be mindful of. We will also intensify our ground efforts to reach out to Singaporeans and engage them directly, face-to-face, whether it is through town halls, policy forums or dialogue sessions. I believe many of my colleagues in this House are Page: 113 already doing this, and we will continue to do more. Mdm Chair, public engagement is not a one-off effort.”
“With the new application, we can provide users access to the latest news updates and services across all Government agencies from a single platform. Subscribers will get latest news alerts, videos, publications and Government data and will be able to share them easily with friends online. Parliamentary debates are also an important way for the public to know more about policies. I think Mr Zaqy Mohamad alluded to this earlier. I am pleased to inform Members that MCI will work with MediaCorp to enhance coverage of Parliamentary proceedings. We will work with MediaCorp to upload all footage from Question Time to CNA's microsite. We will also look into lengthening the archival period for Parliament videos from the current one month. This will allow the public to fully follow the debates at a convenient pace. Page: 112 The Government will also put out more short video clips using multimedia to explain issues to the public – something that Mr Zaqy Mohamad has also suggested. Last year, for example, we produced many videos that touched on a wide range of topics, from the GST Voucher to the Green Man Plus scheme for pedestrian crossings, and we will have more this year and the years to come. But communication online is not the same as our traditional broadcast medium. Social media is not a one-way broadcast; it is not a monologue. Rather, it is about dialogue; it is about participation; it is about engaging in an ongoing and meaningful conversation with stakeholders. This is where some public agencies are already doing this but the efforts are still uneven across the Government. So, we will need to build up capabilities across all agencies, and be able to engage Singaporeans actively through social media.”
“I will cite some examples. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) uses several social media platforms to communicate with the public. It has a Facebook page to reinforce the importance of fire safety and to share information on the work of SCDF personnel. It also uses Twitter to provide the public with time-sensitive updates during emergencies. The Singapore Police Force has a Facebook page with a very strong 300,000 fan base. It also uses that to reach out to the community to help solve crimes and ensure public safety with timely advisories. The Gov.sg website also has mobile applications for the Apple and Android platforms. So, we do not take sides. To tap on the increasing popularity of tablets, such as the iPad, we will be launching an upgraded Gov.sg application. Mdm Chair, with your permission, I will show a short video clip on this.”
“At the end of the day, we must be able to look past all of our differences, all of our disagreements and still forge a common future, for there are far more things that unite us than divide us. That is what we are seeking to do in the OSC. So, I would encourage all Singaporeans to participate actively in this process of a national conversation. We are now moving to the next phase of the conversation where we will dive deeper into the concerns raised during the earlier phase of a more open dialogue. There will be a range of issues to discuss, and various forums and sessions where people can sign up to join the conversation in shaping our future Singapore. Mdm Chair, I would like to assure the House that the Government is committed to consult as widely as it can, to listen deeply and to incorporate the views of Singaporeans when formulating its policies. I acknowledge there are still areas to improve. But through the OSC, through efforts by REACH, through MCI's own Information Service Officers and the efforts of all public agencies, we will do more to promote public engagement. Page: 111 One area which Members talked about and which I think we can do more because we are somewhat behind the curve is in social media. We recognise that new media usage is rising and that more and more Singaporeans now turn to online platforms for information and news. That is why, as many Members observed, you will see Government agencies now stepping up their online presence. It is not limited to our Ministers on Facebook because you will also see many agencies using a combination of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, mobile applications and digital platforms. The statistics show an increase across-the-board. But beyond the statistics, it is how agencies actually use these platforms.”
“But there have been many OSC sessions and, through this process, we aim to involve as many Singaporeans as possible from a wide cross-section of society. One participant said of her experience in the OSC: "I must say that my experience of the SG Conversation opened my eyes to other Singaporeans. I do encourage people to go and speak their minds, and learn from fellow Singaporeans. If we are Singaporeans, we do have a duty to engage in a Page: 110 dialogue about our future." It is very encouraging to hear this and, indeed, we have heard similar feedback, not just this one but from many other participants in the OSC. This is something that bodes well for our maturing society because, for our democracy to work, our citizens must be prepared to engage deeply on the issues that matter to them. We already see this happening. As Mr Zaqy Mohamad said, the feedback on REACH, in terms of quality, is getting better. In the letters columns of our newspapers and in various online platforms, we now see more Singaporeans debating with each other, advocating their respective positions. Sometimes, before the Government agency has time to reply to a letter, you see a counterview from another Singaporean. These are positive trends. They demonstrate our peoples' desire to play a part in shaping the future of Singapore through robust dialogue and conversations, not only with the Government, but also with each other. Sometimes, passions are aroused during these debates. That is okay, because the issues we are discussing are serious issues that affect the lives of all Singaporeans. But it is important that we do not vilify those who disagree with us, or tear down each other in the process of debate. Ultimately, we all want the best for our country and for Singaporeans.”
“Individuals and civic groups are entitled to expect every serious proposal to be considered, but they must also accept that not all suggestions can be accepted by the Government, especially when there are different and often competing viewpoints among Singaporeans. So, the key to effective consultation is that all parties must take part in it with a spirit of mutual respect for the legitimacy of the process and the perspectives of all participants. And there are many examples of consultations undertaken in this spirit which have led to important changes and shifts in policies. Mr Baey asked about examples. Let me cite just two of them. For example, the Enabling Masterplan, which was initiated by the then MCYS, was a masterplan to address the needs of persons with disabilities and their caregivers. The masterplan was very much the result of a process of co-creation, involving NGOs and other stakeholders. Another example is when MOH recently extended MediShield to cover newly-diagnosed congenital and neonatal conditions. This also arose from suggestions, including those made during a public consultation on enhancements to MediShield, and also suggestions from participants at the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) sessions. Going forward, the OSC will be an important process for us to discuss the broader directions for our nation, and how policies should change to support these new directions. We have had many organisations and interest groups organise their own ground-up dialogues as part of the OSC. You will see a slide here. You have Minister Grace Fu doing a session in Yuhua with the senior citizens. The other picture is one of the OSC sessions held in London with overseas Singaporeans.”
“Indeed, an important group of people who are crucial in our public engagement efforts are our information service officers. They form the backbone of our public engagement efforts. We are proud of them and we are building them up and investing in their capabilities. As Mr Seng mentioned, we have appointed a new Chief of Government Communications. That has brought more professional expertise, experience and leadership to the service, and we will continue with that leadership to invest in the service to build up capabilities to coordinate efforts across Ministries and also to improve our ability to do things like sensing of information on the ground, analyse information, and better craft messages to different audiences. Some Members − Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Mr Baey Yam Keng − have shared how people sometimes question the value of giving feedback to the Government. I understand their concerns. Government agencies can and must do more to consult at the early stages of the policy process upfront and consider all public inputs given seriously and with an open mind. Agencies also need to do more to close the loop after the feedback has been given to explain the reasons for their decisions, so that people can understand how their inputs helped to shape the final decision. Some Ministries are already doing this. But, clearly, we need to level up the efforts across all our public agencies. So, through REACH spearheading our public engagement efforts through the Page: 109 information service, we intend to do that. At the same time, we must also recognise that consultation is also a two-way street. Just as the Government needs to be open to different views, so, too, must the participants of public consultation.”
“Our aim is to give Singaporeans a sense of ownership over the issues and policies that matter to them – a sense of ownership over shaping their future. We will improve our capabilities to do this, to gather ground sentiments and public feedback. We will also distil lessons from our recent experiences, including the White Paper on Population, and then see how we can do better. One key strategy for us is to enhance REACH, which is now part of MCI. REACH will take on a larger role to spearhead engagement efforts across the whole of Government. Mr David Ong asked about the effectiveness of REACH. In fact, last year, REACH alone conducted 21 engagement activities, both face- Page: 108 to-face and online, and received an average of 5,500 inputs a month from Singaporeans. This is a six-fold increase in feedback received since REACH was first launched in 2006. So, REACH has done quite a fair bit and it will continue to do more. It will step up its efforts face-to-face with various segments of the community in terms of engagement. For example, this year, REACH will be launching a series of dialogues for Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) group, to delve deeper into issues facing this group, who make up more than half of Singapore's workforce. REACH will also make greater use of social media platforms, including Facebook, to make it even more convenient for Singaporeans to provide feedback and for REACH to stay connected with them. Besides working through REACH, MCI itself will also help to coordinate the building of public communication and engagement capabilities across all Government agencies. 4.45 pm Mr Seng Han Thong mentioned this and highlighted the role of our Information Service Officers.”
“Mdm Chairperson, Minister Yaacob has shared about how the Government will be listening carefully and consulting widely in the formulation of policies. So, let me now further elaborate further on how we intend to do this. Several Members of the House – Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr David Ong and Mr Seng Han Thong – have highlighted the need for the Government to involve Singaporeans in the policy-making process. We fully agree with them. Our policies are meant to improve the lives of Singaporeans and must take into account the views of Singaporeans. Public engagement is an important part of the policy-making process. It is neither new nor something that we are just doing now. It is, in fact, something that we have been doing all along but, over the years, we have increasingly intensified our efforts to engage on a wide range of issues with as many stakeholders as possible, and through various platforms, be it dialogues, webchats, town halls or discussion forums. In 2012, there were more than 30 public consultation efforts across the different Ministries and we have a slide up that shows some examples of the various consultation exercises that took place. These are just a few illustrations. Beyond these 30 consultation efforts, there were many other more informal exchanges, focus group discussions that took place across the different Ministries and agencies. However, as highlighted by Mr Baey Yam Keng and some other Members, there is certainly scope for us to do more and we can still do better to improve the level of citizen involvement in our policy-making process. So, I would like to assure Members that the Government will continue to look for meaningful and relevant ways to engage Singaporeans and involve them in policy-making.”
“In the last five years, 13 athletes, all from bodybuilding, were found to have violated the anti-doping rules. They were Page: 174 each handed a ban of two years for their violations. As a condition of funding by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), National Sports Associations (NSAs) are required to sign an undertaking to abide by the policies and rules of Anti-Doping Singapore, the national champion for anti-doping. SSC will withhold or withdraw funding from NSAs that do not agree to or repeatedly fail to comply with the policies and rules of Anti-Doping Singapore. Page: 175”
“Mdm Chairperson, I understand where the Member is coming from, and the concerns about negative interest rates, and whether this will erode the values of Singaporeans' savings. But as I explained, I think they are sufficient investment options and products. They can always be improved certainly. MAS will be happy to engage the industry to consider how our financial sector can be further developed, how we can continue to offer more investment options to investors, whether institutional or retail especially which is a concern of the Member. More important as we develop these options is another important aspect which is education. Reaching out Singaporeans and helping them understand how to access all of these different options which are already available – whether it is making use of the CPF, for example, to top up voluntarily whether it is their Retirement Account or Special Account. That option is there and I do not think everyone has made full use of it. So, we can reach out more to educate them. There are also other investment options which are available to retail investors, as I highlighted earlier, whether it is equity, unit trust or exchange-traded funds, which do offer better returns with some risk. So, the investor has to be appropriately advised and educated on what are these risks return profiles, Page: 122 what is the risk appetite that each person is prepared to accept and then make investment decisions accordingly. That is an important aspect of reaching out and educating Singaporeans about how best they can manage their savings, given the current low interest rate environment. It is something that MAS intends to do through its financial outreach programmes.”
“An open tender for the operation of former Farrer Park Swimming Complex was called by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) from 7 September 2012 to 1 October 2012. There was no delay. The tender was awarded on 8 January 2013 with the winning bidder given a two-year tenancy for the site, with an option to renew the tenancy for another two years. A valuation of the prevailing market rent for the complex was used by SSC to set the reserve price for the tender. This information is generally not published in our public tenders to avoid the situation where bidders submit bids around or just higher than the reserve price, which might result in the Government not getting best value for the tender. Page: 94”
“Besides the 64 athletes who were granted citizenship under the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) Scheme, there were two athletes who had acquired their citizenship under the Sports Excellence (SPEX) 2000 programme, which was a precursor to the FST Scheme. As a point of clarification, in our earlier reply to the Member when he asked how many on the FST had renounced their Singapore Citizenship, we had included athletes under both schemes to be comprehensive. The athletes who came in on SPEX 2000 and the FST Scheme have represented Singapore in 13 sports. They are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, cue-sports, fencing, football, hockey, netball, shooting, swimming, table tennis and water polo. The National Sports Associations (NSAs) and media have been highlighting information on these athletes on various occasions. But we would prefer not to single out these athletes by naming them individually in a list. Let us respect their privacy, and do our best to help them integrate into our society. These Page: 93 athletes are now Singaporeans, and we should embrace them as part of Team Singapore.”
“On the point about quality of exhibitions and making the balance between local/regional art and international "blockbusters", the museums are mindful of this. They do want to have more focused exhibitions, providing platforms for local and regional artists. I think it is commendable that they are doing that. We do need to promote that space a lot more but they cannot just do it exclusively. They will need to find a balance between the kinds of exhibitions that they have – some will be international "blockbusters", and there will still be a continuation of these exhibitions – whether at SAM or the National Museum. But, overall, we do also want to have a strong focus on developing local and regional artists, and also strengthening the cultural and heritage connections that the museums can provide for Singaporeans.”
“I would like to thank the Member for all her very constructive and useful suggestions. I share all her points because, indeed, I think we need to do more to reach out to Singaporeans and to make quality art Page: 20 accessible to them. It is not just through the museums. We had the Singapore Art Week recently, which was a very good show, and offerings of art exhibitions at the Art Stage, Gillman Barracks, SAM, amongst others. And we had a good turn-out. But we can still do more in terms of getting people to come to these exhibitions, reaching out to school kids, students, community groups to organise tours in these various platforms, in which people can enjoy and appreciate art. We hope to do more of that, not just for SAM but the broader platforms or other museums, as the Member has suggested, other art exhibitions that could be done at the Gillman Barracks, at the Art Stage, or at the other Art Fests in Singapore. The overall scene, I think, is becoming more vibrant, and so there will, indeed, be more opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy and appreciate art in Singapore. So, the point is well taken that we need to do a lot more outreach, not just about marketing and publicity, but outreach to Singaporeans to make art accessible to them. That is something we hope to do in the Ministry, and working with our partner agencies as well. The same thing would go for the Biennale that the Member mentioned. It is something that we hope will not just be an event that people feel is far and away, aloof and distant, and that it is only for a particular group of people, but one which all Singaporeans can feel is something they can enjoy.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. The first question, on whether the indicators at the agency-level can be published, we would do so to the extent possible. We do want to make sure that each agency tracks the programmes that it is initiating and it is implementing, and be accountable for these programmes. When we do a review of the overall effort, then we will see whether there is scope to fine-tune our programmes at that stage. So, the indicators are, indeed, helpful for that purpose and, to the extent possible, we would encourage the agencies to put out these indicators. The second question, on manpower and training, it is something that we would like to do. We are doing this, and I think we can do better. We have had a group of staff and volunteers, as I mentioned in my reply earlier, who are deployed within the community. That is manpower that is needed in order to help link up the community with arts groups, arts professionals, to help understand better what the community needs are. I appreciate the point that these officers also need to be trained in arts at some level, so that they understand not only the needs of the community, but also have a good understanding of what is happening in the arts space, who are the professionals in the arts, sectors that they can link up with. We have done some of that kind of exposure and training, but I think we can do more. And we will continue to do so.”
“We also monitor the percentages of Singaporeans who agree that arts and culture have contributed towards a better quality of life, a greater sense of belonging, and a better understanding of people of different backgrounds and cultures. In addition to these indicators, our implementation agencies, such as NAC, NHB, PA and NLB, also have separate quantitative and qualitative indicators for their respective initiatives under the Masterplan. For example, NLB tracks whether there is a change in a person's interest in arts and culture after he has attended the NLB's Arts and Culture 101 programme; NAC tracks the impact of arts and culture on the well-being of beneficiaries for its programmes in the social sector. Collectively, all of these efforts contribute towards the long-term outcomes set out in our Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR). One of the outcomes that is envisaged in the Arts and Culture Strategic Review is that by 2025, we hope that at least four out of every five Singaporeans will attend at least one arts and culture event, and at least half of all Singaporeans will participate actively in the arts. As the lead agency for the Community Engagement Masterplan, MCCY will monitor and account for our overall progress to ensure that the investment in the Community Engagement Masterplan translates to real benefits for Singaporeans. This includes the continual review and refinement of all programmes and initiatives to ensure that the efforts of the agencies that are part of the Masterplan collectively contribute to our desired outcomes.”
“For example, NAC had a Silver Arts Platform which supported the literary publication Ceriph in their first community project "10 X 10". Basically, they paired 10 young writers with 10 senior citizens to collaborate on creative writing projects. NAC's "Let's Connect" networking sessions are another example, providing opportunities for community organisations and arts practitioners to collaborate. The remaining 10% of funding has gone towards the development and upgrading of facilities under the Community Engagement Masterplan. These include a number of new and enhanced heritage trails and the recently opened community museum at Taman Jurong. These developments have served as touchpoints to engage volunteers and other enthusiasts. Our Museum @ Taman Jurong alone involved the participation of more than 200 residents in the lead-up to its launch in January this year. Besides the more broad-based programmes rolled out in this initial phase, funding under the Community Engagement Masterplan will also support programmes to deepen engagement among new audiences. Through the various initiatives under the Community Engagement Masterplan, MCCY's agencies and partners will also encourage community enthusiasts to work with professional arts practitioners so as to help raise the quality of arts and culture Page: 13 programming at the community level. To gauge the Masterplan's success, we monitor a range of indicators that are both quantitative and qualitative in nature. The quantitative measures include the number of programmes that are supported and the number of Singaporeans the programmes have reached out to. Some of the qualitative indicators include Singaporeans' perception of arts and culture, which are captured in NAC's biennial National Population Survey on the Arts.”
“Launched in April 2012, the Community Engagement Masterplan aims to bring the arts and culture closer to many more Singaporeans. We want to encourage Singaporeans to pursue their interests in the arts and culture, enrich their quality of life and strengthen their sense of heritage, and also their connection with the community. This is a long-term programme that requires strong support and participation from the community. As at 31 December 2012, an estimated $19 million has been expended under the Masterplan. Around 50% of these funds have gone towards establishing networks of staff and volunteers to engage residents and to work with them to tailor programmes of interest to the local community. These networks also disseminate information on activities, resources and facilities Page: 12 that are available, thereby enhancing interest in arts and culture in the community. Another 40% of the Community Engagement Masterplan funding has been used to support new programmes. The programmes funded under the Masterplan include the creation of 84 community arts and culture clubs, and various community interest groups in art forms, such as pottery, theatre, singing and even the ukulele. Other programmes supported under the Masterplan include the over 450 Arts and Culture 101 programmes held at NLB's public libraries, and other targeted programmes for youths, seniors and working adults, which aim to increase appreciation for arts and culture. Many of these programmes have involved professional arts practitioners, creating new platforms for professional artists to engage the community. To date, more than 140 artists and arts groups have participated in various platforms as performers, instructors and mentors.”
“I understand where the Member is coming from and reflecting the concerns that some Singaporeans have surfaced as well. I would Page: 41 say you do see success stories of foreign sports talents who have integrated very well. When our Lions won the Suzuki Cup, for example, they won it with people like Alexander Duric on the team. He is embraced by Singaporeans as part of the team, very much so. We can make it work. The sports talents who come in do add something to raise sports excellence. They do inspire young Singaporeans because they come in, they contribute, whether as athletes or as professional coaches. They do contribute something to our local sports teams. Doing this does not mean we neglect talent development of young Singaporeans. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, we have to do more to invest in training and in developing our athletes, our own young Singaporeans, which we are doing. I think if we do that – focus on talent development for our own Singaporeans through the Sports School, through various programmes that we have, working with the NSAs – and at the same time, make use of the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme in a judicious manner – identifying the talents we can help and augment what we have, whether they are athletes or coaches, do as much as we can to integrate them well in Singapore – I think we would be able to continue to develop our sports sector even further.”
“As someone who has had the privilege of being the team manager for water polo in the 2002 Pusan Asian Games, and the manager for the swimming team in the 2004 Olympics, and looking at the sports scene, it would seem as though the Singaporean public has not quite come to terms with the sporting success that has been achieved by these new citizens. I would like to ask the Minister how important is sporting success to Singapore, given that the public, since 1996, has not warmed up, in my view, to the idea of sporting success by these new citizens.”
“Mdm Speaker, the objective of the Foreign Sports Talent (FST) Scheme is to raise the standard of play and to augment local sports talent. A total of 64 athletes has been granted Singapore Citizenship since the FST Scheme began in 1996. Over the last five years, 10 FSTs were granted Singapore Citizenship. These athletes lived in Singapore for an average period of two years and 10 months before they were granted Singapore Citizenship. Of the 64 foreign athletes granted Singapore Citizenship, four have since renounced their Singapore Citizenship. Two were footballers, who felt that there were more playing opportunities in their place of birth; one was a marathoner, who decided to settle back in her native country after retirement; and one was a young basketball player, who felt she could not adapt to the Singapore lifestyle. National Sports Associations (NSAs) that wish to bring in FSTs are required to put in place integration programmes to assimilate FSTs into Singapore society. Athletes attend National Day events, visit schools and perform community service. They are also assigned local mentors to facilitate their integration, and undergo English lessons to raise their language proficiency and ability to communicate with Singaporeans. The Singapore Sports Council will continue to work with the NSAs to improve their integration programmes. Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Acting Minister for his reply. I would like to ask the Acting Minister what is his Ministry's assessment of the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Indeed, it is something that we see as important and we will do our best to expedite the process. Page: 34”
“I think the two questions are somewhat related. So, I would say that for financial professionals who provide advisory services pertaining to specific products like stocks, forex, they are already licensed. MAS already has a licensing framework for that – the Financial Advisory Act, the Securities and Futures Act. There is a licensing framework for these people who provide specific advisory services. But MAS would prefer not to go into regulation of general education and training. That is very broad and we have to start regulating every single provider who provides general training. It will be very difficult for the reasons I mentioned earlier in my reply.”
“MAS will consider developing further guidance on what consumers should look out for when offered these types of courses, such as checking and verifying the qualifications of those providing the training. Page: 33 Finally, I would encourage Singaporeans to be wary of promises of high returns that seem too good to be true. Whether they are purported investment schemes, training courses or other avenues for profit, they should be viewed with a dose of scepticism. Consumers should always ask themselves what the catch is.”
“Mdm Speaker, I am taking this question on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of MAS. Mrs Lina Chiam's question refers to training courses which typically claim to teach investment strategies that will give high and consistent profits within a short period of time. There is a wide range of courses on investments available, from courses charting simple trends to those analysing volatility. There are even courses which would associate stock market movements with the time of the year or with movements of the stars. MAS is not in a position to assess exactly which courses are credible and will make money for consumers. It is also not meaningful to assess the trainers without considering the content of the courses conducted. Ultimately, consumers have to decide whether the course and the trainer can deliver on their promises. Nevertheless, to help consumers, there are two things that MAS intends to do more of. First, MAS will consider ways to limit the scope for entities to mislead or deceive consumers through false advertising, and, in particular, MAS intends to work with the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore and other Government agencies to tighten the rules on advertising. For courses on financial products in particular, MAS will review its regulatory framework to see how it can be tightened to enhance protection for consumers. Second, educating consumers so that they can ask the right questions. In this regard, MAS has published, through its national financial education programme called MoneySENSE, a consumer alert on the various "Get-Rich-Quick Seminars" to highlight the key things that consumers should consider before parting with their monies to attend such training seminars.”
“I thank the Member for the clarification. Yes, indeed, there is one particular entity, which is the National Stadium, which is not open for commercial naming rights. The others are, but, again, it depends on the outcome because if there are commercial parties that are not interested, then these facilities may be still open for us to name differently instead of commercialising them. Because it depends on whether there is any commercial interest. The naming rights of the overall Sports Hub itself is not going to be commercialised. So, that again can be discussed. There are various possibilities. It is not as though all of the naming rights have been sold away. Page: 32”
“I thank the Member for the suggestion. We would certainly be considering the naming of facilities that could take the name of some of our public figures or sports personalities. We are prepared to consider the suggestion and that is still provided for within the context of the Sports Hub because, as I said, not all of the naming rights have been sold or are part of the agreement with the operator. There are still entities where the naming rights have not been provided for in the commercial agreement. So, there are still entities within the Sports Hub which we can name and the Government can decide to so name in a different manner or after a sports personality or after a public figure, as he has suggested. We have not decided; we have not made that decision. But the option is there. So, we would be prepared to study that. On the earlier question about whether there is any preferential treatment, the answer is no. Whatever the media speculation, any interested party can approach the Sports Hub company and let them know that they are interested in a sponsorship deal with naming rights for a particular facility. It is open to any company. I know that the Sports Hub operator has been talking to many parties. There has been a media report speculating about a potential deal with one local bank, but I do not think that means that it is only one party that is interested. Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene: Mdm Speaker, earlier, the Acting Minister said that only the National Stadium's name would not be commercialised. In a subsequent reply, he mentioned that there could be other similar entities within the Sports Hub. Could the Acting Minister clarify whether there is actually more than one facility that is not open to commercial naming rights?”