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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“Secondly, much as I understand that there are commercial considerations, would the Ministry have any policy or preference with regard to Page: 31 naming some of the facilities to recognise some of our founding fathers or sports personalities?”
“We will do what we can. But as I mentioned earlier, this is already provided for in the agreement where the operator is allowed to sell naming rights for individual facilities within the Sports Hub. It can be for the aquatic centre; it can be for the indoor stadium. These are individual facilities within the Sports Hub, but not for the National Stadium which we have preserved. Whichever the company that is prepared to come forward, as I mentioned earlier, would still require the SSC's consent. Whether or not the SSC agrees to it, they have to do so within reasonable grounds. They would be able to say no, if a tobacco company wants to put its name on the facility. But there would be limits. You will have to find reasonable grounds to evaluate the applications put up by the operator based on the discussions that it has with potential sponsors. So, that is what SSC has to do. On the duration of the naming rights, again, that is a commercial arrangement that the operator would have made in discussion with different potential sponsors, and it depends on what the sponsors would be interested to do. I would imagine quite a number of them would be looking at long-term sponsorship arrangements. But, again, that is something that the operator would have to do, talk to the potential sponsors, put up an application and then SSC would look at the application on the merits of each individual case. Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): I thank the Acting Minister for his reply. The media reports have it that a local bank is in discussion with the Sports Hub operator. My question is whether this discussion could be open to all interested parties? Can any entity approach the Sports Hub operator? It seems as though there is this preferential treatment for the local bank.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Sports Hub is being developed under a 25-year public-private-partnership (PPP) agreement, where a commercial operator undertakes to finance, build and operate the entire project in return for a pre-agreed payment and a share of the overall revenue. Part of the revenue from the operation of the Sports Hub would include revenue from the sale of naming rights, which then may be used to finance future enhancements to the facilities to have better events and shows, as well as to fund community events and support the development of our athletes. Under the contract of the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), the operator may sell the naming rights to individual facilities within the Sports Hub, except for the National Stadium. However, any sale of naming rights within the Sports Hub is still subject to SSC's consent. Our aim is to strike a balance, preserving the character of our national icons while allowing sports to benefit from Page: 30 corporate sponsorship. Based on the agreement, the marketing for the naming rights is undertaken by the operator. SSC is not involved in inviting bids from interested parties.”
“Yes, we are already doing that because through various dialogues that I mentioned, through Our Singapore Conversation, through the various youth sessions that we are having – we have conducted quite a number of them and we are continuing to have a few of them lined up in the coming months – we are in the process of asking young people through the sessions whether such a platform is useful, is meaningful and whether or not they would consider other platforms. We are not wedded to the particular idea of a youth parliament. I do not think we are wedded to any particular modality of engagement. We would rather let young people themselves voice out their opinions, their views, what exactly would they like and then we would hear from them and then, based on the consensus of youth, based on the opinions of young people, we can move forward on a more effective platform.”
“Yes, a few have suggested the idea of a youth parliament but we really need to hear from the young people themselves what platforms, what engagement platforms or forums would be ideal, would be suitable for them and then let them take ownership of the platform which they would like for meaningful engagement.”
“I thank the Member for her four supplementary questions. I will take them in turn. First, on the success of the programmes and what we use to assess success, well, there are a range of quantitative and qualitative indicators. We could look at attendance, outreach, the number of youth who participate in the programmes. These are some relatively straightforward quantitative indicators. But we also use qualitative indicators through feedback forms, through responses of the youth participants themselves on the engagement levels within these forums that we provide. How can the feedback of the young people be factored into policy processes? Again there are various ways. One, ideas that are gathered during these platforms, NYC will make a point to convey the ideas and suggestions to the relevant Ministries and Government agencies. Secondly, if there is interest, NYC also specifically organises focus group discussions on particular policy topics with the stakeholders and with Government agencies themselves so that there is a direct process and interaction between the policy-makers and the young people. Third, will we be prepared to make use of alumni or to collaborate and partner with alumni from these youth programmes? The answer is, certainly, we will be happy to collaborate with not just youth sector organisations but individuals who have been alumni from these programmes because they certainly have valuable experience to contribute. Finally, is Singapore ready for a youth parliament? I think the answer is not so much whether Singapore is ready. I think the question should be, "What would young people themselves like to have?" That is the question we would like to hear from young people themselves.”
“I thank the Member for the suggestion. It is something we will take up and consider with SSC, and we will see how best to do so.”
“I thank the hon Member for the follow-up question. As I mentioned, it is something that we are looking at. We are aware of the importance of administration within the NSAs and the impact that good administration can have on the quality of performance of our athletes and teams. Grants or support from the SSC is one aspect of it, but we think it has to be looked at in a more comprehensive manner, looking at the organisational Page: 36 excellence within the NSAs, looking at the competencies and skill-sets that are required in sports administration and management. So, we hope to do this in a more holistic fashion, and if indeed more support and resources are required, we would be prepared to do so.”
“Madam, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. Indeed, as I have mentioned, we would like to do a more comprehensive study on the manpower needs of the sports sector, looking at the competencies and skills that we would require for sports administration and management. We would have to engage stakeholders, the NSAs in particular, and the sports industry, to find out what competencies and skills we are lacking, what sort of salary benchmarks we are aiming for, and then what implications this will mean in terms of our financial support and resources. On the supply side, in order to provide sufficient manpower with these sorts of competencies and skills, we would also then have to engage our Universities and our institutions of higher learning to look at what new programmes we will need to put in place, whether at the diploma or the degree level. These are plans that we have as part of this broader manpower study.”
“Instead, artists and arts groups are only required to pay a monthly service charge to the landlord. Page: 161 NAC has facilitated two such projects under this scheme. The first project involves Very Special Arts taking up a space at Changi City Point Mall in 2011 while the second project involves Singapore Dance Theatre moving into Bugis+ mall from early 2013. There has been interest from other commercial developers and arts groups, and NAC will continue to facilitate these arrangements. Currently, shared storage facilities are available at a subsidised rate in Goodman Arts Centre and the upcoming Aliwal Arts Centre. However, we recognise that affordable storage is a challenge, particularly for dance and theatre companies. NAC will continue to explore alternatives that can be developed with commercial players, and welcome proposals from artists and arts groups. NAC is currently discussing with partners like the People’s Association (PA) on co-locating artists and arts groups in community spaces. NAC has also been working with PA to identify suitable community facilities for upgrading, integrating arts facilities and better programming into our civic and community centres. To date, NAC has supported two Community Clubs (CCs), Siglap South and Kallang, in both programming and facility enhancements. Page: 162”
“The National Arts Council (NAC) completed the review of the current Arts Housing Scheme (AHS) in late 2010. Since then, it has implemented the new Framework for Arts Spaces. Through this Framework, NAC aims to create a stronger link between infrastructure support and the different needs of the artists and arts groups. The objectives are to build their capacity and sustain their growth. These spaces will be platforms where artists and arts groups can collaborate with one another, and interact with the wider public to bring the arts to the community. The Goodman Arts Centre was rolled out in 2011 as a pilot project under this Framework. Home to more than 40 artists and arts groups, the Centre has since its opening, launched more than 200 programmes. The next arts housing development under the Framework for Arts Spaces is the Aliwal Arts Centre, which will be launched in March 2013. With the Arts Housing Scheme and the Framework for Arts Spaces, NAC currently houses more than 170 tenants. The NAC will continue to look into how best to meet the needs of the arts sector. This will include redeveloping existing properties and identifying new spaces to fill gaps in existing infrastructure. It will also promote shared facilities and short-term project studios that will benefit a larger pool of professional and amateur artists/arts groups. NAC has been working with Government agencies and commercial developers to facilitate co-location of artists and arts groups in commercial developments under the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)'s Community/Sports Facilities Scheme (CSFS). The aim is for these arts groups to engage with and bring greater vibrancy to their community. Under the CSFS, the arts groups need not pay any rental.”
“While it is not possible for the Government to house all our artists and arts groups in Government-subsidised spaces, we regularly review how we can better meet their needs through initiatives such as the Goodman Arts Centre and the new Framework for Arts Spaces. At the same time, NAC continues 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. Page: 160”
“Under the National Arts Council (NAC)'s Arts Housing Scheme (AHS), the total floor area available to artists and arts groups is about 24,000 sqm. This is also the existing cap on Gross Floor Area (GFA) for which the Government provides rental subvention to NAC under the Arts Housing Scheme. Besides what is available under the AHS, there is an additional 15,000 sqm of space for subsidised arts housing in the Goodman Arts Centre, which does not fall within the GFA cap. So, the total available space for artists and arts groups is 39,000 sqm. The Goodman Arts Centre is a pilot project under a new framework for subsidised arts housing introduced by NAC after extensive consultations with our artists and arts groups. With this new Framework for Arts Spaces, we hope to make our spaces more flexible and useable. One of the key initiatives is the introduction of more shared facilities, short-term project studios, as well as co-tenancy arrangements. These changes optimise the limited space we have, and allow the facilities to benefit more artists and arts groups, including many new and emerging practitioners. Since the introduction of the new Framework, the number of artists and arts groups who benefit from subsidised studios have increased from around 90 in 2007 to more than 170 in 2013 with the opening of the new Aliwal Arts Centre. This represents an almost 90% increase in the number of artists and arts groups housed. This is broadly in tandem with the growth in the number of registered visual and performing arts companies from about 410 to 740 during the same period. In addition, there is a wider group of artists and arts groups who make use of and benefit from the project studios and "pay-per-use" rehearsal and performance spaces.”
“Another key strategy in developing a more creative and innovative people is to invest more in arts education and a curriculum which encourages creative expression within the context of a holistic education. This will build not only future creative talent, but just as importantly, a discerning audience that is appreciative and supportive of the artistic expression. This will require strong programmes to ensure that our students learn about the value of the arts and acquire the skills and dispositions to express themselves creatively, while maintaining a sense of responsibility and an understanding of our social context. Our efforts in promoting artistic and creative education will lay the foundation for a creative society in the years to come.”
“As a nation, I believe we all want to support the development of the arts and culture, and promote a more creative and innovative society. At the same time, artistic expression must respect the rule of law and show consideration for others who share the common space in our multi-racial and multi-religious society. For its part, the Government has to bear the responsibility of balancing the interests of different segments of society, who may hold different and sometimes opposing views on issues. Within this context, the space for artistic expression is not static; it will continue to evolve. Indeed over the years, Singapore has come a long way in the development of a creative culture. Our artists now have more opportunities to develop their craft, and showcase their creative talents. Singaporeans, in turn, enjoy an abundance of options when it comes to arts and cultural offerings. As our society matures and becomes more diverse, I am confident that the space for artistic expression will continue to grow. For this to happen, it is important to have continued dialogue and engagement between the diverse segments of our community, so that there is mutual understanding, tolerance and respect Page: 140 for different views and perspectives. This is also why we see the need for arts and culture to be part of the daily lives of Singaporeans. This was a gap identified in the recent Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR), which is why MCCY is strengthening our community arts programme, to enable the experience of arts and culture by one and all in the community. A deeper appreciation of the intrinsic value of creativity and the arts will further pave the way for Singapore to become a more creative society.”
“However, the best protection is still the consumer who takes care, and in particular questions how an operator intends to generate promised returns before deciding to part with his money. MAS will continue to step up its efforts to alert consumers to potential pitfalls when dealing with unregulated investments or entities. Should consumers choose to deal with unregulated entities, they must be fully aware of the risks involved with the investment, the credibility and reliability of the persons they are dealing with, and their channels for recourse should anything go wrong.”
“As Mr Teo has noted, MAS has taken steps to educate Singaporeans on the risks of investing in gold buy-back schemes. Companies operating gold buy-back schemes, which are unregulated, are also listed on the MAS Investor Alert List (IAL). Deputy Prime Minister Tharman had previously explained in this House MAS’ approach to regulation. Schemes that involve investors acquiring direct ownership of physical assets, such as gold, land, art or wine, are presently not regulated. These physical assets are traded by various entities for commercial purposes. In the case of gold, these entities include jewellers, refiners, manufacturers and import-export firms. Trading in physical assets has therefore not been included within MAS’ regulatory ambit, which covers financial products. Page: 135 But regulatory boundaries are not static. We have seen cases of physical commodities being marketed in schemes that purport to be an alternative financial investment. MAS is reviewing whether there is a need to refine its regulatory framework to account for changes in the investment landscape. In its review, MAS will have to balance the cost of extending its regulatory ambit with the need to provide customers adequate protection. An overly-regulated environment will stifle legitimate businesses and innovations that may well be in consumers’ interests. We have to find the right balance. MAS will also consider ways to limit the scope for entities to mislead or deceive consumers through false advertising. Some of these schemes being marketed as alternatives to traditional financial investments entice consumers through exaggerated claims of returns. MAS intends to work with the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) and other Government agencies to tighten the rules for advertising.”
“I thank the Member for the clarification. It is something that we will take into consideration.”
“I thank the Member for her follow-up questions. On the first question, it is the case that we are looking now with the re-definition of arts participation amongst young people at the young people who do not participate in structured programmes within schools. These are largely CCAs, but there may be other non-CCA type of structured programmes. We are largely looking at CCA programmes. That is the reason for the drop in the youth participation rates. On tracking the numbers beyond school, and whether there is a decline in the participation rates because of people progressing through school and perhaps not continuing in arts participation after they have graduated, we do not have very good data on this. Perhaps that happens. We hope that we can improve our ability to identify or to find out more information about what youth participation is like. This links to the Member's third question about broadening the capabilities either within the NAC or the Ministry to have a better sensing of what young people's participation in the arts is like, whether it is at the young age that the Member suggested or as they progress through their school life and perhaps, even as they enter the work force. We do engage in such surveys periodically. NAC, for example, did a survey on youth participation in the arts in 2011. From that survey, they had a good sensing of what interests young people in the arts, what motivates them to take part in the arts. That is one example of a survey that NAC did. We do hope to do more surveys in order to get a better sensing of young people's mindsets when they participate in arts activities.”
“For these reasons, the previously announced Arts and Culture Education Masterplan will channel up to $40 million towards initiatives to improve arts and culture curricula and co-curricular activities in schools. This includes providing grants for showcases and performances by school groups, funding projects which improve pedagogies in the arts curriculum, and leveraging on the arts to teach the academic curriculum. The Masterplan also enhances the instructional capabilities of arts teachers, through masterclasses, learning journeys and conferences. Collectively, the Masterplan will improve the experience of students with the arts, cultivate a love of the arts from young, and develop qualities that our youth can carry with them throughout their lives. MCCY will also continue to support our talented youth to achieve their aspirations in the arts, through programmes such as NAC's "Pocket Rocket" and NOISE. "Pocket Rocket" provides funding and guidance for youth-initiated arts projects which target community or social causes, while NOISE provides young artists with showcase and mentorship opportunities to grow their talent.”
“Mdm Speaker, based on the National Arts Council's Population Survey of the Arts, participation in the arts by youth aged 15 to 24 declined from 40% in 2009 to 28% in 2011. However, this was due in part to a change in the definition of an arts participant in the survey. Respondents who participated in the arts purely for academic or school purposes were excluded in the 2011 edition of the survey. This meant that youth who had participated in school, but did not engage in other arts activities outside of school, were Page: 38 excluded from the pool of participants. The definition was amended to more accurately capture interest and involvement amongst youth relative to other demographic segments, who do not have the advantage of structured school-based programmes. Prior to the change, youth participation rates had appeared much higher than the national average, but may not have presented an accurate picture of youth involvement as they would have included obligatory arts activities in school. Despite this change, the 2011 youth participation rate remains above the national average. MCCY strongly believes that active participation in the arts can help our youth find greater fulfilment and gain confidence to succeed in their endeavours. Participation in the arts from a young age can also cultivate greater creativity and sensitivity amongst our youth. These qualities will put them in good stead in all areas of life. The energy and passion of our youth will also contribute towards greater vibrancy in our arts landscape. The future success of Singapore depends on having passionate and creative young people who are meaningfully engaged with society, and believe in striving for their ideals and dreams.”
“The hon Member would be aware that at the SEA Games level, the selection of sports is done by the SEA Games Federation Council. And all ASEAN members are represented on the Council by their National Olympic Committees. We are represented by the SNOC. At the SEA Games Federation Council level, our SNOC has always taken the stand that the sports that are included in the SEA Games ought to be games that are Olympics-level or Asian Games-level types of sports. We have always taken that stand. Within the SEA Games framework, the Council allows for traditional games to be included into the Games as well. The host country, sometimes, will include some of these games. Indonesia, in the last SEA Games, included a traditional martial arts sport; Myanmar this year has proposed chinlone, a game that is something like sepak takraw and it is going to be included in the Games, as I understand. Within that framework, what we can do is to continue to maintain our position to advocate for SEA Games-level sports to include games that are at the Olympic and Asian Games-level. With that base of sports, our athletes will have quite a number of opportunities to participate, excel and do well in these sports. Within the SEA Games context, there will always be a few traditional sports that will be included. We recognise that and that is part of the SEA Games spirit. When we host the Games in 2015, we will maintain our same position, that we want the Games to be of a high level. And we would want to have, as far as possible, within the SEA Games that we host in 2015, sports that are at the Olympic and Asian Games-level.”
“Finally, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef has rightly noted a very important issue that more payment systems are performed over online systems, such as Internet banking and mobile phones. MAS expects financial institutions to implement strong and robust security controls over their online banking systems. It has also actively engaged the industry to enhance IT security for payment services over the Internet and mobile networks. In addition, MAS issues technology risk management guidelines and security circulars to financial institutions, like the Internet and technology risk management guidelines and circular on two-factor authentication for Internet banking. Page: 75 Mdm Speaker, to conclude, the amendments to this Bill seek to enhance MAS' oversight over the designated payment systems and to align Singapore's payment regulations with leading international standards. These amendments will ultimately aid to improve the safety, efficiency and the confidence of the public in Singapore's payment systems. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Lawrence Wong]. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee. (proc text)] [Mdm Speaker in the Chair]”
“This threshold was, in fact, set when the Act came into force in 2006, so we are not changing the threshold with this Bill. At the time when the threshold was set, it was really to determine the appropriate balance between allowing for innovation in the industry and ensuring sufficient regulatory oversight. The $30 million threshold captures widely used stored-value facilities (SVFs) that have high volume and value of transactions. This threshold presently captures the nationwide multi-purpose SVFs in operation, namely the NETS cash card and the EZ-Link card. The stored-value facilities that are not captured are mostly small-scale ones which focus on niche areas, such as SVFs for the pre-paying of consumption of food and beverage, the use of fitness facilities or the purchase of electronic products. Third, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about increased supervisory works or requirements by the MAS. Again, let me clarify that there is no change in the extent of MAS' supervisory framework with this Bill. The amendments are administrative covering the issues of inspection report confidentiality, expedited emergency powers and the exclusion of MAS from the regulation of designated payment systems, as I have elaborated earlier. MAS will continue to adopt a risk-based approach to designated payment systems that are important for Singapore's financial stability and public confidence. Fourth, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about foreign exchange transactions and cross-border transactions and whether these would be affected in any way. The amendments proposed in the Bill do not affect the nature and flow of foreign exchange and cross-border transactions in Singapore's payment systems. So, there would not be any impact.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef for her support of the Bill and the very pertinent issues that she has raised. Allow me to address each of the key points in turn. First, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about the exempting of MAS from the Payment Systems (Oversight) (Amendment) Bill. As I mentioned earlier, central banks in most countries operate and oversee their large-value interbank payment systems. For example, central banks in the UK and Australia have both operational and oversight responsibilities for their large-value payment systems. I would like to assure Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef and Members of the House that MAS' internal governance framework to maintain effective oversight of MEPS+ is in line with the best practices of these foreign central banks and also with leading international standards. To elaborate on MAS' internal governance framework, I would say that there is a clear separation between the payment systems oversight and the MEPS+ operations function. The oversight and operations departments function independently and have separate management reporting lines to different senior management and Board committees. The Oversight Department ensures that MEPS+ has adequate risk management and controls for its system design, operations, processes and rules to ensure the safety and efficiency of the system. MAS will also have disclosure response of its system vis-a-vis leading international standards, and it will pose these disclosures on its website. So, there will be clear accountability on how MAS operates and Page: 74 regulates the system, compared to leading international standards. Second, on the question of the threshold for stored-value facilities, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked why the threshold was set at $30 million.”
“Mr Ang has raised a very pertinent point. I have been talking to the FAS and encouraging them to get more of our national players to go out to schools to speak to students, engage students, to conduct soccer clinics so that we can, indeed, motivate and inspire more young students to take up soccer, to hold them up as role models that more young students would be inspired by what our Lions are doing. This is something important that we are keeping an eye on, and the FAS is, indeed, having plans to do that. 3.00 pm”
“I believe one aspect of that is in relation to policy. There are already reviews being done, for example, on education and on other areas where we look at how we can find a right balance. But in terms of promoting values, the efforts will continue, as I have described, both in school and outside of school. In school, we are talking about values in action; getting students to understand that there are other things that are important besides just excelling in the things that they are good at. They should also look at caring for others. They should realise that their success is not based on their own individual efforts alone, but comes together with other people supporting them. And therefore, it is important for them to give back to society. And so, we talked about values in action in schools. Helping our students to go out and do things for the community, to serve others. We are doing that beyond schools, as well: through the Kindness Movement, NVPC, providing many more platforms for Singaporeans to live out their values. I think that is the important part – besides just talking about that – providing opportunities for Singaporeans to actually practise and live out their values.”
“I thank the Member for the suggestion. I think it is something we can take on board and to see how we can perhaps set the context in a better way so that people understand, so as to remind participants that these are the things that we already start with, that is, we are starting in a particular context with this, as the present reality. So, that is something we can take on board but the way we are conducting the conversation is precisely to let Singaporeans give their views on what we should reaffirm – things that we are doing now today; it could be our values, it could be the items in the pledge which resonate very strongly with many Singaporeans, reaffirm the things that are going well and we continue doing to recalibrate things that need to be adjusted and to refresh, to do things that are new. So, we are going through this process, inviting Singaporeans to participate and to share their views. In the process, as I have said, we would have a better understanding of values that are important to Singaporeans and then going back to the earlier question. It may indeed be an update or it may be different from the Shared Values that we had in the past. We will then highlight that these are changes that have happened and we will make it clear that through the process of the conversations that we have had, these are the findings that we have obtained for the various dialogues sessions. The Member's suggestion of reiterating some of the important qualities that have enabled us to succeed as a nation, I think it is something that we will take onboard and see how we can conduct our future dialogue sessions even better. Page: 1460”
“As I have mentioned in my reply earlier, this is why we are having this process of a National Conversation. It is also why when we started this process of a National Conversation, we did not immediately go into policy issues and say, let us deal with policies A, B, C. But we deliberately designed the conversation so that it was more open ended, so that Singaporeans and participants in the dialogue can share with us what are aspirations and values that are important to them. I believe through this process and through the conversations that we will be having over the coming weeks and months, we will be able to come up with a set of a better understanding of what are the common values that are important to Singaporeans now. They may be similar to what we had before, there may be some changes, but the process is important. Through this National Conversation process, we hope that we would be able to give an update in that sense, to the Shared Values that were done earlier.”
“As society evolves, our attitudes, values and aspirations will change over time. This is why we are now having a national conversation to ask ourselves what matters to us as individuals and as a society, and what we aspire to as a nation and through this "Our Singapore Conversation" and the dialogues we have been having so far, we can see that Singaporeans care deeply about their families and about values such as graciousness, kindness and harmony. These are broadly consistent with our Shared Values. So, I would encourage all Singaporeans to participate actively in the many dialogue sessions that are being held in the coming weeks and months, and to continue sharing their views and perspectives, so that, as a society, we can forge a shared understanding of the common values that should underpin our nation's future. Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Sir, I thank the Acting Minister for his response. Given that it has been 21 years since the Shared Values were first formulated, I would like to know in light of the National Conversation, whether there are plans to review the Shared Values, taking into account the changing nature of our society. I think it is likely that the existing Shared Values would be endorsed, but I would like to know whether we could take on board other values which have become more important, and whether for the existing ones, there could be tweaks to their formulation. Page: 1459”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the concept of a set of Shared Values, which Singaporeans of all races and faiths can subscribe to and live by, was first mooted in 1988 and it was subsequently passed in Parliament in January 1991. The aim was to anchor an evolving Singapore identity on common threads in our varied cultural heritage, as well as the attitudes and values which have helped us to survive and succeed as a nation. And I am sure we all know what the Shared Values are but I will just reiterate them. The Shared Values are nation before community and society above self, family as the basic unit of society, community support and respect for the individual, consensus not conflict and racial and religious harmony. These Shared Values have served as an important point of reference for the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s Civics and Moral Education Curriculum since 1992 and the school curriculum today continues to be anchored on six core values – Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Integrity, Care and Harmony which are based on the original Shared Values. They provide a framework for students to discuss issues and they continue to underpin MOE's Character and Citizenship Education curriculum. Each of the Shared Values is also championed by organisations in the public, people and private sectors. For example, the value of having the family as a basic unit of society is upheld not just by the Ministry of Social and Family Development but also by many civic groups in Singapore like the Centre for Fathering and the Family Life Society. Likewise, racial and religious harmony is strengthened through the work of the People's Association and its grassroots leaders as well as by the network of Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) and societies like OnePeople.sg.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for the follow-up question. I share his concerns and understand what he is concerned about. I would say that, indeed, because of these concerns that was why the Ministry and MDA made sure that in taking this approach we had the safeguards in place. Secondly, I would also take a step back and look, overall, at how we want to look at content regulation in Singapore. The Government would set some standards and I think it is the responsibility of the Government to set minimum standards for the reasons the Member has highlighted. But it is often better for the community to decide what these standards should be and that means that we would need input, we would need viewpoints and perspectives from the society. That is why, periodically, we have a Censorship Review Committee set up; it comprises representatives from a wide cross section of the society and they decide how far or how fast we should move or whether we should stay put or where the standards should be. In this case, the CRC had made a recommendation and we had looked at the recommendation, agreed to move, but we were very cautious. We calibrated the move with the very safeguard that I have outlined. It is good that we have Members like Mr de Souza and other members of society who feel very concerned about content. Rightfully so, I would encourage Members who share these views to voice their concerns and to shape where the perspective of society is comfortable with in terms of content and in terms of where we should set our standards. The Ministry and MDA would only move our content regulatory standards insofar as society is comfortable with the balance. We would take the cue from the perspective of the community at large. Page: 1452”
“Together with increased investments in arts education and the promotion of cultural philanthropy, such measures will help grow a larger base of support for the arts, which will benefit local arts and arts groups. Page: 1427”
“Based on current available data, the ticketed attendance for musical theatre alone more than doubled from 180,000 in 2010 to 570,000 last year. This suggests that blockbuster musicals brought in by the Integrated Resorts (IRs), played a significant role in increasing total ticketed attendance from 1.38 million in 2010 to 2.14 million last year. The quality of performances staged at the IRs has added greater diversity and vibrancy to our arts scene. As Singaporeans become increasingly well-travelled, there is a growing demand for international shows, in addition to local productions. The offering of popular shows at the IRs, including long-running musicals, also helps to attract new audiences who may otherwise not attend an arts event. However, we are unable to conclude that shows brought in by the IRs have reduced the ticket sales of locally produced performing arts events, as ticketing agencies do not provide ticket sales of individual performing arts events due to confidentiality purposes. Nonetheless, it is understandable that our local arts groups have concerns about the impact of shows presented at the IRs, as they now face stiffer competition both for the audience’s and sponsors’ dollar and time. As such, the National Arts Council (NAC) will continue providing direct support to local artists and arts groups, in the form of grants for organisation development, project assistance, capability development and rental assistance. Such direct support from NAC doubled from $18.3 million in 2009 to $36.5 million in 2012. Page: 1427 Under the New Grants Framework to be rolled out in FY13, NAC will also be introducing a new Market and Audience Development programme.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question. It is something that I think we will be happy to discuss with SNOC and with the sports community in general. I think the Member will be aware that there is a differentiation between what the Government funds to SSC and MAP which is an agreement between the SNOC and its sponsors, principally the Tote Board and Singapore Pools, and other private sponsors. The agreement between SNOC and its sponsors is subject to review from time to time – I think every four years – and this present agreement would be due for review in 2015 after the SEA Games. That is an agreement between SNOC and its sponsors. On the Government side, the idea that the Member mentioned about whether or not some of these private sponsorships can be brought over to supporting athletes in their training and development, rather than be provided as an incentive or as a reward for their achievement, I think that balance is something we will be happy to discuss and have a conversation on, not just with SNOC, being mindful that it has a separate agreement with its sponsors, but also with the sports community at large. And with Singaporeans to see where that balance should be. That is something we will be happy to facilitate. Page: 1212”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme (MAP) is an initiative of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), and it is fully funded with the support of sponsors. Since its inception in 1991, a total of $21.76 million has been awarded under the MAP, of which $20.43 million went to the athletes while $1.33 million to National Sports Associations to further the development of their sports. Prize monies are awarded for gold medals at the SEA Games and for gold, silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games. In total, prize monies were given out under the MAP for a total of 483 medals. This comprises 336 SEA Games medals, 62 Commonwealth Games medals, 82 Asian Games medals and three Olympic Games medals. Page: 1212”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the increases may happen from time to time. I mentioned The Esplanade. In the other spaces, there may be some rental increases. These have to cover some costs. The agencies that rent out these venues do not do this for profit. They are doing this to ensure that their finances are sustainable. So, we will do several things, as I mentioned. One, continue to manage the costs and ensure that the rents are affordable; two, do whatever we can to better utilise these status so that they are well optimised, in terms of utilisation rates; and, three, through the grants framework that NAC provides, ensure that sufficient support is given to our arts groups. Page: 1211”
“One of the things that we have done is to look at quality arts infrastructure and how we can expand that. We do look forward to the reopening of the Victoria Theatre and the Victoria Concert Hall, and that would be some time in the first quarter of 2014. We are also looking at upgrading facilities in other community nodes. So, we are mindful of the need for more spaces, and we will be looking to expand the possibilities and the spaces that we can have for performance venues. Page: 1211”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for the supplementary questions, and I share her concerns and desire to provide more support for the arts groups in Singapore. On the first question, NAC is indeed doing a review of its grants framework and one of the items being reviewed is the guideline of funding of 30% of operating costs. For the review, NAC has been talking to arts groups, having consultations with the groups, getting their feedback. NAC will design a new framework, a new grant scheme or new items in the grant scheme which will provide more support for the arts groups, and I think the arts community will find it a positive move when the announcement is made. On the second point about rental rates charged by The Esplanade and other agencies, I did a check on the rental rates and actually the rental rates by The Esplanade have not increased since the day it started operations. So, it is not as though the rental rates have been repeatedly raised in order to recover costs or to charge higher profits. They have not increased the rates since the day it started operations. Be that as it may, I understand the concern from the arts groups about rental costs. It is indeed a significant part of their operating costs and one way in which we can help them is with the grant that NAC provides, and that is why I have alluded to earlier that NAC has been doing a review of its grants framework. And I believe with the new grants framework, more support will be provided to the arts groups. On the third point about additional mid-size theatres and additional venues, that is something that the Ministry will be committed to do. We are looking at expanding our institutions and spaces for performances.”
“More recently, a special exhibition, called "45-65: Liberation, Unres… a New Nation" was launched in July this year at the National Museum of Singapore. This latest initiative also includes coverage on some of our founding fathers during the post-war and pre-independence years, and captured the determined struggle for de-colonisation and self-rule. The exhibition will run until January next year, and the NHB plans to travel this exhibition to other venues to reach out to a wider audience. An associated publication by the NAS is also being written and will be launched in 2013. The NHB will continue to work with various Government agencies, MOE, NLB and NAS, and other partners to develop meaningful initiatives to raise awareness, educate and honour the contributions of Singapore's founding fathers and leaders. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth welcomes ideas and initiatives on how we can pay tribute to our pioneers, and how we can further engage our younger generation in this important aspect of our national heritage. Page: 1142”
“I agree with Asst Prof Tan that remembering our founding generation and their achievements will strengthen our sense of national identity and give us firm bearings as we chart our course as a nation. This is integral to our nation-building efforts. We are a young nation and, to move forward, we have to know our roots and where we came from. That means informing and engaging the present generation of Singaporeans, as well as generations to come, on the contributions of the founding generation. In this respect, the National Heritage Board (NHB), National Archives of Singapore (NAS), and the National Library Board (NLB) have put in place several initiatives to remember and celebrate the people that have been prominent in our birth as a nation. These initiatives come in various forms: the permanent exhibitions on Singapore History at the National Museum and NHB's Heritage Institutions, which feature important historical figures, including our founding fathers; travelling exhibitions, heritage events, trails and markers, publications, videos and documentaries, and other educational programmes, many done in collaboration with MOE and our schools, to educate younger generations on the contributions of our founding generation. Page: 1142 In recent years, in particular, we have stepped up our commemoration efforts. In 2007 and 2009, NAS curated "10 Years That Shaped a Nation: 1965-1975" and "The Second Decade – Nation Building In Progress: 1975-1985", which collectively feature Singapore's 20 years of growth after independence. In particular, the exhibition, "10 Years That Shaped a Nation", done in collaboration with the NLB, highlighted some of the important contributions made by members of the First Cabinet to the Republic.”
“I understand where the Member is coming from in terms of the concerns about the allocation of resources. First of all, we would like to have more resources put into sports, overall. Secondly, we have to look at the balance of resources and at which agency does what. For community sports, a lot of the involvement is already done through PA, with PA resources and organisation helping to mobilise the community and the grassroots. As I mentioned earlier, we will continue to put in more resources to building sports performance and to high performance sports. The Sports Pathway Committee which SSC recently announced is one example. We are also seeking to strengthen our high performance sports training system and framework through the Singapore Sports Institute. That is something that was also recommended in the Vision 2030 Report. It is an idea which we are looking at to see how we can take it forward and strengthen the whole system of high performance sports training. When we look at the whole system, in both participation and excellence, I do not think we want to put an artificial divide between the two. Page: 1038 Overall, we have to build a stronger system. More sports participation can help to build sports excellence. We will have to look at the resources that we have – ideally, have more resources going into sports, but within the resources that we have, look at how best to allocate those resources so that we can build up the entire system. Page: 1038”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry aims to create an environment where Singaporeans can pursue their aspirations to lead fulfilling lives; build a society based on mutual respect, understanding and care; and foster a deeper sense of national pride and belonging to the nation. Sports can contribute to each of the areas. The recent Sports Vision 2030 report has set out recommendations on how Singaporeans can live better through sports. In implementing Vision 2030, my Ministry will provide more opportunities for individuals, including youths and students, to participate in sports. The Singapore National Games and the Community Games are examples of how sports contribute to building community ties by allowing the community to come together to help organise the games, to play, support and cheer each other on. Through SportCares, another initiative under Vision 2030, we encourage individuals and organisations to reach out to the less fortunate members of our society, including under-privileged youths, through sports. Our efforts in encouraging community involvement in sports will not dilute the focus on high-performance sports. On the contrary, the broader the base of sports participation, the better our chances of developing talented youth athletes. At the same time, the achievements of Team Singapore athletes will inspire other young people to pursue their passion for sports, whether at the recreational or competitive level. Sports participation and sports excellence are both integral to the aims of my Ministry. They are complementary and mutually reinforcing. MCCY will continue to strongly support development in both areas.”
“I do not have the specific figures with me. I am not able to give the Member a direct answer now. I would say that, yes, the specialised institutions do cost more. At the same time, we do provide additional resources for students pursuing these different pathways and their interests, whether it is in the arts, sports or music, in the mainstream schools. I do not have the figures for a direct comparison. If the Member would file a separate Parliamentary Question (PQ), we would be happy to take it up then. Page: 1036”
“The Singapore Sports School has, indeed, been in operation for some time. As I mentioned earlier, they offer students different streams towards "O" levels: Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical. They are now looking at the IB programme, which is a diploma-level programme. So, they are also looking at expanding their programmes and offerings to students. If there are suggestions for which we can make these programmes more flexible for the athletes, we can talk to the Sports School and we would be happy to discuss what other ideas we can pursue and how we can make these programmes more flexible. The overall intent of the Sports School is, indeed, to have a programme that would cater to the athletes of different interests. They already have these options at the Secondary level, and they are pursuing it to the diploma level. In fact, they are also talking to Institutions of Higher Learning, like Republic Polytechnic and the Universities, to make sure that there is continuation from the Sports School to these Institutions of Higher Learning. I recognise that some of these linkages and pathways can be improved, and this is a continuing process which we will work on.”
“Mr Speaker, as I have explained earlier, SOTA has just started its programmes in 2008. Its first batch of students has yet to graduate. I understand what the Member is asking – whether we can build alternative pathways within SOTA for students. In principle, the answer is "yes", but let us allow for SOTA to consolidate its programmes as it has just started. Also, as I have mentioned earlier, there are other pathways in mainstream schools as well, where students can develop their interest and potential in the arts. There are Arts Elective Programmes and Enhanced Arts and Music Elective Programmes offered in mainstream schools, too. Within SOTA, we will continue to improve but let us consolidate with what we have at the moment. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): I would like to ask Acting Minister this: the Singapore Sports School has been in operation for many years. Besides IB, can the Sports School offer some alternative programmes, like diplomas, which are more flexible for our players?”
“Now, I understand the question. I thank the Member for the suggestion. These are feedback that we get from time to time. I would say, as I mentioned, there are also concerns raised that if you were to give even more priority, the impact on property prices, for example. Would that then force out more parents who may not be able to afford living within that area? Would that be a fairer way of allocating? So, there are different considerations which we have to weigh. It is complex. It is not going to be resolved just by tweaking the formula alone. The best long-term approach in terms of looking at this issue is not just in terms of tweaking the Primary 1 registration formula but really in investing resources so that every school is a good school. And also reaching out to parents, engaging the community, helping parents understand that whatever school their children go to, there will be resources, there will be good infrastructure, there will be well-trained teachers and their children can be assured of getting good quality education. I appreciate the suggestions that have been given on tweaking or changes to the Registration Framework. We will review this regularly, as I said. But let us also look at strategies that are going to be sustainable and that will yield more impact. The strategy that we have in terms of investing in every school is the right one. Page: 600”
“Just to understand the question better. There already is the priority for those who live nearer.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for the suggestion. I agree with him that we do not want children to travel long distances to their Primary schools. That is one of the primary considerations when we designed the Registration Framework. The Member has given a suggestion on how the framework can be further refined. As I said, we look at feedback all the time. After every registration exercise, we receive feedback. For every rule that we have, we always have feedback for and against it because there will be parents who want the rule to be maintained and there will be parents who want the rule to be taken away. And you see that in some of the discussions and the letters in the newspapers as well. That is not to say that we should not change. We continually review, as I said. After every exercise, we will do a review and we will see what can be improved. We will certainly take the Member's suggestion into consideration as part of our regular reviews. But as I mentioned earlier, it is not a problem that can be resolved by tweaking our registration framework. I should emphasise that the bigger emphasis should be to ensure that we resource every school well, so that every child going to any school in Singapore will be assured of a good quality education. That is where the weight of our emphasis is – to make every school a good school, to assure every child going to a school in Singapore that he or she can get a good quality education.”
“Sir, the system is similar. We evolved in a similar way, and so our rate-setting system and processes are similar. But we have, over time, strengthened our own processes. As I mentioned, in 2009, ABS did a review and we did strengthen our own governance process. So, I would say that in the case of SIBOR, we have some confidence that we have a good system. It is robust. But can it be improved? Certainly so. Would I want to comment on Mr Bernanke's remarks that LIBOR is structurally flawed? Well, he made the remarks about LIBOR, so that is his view on the LIBOR process, not on SIBOR. SIBOR has shared some similarities with the LIBOR processes, as I mentioned earlier. But we have strengthened our SIBOR-setting processes over time, and we will continue to do so. Page: 585”