Lee Boon Yang
Singapore
“6 The other guidelines are that there must be a post office sited within 5 km of every private residential estate and within 1 km of any commercial or industrial estate. MAID LEVY CONCESSION (Applications by the disabled) 32.”
“Madam, can I quickly respond to the point on assistive technology? Certainly this is an area of interest. We cannot say that we have the capability at this juncture but we will certainly look into what is possible and work with our ICT sector.”
“Nevertheless, if the spouse of the homemaker is working, he will be eligible for WIS if he satisfies the criteria. Husbands of homemakers are further eligible for tax relief.”
“Sir, I do not think it is quite correct to say that we always expect our own artists to perform for free or do public service. There are, of course, occasions where we do seek Singapore artists and arts companies to contribute to the national causes. For instance, when we went international for Singapore Season in China.”
“Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what checks does the Ministry or the National Environment Agency have in place to prevent mistaken payments to hawkers who cease operations due to upgrading works at hawker centers; (b) how did the mistaken payment of $18,000 to Mdm Lee Ah Muey come about; and (c) what will the…”
“While it was also true that initially the reaction or the response of the licensing authority was that foreigners should not participate in such an event at the Speakers' Corner - because there is already an existing prohibition against any foreigners taking part in any activities at the Speakers' Corner - subsequent assessment resulted i…”
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“Sir, the increasing number of arts activities is a good reflection of the vibrancy of our arts scene and the creativity of our artists. Arts events, whether it is an exhibition or a performance, are necessary for artists to communicate with their audience and to share their artistic thoughts and inspiration. I agree with Miss Penny Low that quantity does not equate quality. In the case of the arts, quality is as important, if not more important, than quantity. What is significant is that along with increasing arts events and participation, there is also better appreciation of the arts. For instance, every weekend and public holiday, we can find many Singaporeans of all ages attending public performances at the Esplanade. The National Heritage Board's (NHB) Explore Singapore and Singapore HeritageFest attract people from all walks of life to our museums and heritage institutions around the island. In our HDB heartlands, the arts are now a regular part of community life through the lessons, performances and activities that are organised by the CDCs, the community clubs and supported by the National Arts Council (NAC). These community arts events feature art forms as diverse as hip hop dance and traditional musical instruments. Over the last 10 years, the National Arts Council surveys showed that the number of Singaporeans who participated in at least one arts and cultural event a year had increased threefold, from one in 10 in 1996, to one in three today. Today, more Singaporeans are attending arts and cultural events. Ticketed attendances passed the one million mark in 2002 and reached 1.3 million attendances last year. The annual number of visitors to all museums in 2007 was over four million, with about 1.”
“In the first phase, or RCP1 as we referred to it, we focused on building up an audience for arts and increasing the pool of artistic talents. This was followed by the second phase, or RCP2, in 2004, when we initiated support for artists and arts companies to venture onto the international stage. This brief recap provides the backdrop for my response to Miss Penny Low and Ms Irene Ng who asked how we measure our success, whether or not the targets of RCP have been met, and how far we have strengthened the Singapore heartbeat through the creation and sharing of our artistic and cultural heritage. Sir, the progress in our arts and cultural development is evident. Apart from Monocle's and many other media observations, the vibrancy of our arts and culture scene is almost palpable. Today, we have a list of 700 registered arts companies and societies, almost double the 400 barely 10 years ago. They actively create and produce a growing host of arts activities throughout Singapore. Last year, we had about 7,400 arts events, providing a total of 21,000 performances and exhibition days. On average, Singaporeans had a choice of over 50 arts performances and exhibitions on any one day. That is a lot to choose from, and nearly 40% can be enjoyed for free by the general public. Miss Penny Low asked for MICA's share of these events. MICA and our agencies were responsible for approximately 15% of all the arts activities each year. This is a good balance. It shows that the arts community is taking ownership and developing followings and supporters. Miss Penny Low also asked about the objectives of these activities and whether they are embraced by stakeholders in the wider community.”
“Mr Chairman, I thank the hon. Members for their many comments and suggestions on promoting the arts and supporting culture and heritage in Singapore. In responding to the Members, I will provide this House with an overview of how the arts is transforming Singapore into a more distinctive global city, as well as strengthening our sense of community, belonging and national identity. Mr Chairman, internationally recognised global cities are defined not only by their economic and financial achievements, but also by the diversity and depth of their arts and culture. Time magazine recently named London, New York and Hong Kong as cities which drive the global economy. The article pointed out that, "Great cities, of course, are more than money and finance. They are messy agglomerations of talent and culture. That is how they attract men and women in the financial sector who could choose to live anywhere." In a ranking of the world's 20 most liveable cities by Monocle magazine, Singapore was ranked 17th. Arts and culture were key factors in the assessment. While we were not placed at the top, Monocle noted the changes taking place in Singapore, and I quote, "Today's Singapore bears little resemblance to the city of just 10 years ago. The arts scene has seen a flowering of museums, performing arts venues and galleries." Sir, less than 10 years ago, in 2000, the Renaissance City Plan (RCP) was launched to transform Singapore into a creative and vibrant global city. A city where arts and culture thrive, bringing Singaporeans closer together, strengthening our sense of national identity and attracting talents to our city. We knew that we had a long way to go.”
“Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what checks does the Ministry or the National Environment Agency have in place to prevent mistaken payments to hawkers who cease operations due to upgrading works at hawker centers; (b) how did the mistaken payment of $18,000 to Mdm Lee Ah Muey come about; and (c) what will the Ministry do to take responsibility for this mistake. 7. Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for National Development (a) if he will provide an update on the erroneous payment of $18,000 by HDB to hawker Mdm Lee Ah Muey in 2003; (b) how did the HDB make the error in the first place; (c) why did the HDB and NEA fail to contact Mdm Lee earlier; and (d) how many cases of such mistaken payments by the HDB or NEA were there in the past five years. The Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, I would like to take Question Nos. 6 and 7 together.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, yes, we were aware that, apart from the foreigners, Singaporeans were involved through a series of workshops and discussions to come up with the lyrics. But our objection is not with the lyrics at all. In fact, Singaporeans are welcome and they are entitled to complain about anything and everything, and they regularly do and we have no objection, and they do not need a licence from MDA to make such complaints at all. So, our objection was really whether we should encourage foreigners to come in to lead Singaporeans, to organise Singaporeans to conduct such complaints in public. And we believe that that is not wise and not prudent over the long term. Although in this particular case the lyrics were not particularly objectionable, we felt that it ran contrary to our established principles that comments on domestic matters ought to be reserved for Singaporeans. On other comments in the mass media, I think we have to be specific about the comments. Journalists do write comments about other situations. Journalists in Singapore and both outside do comment about us. But I do not think we can exercise that control over what journalists outside Singapore want to write about our domestic situation. Also, we should not prevent anyone who wants to give a view about Singapore from doing so. But whether that particular view results in interference in the domestic politics or not is something that we have to judge on a case-by-case basis. Column No : 330 MISTAKEN PAYMENTS TO HAWKERS CEASING OPERATIONS (Reasons) 6.”
“While it was also true that initially the reaction or the response of the licensing authority was that foreigners should not participate in such an event at the Speakers' Corner - because there is already an existing prohibition against any foreigners taking part in any activities at the Speakers' Corner - subsequent assessment resulted in the licence being issued on the basis that other performances in public places should also not be allowed. And we took some time over that because we had to consult other agencies. Unfortunately, the licence was then issued rather late in the day, but that was unavoidable. In the first instance, if they had submitted their full application with all the lyrics well ahead of time, we would have been able to advise them accordingly and they could have made alternative arrangement. That they submitted the full application with the lyrics late was a matter that was beyond MDA's control.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not think I need to comment on MHA's response to the Member in Parliament last September, other than to reiterate that it has been a consistent policy that we do not welcome or encourage foreigners to participate in domestic politics. Whether an event - be it an arts event, a forum or a dialogue - is construed as something that is interfering or participating in domestic politics, it is a matter of judgement in each and every case. It is up to the licensing authority, whether it is MHA (through the Public Entertainment and Licensing Unit) or MDA (through the Arts Licensing Unit) to consider whether this particular event should be allowed or not. On our comments on other people's domestic affairs, I believe that we have a strong ground for making comments in those instances or in the rare instances where we made comments in line with what were international sentiments. We are, I would say, in very good company when we made such comments. On the age of Internet, our effort is only to ensure that within Singapore, any such participation by foreigners in commenting on our domestic issues should be prevented, if possible. If they want to circulate materials on the Internet, we have always adopted a very light touch approach to anything that is on the Internet. It is not our intention to screen or to prevent Singaporeans from accessing any particular information. If they want to watch the Complaints Choir performance on the Internet, let it be so. On the timing of the approval, as I have explained in my main answer, we tried to accommodate the Complaints Choir as soon as they were able to submit their entire lyrics. The lyrics themselves were not a problem or concern. It was more the participation of the foreigners.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Complaints Choir Project was started by two Finns to teach people all over the world to sing out their displeasures about the situation in their own countries. The Necessary Stage had applied to the Media Development Authority (MDA) for an arts entertainment licence to hold public performances of the Project throughout Singapore as part of the M1 Festival. While we recognise this is an arts entertainment event, it is nevertheless an exposition about Singapore's domestic situation. For this reason, we decided to approve the application but on the condition that only Singapore citizens participate in the performances. This is consistent with our position that Singapore laws and policies are an expression and a reflection of the values of our society and any public discourse in such matters should be reserved for Singaporeans alone. Foreigners, even if they are permanent residents, should not interfere. On the licence application, MDA had received the full application from the organiser on 17th January 2008 for the choir performance to be held on 26th and 27th January 2008. As is publicised in MDA's website, such licence application should be made six weeks in advance of the hosting of an event. However, despite the late application, MDA accepted the application and tried to process it, as we recognised that the organiser could not furnish the lyrics of the song early enough. MDA only took slightly more than a week to process the application. Where applications for the other M1 Festival events were made early, MDA had cleared and given approval well ahead of their performance dates.”
“We will study the nature and location of the event and also the past record, how they had performed, and whether the late night or early morning events held at such places had given rise to any noise complaints. If there are no such concerns, we are quite happy to accommodate and to work with the organisers so that their proposals can be accommodated. INVASIVE PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE IN CHILDREN 17. Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for Health (a) if he will provide the incidences, mortality rates and morbidity rates of invasive pneumococcal disease in children over the past five years; and (b) what factors will bring about the introduction of pneumococcal vaccination in the National Childhood Immunisation Programme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said, if a performance is held in an area where there are no residential premises nearby and there are unlikely to be any disturbances caused to other neighbouring areas, then we could consider appeals for extension. In fact, MDA had in the past received such appeals and they have, in some cases, where the condition warrants it, granted extension. Let me give you the example of the case of World of Music and Dance (WOMAD). It was held at Fort Canning. The cut-off time for this particular event was extended to 4.30 am because, in the case of Fort Canning, there was nobody nearby who would be likely to complain about noise nuisance. So although the normal cut-off time is 2.00 am, on special appeal and because of the special occasion, MDA was able to consider granting the organisers' request to have it extended to 4.30 am. We have also other events where we have considered extending the cut-off time. Another example that I can cite would be a pop rock concert called Good Vibrations. Originally, the organiser wanted to hold it at an open vacant lot at Ophir Road. Of course, there were residential areas nearby. So the recommendation was to have it ended at 10.30 pm, so that it would not cause any disturbance to the residents and, in fact, there was also a hospital nearby. But when they appealed for extension of time, MDA was able to work with the organiser and say, "Look, if you move away from this location and go somewhere else, we will certainly consider a longer performance period and extend the cut-off time." Eventually, they were persuaded and they went to Fort Canning and were able to have the event continued until 1.00 am. So we will consider every such appeal on a case-by-case basis.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Media Development Authority (MDA) licenses arts entertainment events and, if these are staged outdoors, the MDA will seek advice from the police concerning the cut-off time. The MDA will determine the eventual timing for the event after considering all other factors. Sir, factors considered in deciding on the cut-off time for outdoor arts entertainment events include proximity of the event location to residential areas, nature of the event, potential crowd size, and any past record of noise-related complaints from similar events. Going by past performances, and advice from the Police, the specified cut-off times for outdoor performances in non-residential areas range from 10.30 pm to 2.00 am. MICA is committed to developing Singapore into a more vibrant and exciting global arts city. We will exercise flexibility in considering requests for later cut-off times for outdoor performances, especially if they are held in non-residential areas. This will need to be done on a case-by-case basis.”
“In that way, we can ensure that the School will do well, that it will provide good service, and that it will bring up young generations of Singaporeans who are equally well-versed in academic subjects as well as in their artistic area. If we do not do that, I think we are headed in the wrong direction and we will not give the School the opportunity to develop fully. EN BLOC PROPERTY SALE COMMITTEES (Measures to ensure transparency) 2. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law what measures will the Government take to ensure that en bloc property sale committees exercise transparency, act fairly and do not abuse its powers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have said in my main answer, the School of the Arts is not just to train artists or arts professionals. It is to train young Singaporeans who are talented in the arts, and to give them the opportunity to develop both their artistic side and also their academic side. Having said that, we understand that there is interest among some students who may not have the academic ability but who have demonstrated that they have the artistic talent. As I have said earlier on, we would certainly consider this on a case-by-case basis. But I think we should not embark on a School of the Arts on the basis that it has no interest in fostering academic excellence - that anyone who has an artistic capability or interest will be welcomed, regardless of their academic achievement. We should start a school on the basis that it has to meet expectations, and it has to serve a range of student population and their parents. Mind you, these are 13-year-old kids - these are not adults - coming to the School of the Arts. Their parents will also be very concerned if they send children to a school which has no emphasis on academic excellence. How many parents would be prepared to embark their children on a course of study at age 13, which will channel them narrowly in one single direction and have no option to do other things? I think we should give the parents this reassurance - that the School of the Arts is, in fact, a comprehensive school, a school that offers academic excellence and, at the same time, develops the artistics side of their children.”
“For instance, five of the 97 students who have been identified by the School and have accepted the School's offer to join as Year 2 students in 2008 are such exceptionally talented students whose previous PSLE results did not qualify them for the Express course. Once admitted, the School is committed to develop all the students' potential - artistic or academic - to the fullest. Students with exceptional artistic talent but lacking in academic achievements will receive additional coaching to help them bridge the gap.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, when the School of the Arts opens in 2008, it will offer a dedicated six-year pre-tertiary programme in the arts and other academic subjects for students who show early talent and have strong interest in the arts. Through its arts and academic programme, the School aims to nurture not just the next generation of artists, but also creative professionals and leaders in all fields with a strong grounding in the arts. In its admission process, the School therefore adopts a holistic approach that takes into account students' artistic talent, creative potential and academic aptitude. Of these, the School's first criterion is artistic talent. This is demonstrated at the School's two-day Talent Academy where the students' artistic talent and potential will be assessed via individual auditions or portfolio presentations, group workshops and interviews by the School's faculty, and by reputable arts practitioners and specialist educators from Singapore and overseas. The School will make its offers to students based on their artistic talent and potential. Thereafter, students will need to qualify for the Express course based on their PSLE results before they are admitted to the School. Given the rigours of the International Baccalaureate diploma programme, which prepares students for tertiary programmes in universities and colleges, a student's academic aptitude, in addition to his or her artistic talent, serves as an important second criterion. Nonetheless, I wish to assure this House that the School will take into special consideration individual cases of students who have been assessed at the Talent Academy to have outstanding artistic talent and potential, but are unable to fulfil the PSLE admission requirements.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) how many people have opted out of the Human Organ Transplant scheme since its introduction and whether this is a cause for concern; and (b) what measures are being taken by the Ministry to dissuade Singaporeans from opting out of the scheme.”
“The Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB) recognises the significance of the remains of the old Fort Tanjong Katong that is located within the grounds of Katong Park. Built by the Straits Settlements Government as part of the fortification works to defend Singapore, this 127-year-old Fort is one of the oldest remaining built structures from the 19th century colonial period. Following the discovery of the remains of the Fort, on-site studies were conducted to ascertain the full extent of the underground Fort. The studies have since shown that part of the old Fort is located outside the Katong Park boundary and extends into State Land that is currently zoned for Residential use. A Working Committee has therefore been set up involving NParks, URA and PMB to assess the options that will best meet the needs of long-term protection and development of the site. This assessment will need to take into consideration not only the historical significance of the site, but also the status of the affected State Land and the overall planning for Katong Park. In the interim, as per standard archaeological practice, the partially exposed structures on the site have been covered up to protect it from damage by the elements or human interference. I would like to assure Mr Lim and the public that the PMB will continue to work closely with the government agencies to address the long-term future of the Fort, and ensure that its historical significance is appropriately recognised. HUMAN ORGAN TRANSPLANT SCHEME 38.”
“In particular, IDA is looking at different emerging high-speed technologies, such as WiMAX and High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), as well as the availability of end user devices that could capitalise on these networks. Our plans for future expansion programme will be guided by the same principles that underpin the Wireless@SG initiative, which is to achieve greater pervasiveness, higher speed, better quality, and affordable wireless broadband access to support mobility. We will also be guided by the experiences that we have gained from this first phase of the initiative. IDA will begin planning for Phase 2 of Wireless@SG from 2008, when the direction for emerging next-generation wireless broadband technologies is clearer. SHARING OF HDB RENTAL FLATS (Steps to reduce conflicts) 26. Mr Sin Boon Ann asked the Minister for National Development, in light of the recent reports where some residents sharing rental flats had great difficulties getting along, whether the Ministry is taking further steps to help reduce or mitigate conflicts that may arise from such situations.”
“Some building owners have been reluctant to grant the operators access to, or use of building facilities and facades as they are concerned about the security, safety, business and aesthetical concerns of installing transmitters and receivers. Another issue has to do with rental costs. Some commercial property owners have demanded rents from Wireless@SG operators that are similar to the rents levied on mobile cellular operators for the use of the building façade and other facilities to mount their equipment. Such rents drive up network deployment costs for the Wireless@SG operators. These issues may result in spotty coverage, reducing the pervasiveness of Wireless@SG. Fortunately, we do not think that these issues are insurmountable. Where appropriate, IDA has been working with the operators to engage commercial building owners on the benefits of offering Wireless@SG to their customers. As usage becomes more and more pervasive, it would make good business sense for commercial building owners to have their buildings covered by Wireless@SG. Take shopping centres, for example. As they depend on customer traffic, such building owners may find it advantageous to leverage on Wireless@SG services to draw in new customers who are mobile and Internet-savvy, as well as retain their existing customers. IDA will also continue to work with Wireless@SG operators to offer compelling service offerings that would be of benefit to both businesses and consumers. Future expansion plans With rapid advancements in wireless technology, it is clear that Wireless@SG will continue to evolve. I would like to assure the House that IDA continues to monitor the wireless broadband technologies and standards closely.”
“Miss Penny Low asked about the status of the Wireless@SG development and the plans for future expansion. Wireless@SG is the wireless component of the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure as envisioned under the Intelligent Nation 2015 infocomm masterplan. Current progress I am pleased to update the House that we are well on track with the deployment of Wireless@SG. Since the launch in December 2006, the network coverage has expanded from 900 to approximately 2,800 hotspots. By September this year, Wireless@SG will provide 5,000 hotspots offering free 512 kbps Internet access in public areas throughout Singapore including Orchard Road, the Central Business District as well as in HDB town centres and community clubs. About 400,000 subscribers had signed up for Wireless@SG with the three operators although only 82,716 (or 23%) of these are active users. To promote usage, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, or IDA, will be embarking on a Wireless@SG Education and Awareness Programme to help users make better use of wireless broadband via their existing WiFi devices. As the network deployment continues to gather pace, we can expect the number of active users to increase. Bugbears faced in deployment On bugbears, IDA has been working with the three operators as well as other relevant stakeholders, to ensure a smooth roll-out. Nevertheless, there have been a few glitches, but this is to be expected in a deployment of such scale. IDA and the operators are ironing out these glitches as they arise. One issue relates to site access.”
“In the light of this experience, my Ministry has decided at this juncture not to include fax transmission within the ambit of the proposed Bill. Sir, Miss Penny Low enquired whether a survey on spam would be carried out after the Bill is passed. I would like to assure this House that IDA will continue to monitor the spam situation and work closely with the industry players and the ISP to have a sense of how this problem is evolving. This monitoring action will include conducting the appropriate surveys to ascertain the impact and the effectiveness of the Bill. This Bill represents, as I said earlier on, the first step towards having a legislative regime to regulate and to control spam activities in Singapore. This is not the end. We are taking the first step. And in the light of experience, we will be able to perhaps modify or amend the law in future so that we can have a more effective regime to address this growing problem. Sir, I hope I have addressed Members' concerns and seek the support of the House on the Spam Control Bill. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. DENTISTS (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.15 pm”
“Hence, I agree with Mr Zainudin when he pointed out that the fight against spam must involve industry players, and this is in line with my Ministry's effort to encourage greater industry self-regulation whenever possible under our multi-pronged partnership approach towards addressing the spam problem. Sir, in recent years, IDA has been working with the relevant industry associations, such as the Direct Marketing Association of Singapore and the Contact Centre Association of Singapore, to set direct marketing guidelines and a code of ethics. This is in response to Mr Siew's remark on why nothing has been said about telemarketing in the Bill. I am glad to inform him that the industry and the stakeholders have been more than receptive to IDA's concern on telemarketing practices. Hence, we would like to give the industry the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness and ability to regulate their practices in telemarketing before Government steps in. Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Siew queried the exclusion of fax messages from the Bill. We have focused the scope of this Bill on emails and mobile messages owing to the prevalence of email spam and the potential of mobile spam to become a bigger problem in the future. Faxes have been in use much longer than email. Thus far, it has not caused the same level of nuisance or abuse unlike email, although I take note of Mr Lim Biow Chuan's comment about his personal experience in his office. One reason may be that fax messages do not have the same reach as mobile electronic messages or emails, given that fax machines are neither personalised equipment - we do not carry our fax machines with us everywhere we go - nor are they prevalent in our households, unlike computers.”
“Sir, in response to these examples from other jurisdictions raised by Members, I would like to advise against making such comparison of the role played by governments across the different spam control regimes. While we have studied and tried to adopt other people's best practices, we cannot import wholesale the approaches being used elsewhere. Different regimes have different approaches. Each regime is shaped by the respective historical and infocomm development, which in turn influences the public's view and expectation of the role of government in spam control regimes. I would like to highlight that the enactment of this Spam Control Act is but the first step in erecting a spam control regime for Singapore. We are starting with a light touch approach with more focus on industry self-regulation. If subsequent development of the landscape calls for a heavier role of the Government, we are open to suggestions on how to improve the law. Sir, Mr Siew had requested for a clarification on the nature of the code of practice, as stated under clause 16 of the Bill, given that the consequences for non-compliance are not clear. I would like to clarify that under clause 16(2), the issuance of a code of practice by the industry is voluntary. Compliance may or may not be mandatory depending on the terms of the code that have been adopted by the industry and also the adopted enforcement mechanism. One possibility could be expulsion from an industry group which may result in a certain amount of bad publicity and odium. Industry players may become sensitive to such adverse publicity, so there will be an incentive for them to comply with the code. These are really issues for industry players and the relevant industry associations to decide.”
“Sir, on the issue of use of address harvesting software or dictionary attacks, Miss Low had proposed that the Bill should focus on how the list was being used instead of the methods that were being employed in the generation of the list. I would like to clarify that clause 9 of the Bill states that "no person shall send, cause to be sent, or authorise the sending of, electronic message through the use of dictionary attack or address harvesting software." This means that the Bill focuses on preventing the use of address harvesting software and dictionary attack to send spam without prohibiting the use of such software for other legitimate purposes. Mdm Ho raised the issue of computers being hijacked and used to send spam. I would like to highlight that the hijacking of computers to create zombie computers is, in fact, a serious offence. Spammers who hijack other people's computers can be dealt with under the existing Computer Misuse Act for committing unauthorised access. I would like to assure this House that unsuspecting owners of hijacked computers would not be caught under this Bill if they can show that the sending of spam was the result of malicious intervention by a computer programme or a third party. The Bill is very clear in its intent to curb illegal spamming activities by specifically targeting the spammer and not innocent third parties. Miss Penny Low has suggested that we emulate the Japanese spam regime by getting a state agency to intervene on behalf of individual users who suffer the nuisance of spam. Mr Siew has also mentioned enforcement action taken by the Federal Trade Commission in the US.”
“However, this does not mean that companies wanting to leverage on the existing customer database for legitimate marketing purposes cannot do so. It simply means that under the proposed opt-out regime, which Mr Siew supports, these companies would need to comply with requirements stipulated in the Second Schedule of the Bill when sending out their messages. Sir, even if a pre-existing relationship exists, I would suggest that it is good and socially responsible business practice to label marketing messages clearly and accurately, as well as to allow customers the choice to unsubscribe from such mass circulation and to honour such choice. Miss Penny Low had remarked that it would not be viable to expect online marketing companies to restrict themselves to 100 messages within a 24-hour period, as their business normally depends on a large volume of emails being sent out. Sir, I would like to clarify that this Bill places no such restriction on companies. Instead, it mandates that mass messages above this volume are required to adhere to the requirements set out in the Second Schedule. Hence, companies are not restricted in their legitimate marketing activities as long as they comply with the provisions of this Bill. Miss Penny Low has also pointed out that there may be various ways of circumventing the bulk threshold. In this instance, I am of the view that the requirements that are imposed by this Bill are not so onerous as to incentivise companies and marketers to adopt such elaborate and complicated manoeuvres. I would like to advise against making this Bill too complex in order to cater to all kinds of possibilities.”
“However, I would like to highlight that non-commercial electronic messages, such as those promoting charitable causes or promoting volunteerism which are sent out by non-profit organisations, will not be caught under the Bill, provided these messages do not advertise, promote or offer goods and services for sale. Government agencies that send out mass messages in the context of promoting a public cause or of public interest in an emergency will also not be caught under this Bill. Sir, commercial spam forms the bulk of the spam received by users, and commercial spam is a well defined area. That is the target for this Bill and we should keep it this way. Mr Siew expressed concern as to why messages sent as a result of a pre-existing relationship was not addressed under the definition of "unsolicited electronic messages" in the Bill. Sir, one key consideration was the ambiguity involved in the definition of what constitutes "pre-existing relationship". For instance, a customer may have simply purchased a product from a company leaving behind his contact particulars for the purpose of registration and warranty. In this sense, a pre-existing relationship exists. Most Members would agree that this should not automatically constitute consent for the company to spam the customer with electronic marketing materials regarding other products by the same company, unless the customer has specifically consented to it. Sir, I agree with Mr Siew that we should have clarity on this point. Hence, the Bill adopts the approach of defining the term "unsolicited" as an individual not having requested or consented to receiving the message. In this way, the boundaries are clearly defined with much less ambiguity.”
“This is because the individual who reads and responds to these <ADV> messages implicitly acknowledges the sender as a legitimate marketer. Compliance with the <ADV> labelling requirement could serve as simple first level indication to a consumer that the email sender is a legitimate marketer. This will further encourage responsible marketers to be more targeted in their approach of sending <ADV> messages and to differentiate themselves from the indiscriminate foreign spammers. Miss Penny Low and Mr Zainudin commented on the need for international collaboration. These are valid comments. I agree with them. I would like to reiterate that legislation is but one of the measures in our multi-pronged approach to address spam. Another important component is, of course, international cooperation. Once the Bill is passed, it will give clarity with regard to Singapore's spam control regime. This would enable better and more meaningful engagement with the international community for further collaboration in the global effort against spam. I would like to reassure the House that my Ministry will certainly work with all like-minded countries and international organisations to more effectively combat spam. Sir, Miss Penny Low had queried whether unsolicited messages sent by a private company, charitable organisation or Government agency will fall under this Bill. Such messages would fall under the Bill if they are unsolicited and primarily commercial in nature, because the Bill deals with electronic messages. In such cases, these messages would have to comply with the unsubscribe and the labelling requirements set out in the Second Schedule of the Bill.”
“Miss Penny Low mentioned that since the Bill targets messages with the Singapore link, our commercial operators, businessmen and companies will be disadvantaged as spams that originate overseas do not have to submit to our requirements. Sir, we have to take a practical approach. Like all issues that are of a cross border nature, it is inevitable that the effectiveness of our spam control law and regulations could be constrained by the limits of our national jurisdiction. To overcome this constraint, continuing effort in international collaboration by Singapore with other like-minded countries is an essential part of that action to combat spam. I have explained this in my Second Reading speech. Singapore will certainly continue to collaborate with our partners to work on international measures to control the spread of spam. Mdm Ho asked that the <ADV> tag be removed so as to create a level playing field for our local SMEs. Sir, I like to point out that the <ADV> labelling requirement balances the needs of the senders and the concerns of the recipients of such messages. Firstly, it empowers the individual to control what actually comes into his inbox. It is true that some users might indeed set their spam filter to delete all messages with the <ADV> label. This is the user's conscious choice. He or she is entitled to reject advertisements in any form, with or without the <ADV> label. On the other hand, individuals who see the value of legitimate marketing email could set their filter to move these messages into a holding folder for later viewing. Secondly, the responsible use of the <ADV> label by legitimate marketers enhances the value of email advertisements as a cost-effective marketing tool.”
“So, every user of electronic communication - every email user, every mobile messaging user - will have to learn how to deal with spam. As Mr Zainudin puts it, education is the best way to fight spam and I think Mr Siew also strongly emphasised the importance of education. I thank them for their comments in this area. Apart from having this Spam Control Bill, we must continue with our public education. In particular, we must educate users to exercise their discretion and judgement before unsubscribing. There are several options. Most users will delete all spams as a default action. They will set their mail filter to delete all spams. More sophisticated users, on the other hand, will judge the reliability of the source of the spam before deciding whether to respond, delete, unsubscribe or to filter the message in some other ways. This Bill sets out the basic requirements for legitimate direct electronic mass marketing and configure the unsubscribe process as consumer-friendly as possible. Any user who chooses to unsubscribe with a responsible direct marketer will now have an easy means to do so. I think that is the thrust of the Bill to provide consumers with a convenient way to unsubscribe. Whether you actually unsubscribe or not is a matter of judgement. For that, the consumer himself must take the responsibility and must exercise the judgement of that option carefully. At this point, I would like to address Mr Lim's concern on whether we are legitimising spam through this Bill. Sir, this Bill should be seen as separating the responsible marketers from the irresponsible spammers so that Internet service providers and users can take those who are irresponsible to task under the provisions of this Bill.”
“The remedies proposed under this Bill will provide deterrence in the form of court ordered financial compensation for indiscriminate spamming. ISPs and operators will now be provided with the means for civil recourse should they be negatively impacted by a surge in Internet traffic as a result of non- compliance spamming activities. In this respect, Mdm Ho is correct that the Internet service providers are most impacted cost-wise by their need to handle the large volume of spam that can occur occasionally. ISPs also have access to the system view which makes them well-positioned to leverage on this legislation to take spammers to task. My Ministry is supportive of initiatives, legal and/or operational, undertaken by the ISPs and service providers to deter indiscriminate spamming as any measures to address spam at the network level will certainly also benefit individual users. Miss Penny Low, Mdm Ho Geok Choo and Mr Lim Biow Chuan have expressed concern over the opt-out regime, requiring users to unsubscribe from the unsolicited electronic messages. I note that Mr Siew, who started out also supporting the opt-in approach, had declared that he has come around to see the benefit of a balanced opt-out approach. I thank him for the support of this opt-out approach that we have chosen. I understand the concern expressed by the Members about unsubscribing and that the act of unsubscribing will confirm their email address and could result in more spams being sent to the recipient. This is a real and valid concern. My Ministry and IDA are fully aware of how spammers operate. However, we must know that spam is a fact of life in this age of digital communication. Whatever we do, let us be realistic. Spam is going to be around. It is not going to be eradicated completely.”
“They are, in fact, very likely to target countries that have advanced infocomm connectivities and are without anti-spam legislation. So Singapore could well become a target for spammers to operate from. Of course, we have excellent international infocomm connectivity worldwide and we have a very well-established infocomm industry here in Singapore. So we should not allow ourselves to become a spammer's haven. Hence, a spam control law will signal our readiness to address the global problem of spam. It will certainly help to maintain Singapore's standing as a trusted infocomm hub. I have already pointed out that today, the Internet service providers can only seek legal protection under the Computer Misuse Act if they face severe disruption to network infrastructure or if they suffer a denial of service as a result of spam. Fortunately, or unfortunately, spammers generally do not cause such severe breakdown of services. Therefore, there is a need for this Bill which will address spam specific issues and provide an additional recourse for businesses and consumers adversely affected by spam. I agree with Mdm Ho's view that local Internet access service providers are better equipped to address the problem of spam than the typical man-in-the-street - the user of email, for instance. But this is not an either/or situation. The Bill aims to provide aggrieved party, be it an ISP or an individual computer email user, with a means for civil recourse against someone who is persistently spamming him. As so vividly described by Mr Sam Tan, spammers indiscriminately send out large volumes of promotional emails with the hope of achieving some financial gains.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank Miss Penny Low and the other Members who have spoken on the Bill. I thank them for their support for the Bill. Even as they gave their support, they also shared their concerns and reservations on certain aspects of the Bill. I appreciate their comments and agree that in some aspects, this Bill is not a "cure all" for the spam problem. And I have made quite clear in my Second Reading speech earlier that this is not a magic bullet that will eradicate spam once and for all. Sir, let me address some of the concerns that have been raised. Mdm Ho Geok Choo had queried the need for this Bill since most of the spam originates from overseas. Mr Sam Tan and Mr Lim Biow Chuan have also rightly pointed out that most of these spams received in Singapore originate from overseas and such senders will not be subjected to our laws as they will be outside the jurisdiction. The question that we then ask ourselves is: if this is the case, do we then give local spammers a completely free hand or should we at least move to have some orderliness and some norms of behaviour, when bona fide agencies send out spam or unsolicited electronic messages? Other countries have to grapple with this problem - the UK, Australia, US, South Korea, Japan. They have studied this problem. They have decided to enact spam control laws. And as Mr Siew pointed out earlier on, in the case of the US CAN-SPAM Act, it did not turn out to be as effective and it did not result in a drastic reduction in the volume of spam. But that does not mean that these laws are completely unnecessary. We have to expect that as more countries enact legislation to deal with spam, the spammers will be on the look-out for new base and new havens for them to operate from.”
“This Bill represents Singapore's efforts in doing our part as a member of the global community to address the spam issue. This Bill, taken together with ongoing public education and concerted industry efforts to address the spam problem as well as our other laws on technology abuses, will contribute to a holistic approach to address this growing problem. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 1.55 pm”
“For instance, the US treats spam with fraudulent intent as criminal acts. In Singapore, spams that are sent with a fraudulent or malicious component that results in a denial of service is also criminalised under the Computer Misuse Act. The Spam Control Bill should not be viewed in isolation, but, rather, as an addition to our total legislative framework against technology abuses. Other provisions Sir, Part V of the Bill empowers the Minister to amend any Schedule by an order published in the Government Gazette. This would allow for an expeditious modification of the guidelines relating to the unsubscribe facility and labelling requirements when required. The Bill also provides for the industry groupings to self-regulate by issuing codes of practice with the approval of IDA. The First Schedule of the Bill exempts from the regime authorised messages sent by the Government or a statutory body during a public emergency, in the public interest or in the interest of public security or national defence. This provision ensures that essential public messages during a time of crisis may be transmitted effectively and expeditiously without being impeded by spam control legislation. This will be in the interest of public safety and well-being. This mirrors similar provisions found in the Telecommunications Act and the Broadcasting Act. In conclusion, Sir, the Spam Control Bill is aimed at reducing the spam problem in Singapore and preventing spammers from abusing our world-class telecommunications infrastructure to turn Singapore into a spammers' haven. Spam is an issue that transcends national borders requiring international collaboration to effectively curb this abuse.”
“Dictionary attacks and address harvesting Sir, clause 9 of the Bill strictly prohibits the use of Dictionary Attacks and Address Harvesting Software to send spam. Spammers use such methods to generate or obtain large numbers of email addresses and mobile telephone numbers. In doing so, they can cause disruption to the recipient organisations, such as the ISPs, operators of email servers and mobile telephone service providers. These recipient organisations may incur substantial costs to receive and process the huge volume of spam messages. Hence, such methods are strictly disallowed. Legal action under the Bill Part IV of the Bill describes the legal action that can be taken by affected parties against spam sent in contravention of any requirement in the Bill. Aggrieved individuals or companies may be awarded an injunction, damages or statutory damages. Statutory damages of up to $25 per message sent and not exceeding $1 million in total could be imposed. If the plaintiff is able to prove that he suffered greater loss, he could opt to sue for actual damages instead. In addition, the court may order the defendant to pay the plaintiff's legal costs and expenses resulting from the proceedings. Members may ask why is it that my Ministry has not chosen to make spamming a criminal offence, instead of taking this route of civil action. Notwithstanding the inconveniences that spam brings, I would like to point out that spammers generally do not act with malicious intent. Furthermore, in the international best practices which my Ministry had studied, no other jurisdictions have criminalised the act of spamming per se. While some overseas spam legislation may contain criminal provisions, these are primarily linked to criminal offences committed online.”
“An opt-in approach was also considered by my Ministry, but this was not adopted because of industry feedback received during public consultation which indicated that it would impose an additional burden on legitimate businesses, especially the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while not significantly improving the situation for spam control. This is because most of the email spams we receive originate from overseas, as I mentioned earlier. Total prohibition of unsolicited electronic messages disadvantages our local marketers and businesses without eradicating the spam problem or effectively stopping foreign spammers. In order to balance between consumer interests and industry needs, the Bill will require that each message contains a valid unsubscribe facility, an "ADV" label to mark it out as an advertisement, accurate header information or subject titles and functional contact details of the sender. These requirements are stated in the Second Schedule of the Bill. Sir, the unsubscribe process has been structured to be consumer-friendly, so that even individuals who receive small volumes of spam have a means of recourse, without resorting to legal action. The Bill makes it mandatory for senders to allow recipients to unsubscribe via the same medium through which the spam was received. This ensures that unsubscribing from the spam can be done easily and conveniently by replying to an email or SMS. The sender is also prohibited from making the unsubscribe request a paid service. Likewise, the information contained in the unsubscribe request cannot be disclosed without the prior consent of the individual. Upon receipt of the unsubscribe request, the sender has 10 business days to cease sending further unsolicited messages to the individual concerned.”
“Today, we have a very high mobile phone penetration rate in Singapore and the likelihood is that the economics of sending SMS and MMS in bulk for marketing purposes may become increasingly cost-effective in the future. This suggests that we should address the problem of mobile spam proactively. The inclusion of mobile spam within the scope of this Bill aims to promote the responsible use of mobile messaging services and stave off the undesirable proliferation of mobile spam in the future. Definition of spam Part I of the Bill defines "spam". A message is "spam" when it is an unsolicited commercial electronic message sent more than 100 times, with the same or similar subject-matter, during a 24-hour period, or more than 1,000 times during a 30-day period, or more than 10,000 times during a one-year period. In setting the threshold figures cited above, there is a need to balance the concerns of the individual consumers versus legitimate marketing needs of businesses. Although on the individual basis, users are unlikely to receive this volume of spam within the period stipulated, collectively, at the ISP or organisational server level, the threshold figures do represent practical levels for intervention if warranted. This is also in recognition that while an individual user can simply ignore and delete the spam messages in his inbox, the ISPs and organisations may actually incur costs to handle a huge volume of spam on a regular basis. Proposed spam control measures Sir, an opt-out approach is adopted under the Bill, as it balances the need of companies and marketers to send unsolicited messages for business reasons.”
“However, this does not mean that we should just stand idle and do nothing. By putting in place this spam control legislation, my Ministry is not only acting to deter international spammers from exploiting Singapore's world-class telecommunications infrastructure as a base for spamming, but we are also stating clearly and unambiguously that Singapore is ready to address the global problem of spam in concert with other advanced infocomm nations of the world. Defined scope Sir, please allow me now to go through the details of the Bill. The Spam Control Bill seeks to prevent local spammers from abusing direct marketing mechanisms. The Bill sets out basic requirements for legitimate direct electronic mass marketing, and provides civil recourse for any affected persons against illegal spam with a Singapore link. A Singapore link exists, as stated in clause 7 of the Bill, when, for instance, the message originates in Singapore, or if the recipient of the message is physically present here in Singapore. Apart from email messages, the scope of the Bill also covers SMS (Short Message Service) messages and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages which are sent to a mobile telephone number. Given that the mobile telephone in today's context is a personalised device, mobile spam can be even more intrusive than email spam. This was made quite clear during the public consultation on spam. Fortunately, mobile spam is currently not a major problem in Singapore. However, consumer complaints have arisen from time to time to suggest that this channel could potentially be abused.”
“Currently, there are ongoing informal international collaborations between ISPs to address spamming incidents. To strengthen the multi-pronged approach to combat spam, IDA conducted extensive public consultations in 2004 and 2005 with both the industry and the general public on the proposal to enact legislation to deal with spam. A total of 90 responses were received during the two public consultations. These public responses provided the support and contributed input for MICA to formulate the Spam Control Bill before this House today. Spam-specific legislation Sir, besides the importance of public education and industry efforts to curb spam, an anti-spam legislation is needed to discourage the proliferation of email and mobile spam. Members of the House may ask whether we need such legislation when we already have the Computer Misuse Act and Telecommunications Act. These existing laws govern serious and malicious offences, such as denial-of-service attacks and severe disruptions to telecommunications infrastructure. The typical volume of email and mobile messages generated by spammers usually do not result in such severe breakdown of services. Hence, existing laws are not appropriate instruments to use against spam. A more focused approach is needed to signal that spamming is socially unacceptable and to preserve Singapore's status as a trusted infocomm hub for both businesses and consumers. Sir, I must however emphasise that this Bill is not a magic bullet to eradicate all spamming activities overnight. The IDA's 2003 study showed that four out of nearly five spam received locally originates overseas. So about 80% of the spam that are received in Singapore comes from overseas. Our laws would thus only have a limited effect in addressing this problem.”
“It is an important avenue for companies wanting to market their products or services directly and cheaply to potential customers. Approach adopted Sir, spam is clearly an emerging global problem, and we have to recognise that in the process of formulating our response to address the spam issue here in Singapore, my Ministry has carefully studied the approaches adopted in various other benchmark jurisdictions, including the US, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea. We note that even among the more advanced countries, there is currently no standard solution, ie, there is no one-size-fits-all for this particular problem. In addressing the spam issue, many countries have realised that several measures have to be adopted. We are no different from countries that have taken steps to deal with spam ahead of us. We also need a multi-pronged approach, including public education, industry self-regulation, international collaboration and, last but not least, legislation. Sir, users can play a part in dealing with the spam problem by installing anti-spam software (filters and firewalls) on their personal computer to filter out undesirable spam and to prevent spammers from turning vulnerable computers into spamming machines. On the industry action front, IDA has worked with the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) on public education efforts to raise public and industry awareness on spam and how to mitigate its impact. Industry-wise, IDA is also working with the ISPs to set up self-regulation frameworks and the Direct Marketing Association of Singapore (DMAS) to formulate anti-spam and email marketing guidelines. In the area of international collaboration, in 2004, Singapore joined 26 countries in an exercise to reduce the flow of spam internationally.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time". Sir, digital communication is now an integral part of our lives, both at work and at home. We use email and SMS regularly. For an increasing number of Singaporeans, email and SMS are, in fact, default modes of communication. They are personal, convenient, fast and offer global outreach. These advantages also bring along a problem in the form of unsolicited emails and even SMSes. This problem arises when large amount of emails are sent indiscriminately, a practice known as "spamming", causing network congestion, inundating users' inboxes and impeding the effectiveness of email and mobile messages as instantaneous communication channels. Most of us would have received some form of unsolicited commercial electronic messages or "spam" either through email or mobile phones. Sir, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) carried out a study in November 2003 and found that email spam caused Singapore users about $23 million in productivity loss. Users are burdened with the time-consuming task of separating the wheat from the chaff. The study further revealed that each of the three major local Internet Service Providers (or ISPs) received close to 5,000 spam-related complaints a month. The users interviewed perceived email spam as the second most important concern after computer viruses. This concern has not changed over time. However, in this digital age, email and mobile messages are also important means of business communication for reaching external stakeholders, such as customers and suppliers. In particular, electronic messages offer direct marketers an important and cost-effective means of reaching out to potential customers on a large scale.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it looks like the Minister is not here yet. So can we defer it?”
“Sir, yes, we will do that. We will bear that in mind. We will always ensure that the arts reach out to as wide a spectrum of our society as possible - the aged, the disabled. We will include them. Interestingly enough, towards the end of last year, I went for an arts outreach programme, conducted by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. It was held in the Singapore General Hospital. Being end of the year festive occasion, the Chinese Orchestra decided to hold an outreach programme where the group went there for free performance to all the in-patients of the hospital. I was there. I thought the patients had a great time and they enjoyed themselves listening to all the cheerful festive music. I hope that it had contributed to uplifting their spirit and speeded up their recovery.”
“Sir, in developing the City Hall and the old Supreme Court building into the National Art Gallery, we will pay particular attention to the historical values and qualities of both buildings. They are national monuments. They are not just ordinary buildings. So in refurbishing them, we will have to pay great respect to the history of both buildings and, certainly, we will be preserving certain parts of the building in order to tell future generations of Singaporeans who may not be aware of this historical aspect. We will keep alive the memories of what went on in this building and the part they played in Singapore's development in our history. Let me assure this House that, in calling for international architectural competition to suggest ideas and proposals on how we can refurbish the building, we will not in any way remove the historical details of the importance of both buildings to Singapore. We will in fact preserve and enhance those historical aspects. As to the heritage trail, certainly, we will be including this nucleus of wonderful heritage institutions in our arts and heritage district as part of our heritage trail. As and when the underground links are created, they will certainly form part of our heritage trail to bring people from one point to another in the most convenient manner.”
“We will try to ensure that those who are indeed artistically talented will be given the chance in many ways, including those who come from families which may not have the financial resources to support their children. We will give them scholarships or bursaries, as the case may be, to ensure that they are not deprived of the opportunity to undergo such an excellent arts education programme.”
“Sir, we would take the same approach as Arts Schools elsewhere, which is that the arts will take centre stage in the education of our students in the Arts School. But, at the same time, as I have said earlier, we would offer a comprehensive academic programme to supplement the arts. But the arts would be used in many other ways to teach the students. The arts would feature in as many different ways as possible so that the students would be totally immersed in the arts in the Arts School. As for entry requirements, we have said before that the key requirement is that the students must have a talent for the arts and also passion for the arts. Those are overriding requirements. Then, of course, since the school is geared towards preparing the students to take the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, we need to assess the academic ability of the students so that they can complete the programme and successfully gain an IB Diploma. The students obviously must also show a certain level of academic excellence. But at the end of the day, academic excellence will not get you into the Arts School per se. You will need to demonstrate, through audition, your artistic ability in order to qualify. For those whose artistic ability is of such a high level, compared to their academic abilities, we would certainly make exception and the Arts School is prepared to give extra support to such students so that they will continue to be able to keep up with the demand or the rigours of the academic side of the Arts School programmes. We will try not to miss out on any talented youngsters.”
“But certainly the Government is already contributing. Besides that, the Government is also contributing by commissioning works of art and we have done this. NAC has regularly commissioned arts companies to produce works of art. For instance, the celebrated Forbidden City was one of the most successful and most lavish musicals created locally by Dick Lee with local artistes and supplemented by international artistes. It has performed three seasons. The work was a commissioned work for the opening of the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in 2002. We will continue to commission works by Singapore arts companies in order to support them and also to increase the repertoire of the Singapore arts companies. On the Member's last point about the quality of arts housing, we already have quite an extensive range of arts housing - Telok Kurau, as she mentioned; Chinatown, we have some; and we also have some in Little India. We will continue to look at how we can improve the quality of arts housing. The NAC is looking at a new project for art housing which is, in fact, the former NAFA premises in Waterloo Street. I think this was also the old St Anthony Convent. It is quite a sizeable facility and a lot of space there. We are looking at designing a new model of arts housing where arts and arts businesses can co-exist to make it a more vibrant arts hub. So artists can work there in their studios. There will be galleries with food and beverage outlets that would bring people to the premises so that there will be a lot more interaction between arts consumer and the arts community. This is one of NAC's projects which they are looking at in the coming years. So we will certainly continue to look at our arts housing and where we can, we will try to improve them. 2.45 pm”
“Mr Chairman, I will respond to the first three points and then the Senior Minister of State will take up the other point about Cyber Code of Ethics. On whether supply and demand will make an impact on the people choosing the arts as a mainstream career, I entirely agree. At the end of the day, Singaporeans must be prepared to pay going rate for whatever art or cultural activities that they consume. You cannot expect everything to be for free, and the arts cannot be all for free too. You must be prepared to pay the price of a ticket which will then allow performers and art companies to survive in this very competitive marketplace. And I would agree with her that supply and demand play an important role there. As for Government becoming an arts consumer, Government is indeed already an arts consumer through various programmes. We have an arts acquisition programme within National Heritage Board where we purchase works of art to form part of our national arts collection. As it stands today, many of the Government Ministries are operating under block budget and they are already empowered within their budget to dedicate maybe a part of their budget, a small part, where it is necessary to acquire works of art for their premises, buildings or whatever. So if a Ministry has a new building and they want to have some works of art, they are already empowered to do so. I would imagine that if a Government agency wants to purchase a work of art to be displayed in the offices or in their premises, the priority or the natural inclination would be to purchase Singapore art. I think that would be something that we can take as a given. I would think it would be unusual if they were to go beyond Singapore to look for some other artworks.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I think the time has come where the arts is now very much a part and parcel of life in Singapore. More and more Singaporeans are participating in the arts either as creator or content contributors, whether it is visual performing arts or as arts consumers. So there is a lively market for arts and cultural activities, which means that making the arts a mainstream career is becoming an increasing possibility but whether people would want to take on this challenge depends very much on individuals. It is not a question of saying that there is a demand and therefore I want to do this as my career or profession. There is a question of artistic capability, and I think this is an area where we cannot assume that everyone would have this ability. So it would be left very much to the individual. And that is why in our effort to promote the arts, you look at how we approach the arts school - it is to encourage the talented youngsters to come forward and they have to go through a process of audition. We have to look at them, assess whether they indeed have the passion and the talent for the arts. Are they committed to it? Will they really benefit from a dedicated arts education and if they do, then we are prepared to help them, groom their talent, nurture their talent to the fullest potential so that, perhaps, some from among those who come to the arts school will indeed make the arts as a mainstream career for themselves or as a chosen profession. But, like many other careers, there are challenges and a lot of competition. So whether one could succeed in this area or not depends very much on one's own innate artistic talent, capability and commitment to the passion.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I would certainly ask NAC to explore this possibility and see how we can further support the local musical groups or musical talents.”