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…”
The complete record
Every one of 2,412 lines we hold for Lee Boon Yang, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 49.
“Mr Chairman, Sir, certainly this is a desirable effort and, in fact, this is something that the National Arts Council does regularly to coordinate with the various cultural groups, artists, collectives and practitioners in order to ensure that our arts and cultural activities receive the prominence that they deserve. So when we organise events like, for instance, the Singapore Arts Festival, we involve many Singapore arts groups to participate in the various events that contributed to the Arts Festival. Later this year in October/November when we organise the Singapore Art Show, we will be involving all the artists and arts collective. The visual arts community will be part of this effort to showcase and recognise the works of Singapore artists. Sir, we will continue to work with all the arts groups to ensure that we have coordination and that support is given to the groups when they are making major production and presentation in order to liven up our arts and cultural scene.”
“Sir, it is correct that Singapore left UNESCO in 1985. But the circumstances were very different when we left UNESCO. We understand that over the past 20 years or so there has been much changes within UNESCO. We have also kept ourselves informed about what is happening in UNESCO and participated in selected UNESCO activities even though we are not a member. In fact, since 2004 we have become an observer at UNESCO activities or meetings and events. We take our observer status seriously because we want to learn more about how the organisation functions, how we can contribute to its mission and how we can also derive benefits from our participation in future as a member. We have also been selected by UNESCO for heritage recognition despite the fact that we are not a member. We do not have a World Heritage site. But I understand that in 2001, UNESCO awarded the Thiam Hock Keng, in Telok Ayer Street, the Asia Pacific Heritage Award, and this was followed in 2002 with an award with the CHIJMES Project for Asia Pacific Heritage Award. We have two UNESCO-recognised Asia Pacific Heritage sites here in Singapore. We are now an observer and, as I have said, we participate in their meetings. We will learn more about what they are doing, what are their programmes, how we can contribute, what are the benefits we can derive. We look forward to rejoining the organisation in the near future.”
“With this launch, Singapore joined 17 other cities, including London, Paris, Barcelona, New York, Beijing, Shanghai and many others, to have a local edition of "Time Out" magazine. The Singapore editor of "Time Out" magazine, Miss Billie Cohen, who was the "Time Out" New York editor for nine years, was reported to have said - this is the report [indicating ] - and I quote: "Singapore is such a city on the edge with a vibrant, creative community. Your city is such an international city that is now making its mark on the world map." So maybe we are 'cool', but I think there is still a lot of work to do. To gain recognition, acceptance and also perhaps even a premium for designed-in-Singapore products, for created-in-Singapore cultural content, and media content, these are areas that we have to continue to work on and we have to ensure that whatever we do, we will receive greater acceptance and be even more welcomed in the global market. To sum up, Sir, let me assure the House that MICA will not spare any effort in our plans and strategy to transform Singapore into an even more vibrant, exciting and attractive global arts city. Intelligent Nation 2015”
“Major international events involving the creative industries, such as the Asia Media Festival and the Singapore Design Festival also enhance mindshare of Singapore among our global partners. International publications such as the IHT, Newsweek, Time magazine have all reported on the changing arts scene in Singapore. Many have noticed the new buzz in Singapore. Last year's inaugural Singapore Biennale alone attracted more than 400 media reports, mostly with favourable remarks on the arts in Singapore. MICA is also working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry on the National Marketing Action Committee to develop a whole-of-government effort to market and promote Singapore internationally. This will address Mr Chan Soo Sen's suggestion that we should have an inter-ministerial group, to better promote Singapore, particularly to promote the 'cool' image of Singapore. The National Marketing Action Committee will be working on this. I believe that our arts and creative programmes will change the way we look at ourselves and how others perceive us. But will we be perceived as "cool" - that is something we should leave to others to judge. Based on the Country Brand Index released by global branding consultants FutureBrand, which I believe the Second Minister for Finance mentioned in his round-up speech to the Budget Debate, in November 2006, Singapore was second on the Nightlife/Eating and the Shopping categories and ranked ahead of USA, which is a country that people generally perceive as being ‘cool’. Incidentally, yesterday, the Today newspaper reported on the launch of the Singapore Edition of the World's Best known arts and culture magazine called "Time Out".”
“Students will be able to develop a strong inter-disciplinary foundation in the arts, together with other academic subjects such as English, Mother Tongue languages, Literature, the Humanities, Mathematics, Science and IT. They will also develop a specialisation in music, dance, theatre or the visual arts, and they will graduate with the widely-recognised International Baccalaureate Diploma which will enable them to enter universities and other tertiary institutions in Singapore and overseas. The School will admit up to about 300 Year 1 and Year 2 students in the first group in 2008. I am pleased that the School has received positive response from parents and interested students. 403 students signed up for its first Talent Academy in November last year, and, to date, another 390 students have already signed up for auditions in March and June this year. To attract the best young talents and to provide adequate support for all deserving students who require financial assistance, the School will launch a bursary and scholarship fund this year. Sir, the progress we have made in the arts, culture and library services underscores our emphasis to promote arts and culture in Singapore and to develop our ”soft-power”, which Mr Chan Soo Sen has pointed out is an important aspect of our overall national development. "Soft power" will certainly contribute to a Singapore brand. So MICA, in fact, has launched cultural diplomacy programmes, such as the Singapore Season in London in 2005, and, as I mentioned earlier, this year, we will do so in China (October to November). We will launch the Singapore Season in China - in Beijing and Shanghai - to promote cultural relations and also reinforce awareness of the arts and creativity in Singapore.”
“We had earlier estimated the total development cost to be about $100 million. However, with the upsurge in construction activities and cost and some changes to the design of the Arts School, we expect the development cost to rise. We are in the process of seeking funding approval to cover the additional cost and we expect to be able to launch the construction soon. In the meantime, for this financial year, we have set aside about $16 million or 3% of MICA’s total budget to be used for the pre-operating expenses. We are in the process of recruiting faculty members. We have already recruited the principals and heads of some of the departments. We are in the process of building up a team, developing the curriculum, so the pre-operating expenses are already mounting up. We have set aside about $16 million of MICA's budget to finance these pre-operating expenses. MICA’s budget for the project will also be supplemented by generous contributions from the Tote Board towards the capital cost for the project. We have actually completed the piling work for the project and we will be launching the construction of the school building itself and expect the construction to be completed towards the end of 2009. In the interim, the School will open as planned in January 2008 at a temporary campus at Goodman Road. This site will soon be vacated by LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts. MICA will embark on the necessary renovations and improvements to ensure that the interim campus is well equipped and conducive for the students’ needs. Dr Lateef also enquired about the disciplines offered by the School. When the School opens in January 2008, it will offer a six-year curriculum, equivalent to through-train Secondary and Junior College education.”
“Ms Irene Ng asked if MICA would consider developing underground linkages to link up the various cultural institutions in the District, and she painted a very exciting and engaging scenario of what it can be when the whole place is connected up, and many activities are happening and flourishing at the same time. I support that vision and I agree that this is something that we should be striving for. In developing the National Art Gallery, MICA will explore with URA and potential private sector partners on the feasibility of such linkages, both underground and at street level, in order to facilitate access to the National Art Gallery, linking to the Esplanade and the Empress Place cluster. Let me now turn to another aspect, which I think would complement our whole development for arts and culture, although Members have not actually touched on it, and this is really on the provision of library service which is a very important part of MICA's mission. Since the launch of the Library 2000 Plan, we have built one of the best public library systems in the world to cater to the reading and learning needs of Singaporeans. I am pleased to take this opportunity to inform this House that MICA will invest $100 million to further improve library services and support life-long learning under our Library 2010 Masterplan. This is a 5-year plan to build-up digital content and capabilities of our libraries to deliver real time information and knowledge services to Singaporeans at all stages of life. It will also serve the research needs of businesses and organisations in creating new products and services to help drive our economy forward. 1.15 pm Let me turn to Dr Fatimah Lateef's question about the development of the Arts School.”
“At the nearby Bras Basah area, you will find the recently reopened National Museum, the Singapore Art Museum, the National Library and Drama Centre, and soon-to-be re-opened Peranakan Museum at the old Tao Nan school along Armenian Street. The Montemarte in Paris and Covent Garden in London, mentioned by Miss Penny Low, are great examples of world-class arts districts. Everybody knows about them. Every tourist makes a bee line for these places when they are visiting these cities. But we must remember that these famous places were developed over many decades, if not, hundred years or more. It takes time to establish such reputation, recognition and also to accumulate the critical mass of activities that will attract people on a permanent basis. Our Arts and Heritage District is still in the early stage of development. But it is already a showcase for our creative talents and rich heritage as well as a focal point for Singaporeans and international visitors to learn about Singapore's arts and Singapore's creative works. For a start, MICA has recently spearheaded a multi-agency national branding effort to promote and raise awareness of the Arts and Heritage District. Hon. Members may have noticed, when they drive to Parliament, the colourful buntings on lamp posts along the streets which advertise the arts and cultural district. Ms Irene Ng spoke about the project to convert the former Supreme Court building and City Hall into a National Art Gallery. Let me say that the National Art Gallery will certainly add another iconic attraction to our Arts and Heritage District. The project is under way. An international architectural design competition has already been launched, to seek out the best ideas and design for the Gallery.”
“This year, NAC will organise more District Arts Festivals in collaboration with the Community Development Councils. This is part of our arts outreach programme. We will bring the arts to our heartlands' aunties and uncles and our youths, so that nobody needs to miss out on the vibrant arts scene. NAC and the Republic Polytechnic will also jointly develop a regional arts centre in Woodlands, to allow both students and the local community to enjoy, participate in and take ownership of major arts activities in their community. On the corporate support side, MICA has also worked closely with the corporate sector to reach out to the community through popular arts activities. Over the years, sponsorship for the arts has averaged $30 million or more annually. We have encouraged private philanthropy and corporate sponsorship through a variety of financial and tax incentives. In the next phase of the Renaissance City Plan, MICA and our agencies will continue to explore ways of promoting people and private sector cooperation to support the arts. Miss Penny Low and Ms Irene Ng enquired if Government had considered developing a more vibrant arts and cultural district. One of the ideas of Dr Teo Ho Pin was whether we could have a national gallery, about making Orchard Road a place to display artworks. I would like to say that, today, we already have the foundations of an Arts and Heritage district. The foundations are already well established and in place. In fact, if you look at the city, within an area of about three square kilometers, we have the iconic Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay - we have the Empress Place cluster comprising the Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House at the Old Parliament, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall.”
“There are 43 museums, both public and private, in Singapore offering a great deal of diversity in cultural and heritage collections. In the next phase of the Renaissance City Plan, the National Heritage Board will pilot a programme called Heritage Development Assistance Scheme with selected partners, to promote greater diversity and inclusiveness in showcasing our rich multi-cultural heritage. This is to work with the private museums to help them to grow and develop, so that they can contribute to enriching our cultural landscape. Secondly, we will now aim for a more dynamic and diverse ecosystem to support our artists and arts companies in their internationalisation efforts. For example, last year, we organised the inaugural Singapore Biennale. The event attracted more than 800,000 local and international visitors. The local and international media gave many positive comments on Singapore's visual arts scene and the new artistic buzz in Singapore as a result of the Singapore Biennale. The exposure had resulted in several Singaporean artists, who participated in the Biennale, being invited to participate in overseas art shows. The next Singapore Biennale will be staged in 2008. But this year, we will organise the Singapore Art Show to promote and celebrate the works of our local artists. Finally, MICA will step up our efforts to build a strong sense of community and personal engagement in the arts and culture. Dr Teo Ho Pin asked about the involvement of the heartland community and corporate sector in arts outreach. These are important issues. Last year, NAC organised more than 100 free arts events under the ArtReach banner. Also, NAC signed an MOU on Arts Cooperation with the People’s Association to support community art.”
“These include artists, arts companies, community and grassroots organisations, corporate sponsors, cultural entrepreneurs, the creative industries, private museums and collectors, to name a few. We will leverage on the diverse pool of expertise, networks and resources to enrich and charge up the arts. Our aim is to cultivate a greater sense of interest and, more importantly, ownership among all Singaporeans for what happens in the arts and culture. Allow me to elaborate, Sir. Firstly, the National Arts Council will engage more industry partners to champion and support the creation of new content. This is an important area. We must continue to expand our repertoire, as I said earlier. The NAC is already commissioning new work and encouraging our artists and arts companies to venture, to experiment and we will continue to support them. The National Heritage Board (NHB) will also explore collaborations with private museums, heritage organisations and private collectors. Over the years, we have seen the emergence of private museums which enrich our network of heritage institutions. I do not know how many Members have visited this incredible museum called the Nei Xue Tang, along Cantonment Road. Nei Xue Tang is an excellent museum showcasing Buddhist artefacts. It is a private museum belonging to a private collector who has generously opened up the museum for public viewing, to share his collection with the general public. If you have not visited it, it is well worth a visit. There is also an excellent museum called the MINT Museum of Toys. It is a whimsical and nostalgic collection of toys. So we have diversity in our museum landscape. In fact, our museum roundtable has 43 members.”
“They say that back in their home countries, whether it is somewhere in Europe or Australia, most of the audience are actually older people. This is a significant difference. It augurs well for the arts scene in Singapore that we have a growing number of young people who are interested in the arts. NAC’s Arts Education Initiative has resulted in more than 60% of the student population participating in activities such as attending arts performances, attending workshops on the arts or visiting arts institutions. These programmes will continue. We will continue to reach out to our students to ensure that they get a good grounding in the arts and gain interest in the arts. Sir, we can be proud of our vibrant arts scene. The provision of special funding amounting to $10 million per year between 2000 and 2003, and the funding which was increased to $12 million between 2004 and 2006 under the Renaissance City Plan actually enabled MICA to achieve these results. But this is only the beginning and, as I said, the mission is far from accomplished. We have to chart new strategies and initiatives to maintain the momentum. For this, I am pleased to inform this House that MICA will allocate $15.5 million a year for the next phase of the Renaissance City Plan. Sir, the new phase of the Renaissance City Plan is not just about additional funding, although obviously funding is very important for the arts. There is always a question of money not enough and funding is always uppermost in the mind of the arts groups and the companies. More importantly, we will now focus on a 3P or public-people-private partnership approach in implementing arts programmes. We will build on the strong foundation already in place to galvanise the many stakeholders in Singapore.”
“There is a lot of vibrancy and a lot of activity. This number of arts events was, in fact, more than double that in 1999 before we launched the RCP. 1.00 pm A second indicator is the number of registered arts companies and societies which has now reached 670. This is an increase of 45% over the same period. It is not just the numbers which matter, but the quality as well. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra and Singapore Dance Theatre have all acquired international reputation. They performed overseas and they have got a good standing among the international performing arts circle. Our theatre groups, such as TheatreWorks, Wild Rice, Finger Player, Drama Box and Toy Factory have also received acclaim both at home and when they perform internationally. So we have developed a growing number of quality arts companies that do us proud. Our local arts audience has also grown significantly. A recent NAC survey showed that one out of three Singaporeans participated in at least one arts and cultural activity a year. Ten years ago, it was one Singaporean out of 10. We can say that the increase in arts audience is almost three-fold over the past 10 years. Since 2002, ticketed arts attendances have crossed the one million mark. In 2005, museum visitorship crossed the two million mark. These indicators suggest that the Renaissance City Plan's effort to grow the arts audience has certainly yielded good results. Even more encouraging, we see strong audience growth among younger Singaporeans, and this is something which is very important. Because many visitors whom I have interacted with in the arts and culture area, when I bring them around to some of our performances, often, they observed that among our audience, there were a lot of young people.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank all the Members who had spoken on MICA’s programmes for arts and culture. I believe that most of them have observed that Singapore is now a much more vibrant place when it comes to arts and culture. Before I respond to their specific queries, allow me to provide this House with an overview of MICA’s strategy for promoting the arts, culture and heritage in order to achieve our vision of Singapore as a Global City for the Arts. Sir, six years ago, we launched the Renaissance City Plan (RCP) to develop the people side of the arts and culture as a necessary complement of our investments in the hardware side, ie, the arts and cultural institutions, the performing space, the museums, the galleries, etc. We set out to build a strong and creative cluster of arts and cultural practitioners and also to grow audiences. We have invested in many new facilities. But if we do not have growing audience, then the investments would have gone to waste. Have we succeeded? The answer is yes. We have made progress, but like many other things, there is still a lot more work to be done. Today, Singapore has a much more lively arts and cultural scene as observed by many Members. While it is not easy to measure the level of success or the actual level of the vibrancy, let me just mention three areas for illustration. Last year, there were over 6,000 art performances and exhibitions. That is nearly 16 events a day. So, in fact, many people have said they have a great difficulty deciding which one to go to. There were so many things happening on the same day, particularly in major festival months like in June where we have the Singapore Arts Festival. So many events are happening, almost 300 events during the SAF.”
“MICA will continue to take a holistic approach to developing the creative industries and the creative potential of Singaporeans. Creative and Cultural District”
“For example, Kingsmen Exhibits, which designed the Mini Habitat Showroom for BMW Asia, is now applying the concept to various MINI showrooms overseas. Likewise, WOHA Designs, a President Design Award winning architectural firm, has spun off a company to turn original furniture designs for their one-off architectural projects into design IP which can be licensed for royalties. Sir, in response to Mr Baey's request for more resources to stimulate the creation of intellectual property, I would like to say that, last year, NAC invested more than $1.3 million to commission new artworks that will enlarge our repertoire. NAC will increase financial support for the creation and presentation of new works, including launching a Co-Publishing initiative to co-invest in the publication of new works. NAC will also commission artists and arts companies to create new creative works. For example, a new dance development platform, Forward Moves, was commissioned for the Singapore Arts Festival to stimulate development of new choreography by Singapore’s emerging choreographers. Sir, in conclusion, the creative industries offer tremendous opportunities for Singapore. The results so far have been very encouraging. We will continue to support capability development, whether it is through formal scholarships or through informal networking, seminars, master classes and other sharing opportunities, and help creative Singaporeans to gain skills in important areas, such as content creation, growing intellectual property, as well as accessing new markets. The direct and indirect contributions to our economy will be significant. Equally importantly, the creative industries also contribute to making Singapore a more vibrant and exciting city for our citizens as well as visitors.”
“They will present their furniture and product design at the Milan Fair this April, with the support of DesignSingapore Council. This example shows that our designers are innovative and they are ready to venture onto the global market. Thirdly, MICA supports the internationalisation of artistes and designers through various grant and assistance schemes. These include overseas scholarships and internships, and funding assistance to participate in international events, awards and competitions. Going forward, we will continue to explore more avenues to help our creative sector enter the global market. At home, of course, we will continue to give recognition to successful designers through our President Design Award scheme which was inaugurated last year. In fact, the call for nomination for 2007 President Design Award is out now and I would like to invite people to put in their nominations for recipients of this award. Mr Baey asked about the support for the development of intellectual property. Let me assure Mr Baey that we are making strong efforts to ensure that our creative professionals are well equipped to develop and exploit IP. The DesignSingapore Council is planning a new initiative to support designers and design entrepreneurs by establishing a Materials Library and a Prototyping Resource Centre. This initiative will be a great help to many designers, especially the young and up-and-coming designers, who may lack access or have difficulty gaining access to such a resource which they would need in their design work. I would also like to mention that we already have a number of design companies in Singapore which are well positioned to develop and exploit their own design intellectual properties.”
“Last year, 11 Singapore music companies participated in the Singapore Pavilion at MIDEM and secured collectively S$9.5 million worth of contracts, which is almost nine times more than what they did in the year before in 2005. So we are making progress. In film and content for TV, MDA led 15 Singapore media companies, including ST Electronics (Digital Media), Lights and Shadow, Oak 3 and Scrawl Studio, to the 2006 MIPCOM in Cannes. This is the world's foremost TV content market in France. These companies collectively secured co-production contracts worth US$50 million. These are good indicators of Singapore's music and media companies’ ability to enter the growing global market for media content. MICA will continue to help more Singapore companies to venture into the international market. In the design sector, the DesignSingapore Council presented Singapore designers at premier international platforms, such as the Milan Fair 2006. We showcased designs by four home-grown companies - Lee Hwa (a jewellery company), Stikfas (a toy company), Air Division and Enzer (consumer electronics) in collaboration with renowned industrial designer Toshiyuki Kita. Similarly, in the 2006 London Design Festival, we featured 20 award-winning Singapore-based designers. I would also like to take this opportunity to mention the inspiring story of two Singaporean designers, namely, Ms Wendy Chua and Mr Gabriel Tan. As students at the NUS Design School, they won the prestigious Electrolux Design Lab International Competition. I think they have already graduated and established a design group with two other designers from Argentina and Spain. The group is called "Out of Stock".”
“Last year, The Art House at Old Parliament launched the Spotlight Singapore series in Hong Kong and Tokyo featuring our top musicians, including popular musician and composer, Iskandar Ismail, and also a certain number of popular DJs from Singapore. The Singapore Season series, which we piloted in London in 2005, successfully introduced Singapore’s arts and cultural talents to the London audience. Since then, the Tang Quartet was invited back to perform in 2006 and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra had also been invited to perform in Gateshead, Newcastle, UK, in 2008, and maybe another invitation for 2009. Arising from that exposure through the Singapore Season in London, we are beginning to see Singapore arts company being invited back for further performances. This year, we will present a month-long Singapore Season in Beijing and Shanghai in China which, we hope, will lead to even more invitations for Singapore artists and arts companies to perform in China. In our Singapore Season's programme for China, we will incorporate a popular music segment to provide a complete picture of the diversified art and culture developments in Singapore. This invitation to our arts company to perform internationally is also another indicator of the arts sector's achievement, which also addresses Miss Penny Low's question on how well they are doing. Secondly, MICA's agencies work closely with industry partners to market Singapore’s creative products at key international events. In the music sector - to address Ms Olsen's point - NAC and MDA supported Singapore talents and companies at international markets, such as MIDEM, the world’s largest music trade fair.”
“I agree that it is important for freelancers to also upgrade their skills and capabilities. MICA’s agencies offer capability development programmes for creative workers, including freelancers. Last year, nearly 5,000 employees and freelancers took advantage of these programmes. Freelancers can also benefit from our Workforce Skills Qualification framework, which I have just mentioned. Freelance creative workers are also no different from other freelance or casual workers in other economic sectors. This is to address the point that Miss Penny Low mentioned about the savings for old age pension, retirement, healthcare, and so on. So I would like to encourage all freelance workers in the creative sector to better plan for their retirement and old age by voluntarily contributing to their CPF accounts. The Workfare Income Supplement Scheme announced by the Second Minister for Finance is also available and will benefit the lower-income and older group of workers in the creative sector. Mr Teo Ser Luck asked about developing the local market to support and promote local musicians. Ms Eunice Olsen also enquired about the Government’s efforts to promote local music and design talent internationally. Both comments are relevant and deserve support. MICA’s approach is to develop our talents to succeed not just in Singapore but beyond our shores, to be able to go onto the international stage, so to speak. It will not be easy. But we must try. We have three key strategies to underpin this effort to promote and to internationalise our creative sector. Firstly, MICA actively promotes and showcases Singapore’s creative talents around the world.”
“A good example is Ms Cheah Mei Sing, a scholar who used to dance with the Singapore Dance Theatre. She has now joined the School of the Arts to help groom younger talents. Sir, Mr Baey Yam Keng pointed out that formal education alone is not sufficient. MICA’s agencies offer various programmes beyond formal training to help creative practitioners to build up their creative skills, arts management and business capabilities, as well as gain international exposure. I agree with him. Trying to help and grow these arts companies is not just a matter of the artistic side. There is also the business side, and we are aware of it. That is why we help them to develop arts management and business capabilities. This assistance also includes local and overseas attachments, grants for them to conduct studies, as well as master classes and seminars. We are also partnering the Workforce Development Agency to develop a Creative Industries Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework, which includes the development of skills standards, assessment strategies and training curriculum for the creative sector. We believe that having a creative industry Workforce Skills Qualifications framework will certainly help many workers in this sector to improve their employment prospects. Miss Penny Low asked about freelancers, workers in the creative sector who are not employees in the usual sense and who will move between projects. I agree with her that the creative sector has a large proportion of such people, and that freelancers are in fact an essential part of the talent pool for Singapore’s creative industries. It is also the same in many other creative cities. They have a pool of freelancers who will move around from project to project and sometimes doing different things.”
“I am glad to inform this House that to support the growing demand for creative manpower in the creative sector, the local arts institution has overall increased the art intakes of subsidised students by 10% between 2004 and 2006. We will continue to review and monitor the demand for talent in the creative sector. As the need manifests itself, we would certainly be working with the post-secondary education institutions to increase their intake so that we will be able to supply the required number of talents to take on these jobs in the creative sector. 12.30 pm Mr Chairman, Sir, Mr Baey Yam Keng has noted that talent for the creative sector needs to be developed differently. I agree with him. He also asked about the scholarships and the informal training opportunities that are equally important in nurturing talent for the creative industry. Last year, 30 scholarships were awarded by the arts, design and media sector. Since 2003, MDA has also supported an additional 76 aspiring media talents under the Media Education Scheme at both local and overseas institutions. I would strongly encourage students who are interested in a career in the creative industry to apply for these scholarships. Our scholarships and bursaries have enlarged our pool of creative manpower. Some of them joined Singapore’s creative workforce immediately after graduation, while others opted to work overseas to gain international exposure and establish invaluable networks before returning home. Our established artists are also helping to mentor and to develop the next generation of artists. For instance, seven out of 10 recipients of music and dance scholarships given in the early 1990s have remained active musicians or dancers as well as teaching aspiring young musicians and dancers.”
“But not everything has to change when we review and refine. One key component which remains unchanged is developing human capital. After all, it is the breakthrough ideas by the talented individual that lead to innovative products and services. We will continue to adopt a holistic approach through education, capability development, awareness-building, showcasing and recognising creative talents and achievements. If we take this approach, we will be able to make a greater impact to catalyse and stimulate our creative industries. Miss Penny Low asked whether our artists and arts groups are doing well, and how we measure ourselves in this area. There is no simple measure of such achievements. Some of it may well be intangible. One rough measure though is the number of international awards and engagements that are secured by our local talents. It is an indication of recognition. The numbers are not large, but the National Arts Council (NAC) reported a 50% increase in 2005 over the year before for such recognition and international engagements. I would say more about the increasing demand for the arts and internationalisation of our artists and arts groups later on. On Miss Low's question about the intake quotas for our arts institutions, each year, the National Manpower Council establishes the intakes of subsidised students in the post-secondary education institutions. This is done in consultation with various Ministries, economic agencies and the education institutions themselves in order to be able to channel resources to areas with the highest economic demand.”
“By coincidence, The Straits Times today, mentioned by Mr Baey Yam Keng, carried several pages featuring fashion designers and other designers' works as well as pointing out the ups and downs of the design industry. I think it is natural, like many other industries, they will have their successes and failures. The article makes for interesting reading about the state of the design sector in Singapore. Sir, our investment in the creative industries is a long-term effort. It would be a long journey. The good news is that we are making encouraging progress. The latest economic figures indicated that, in 2004, Singapore’s creative industries contributed about 3.6% to the GDP, total value add was $6.7 billion, which was an increase of 8% over the previous year. Total creative employment increased by more than 1,000 to over 93,000 workers in the creative sector, accounting for about 4.3% of total employment. Many countries are aggressively investing in their creative industries. Countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Nordic countries, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, China, including Hong Kong, have all launched national strategies to develop their creative industries. Singapore cannot lag behind. We must seize the opportunities and be responsive to changes in the global environment. We must update our strategy and effort to promote our creative enterprises. In response to Mr Baey Yam Keng on what are we planning to do for the creative industries, let me inform the House that MICA will review and refine our creative industries development strategy which we adopt about three years ago and we will update the strategy so that we will be able to develop new initiatives to further support and nurture this very important sector of the economy.”
“Sir, I thank the hon. Members for speaking on the creative industries and for raising many relevant comments and suggestions. Let me begin by sharing with the House a brief overview of what the industry represents. In our context in Singapore, we describe the creative industries as encompassing the arts, design and media. Globally, the creative industries were estimated to be worth over US$1 trillion in 2005, accounting for about 7% of the world's GDP. It has a projected growth of about 10% annually. It is obviously a big and rapidly growing sector of the global economy. In Singapore, between 1995 and 2004, the creative industries grew by about 7% annually, which is very healthy, better perhaps compared to 4% for the general economy's growth. The impact of the creative industries goes far beyond their direct economic contributions to the economy. The indirect contributions are equally, if not more, important. For example, the creative industries can contribute to even more innovative and desirable products and services in manufacturing, healthcare and tourism sectors. The strong multiplier effect of the creative industries on other sectors was, in fact, something which the United Kingdom's Creative Economy Programme singled out for mention. In Singapore's context, we note through anecdotal evidence that the performing arts, for example, have much higher multipliers than many other economic activities. So the creative industries also improve our quality of life and make Singapore more vibrant by stimulating awareness and demand for the arts, design and media products. It opens up new opportunities for Singaporeans to turn their creative ideas into businesses.”
“This will enable us to develop a data protection law which will be relevant to our context in addressing our privacy concerns, economic requirements and national interest. REVERSE MORTGAGE SCHEME (Figures) 2. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for National Development if he will provide an update on the reverse mortgage scheme, in particular (i) how many financial institutions are offering this scheme; (ii) how many residents have taken up this scheme; and (iii) what is the average amount that residents receive under this scheme every month.”
“In response to NMP Siew's query on the status of three pieces of proposed legislation, please allow me to update the House on their respective progress. Spam Control Bill The Spam Control Bill has been tabled for its First Reading at the 12th February sitting of Parliament. Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill Arising from further consultations conducted last year with stakeholders in the interactive and digital media sector, my Ministry has received feedback from the industry and academia that legal certainty for the extent of civil liability or immunity for online service providers is an important issue. Since then, my Ministry has undertaken a detailed study on the issue and we are currently working with the Attorney-General's Chambers to incorporate provisions into the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill to address these concerns. The revised Bill is expected to be ready for a final round of public consultation in the second half of this year. I would like to inform the House that Singapore has signed the UN Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL") Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts in July last year. The impending revisions to the Electronic Transactions Act will bring the regulatory framework for electronics transactions in Singapore in line with the Convention. Data Protection In February last year, I informed the House that an Inter-Ministry Committee had been set up to review Singapore's data protection regime. As data protection is a complex issue with extensive impact on businesses and general public, the review is still on going and will take some time. We need to study more closely the experiences of countries which had introduced such legislation.”
“Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for National Development, for each year from 2003 to 2006 (a) how many new and resale HDB flats were purchased using bank loans; (b) how many HDB mortgages were foreclosed by banks; and (c) of these cases of foreclosure, (i) what was the average period for which the debtors were in default before foreclosure; (ii) what was the average quantum of the outstanding loan at the time of foreclosure; and (iii) what was the average original purchase price of the flat.”
“Current guidelines do allow for nudity in artistic works, including photography publications, provided they are suitably depicted and not excessive. In the case of "Super Stars Special Edition" by Leslie Kee, the publication features excessive nudity with photographs showing full frontal nudity, with pubic hair and genitals clearly visible. The book had exceeded the current content standards for publications. Hence, it was disallowed for sale. When consulted, the Publications Consultative Panel comprising members of the public, had agreed that the book should be disallowed. There are no universal censorship standards. Every country develops its own regulatory standards based on its own social circumstances, norms and values. Over the years, we have progressively liberalised our content regulation, taking into account the changing expectations of Singaporeans while being sensitive to our multi-racial, multi-religious setting and conservative values of large segments of our society. So, while we try to compete and match other cities, we cannot just follow and do what we see happening in other countries. Fundamentally, Singapore’s censorship standards must reflect our societal development and be acceptable to our community. The Media Development Authority will continue to work with the media industry and consult community partners to refine our censorship guidelines so as to provide choices to consumers within the accepted norms of our society. HDB FLAT MORTGAGES (Foreclosure by banks) 20.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think we have had a rather long day and it is an appropriate juncture to adjourn Parliament. But before doing so, I would just like to remind hon. Members that Parliament will resume tomorrow at the same time to continue deliberation on the rest of the items on the Order Paper. Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn." - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Adjourned accordingly at Seven o'clock pm. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 3.00 PM ONE-STOP CENTRE FOR PRIVATE HOUSING ESTATES 16. Ms Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development whether a one-stop centre, similar to Town Councils or HDB Area Offices, can be set up to serve the needs of those who live in private housing estates.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2006/2007, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, may I seek your consent and the general assent of hon. Members present to move that progress be reported now, and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?”
“I agree with Dr Warren Lee that industrial design is important. That is why just now, in my main response to Mr Zainudin and also Ms Penny Low, I spoke about what we are doing under the Design Singapore Studio Scheme. The Design Singapore Studio Scheme is in fact an initiative to promote and develop our industrial design or our product design capability. That is why we sought out international designers like Toshiyuki Kita and architects like Toyo Ito to work with our Singapore companies to go into product design, to lend their expertise in product design to our local companies and local designers. This is indeed an important area because it can help our manufacturing sector to come up with better design products that can be much more desirable and can capture greater market share. We understand the imperative, and we are working on it. But the point I want to make is that we are very pleased with the fact that leading international designers have been happy to associate with us. They are prepared to come and support our Design Singapore Studio Scheme. So that is a very strong endorsement.”
“We are also at the same time trying to encourage more wild and exciting ideas, not necessarily crazy ideas, to come from the bottom-up approach, and that is the raison d'etre for our Creative Community Singapore project, to give an opportunity for people with imagination, ideas, dreams that they want to achieve, dreams that they want to follow, to empower them to put their proposals to us. If they need funding, this is where Creative Community Singapore comes in. We are there to fund people with interesting and exciting ideas that have the potential to impact on our creative industry, community life and community bonding in Singapore. So there are many such opportunities. If the Member has more ideas, we will be very happy to consider any other suggestions from her.”
“Sir, I agree that we need inspiring ideas, we need inspiring examples, and we need heroes in our creative industry. So wherever we can, we will highlight these examples. One interesting example which I would like to mention to the House is this creation of Red Dot@Traffic which is entirely a private sector enterprise. For those of you who have not driven down Maxwell Road recently, if you take a drive down there, you will see directly opposite the very serious facade of the Ministry of National Development, a building painted in bright "fire engine" red, running the whole span of the block. Within this building is housed an interesting experiment called the "Red Dot Design Museum". The Red Dot by the way is not related to the little red dot title that has been given to Singapore before. The Red Dot refers to a German organisation that awards design recognition for good product design. There is a museum there which showcases past award winners of the Red Dot design competition and the building is being developed as a design hub. Red Dot@Traffic is being developed as a design hub for the creative businesses and entrepreneurs to do their business or start-up from there. There are many exciting ideas going on in Singapore in the creative sector. In the media sector, I have already mentioned Cubix International and Peach Blossom Media. There are many other companies out there that are breaking new grounds, innovatively exploring all kinds of ideas and possibilities to enlarge their business and market share. We do have in fact many such wild and crazy ideas. MICA, together with our creative industry development strategy group, is actively supporting some of these.”
“Sir, the Arts School is not just a school to train students in the arts. As I said right at the beginning in response to Prof. Chin, the uniqueness of the Arts School is that it integrates the principal arts disciplines together with a full academic curriculum. The Member asked where would the students find the time for the arts. We are not the inventor of the concept of the Arts School. Many other countries have similar Arts Schools, whether it is in the UK, America, Europe or Australia. They have succeeded in integrating the arts disciplines with a full academic curriculum. As I said earlier on, we are not trying to reinvent the wheel. We will learn from the experience of others who have gone down this path before us. They have done well and established highly regarded Arts Schools, produced graduates who can gain admission to the best of the universities in their own country or anywhere else, and I think this model is useful for us. Sir, I am confident that our Arts School will be able to teach our students a full academic curriculum to prepare them for the International Baccalaurete Diploma and at the same time develop their artistic talent to the highest potential. 2.15 pm”
“Sir, as I said in my response to Mr Zainudin, the Government is giving full support to our arts colleges like NAFA and LaSalle. Both institutions are given polytechnic level per capita recurrent subsidy for students whose academic results meet the requirements for polytechnic entry. In other words, these students must meet this basic requirement. The institutions also get ITE level per capita subsidy for students who do not meet polytechnic entry level. In other words, if they do not meet the full polytechnic entry level, they have the ITE level of subsidy. So, on average, the arts colleges get about $10 million of recurrent funding per year. In addition, I also understand that NAFA and LaSalle each receives about $25 million and $65 million respectively of funds for their city campuses land premium, because NAFA is now in its new city campus. LaSalle is also building its new city campus. They each receive additional funding to cover both their city campus land premium and also building costs. Overall, I must say that both art colleges do receive significant Government support and funding, which will enable them to play a bigger role in our effort to groom, nurture and develop even more creative talent among the younger generation.”
“Sir, permit me to supplement what my Senior Parliamentary Secretary has just said about the Archives. I would like to thank Ms Irene Ng for her comments and her interest in the Archives. Certainly, we will want our Archives to also improve and make progress as the years go by to offer better service to the people who need to come to the Archives. We will continue, first of all, to improve the online collection of archival materials so that people can browse through the online collection from the convenience of their home. If they, as Ms Irene Ng has said, still need to come down to the Archives to study the original document, we will try our best to provide better facilities, and we are doing this. She mentioned that she visited the Ford Factory recently when we opened the new museum there. She would have noticed that there is a brand new annexe building next to the Ford Factory. This is, in fact, a repository for our archival materials, because we have run so short of space in the National Archives to store all these materials. We have to build this new facility there. With the decanting of some of our materials there, maybe there is hope that in the present National Archives there could be some room for us to upgrade and to improve so that visitors who need to come and study documents at the Archives itself could have a more conducive environment.”
“We will seek support or learn from the experience of people who have done this much longer than us to devise appropriate well-rounded method of trying to identify talent. Sir, the School will work closely with our primary schools and parents to identify potential students starting from later this year. Although the School will only open in the academic year 2008, we want to start engaging the primary schools, students and parents to open up in their mind the possibility of the Arts School as an option for them to consider. It will also announce its school fees and admission details around that time. We intend to offer bursaries and scholarships to ensure that needy talented students will not miss out on the chance to go to the Arts School. Sir, for its first intake, the School plans to admit 200 Secondary 1 and 200 Secondary 2 students. And in its steady state, the Arts School will have 1,200 students, aged between 13 and 18. It will take about 200 students each year. With a six-year programme, we will have a student population of about 1,200. As the School is part of our national education system, the vast majority of the students will be Singaporeans, but it will also take in some foreign students. The exposure to talented foreign students will add to the School's cultural diversity, and it will certainly benefit our young students in Singapore, to give them an exposure to talented and creative students from the region, in particular. Foreign students, however, will not receive the fee subsidy which the Government provides for Singaporean students. So they will pay full fees.”
“Parents appreciate its balanced, yet rigorous approach and its wide recognition by tertiary institutions here in Singapore and overseas. Sir, we expect that our Arts School graduates will be well-equipped to pursue further studies in college, conservatory of music or university, both in the arts and in many other different fields. In fact, when I visited San Francisco School for the Arts, I met with the principal. He explained to me that nearly half of his students do not go into professional career in the arts, they went into many other things. In fact, he mentioned one of his recent leading students went on to Harvard to do international relations after graduating from the Arts School. So, the graduates from our Arts School will be future artists, creative professionals or, in fact, just well-rounded individuals, successful in many other fields, but with a strong education and a strong passion for the arts. 2.00 pm Sir, the issue of admission criteria is important, as Prof. Chin has said. Who will be admitted to the Arts School? Interested students must meet the key criteria of artistic talent and potential. The School will assess their talent by audition, interviews and, if necessary, admission test. While artistic talent is obviously a priority for the Arts School, the School cannot be blind to academic performance. It will also have to consider the candidate's academic record and ability to fulfil the International Baccalaureate requirement. For its admission assessment, the School will draw from an expert panel of local and overseas artists and educationists. We are taking this approach because we understand that in the initial years, trying to assess talent of young children at the age of 13 is not going to be easy. So we have to learn through experience.”
“What would set it apart? Prof. Chin was asking what is going to be distinctive about the Arts School and what would be taught? What will set it apart from the other schools is the incorporation of the principal art subjects, namely, music, dance, theatre and visual arts, into the academic curriculum. In planning the curriculum, the principal and her team consulted with artists and visited leading international arts schools. There are already many excellent examples of arts schools elsewhere. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. We can learn from their experience. These arts schools that the principal and her team have visited include the San Francisco High School for the Arts. I have also visited this school. It is a very interesting school with a very large population and very talented faculty to groom young talent. The team had also visited Stockholm Music High School and the Victoria College of Arts High School. Dialogues with parents and students were also held to gather client feedback. Mr Loh Meng See highlighted some learning points from the Sports School on how to motivate students. For the Arts School, parents and students have told us that they want students to be challenged to think critically across discipline and culture and to pursue artistic and creative excellence. The Arts School will, therefore, provide students the opportunity to work with top practitioners of various artistic discipline in Singapore and overseas. The school will also build links with the community, neighbouring museums, the National Library and the Arts Centres to stimulate learning beyond the classrooms. As its graduating qualification, the school is planning to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma.”
“For example, the project called "Bit-By-Bit" will provide mentorship to help community groups to produce mini-musicals. This is a value-chain of the whole process of going about producing musicals and this is working with the community group, the heartlanders, to give them an experience and a taste of what is involved to venture into creating a musical. Another project called "Moving Minds" will offer community entrepreneurship workshop modelled after the successful Stanford Technology Venture Programme. So there are many opportunities for projects under Creative Community Singapore that would involve our heartlanders, and our community organisations too. This year, Creative Community Singapore will launch a second phase of its marketing campaign, including a new local TV series to encourage community entrepreneurship. We have increased public awareness. We expect more projects and wider participation. With regard to his specific request on whether my Ministry will support ad hoc exhibit of pachyderms in quiet parts of Singapore, we are always supportive of creative ideas, whether they are pachyderms or whether they are white or black pachyderms. We will look at these proposals and certainly if they have artistic merit, he can be assured that my Ministry will support. Let me now turn to the Arts School, Mr Chairman. Sir, I am pleased to update this House on the progress of the Arts School. Prof. Chin Tet Yung and Mr Loh Meng See had raised questions on the Arts School and I will answer them. Construction has started at the Kirk Terrace site from last month and the consultants are working hard to meet the targeted opening of January 2008. The Arts School offers a six-year curriculum, equivalent to through-train secondary and junior college education.”
“He spoke about the Creative Community Singapore and how we launched this event with some fanfare last year. I would like to inform Mr Charles Chong that the scheme that we launched last year, Creative Community Singapore, had been very well received. We had received, in fact, a total of 159 submissions from the public, private and people sectors. So far, out of the 159 submissions, 30 had been approved for funding and more projects are likely to be approved for funding and to be implemented. So far, since the launch in July last year, seven projects have been completed. The completed projects have reached out to almost 20,000 people as participants or visitors to various exhibitions. The projects have also created 39 jobs and provided training to more than 800 Singaporeans involved in implementing these projects. Let me give Members an example. HYPE is one of these completed projects. It was initiated by Hewlett Packard in collaboration with the community to produce digital works with HP printer for display and sale in the Arts House Gallery. The proceeds from the sale did not go to HP. The proceeds from the sale went to the Business Times Budding Artists Fund to develop even more young artistic talent. This project was very successful, with about 720 submissions from across the community. Mr Charles Chong talked about the art from the heartlanders. This was an opportunity for the heartlanders to be involved in producing and creating art works. Mr Koh Buck Song, the journalist, in his article in the Straits Times commented that, "Hype is the kind of corporate event for the community that can truly make a difference to the space for expression." More community projects under Creative Community Singapore can be expected.”
“I agree with her that there is world-wide shortage of creative talent. Apart from training, grooming, motivating our own creative talent, we have to make greater effort to attract international creative talent to join us in this industry. As I said earlier on, the fact that key players in this sector have found Singapore an interesting place for them to locate some of their business activities, suggests that we are making progress and headway and we will continue to promote our creative capability and the prospects of our creative industry so that we will attract even more companies and also talent to join us. She pointed out that we also have to balance the needs of our citizens as well as the incentives for our international talent who are attracted by our vibrant creative sector. I agree with her entirely. She is absolutely right. An influx of creative talent will certainly help us to build up a strong and vibrant creative economy, which will open up many new opportunities for Singaporeans and it will also be critical in order to enable Singapore to remain relevant and competitive in this changing global environment. So I am confident that we will be able to achieve this balance of retaining our own creative talent by, firstly, training, developing them to the highest level of excellence that they can achieve, and then retaining this talent, and at the same time, supplementing our own creative talent with international talent to join us in this creative industry. I am confident that we will be able to achieve our vision of transforming Singapore into a creative hub and, at the same time, the best home for our people. Mr Chairman, Sir, let me now turn to Mr Charles Chong on the creative community.”
“An example, Cubics International was able to sell Singapore's full length 3-D animated film, "Zodiac - the Race Begins", to 22 countries. This is their very first full-length feature animation film, made in Singapore, being distributed to 22 countries around the world. I think this is quite an achievement for a young company. MICA is also helping local companies to enhance their product designs by pairing them with acclaimed international designers, including industrial designers Toshiyuki Kita, Architect Toyo Ito, BMW Group Design Director, Chris Bangle. I had the opportunity to meet both Mr Toshiyuki Kita, the industrial product designer and also Chris Bangle from BMW. What came across as the reasons for their wanting to be involved with our project to pair local companies with international designers through the Design Singapore Studio Scheme was that they were very excited about the creative talent in Singapore. They had the opportunity to interact and to meet with our students in our college of arts at LaSalle, NAFA, polytechnics, where they offer design courses, and they were very excited by the people they met who showed energy, determination and creative talent. So they wanted to work with these young people and we offered them this opportunity by pairing them up with established companies and also some internship for our younger students in the institutes that are providing design training. As a result, I think we are able to take the design capabilities in many of our companies to a new level. I like to end this segment on the creative industry by thanking Miss Penny Low for her support of MICA's effort to promote and to develop arts and culture or, in her words, "cultural capital" of Singapore.”
“Mr Zainudin raised the question about R&D in the creative sector. I am pleased to inform him that the National Research Foundation (NRF) has identified Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) as a strategic R&D area. Creative talent and enterprises in Singapore will thus have access to the NRF R&D budget which is drawn from its trust fund, starting at $500 million and will be accumulated over the years, building to about $5 billion by the year 2010. So there are tremendous resources available to support R&D in interactive and digital media. Of course, that is not the only sector that will be supported by the NRF. The NRF is also focusing on environmental technology, water technology, infocomm sector, life sciences and many other areas. So, to better promote the interactive and digital media and industrial design, we have also included these two clusters for existing tax concession which exempt 90% of royalty income from tax. This was announced by the Minister for Finance. More details will be available from 1st April. We hope that these initiatives will encourage local entrepreneurs to develop and exploit more intellectual properties because, at the end of the day, as I said earlier on, for many of our companies it is creativity and innovation, the ability to accumulate intellectual properties of value which you can then exploit fully, both domestically and in the international market. That is how we will grow our creative economy. To help our creative sector venture into the growing global market, MDA had organised local media production companies to participate in major international media markets, such as MIPCOM, Cannes Film Market and American Film Market. These had already yielded some early fruits.”
“That is the key and Miss Penny Low is absolutely correct. At the end of the day, whether a company succeeds or falls by the wayside depends on the strength of its creative and innovative human capital. I am glad to say that our polytechnics, art colleges and universities are all rising to the challenge to groom more creative talent. And the Government is supporting them, giving them all the support that they need so that they can continue to groom creative talent, to seek out and enable our creative talent to attain a high level of excellence. Recently, LaSalle-SIA College of Arts established the Puttnam School of Films. This was done in cooperation with Lord Puttnam of UK. In case hon. Members are not familiar, Lord Puttnam is the man behind such film hits as "The Killing Fields" and "Chariots of Fire". He has gone into a collaboration with LaSalle-SIA College of Arts to open up a film school here in Singapore. That means that we now have a new opportunity to train talented Singaporeans who are interested in film production. We also have a renowned institute like DigiPen from the US, in the area of interactive and digital media, wanting to set up a campus in Singapore and I think they have agreed to start up one here. So we can look forward to another institution that will train interactive and digital media specialists. 1.45 pm In 2005, the Media Development Authority spent about $6.8 million and this year a further $9.9 million will be spent on capability development. These are initiatives that include scholarship, training grant, forum, master classes and workshops, to train and also to inspire our creative talent. In fact, more than 4,000 people from the creative industry have benefited from these initiatives launched by the Media Development Authority.”
“I think Miss Penny Low asked these questions. I would like to say that we are able to compete and we are able to hold our own. For example, we have succeeded to attract several leading global design and creative companies to base some operations or aspects of their work in Singapore. BMW, a company that is well-known for its design and engineering, a global brand, highly sought after, has decided to locate their first Asian design centre here in Singapore. Lucasfilm has opened up a digital animation studio here in Singapore. Electronic game developers, like Electronic Arts from the US and Koei from Japan, have set up game development studios in Singapore. RGM Holdings from Australia was able to start up a US$100 million media financing fund here in Singapore. All these international players have come to Singapore. They have discovered the creative potential of Singapore. They have felt the buzz in the creative industry in Singapore. They know that we may not have all the talent that they need, but they appreciate the Singapore open-door policy towards attracting international talent will help us to overcome this shortage of domestic or local talent. We can complement and supplement our local talent with international talent. And so, they are attracted here. I would like to say, based on our recent experience, we have indeed been competitive. We have indeed been able to attract talent and also companies to come to Singapore. By coming to Singapore, these global creative companies, these global brands, have been able to create jobs for our creative Singaporeans, whether it is in the design or in the interactive and digital media sector. They have opened up new possibilities for Singaporeans. So what we need now really is more creative people.”
“Our strategy is based on attracting global creative companies, enlarging our pool of creative talent, growing local creative enterprises and supporting R&D in key areas and also finally to encourage or support our local creative enterprises to venture into the global market. Sir, in recent years, our local arts groups are receiving more and more invitations to perform at international events. So they are being noted. In the design sector, Singapore architects have begun to win international prizes and international recognition. They have also begun to win projects in the international arena. Many Singapore architects are now working in the Middle East, landing very big projects in the Middle East because of their design capability. In the media sector, besides celebrated film-makers like Jack Neo and Eric Khoo, we have companies like the Peach Blossom Media, which had produced "Tomato Twins". This is the first Singapore-produced animation series. It was broadcast on Nickelodeon worldwide network. The company is listed on London Ofex market. It has sealed many co-production deals with partners in Korea, the Netherlands and the USA. So we can see that our local start-ups in the creative sector are, in fact, getting up and moving into the international arena. They have developed capabilities and products that they can be proud of. They are able to sell to international media networks and they are striking out, forging new partnerships with other creative enterprises elsewhere in order to leverage on other people's experiences and capability so that they can come up with even more innovative and persuasive products. How are we compared to other creative cities? Can we compete with all the other cities that are attracting talent?”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank all the hon. Members who have spoken on creative industry, creative talent, creative community and the Arts School. I will respond to the various points that they have raised. Let me begin with the creative industry. Mr Zainudin has asked for the growth rate and the prospect for the creative industry. In fact, as he has himself pointed out, in recent years, this sector - the creative industry, which comprises the arts, design and media - had actually grown faster than the overall Singapore economy taken as a whole. Value-added grew by about 7% for the creative sector compared to the 4% for the general economy and employment in the creative industry grew by 5.5% per annum compared to 2.3% for the whole economy for the period between 1995-2003. In 2003, my Ministry launched the Creative Industry Development Strategy. This arose from the ERC's identification of the creative industry as a new area to drive the Singapore economy, a new area that can make significant contributions to our economy. We have budgeted about $200 million since the launch of the Creative Industry Development Strategy to promote this push into the creative industry. The $200 million is to fund the promotion of this sector between FY04 and FY08. I expect that with this additional input to promote the industry and also to develop capability within the creative industry, we should be able to maintain this space of having the creative industry growing at a higher pace than the general economy. So how do we want to do that?”