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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“And Media Development Authority will continue to support Singapore's co-production effort to encourage our film producers and directors to work with international parties so that we can have a greater outreach and also to learn from these more experienced international film producers and tap their distribution network.”
“I recall a recent example, that is, "House of Harmony", which was a co-production between a Singapore film company and a German television company. The film has been completed. It is shot entirely in Singapore. It stars Fann Wong as the leading star and leading lady in the film. It is a period film set in Singapore, in the 1920s, during the colonial era. It is a romantic film. I have seen the rough cuts of the film. It is quite an interesting film. I think it should appeal to a wide audience. It will be released, first, in Germany because that is the agreement under their co-production venture. But we will be able to see the film, I think, soon after the release in Germany. There are several other joint ventures and co-productions underway. And we hope some, if not all of these, will succeed, and some of them could become international hits. In fact, on Monday, 7th March 2005, I am attending the premiere of the first Singapore-made science fiction movie, "Avatar". I am looking forward to enjoying the movie. I hope that this is an indication of things to come that our film makers will branch into different areas. They will go into period films, like the House of Harmony. They will go into more fashionable, science fiction, using the latest computer generated imaging technology to produce special effects. So we are making some headway. But as I said, at the beginning, the industry is still in its infancy. We have international players entering the sector in Singapore. Lucasfilm has set up a studio in Singapore; an Indian film producer has set up a digital studio in Singapore. So we should see a gathering of momentum in the years ahead.”
“Sir, under the Renaissance City project, we set out to develop the arts, heritage and culture in Singapore. As I explained earlier in my reply to several Members, we have made much progress although I hasten to add that we also have not yet fully arrived. There is still a lot of work left to be done. MICA will be launching new projects, like Creative Community Singapore; NHB will be organising new activities that will promote our heritage to our heartlanders. These are programmes that will continue. Promoting the arts and culture is not a one-year or five-year effort. It is a long haul. It is more than a marathon. It is almost an unending race. It is something that we have to do. We have to renew the interest and remind each generation of our history and heritage and get them to value what has taken place in the past, to understand why it happened, the difficulty and adversity that our forefathers had to go through before we arrive at this point in time. So it is a very long-term effort. We will continue with the Renaissance City project and its successive programmes will carry on the good work. In terms of production, I take it to mean the film production that the hon. Member is referring to. This is a growing area. The film industry is still at its infancy at this point in time. We have had some successes with local production. The most prominent, of course, is Mr Jack Neo and his series of films, which are, by now, very well known. In fact, we are showing one of his films in the Singapore Season in London. I think it is "I Not Stupid", Xiao Hai Bu Ben. I think it was a very popular film. So we are showing it in London in the Singapore Season. In terms of co-production, the Media Development Authority has supported several film makers.”
“This will continue to enrich the quality of life of our citizens and strengthen our national identity and resilience. I thank hon. Members once again for their support of our programmes and projects.”
“In terms of admission criteria, artistic talents and interest will be of paramount importance, and intending students will be auditioned or will be required to produce their portfolio in the case of visual arts, to qualify for admission. Prospective students will also be assessed academically for their ability to achieve the International Baccalaureate qualification which the school is offering. As for student profile, the vast majority of the students will be Singaporeans, as the Arts School is part of our national education system. However, we can also expect the School to attract and accept some students from around and beyond Asia. This is particularly important for the Arts School and its students. The arts and creativity thrive upon diversity, and cross-cultural interactions contribute to this process. The Arts School will provide its graduates - our future artists, creative professionals, and arts supporters - with the benefits of interactions and engagements with cultures other than our own during their development stage. This will be good for our young artistic talents. With regard to Mr Seng's suggestion for the Arts School to facilitate entry of its students to institutions, such as NAFA and LaSalle, MICA will consider this idea. The Arts School's main focus is to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate. But if some of the students want to go on to NAFA and LaSalle, we will explore with these institutions how we can have a formal linkage to facilitate such movements. Sir, to sum up, the arts and culture have done well over the past decade. Singapore is now a more vibrant and engaging city. MICA has developed and implemented a clear and targeted strategy to promote the arts and culture.”
“She is both an accomplished educator and administrator who has been a strong advocate for arts education throughout her career. We have started involving her in the planning for the Arts School and she will take on the role in a full-time capacity in December this year. Sir, I am also pleased to announce that the Steering Committee has selected a site at Kirk Terrace, flanked by Cathay Building and Paradiz Centre for the School. Kirk Terrace is just at the beginning of Selegie Road. With such a location, the school will find synergy with the rich cultural and knowledge resources in the vicinity, such as the museums, the arts colleges, arts centres, Singapore Management University and the new National Library. The location will provide the students with a dynamic and inspiring environment for creativity and learning. The Committee has started work on the design of the School. Mr Seng Han Thong asked if the School will be ready by 2007 and what facilities will be provided. The Committee on the Specialised Arts School had earlier proposed that the School start in 2007. After careful consideration, the Steering Committee has decided to target for a January 2008 opening to allow more time to design and build the School and to develop its curriculum before receiving the first intake of students. The Arts School will be designed to provide an academic programme, together with all the visual arts, music, dance and drama studios and related facilities for the arts curriculum. Mr Seng also asked about the School's intake criteria and whether the School will benefit both local and foreign students.”
“Members may be surprised to know that the Singapore Art Museum, with its 1,500 square metres, can only display about 200 pieces of artwork at any one time. That is going to take a long time for us to turn over our collection, as a result of which, much of our collection is not seen and cannot be appreciated by our people. On top of that, because of the space limitation, Singapore Art Museum is constrained when it reaches out to the international art exhibition circuit to try to attract major art exhibitions to Singapore. We do not have the space to do justice to these major international art exhibitions. 3.15 pm Sir, Singaporeans' interest in the arts has grown over the years. I believe it is timely for us to have a bigger art gallery to cater to the growing needs and to add to the buzz in our city. Sir, both Mr Seng Han Thong and Mr Charles Chong asked for an update on the development of the Arts School. Last year, also in the Committee of Supply, I informed this House that the Government had agreed to set up a pre-tertiary Arts School for artistically talented students aged between 13 and 18 to pursue an integrated arts and academic programme. Sir, we have made good progress since then. In May 2004, MICA appointed a Steering Committee comprising private, public and people sector representatives from the arts and education communities to oversee the implementation of the Arts School Project. I am pleased to announce that the Steering Committee, after a comprehensive search, has appointed Mrs Rebecca Chew as the Principal-designate for the School. The Steering Committee found Mrs Chew, with her track record and training in education and the arts, very suitable to help plan and manage the School. Currently, Mrs Chew is the principal of Naval Base Secondary School.”
“We also have got the ongoing Botero exhibition and Russell Wong, our celebrated Singapore photographer. So we have attracted a lot more visitors. So there is certain lumpiness in the visitorship. We have to look at it on a more long term basis. It also become a chicken and egg question. If you have a very small museum, you are not able to mount a major exhibition, then you are less likely to succeed in attracting a big crowd. So I like to point out that the Singapore Art Museum is in fact a very small museum - just 1,500 square metres of exhibition space, compared to the 17,500 square metres in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris. So it would naturally translate into a higher visitor per square metre ratio. I hasten to add that we should not be too complacent because we have a better visitor per square metre ratio compared to Musee D'Orsay. In fact, because it is very small size, as I said earlier, there is a limit to the kind and scale of exhibition that the Singapore Art Museum can organise which will draw a higher attendance of both Singaporeans and also tourists. This space limitation is, in fact, a key constraint and that is one reason why we need to develop better facilities, a newer but differentiated art gallery to serve our own people as well as to increase the buzz in the city. So the City Hall and Supreme Court Building offer us an unique opportunity to develop a new and major cultural institution. I have explained earlier on in response to Ms Irene Ng how we have built up a strong collection of Singapore, Southeast Asian and other artworks over the years. We have, as I said, 6,500 pieces of artworks in our collection. Hon.”
“One cannot presume that people will turn up on their door step. As I explained earlier on, that philosophy underpins MICA's arts and heritage programme, that means, we have active outreach programmes to reach out to our people and the community to tell them about what is going on, to encourage them to come and visit, to interest them in the events that are taking place in our museum and various arts venues. I believe Prof. Ivan Png asked about the attendance in terms of per square metre of space, how does it compare with well-known major art museums elsewhere. I am glad to inform this House that if we take Prof. Png's measurement, actually we compare quite well. The Singapore Art Museum received 172,771 visitors in 2004, which means 115 visitors per square metre of exhibition space. This is higher than, say, the National Gallery of Australia which, by the same yardstick, had 53 visitors per square metre and the celebrated Musee D'Orsay in Paris had 103 visitors per square metre. Yes, of course, we are still below that of the New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Before its closure for renovation, the MOMA in New York received 152 visitors per square metre. That is the target that we should be shooting for. Here, I would like to point out that, although Prof. Png mentioned that visitorship to the Singapore Art Museum has been falling, I think this must be seen in perspective. It did come down some years. But the visitorship to the museum could become lumpy because of the ability and capacity to mount major international exhibitions. That is why from year to year, there can be a significant difference. I would expect, like this year, we have got an increase in visitorship compared to last year because we have mounted an exhibition of "Ju Ming".”
“In fact, for these two particular events, I have been informed that about 60% of the tickets have already been pre-sold. So you can see that, obviously, there is a demand and there are many Singaporeans who are interested in the arts. They are prepared to pay to attend such performances and they will continue to support such performances. Let me now turn to MICA's plan to transform the City Hall and Supreme Court Building into a major art gallery. I thank Mr Loh Meng See and Mr Zainudin for their support of this proposal. This gallery will reflect Singapore's artistic development and achievements. More importantly, it will enable us to showcase the works of artists who had made an impact on the development of art in our journey to nationhood. This new gallery will enable us to present our extensive collection of South East Asian art. We will also be able to devote significant space to host major international arts exhibitions to reinforce Singapore's position as an arts hub in the region. By locating the new art gallery in these two very important and historic buildings, we will also be making them more accessible to Singaporeans. Through such visits, many more people will better understand the historic events which took place in and around these buildings. Like the Musee D'Orsay in Paris, cited by Mr Zainudin, and the Esplanade, mentioned by Mr Loh, the new art gallery has great potential to be another inspiring cultural icon for Singapore. Prof. Ivan Png questioned whether we need another museum. I agree with him that, in a cultural institution, it is not a question of building it and people will come. It is building, providing the facilities, having the infrastructure and making the effort to attract an audience.”
“In the future, other key cities will be identified for the Singapore Season, where artists, with proven track record, will be our cultural ambassadors and will be given the opportunity to showcase their works. Sir, I believe that such exposure to international audience, at times a critical audience, will challenge our artists and performers to attain a higher level of artistic excellence and creativity. Looking ahead, MICA has several new projects to involve more Singaporeans and to broaden their interest and appreciation of the performing and visual arts. One new project is the Singapore Art Show, scheduled for September of this year. This is an art exhibition for both outstanding and up-and-coming local artists to showcase their latest works from various genres and media. We are also planning a River Arts Mart to provide a platform for creative and artistic talents to showcase and sell their best original arts and crafts. Next year, the inaugural Singapore Biennale, which is an international visual arts event, will enhance Singapore's presence in the regional and international arts scene. It will serve to plug Singapore into the international art circuit and enhance our status as a Global City for the Arts. NAC will continue to deliver an improved programming at our annual Festival of Arts and collaborate with partners to present new events in performing arts. I understand that, for this year's Arts Festival, NAC has made special arrangements for advance booking for their key performances, such as "Swan Lake" by the Royal Ballad of UK and a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra. They had put out tickets for these events for advance sale. I have been told that tickets have been selling very well.”
“In January this year, Singapore sculptor, Miss Han Sai Por was a prize winner at the XIth Indian Triennale in New Delhi. Her works were presented along with works from 33 other countries. There were only 10 prizes awarded for the Triennale with artists coming from 33 countries. She was one of the 10 prize winners. So NAC would play an active role in supporting and securing participation of Singapore artists in major arts exhibitions and arts festivals in China, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Korea, India and many other cities in the world. Sir, promoting Singapore arts and culture on the international stage will remain a key priority in our strategy for making Singapore a Global City for the Arts. Hence, MICA has launched a major cultural diplomacy initiative called the Singapore Season. This is to present Singapore as not just another business city, albeit a successful business city, but also a city for the arts to the international audience. The on-going Singapore Season, taking place in London, is the prototype of our cultural diplomacy. It is a concerted effort to showcase Singapore's artistic and cultural achievements. Prominent Singapore artists and arts companies are being featured in prestigious venues in London. Singapore Season brings together the Singapore Dance Theatre, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Tang Quartet, theatre maestro Ong Keng Seng, painter/calligrapher Tan Swie Hian and many others for a six-week festival. In total, 250 artists and performers are involved in the Singapore Season. On top of the arts programme, we have added several other events designed to present Singapore in a holistic manner to enhance our image as a land of opportunity with an integrated work, live, play and learn environment.”
“But this is a reflection of the variety of arts programming and shows that are available to Singaporeans today. Singaporeans have a lot to choose from. They can now choose from very popular performances to the more niche and experimental type. It also reflects the willingness of show presenters and promoters to stage new shows at the Esplanade and at our other performing arts venues, despite the risks of failure. And that is a good sign that we have more entrepreneurial promoters and impresarios who are prepared to make an investment to stage and promote shows, notwithstanding the business risks that they are taking. We have to remember that the Esplanade is less than three years old. And, yet, it has already established a reputation as a place where big names in the international arts scene would like to perform. These big names are attracted here by the quality of the venue and the prestige associated with performing in the Esplanade in Singapore. The Esplanade has clearly contributed to a significant jump in the number of arts activities in Singapore, including both local and international shows. Our local performers have benefited from this new dynamism. Some are able to stand their ground on the international stage and have been invited to participate in many international arts festivals, eg, Jacintha, the very well-known singer and Wild Rice, the theatre company, were invited to perform at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, going along with several other Singaporean artists, performers, ceramic artist Iskandar Jalil, and writers. MICA is committed to help more of our accomplished artists to present their works on the international stage.”
“This is our unique proposition. This is what will distinguish us. Our artists, whether performing or visual artists, must imbibe these values, even as they draw inspiration from external trends and developments. They must remain Singaporeans at heart so that their art will reflect our uniqueness and our national identity. They should tell the Singapore story through their artistic eyes and creative interpretation. Their commentaries and artistic insights should remain relevant to our ethos in order to contribute to our cultural capital. 3.00 pm Indeed, Singapore's arts scene has acquired a buzz and attracted international attention. For example, since its opening, the Esplanade has received many accolades internationally, as noted by Mr Loh. Mr Loh has also commented that the challenge is to fill up the seats in both the theatre and the concert hall in the Esplanade. I am pleased to inform the House that for the period between April last year to January this year, the Esplanade achieved an occupancy rate of 90% for the concert hall, and 83% for the theatre. I think this is an extremely good occupancy rate. Many hotels would love to enjoy such an occupancy rate. Many shows enjoyed sold-out performances, such as "Mamma Mia" and, before that, "Singing in the Rain" and, more recently, the flautist Sir James Galway's Concert. Not all sold-out shows are international. I hasten to point out that local shows have also put on good sold-out performances at the Esplanade. For example, the local acapella group "Budak Pantai" and concerts by our most famous jazz musician, Mr Jeremy Monteiro, enjoyed sold-out performances at the Esplanade. Of course, there were also shows that did not go down well. These include both international and local shows.”
“We will continue to look around to see how we can have such additional small venues for performances. I would like to inform the House that when the new National Library opens towards the end of this year, it will incorporate a new drama centre which will, in fact, provide a much needed venue for presentations that will attract a smaller audience. Finally, Dr Tan suggested retaining the name of the National Museum. I am pleased to inform the House that the redeveloped Singapore History Museum at Stamford Road will revert to its original name, "National Museum of Singapore", when it re-opens in 2006. I agree with Dr Tan that the name "National Museum" is deeply embedded in the minds of Singaporeans, particularly the older generation. We certainly want the new and larger National Museum to have this link with the past. And many of the old exhibits that are in NHB's collection will certainly be presented in this new National Museum, but they will be presented in a more updated and contemporary context, so that it tells a more interesting story to our visitors. Mr Loh Meng See asked what is MICA's strategy to promote the performing and visual arts. He also would like to know whether the arts reflect Singapore values, aspiration and heritage. Our strategy is to ensure that Singapore becomes an international hub, serving and benefiting from global economic network and business connections in the arts and, in the process, to offer many opportunities to our people. Sir, we stand at the crossroad of East and West, North and South, where many cultures and influences meet. We cannot close our minds to the changes and the developments that are taking place around us and beyond our immediate region. Yet, we must remain firmly rooted to our Asian heritage and culture.”
“For example, Community Clubs and Residents Committees have visited the Asian Civilisations Museum, as part of the special "Harmony Tours" organised with the People's Association. I would urge more grassroots advisers to organise such tours to the ACM or some of the other museums, so that they bring their grassroots organisations' members and also their residents to learn something about our heritage. Dr Tan Boon Wan suggested that we organise major outreach programmes to bring heartlanders to the museums, and to organise talks at the constituencies, before their museum visits. I will ask NHB to study Dr Tan's suggestion to organise pre-visit talks and to also explore other ways of attracting more people to our museums. Sir, in the area of performing arts, I am pleased to note that more and more Singaporeans are showing keen interest. Dr Ong Seh Hong asked how many Singaporeans had actually benefited from the shows at the Esplanade. Last year, attendance at ticketed shows was more than 400,000, which means tickets were sold to more than 400,000 people to attend shows at the Esplanade. The Esplanade's survey showed that 77% of the audience at these shows were Singaporeans, and 46% of them were our heartlanders. So, obviously, our heartlanders have come to love the durian and are enjoying the fruit! Dr Ong also asked for more smaller arts venues. I think this is a valid request. This is something which MICA and the National Arts Council are looking into. Members have already seen how we have increased the availability of smaller art venues by converting none other than our own Old Parliament House into an Arts House with small venues for recitals, experimental plays and small exhibitions.”
“We were bringing parts of the museum into commuters' daily travel. Without making any effort, they could see something and, hopefully, learn something. We hope that through such engagements, we can interest some of them to make a trip to the museum to see more of the artefacts which might have stimulated their interest. Sir, another example is the Heritage on the Move, an interactive travelling exhibition depicting the myths and legends of Singapore, which reached out to 160,000 people last year. NHB will continue to explore new ways of promoting our heritage to our people. NAC also has an active Arts Education Programme, which reaches out to students in more than 350 schools each year. In addition, more than 300 schools participate in NHB's Museum School Membership Scheme, which encourages student group visits to the museums and offers them the opportunity to have informative conducted tours to these museums. Each year, the NAC also organises a variety of events such as the Concerts in the Park series to bring the arts to a wider audience for free. Last year, more than 100,000 people attended such events. NAC also partners grassroots organisations to bring the arts to the man-in-the-street. For example, NAC and Central Singapore CDC co-organised a street festival called "Arts@Tekka". This is an arts belt street festival. I will ask NAC to explore further collaborations with CDCs and to make more efforts to bring the arts to our people in the heartlands. On making museum visits and arts performances more interesting and meaningful, I like to point out that we do offer customised packages catering to specific needs. This is to address the point made by Dr Tan Boon Wan.”
“We are, in fact, exploiting every available technology to ensure that our museums are attractive and compelling and are always up to date. For instance, the Asian Civilisations Museum at Empress Place uses talking heads to guide visitors around the museum. So it is just not voice over recorded tape. You can actually have a video presentation to explain the artefacts and the exhibits. Mr Loh Meng See also raised the same point about how we are going to present our exhibits in the National Museum when it re-opens in 2006. Let me assure both Mr Zainudin and Mr Loh Meng See that we will use the state-of-the-art technology in the new National Museum and in all our other museums to give visitors a more meaningful, lively and educational experience each time they visit our museums. Sir, I fully agree with the comments made by Dr Ong Seh Hong and Dr Tan Boon Wan that Singapore's historical and cultural heritage, and our vibrant arts activities, should be appreciated by as many Singaporeans as possible, including our heartlanders. Besides the Heritage Festival which I had mentioned earlier, the National Heritage Board (NHB) organises other events to bring heritage to our heartlanders. If they do not go to the museums to experience our heritage, we bring our museums' contents to them. I just like to mention two examples apart from the HeritageFest which I have cited earlier on. First, is the Heritage Express. In this project, NHB transformed two SMRT trains into "moving museums". These trains carried 102 information panels, brightly illustrated with good graphics and also notations, depicting different heritage themes. The routine journey of thousands of commuters from November 2003 to January 2004 became imperceptibly a heritage experience.”
“During the course of the HeritageFest, Singaporeans had fun and became more aware of our heritage watching re-enactments of ethnic weddings, traditional wayang kulit, experiencing henna staining on their hands, and listening to old stories told in the old traditional street-corner storyteller sort of way. The event was held at various locations including shopping malls and bus interchanges. It attracted, as I said, 600,000 people from all walks of life. NHB is planning another HeritageFest this year which will build upon the experience of last year's event and will, hopefully, promote even greater awareness of our diversity in our culture and heritage. 2.45 pm Sir, our museums are also presenting interesting exhibitions. We do conduct public talks and workshops to enable Singaporeans, especially children, to learn in a fun and interactive way. For example, towards the end of last year, during the Botero exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum - the exhibition is still ongoing - after the children have gone through the exhibition, seen Botero's sometimes whimsical, inflated paintings and sculptures of people and animals, they were encouraged to draw pictures of animals. They were given the opportunity to display their paintings which got them even more excited. In the process, they had an opportunity to learn about Botero, why he has this characteristic style of presenting people and animals in an inflated way. They also learnt something about art. Mr Zainudin also asked whether technology is being used to bring heritage alive, make it even more compelling for the audience. I agree with him. I think we should do so, if we are not doing it.”
“To enhance Singaporeans' sense of ownership in our heritage institution, I just want to give one example from Asian Civilisations Museum at Empress Place. They have a scheme to encourage people to make a small donation of $200, upon which the donor's name would be inscribed on one of the bricks in the external walls of the museum. So if you go around the ACM at Empress Place today, you will see a lot of bricks with names engraved on them. These are in recognition of people who have made a small personal contribution. And I think these are ways which we will continue to engage our community, our people and build up a sense of ownership. I would ask the museums to continue to explore other avenues of enhancing this sense of ownership. Mr Zainudin asked what are we doing to strengthen national resilience through our heritage and our culture. Sir, our heritage and culture play a very important role in defining and deepening our national identity. Hence, the National Heritage Board adopts a multi-dimensional approach to deepen appreciation of our history, recall and remind us of the adversities that our forefathers had to overcome and also our successes. National Heritage Board's programmes also bring to life the practices and traditions derived from our diverse cultural heritage which characterise our society and underpin our shared values. Such programmes have strengthened our social resilience and sense of nationhood, as noted by Mr Zainudin. Each year, NHB organises many activities to cater to different audiences. A good example is the HeritageFest, which I have just mentioned in response to Ms Irene Ng's remarks. This HeritageFest reached out to more than 600,000 people in July last year.”
“In addition, last year, more than 750,000 people attended the Heritage Festival performances and educational programmes conducted by the National Heritage Board to showcase, highlight and promote our heritage. Sir, this trend is positive and encouraging. MICA will continue to support these outreach programmes for more Singaporeans to be appreciative of the arts, culture and heritage. I agree with Ms Ng that MICA should encourage more public projects to enhance Singaporeans' sense of ownership. MICA supported many arts projects regardless of whether they are initiated by the public sector, the Government or by the private sector. Good examples of public art are the Land Transport Authority's Art-In-Transit project along the entire North-East MRT Line and the Singapore Tourism Board's presentation of SingArt - A Brush with Lions - in the city areas. NAC encourages schools to engage artists to work with their students to paint murals for their schools or to brighten up the walls of neighbouring HDB apartment blocks. Increasingly, the corporate sector has been installing artworks in their buildings and offices to enhance their image, to increase the desirability of their premises and facilities and, of course, also to signal support for the arts. NHB has a scheme to provide double tax deduction for donation and display of sculptures in public places and also to encourage more companies to come forward, the same double tax deduction will apply, if corporations are prepared to adopt public sculptures, which they did not donate in the first instance, but adopt these public sculptures and pay for the upkeep and maintenance of these public sculptures.”
“Funds for purchasing arts and heritage artifacts will never be enough and so it is up to the National Heritage Board to decide how they should deploy the budget. What I want to point out is that we do not rely on acquisitions alone to build up our national collection. In fact, the National Heritage Board works closely with patrons, donors and sponsors to build up our art collection. For example, last year we received from the Liu Kang family a substantial donation of the late Liu Kang's artworks, valued at more than $18 million. We also received a donation of 150 artworks from Mr Lim Tze Ping and his patron, Mr Koh Seow Chuan. As a result of these and many other donations, as well as careful acquisitions over the years, we now have an art collection of about 6,500 artworks, mainly local and Southeast Asian artworks. Sir, having a good collection of artworks is not enough. We need to be plugged into the international arena, to expose Singaporeans to the richness of the world's cultures. This is why we have established close cultural cooperation with countries such as Malaysia, India, China and even further away, Turkey. We will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a cultural organisation in the UK shortly. Such bilateral cultural cooperation enables us, for example, to stage, the exhibition "From the Lands of the Ottoman Sultans", at the Asian Civilisations Museum last year. I understand it was a very well received exhibition and they were good quality artifacts from the Ottoman Empire period. Have we succeeded to attract visitors to our museums? I am pleased to highlight that more and more Singaporeans are appreciating the arts, and visiting museums. Visitorship to our national museums has increased by 43% over the past decade from 1993 to 2003.”
“An example of a cyberspace project that is supported is the Dream Factory. Dream Factory is an integrated web portal for youth to submit their creative ideas or their dreams in the creative industry and to receive guidance and mentorship to realise these dreams. Another example is Age-Invaders, a project that aims to combine technology and new media art into an interactive game to encourage young and old to play together in this interactive game. Such projects illustrate the multi-faceted ways in which Creative Community Singapore will reach out to the people in our heartlands. So with the public launch of Creative Community Singapore in the second quarter of this year, we expect to see many more ideas and proposals to expose Singaporeans to the opportunities and the possibilities in the creative industry. Online projects, such as the one mentioned by Prof. Chin in his constituency, will certainly be considered for co-branding and even co-funding. I would urge Prof. Chin to get his community leaders to put up a proposal for the partnership to consider in due course. Mr Chairman, Ms Irene Ng asked important questions about what needs to be done to create a museum-going, theatre-going and arts-loving people. Let me assure this House that as the Government continues to invest in our arts and heritage infrastructure, we would place equal importance on ensuring that Singaporeans could enjoy our arts, culture and heritage. Ms Ng asked about the acquisition of local and regional artworks. The National Heritage Board has an acquisition budget which allows it to make selective purchases. She mentioned why is it that we do not have enough money to buy the collection from our foremost artist, Tan Swie Hian. The budget is there, but it is never enough.”
“We have attracted very encouraging response of 36 project proposals. 14 proposals were vetted. After vetting, 14 proposals were supported by the partnership and this first set of projects will be launched over the coming year. They will involve more than 15,000 people and provide training and skill enhancement to more than 1,000 participants. Let me briefly describe some of these projects. Time does not permit me to cover all 14 of them. "Jam Series" is an idea proposed by a non-profit group of youth activists barely out of their teens. This group is called "Arts for Us All". This project will comprise a series of basking events, which address the point about high art and low art made by Prof. Chin. This basking event would be held in different parts of Singapore which aims to showcase our local musicians and talent and, at the same time, raise funds for charity and community work. The next one is "Saturday@Clementi Central". This is a Southwest CDC project, envisaging a monthly performance and arts bazaar to showcase local musical talent and providing budding entrepreneurs with opportunity to sell their own creative products. A third project is the "National Youth Poetry Slam Competition" organised by a company called "Wordforward Limited", a non-profit organisation, with a passion for this increasingly popular new literary art form, where people compete on writing and performing poetry. The competition aims to work with schools involving 99 youths and to reach out to an audience of about 12,000-15,000 students. The Creative Community Singapore initiative also recognises the multitude of ways in which Singaporeans connect and form communities and would provide support for good creative ideas including those in cyberspace.”
“The Community Development Councils are an effective outreach channel to engage and to meet the needs and expectations of the community. We are therefore very happy that all five Community Development Councils are part of the Creative Community Singapore partnership. They are helping us to ensure that this programme will better meet the needs of their residents. 2.30 pm By supporting the realisation of creative ideas for the benefit of the community, Creative Community Singapore aims to touch more than 50,000 Singaporeans over the project period of three years. It will support the growth of the creative industry by recognising and enhancing the creative capabilities and skills of at least 5,000 Singaporeans. It will also support the creation of jobs and encourage business start-ups in creative areas. More importantly, Creative Community Singapore will instil confidence in Singaporeans to test out their creative ideas. We want to show that anyone, a 16-year old teenager, a retiree seeking to jazz up his retirement, a professional looking to a career switch, or a group of youth activists wanting to do something for the benefit of the community, they could have the opportunities to initiate and start projects which will benefit the community. Creative Community Singapore aims to inspire the community by encouraging social entrepreneurialship and showcasing how creativity could be beneficial and applicable to all. In addition, projects drawing inspiration from our home-grown creative capability, our culture and our heritage will certainly strengthen community bonding, national pride and also our sense of identity. To answer Mr Charles Chong, MICA has already tested out the Creative Community Singapore concept on a small scale last year.”
“Development and deployment of our cultural capital will result in a vibrant creative economy with more opportunities for our people. Sir, I will now proceed to address the issues raised by hon. Members. First, Mr Seng Han Thong, Prof. Chin Tet Yung, Mr Charles Chong and Dr Ong Seh Hong sought information on MICA's effort to promote creativity at the community level. I am pleased to inform this House that we will launch a new initiative to support and nurture creativity among our people at the community level. We call this new initiative "Creative Community Singapore". The working title reflected in our Addendum to the President's Address was "Creative Town Initiative". We have decided that the title "Creative Community Singapore" better describes the mission of this initiative. Creative Community Singapore will be launched in the second quarter of this year. MICA will allocate $10 million over three years, between financial years 2005 and 2007 to support Creative Community Singapore. The objective is to provide opportunities for Singaporeans from all walks of life to express their creativity and deploy their creative energy for community benefit. Creative Community Singapore's aim is to build a creative and connected community where arts, culture, business and technology converge to empower and to engage individuals. Creativity Community Singapore will provide a variety of support, including funding to implement creative ideas. Creative Community Singapore is steered by a partnership comprising members from the public, private and the people sector. The Community Development Councils (CDCs) have also taken a keen interest in Creative Community Singapore.”
“Sir, we have the potential and we have a rich heritage to work from. MICA will help Singaporeans to leverage on the arts and culture as we move into the next chapter of the Singapore story. Sir, in terms of arts infrastructure, MICA recently announced our plans to transform the City Hall and Supreme Court Building into a world-class art gallery, as several Members have noted. This is a major project which highlights the Government's support for the arts. Just as the Esplanade has had a great impact on the performing arts scene, this new art gallery will also contribute to an even more vibrant visual arts scene. Another strategic thrust by MICA is to help our more successful artists and arts companies gain recognition abroad. Indeed Singapore's efforts in globalisation must include our artists and our artistic community. Last year, the National Arts Council supported 45 artists and groups as they participated in major arts events around the world. This year, we are making a bigger mark on the international stage, through the on-going inaugural Singapore Season in London. Beyond London, the Singapore Season model will be used to showcase our talents and creativity to other major cities. In 2006, the Singapore Biennale will be launched and will connect Singapore to the international arts circuit, providing international and local artists opportunities for cross cultural exchanges. Mr Chairman, Sir, I have given a broad outline of MICA's direction to develop the arts and heritage, nurture creativity, support life-long learning and present our arts and creativity to the world. MICA will actively pursue these programmes, projects and initiatives to achieve our vision of a creative people, a gracious community and a connected Singapore.”
“Last year, more than 700,000 people visited our museums, of which two-thirds are Singapore residents. This is more than twice the number 10 years ago. Our arts and cultural events also attracted a growing audience. Many Singaporeans find these events entertaining, meaningful and stimulating. For example, last year, the Singapore Arts Festival attracted a record high of 916,000 people. Also, last year, about 5.8 million people visited the Esplanade, mostly Singaporeans. Many are justifiably proud of the Esplanade, not just for its unique architecture but also for the diversity of its programmes which have contributed to the vibrancy of the arts scene in Singapore. All this clearly indicates that more and more Singaporeans are showing an interest in "food for the soul". Sir, these are just some of the results of the programmes we have put in place over the years. All these efforts will continue. We are also setting up our first specialised Arts School, which I will say more about later. Beyond the Arts School, we will continue to build up the capacity of Singaporeans for lifelong learning in a globalised world. Here, the National Library Board will have a key role which the Senior Minister of State will explain later, when addressing other Members' questions. Going forward, we will enhance our efforts to reach out to the people to deepen their appreciation and enjoyment of the arts. We will also encourage and support creative activities at the community level. This will be done in parallel with our effort to develop the creative industries and to generate new economic opportunities for Singaporeans. I will elaborate on this later. For our arts and creativity works to inspire and reach new heights, we must be inclusive and we must engage all Singaporeans.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank the hon. Members for their comments and support for MICA's arts and heritage programmes. They have asked very thoughtful questions about what MICA is doing to develop the arts and to nurture a creative community. Before I answer these questions, let me put MICA's arts and heritage mission in perspective in the context of what we are ultimately trying to achieve as a nation and, at the same time, also to sketch a broad picture of the strategy that we need to achieve our mission. As the Prime Minister has set out during the debate on the President's Address, what we are working for is a better life for all, not just in economic terms alone, but also in having a nation "where everyone belongs, where each person has a role to play, and where all can live in dignity". In the last decade, Singapore's sustained investments in the arts, heritage and cultural development have enhanced the quality of life for Singaporeans, young and old. Singapore has also become a more attractive city for international talents, and for business and leisure visitors alike. We have come a long way but we cannot claim to have arrived. We must continue to work on strengthening and enhancing our cultural capital to support economic development and distinctiveness as a global city. The competition is growing and it is not just about achieving economic competitive advantage. More importantly, we must continue to build a cohesive and resilient society firmly anchored to our history, our heritage and our shared values, a Singapore where Singaporeans are actively engaged in the community and able to express their creative energies. Today, more and more Singaporeans are taking part in arts, heritage and cultural activities.”
“We will continue to encourage diversity of views and ideas from Singaporeans while at the same time engage our people to work together to safeguard our social norms and values. Our media has a tremendously important role in this national effort by rallying Singaporeans to do the things which matter most to Singapore. This is certainly more important than for them to adopt practices which are not relevant to us just to gain the favours of international ranking associations. APPENDICES Section Name: ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Title: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE Filename : Annex - Labour Market Situation MP Name: Dr Ng Eng Hen”
“In another recent "City Governance Survey" by Jones Lang LaSalle of 33 major cities, based on seven aspects of governance such as integrity, autonomy, stability, efficiency and effectiveness, Singapore emerged as the best-governed city. These two surveys reflect high international regard for Singapore as a cosmopolitan city on the global stage. A Well-Connected City In terms of information access, Singaporeans enjoy full access to a cosmopolitan media world. Today, Singapore is among the most connected countries in the region, with over 1.7 million Singaporeans having access to the Internet. There are 190 correspondents from 72 foreign media organisations and 15 satellite broadcasters based here reporting on local and regional events. We also have a 24-hour BBC World Service, and CNN, CNBC and other foreign broadcasts, as well as our own cable TV network offering diverse programming. Singaporeans also have access to over 5,500 foreign publications in circulation here. Our Priority is Singapore's Development We have to get our priorities right. Over the years, we have pursued sound and pragmatic policies that have brought economic prosperity and a high standard of living for Singaporeans. Regardless of how we are ranked by international associations, our priority and challenge has been and must remain the prosperity and progress of Singapore. Faced with the tough challenges arising from a globalised economy with many new competitors, we have embarked on growing our creative and entrepreneurial drive. This will sharpen Singapore's competitiveness, create new opportunities and enable us to emerge as a strong, prosperous and cohesive nation.”
“The Press Freedom Index drawn up by Reporters Sans Frontieres or RSF is based largely on a different media model which favours the advocacy and adversarial role of the press. We have a different media model in Singapore. Our model is that of a free and responsible press whose role is to report news accurately and objectively to Singaporeans. The Singapore media also serves as a platform for diverse views to be expressed and to reflect the debate on national issues. At the same time, our media has to be sensitive to our national interests such as the need to ensure racial and religious harmony and to promote our shared values as a society. This model has evolved out of our special circumstances and has enabled our media to contribute to nation building and strengthen the resolve and resilience of Singaporeans in the face of intense economic competition, terrorism threats, infectious diseases and social ills. Hence, we do not agree with RSF's press freedom ranking of Singapore, but they are entitled to their opinion. Singapore's Development as a CosmopolitanCity Let me assure this House that RSF's ranking will not affect our reputation and development as a cosmopolitan city. How well we do as a global city depends much more on fundamentals such as good governance, our performance as a cohesive people and our ability to adapt to changes and connect with the world as part of a globalised economy. Our standing as a progressive and successful country is underscored by a recent "2004 A.T. Kearney's Globalisation Index", which ranks countries on economic integration, technological connectivity, personal contact and political engagement. In this survey, Singapore was ranked the second most global country in the world.”
“Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for Education, in view of the five-day work week, if his Ministry will consider (i) introducing full-day sessions in all schools so that the students can do their co-curricular activities and attend enrichment classes on weekdays and (ii) sharing the physical infrastructure of the schools with the community over the weekends.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think I have already answered the first question. It is not different from the question raised by Mr Inderjit Singh. We have not directed them. We left it to the companies. We have not influenced them. It is a matter of business decision. The companies have to decide whether they want to continue carrying such losses and how long they can carry these losses. Obviously, management and shareholders have decided that they have to put a stop to these losses and they have to revamp their approach to the whole business of competition. The second point is: why should we be concerned? What we were saying, I think, were fair comments in the light of what was happening, particularly when I spoke to the Press Club on 12th November last year, because it was an obvious question begging for an answer: what was Government's position when the companies were suffering severe losses? So my answer was that: they are suffering losses as a result of the competition model that they have adopted and they would have to decide for themselves how they want to extricate themselves out of this situation. FIVE-DAY WORK WEEK IN SCHOOLS 5. Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will give an update on his Ministry's implementation of the five-day work week in schools; (b) what guidelines have been issued to schools in relation to the CCA activities and the implementation of the five-day work week such that the quality and objectives of the CCA activities will not be compromised. 6.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, MediaCorp, as the free-to-air service provider in broadcasting, would have the responsibility of providing fair, balanced, accurate and responsible coverage of local and international news. That is a given. You can take it as a given that they would continue to provide good and comprehensive news coverage, regardless of what happens to this merger.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think it is erroneous to conclude that the Government directed the companies to merge. The companies have to make a decision. They have to be answerable to their shareholders. It is up to them to decide. Whether they merge or not is a purely business decision. The Ministry did not tell them to merge, but I did say, if I remember correctly, on 12th November last year, when I addressed the Press Club, that we see that both companies were losing money, whether they could continue going forward at this rate of losses was a matter that they have to decide and they have to come to a decision by themselves. We have not directed the companies to merge. We have said that they have to take the decision on their own and be answerable to their shareholders. So I think it is quite wrong to say that we have, in some way, directed them to make this merger. Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang (Nominated Member): While the Minister has assured us that MICA would try its best to ensure that business considerations would not be the only logical reason for the merger, we also would need to protect the local news on TV, as an example, and of the need for MICA to safeguard the public interest. Right now, we have at least coverage by two stations, but the rumour is that Channel I might be axed, and, if so, there would only be one station putting up the news, even though it has two channels, Channel 5 and CNA, to do so. We actually would lose the coverage. Would the Minister be looking into how we can safeguard the wider coverage of our local news?”
“I do not quite understand what the hon. Member meant by saying that we are taking a stand-offish approach. We are not taking a stand-offish approach. They have to submit their consolidation proposal to the Media Development Authority and the Media Development Authority would then examine this consolidation proposal, using the Code of Practice for Market Conduct in the Provision of Mass Media Services as a criterion to assess how to deal with this proposal. I do not think you can say that we have taken a completely hands-off approach. That is not a fair statement. We would continue to regulate and ensure that there is fair competition in the media market and that if there is a dominant player, the dominant player does not use any predatory pricing mechanism or practices to prevent others from entering the market.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, just to correct myself, the amount of total advertising revenue for year 2000 was $200 million. For last year, it was only $170 million, not $180 million as I mentioned earlier on. At the lowest point, in 2002, it was in fact below the $170 million mark. Now the question is whether it is too early to tell. Competition has resulted in both companies suffering severe losses. As I said earlier on in my main answer, the Government cannot foster or engender competition at all costs. The companies have to decide for themselves whether they want to carry on bleeding in this fashion, in the hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that they would recoup their losses sometime in the future, or they want to cut losses, rationalise their operation and carry on with a different business model. That decision is for the companies to decide. That decision is for management to decide and to answer to their own shareholders. It is not for MICA or the Government to tell the company when and how they should develop their business model, faced with these continuing losses.”
“It has a free-to-air channel, but do not forget that we have a digitised cable TV system in operation today which has the capability to offer anywhere between 50-80 channels. Today, I think they already have more than 40 channels available, and the offerings are continuing to increase. So our free-to-air television stations would be constantly faced with competition coming from the pay-TV sector. So they cannot relax. They have to fight this competition. They have to improve the quality of the product, the diversity of the content that they could offer in order to justify the market share. So I think we could look at this more confidently that in future, as the market for both broadcast and newspapers evolves, who knows there may be other players interested and the Government would certainly not discourage them. As I said earlier on, we do not have a cap on the number of licences that we would issue. Any player who comes along, we are prepared to consider.”
“Last, but not least, does the failure of this effort to introduce competition in the media market signal that there is no opportunity for media competition in future in Singapore? I would say no. We have to look at each situation on its own. We launched media competition in 2000. On hindsight, which is always a 6:6 vision, we can say that it was perhaps at the wrong timing because the regional economy and our economy went into a period of slowdown. That was not the best time. But how were we to know precisely what would happen next? We just threw open the market and let the competitors do what they think was best for their business interest. The same would apply, going forward in the future. Last year, we opened up bidding for a second pay-TV licence in Singapore. There were no takers. Does that mean that we are resigned to not having a second pay-TV operator in Singapore? The answer is no. Some time in the future, when the environment changes, when the market conditions improve, we will put the second pay-TV licence out for tender again. Maybe then, somebody else would come in. There could be new technology available to minimise the cost of entering the pay-TV market, and somebody else might take it up and there could be competition even in the pay-TV sector. Likewise, for newspapers and broadcasting, there is always the possibility that other players might want to enter the market. Finally, we must bear in mind that although the broadcast market, after this proposed merger, would fall within the ambit of a single operator, MediaCorp, it does not mean that MediaCorp has the entire Singapore broadcast market on its own.”
“I think the two businesses are quite different - newspaper broadcasting versus telecommunications. What would be the desired outcome? I think the desired outcome is for viable media companies in Singapore making every effort to constantly improve the quality of the products and also to offer a choice to consumers. Having looked back in history, the Straits Times has been the dominant English mass circulation newspaper for more than 100 years without very much competition. Did that result in the Straits Times stagnating, or the Straits Times took it upon itself as the sole player and therefore took a very relaxed approach and just dished out a low quality media product? On the contrary, although it was the dominant player, the Straits Times made every effort to constantly upgrade the quality of the product that it was offering. Not just the Straits Times alone. In fact, if you look at all of the stable of Singapore Press Holdings' publications, each one, in its own way, even before pre-liberalisation and pre-competition, was constantly making efforts to improve the quality of its products. The fact that they have won many international awards in various media classifications or sectors shows that their efforts have been recognised. So we cannot assume that just because there is no head-on competition, companies do not make an effort to upgrade themselves. My Ministry will certainly be trying to encourage these companies, even after they have merged part of their operation, to constantly upgrade and improve the capabilities of their journalists and editorial staff so that they can produce better quality reports and better quality broadcast materials for the consumers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already explained in my main answer that I do not think we can attribute the failure of the broadcast and print media competition to the lack of a competition code or competition regulation right from the onset. I think it is not fair to compare the broadcast and print media to the telecommunications market. Both markets are quite distinctly different, involving different technology applications. In the case of the failure of the broadcast and the print media competition, as I have explained, one of the significant factors is the shrinkage of the advertisement pie over the period from 2000 up to now. When the media market was liberalised in 2000, the approximate broadcast advertisement expenditure was around $200 million and it was projected to increase yearly to a figure of $270 million. But we know that, in reality, far from increasing, soon after liberalisation, the amount of expenditure spent for advertisements actually fell, and last year it was only about $180 million. So, instead of increasing, it actually fell. To some extent, the competitors adopted strategies which further undermined each other's viability by way of a "cut-throat" type of competition that certainly did not help in business viability. It is not a question of not having a competition code in place. I would also like to remind the Member that in the case of telecommunications, the competition code came later after the market was thrown open for new entrants to the market. It was about nine months or so before the competition code was introduced. So one cannot take the approach that just because it was liberalised without an existing regulatory framework, it was doomed to failure.”
“Notwithstanding MediaCorp and Singapore Press Holdings' decision to merge, the Government continues to welcome new players willing to enter the TV and/or newspaper market, if they meet the prevailing criteria for such licences. However, I would like to reiterate that the Government cannot foster competition at all costs or ensure that every media operation entering the market will succeed. Business success will depend on the operator's entrepreneurial capability and be subjected to the discipline of market forces. On the Government's part, we will continue to foster a healthy media environment for the benefit of Singaporeans. We will continue to encourage the media players to strive for excellence, whether in broadcasting or newspapers. Both companies have indicated that through pooling of resources, they will be able to enhance the quality of their respective products and reach out to the regional markets. We support this strategy which can result in better media products for Singaporeans. Sir, let me assure the Member that in considering the proposed merger, the interests of Singaporeans, who are consumers of the media services, will not be disregarded.”
“It is therefore not surprising that they suffered substantial financial losses in the midst of an economic recession. While we acknowledge that free-to-air TV services typically take several years before breaking even, we have to accept the companies' decision in not wanting to incur further losses. The experience of Singapore Press Holdings and MediaCorp illustrates the complexity in media competition. Whilst competition may have worked well for other small countries, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success as each country is different. Nevertheless, we have gained a better understanding of our media environment and a greater awareness of the challenges our media players face. Our experience had helped us to draw up a media competition code which was introduced in April 2003 as "The Code of Practice for Market Conduct in the Provision of Mass Media Services". Sir, some have attributed the failure of both companies to the lack of a media competition code from the very beginning. I do not share this view. While the media competition code could guard against anti-competitive behaviour by preventing the dominant player from gaining unfair advantage over new entrants through predatory pricing, it could not be used to micro-manage the business strategy of media companies. Thus, it would not have addressed the aggressive competition for viewers and readers adopted by the two media companies. Such behaviour is best left to the market to sort out. Sir, on the second question concerning media competition, the Government will not reverse its policy on media liberalisation and will remain committed to allowing competition. We do not have a cap on the number of media licences.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me say from the outset that although we have given in-principle approval to Singapore Press Holdings and MediaCorp's application for merging part of their media operations, the Media Development Authority and my Ministry are in the process of examining the application and studying the details of the merger before taking a decision on formal approval. Having said that, Sir, I now turn to the lessons that we can draw from this experience. The aim of the media liberalisation in June 2000 was to help the local media diversify their media operations, tap the benefits of media convergence and give Singaporeans more choices in terms of TV and newspaper offerings. This was also to prepare the local media for competition in an increasingly globalised economy. As a result of media liberalisation, consumers, local production houses and advertisers have benefited from the increase in supply of media products. Compared to pre-liberalisation, Singaporeans now enjoy a wider selection of TV programmes from two additional TV channels and additional free newspapers, namely TODAY and Streats. Sir, while competition has brought about some benefits for consumers, it has also demonstrated the difficulties faced by Singapore Press Holdings and MediaCorp when they venture into each other's traditional preserves. Competition reveals that a small media market, a limited talent pool and a small advertising pie segmented by languages are major constraints in the media environment. These constraints were exacerbated by the onset of economic downturn post-liberalisation and the consequential shrinkage in advertisement spending by companies. Furthermore, both companies resorted to aggressively bidding for imported content and undercutting each other's advertising rates.”
“We understand that Mr Iskandar is still considering the two venues. We hope that he would continue to create his unique and renowned works from the new premises. MICA and NAC will continue to support Mr Iskandar. I would also like to highlight that generally, all artists are free to operate from home. However where the use of specialised equipment and alteration or additions to the home environment are required, artists should seek the advice of the proper authorities. MICA recognises the need for artists to have conducive spaces to practise their art. That is why we operate the NAC Arts Housing Scheme to provide suitable and affordable housing for deserving arts groups and artists to engage in their creative work. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS NATIONAL DAY RALLY 1. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how is the National Day Rally on 22nd August 2004 funded; (b) is it a political party rally or a national rally; and (c) if it is a National Day rally, why are opposition Members of Parliament excluded from this Rally every year.”
“Mr Iskandar Jalil had been creating his pottery works with a large gas-fired kiln and a smaller kiln at his single storey detached home-cum-workshop. In January this year, URA received a public complaint that Mr Iskandar's home was used as a pottery workshop. URA noted that the shed built by the Master Potter to store his pots and kilns were built up to the common boundary wall. Then in March, SCDF received a public complaint that a number of large gas cylinders were stored at Mr Iskandar's workshop. Upon inspection, SCDF found that the gas cylinders in Mr Iskandar's compound were a fire hazard to his neighbours. Mr Iskandar was therefore asked to set his shed back by a metre. He was also asked to remove the large gas cylinders as they were illegal for private use in a private dwelling, but was allowed to keeptwo small gas cylinders. Upon learning about his predicament on 4th May 2004, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Yatiman Yusof, together with CEO of NAC and senior officials, met with Mr Iskandar at the workshop. At this point, Mr Iskandar had started demolishing the structure including the roof cover of his kiln. Without the large gas cylinders, Mr Iskandar was unable to operate the larger kiln. This kiln was too large and fragile to be relocated, and hence Mr Iskandar decided to dismantle it. And while Mr Iskandar was able to store small gas cylinders and continue operating the smaller kiln, he would have difficulty achieving the desired effects. To help Mr Iskandar continue his work, NAC brought Mr Iskandar to view the kiln at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) Middle Road Campus under the Arts Housing Scheme. Mr Iskandar was also invited by STB to use the Guan Huat Dragon Kiln at Jalan Bahar.”
“But IDA will continue to be vigilant and to watch all the sectors as we go forward. Mr Tan also asked about the status of the 3G mobile services, the roll out and pricing. There are three 3G licensees - SingTel Mobile, StarHub Mobile and M1. All the three roll-out plans for 3G services are on track to meet the roll-out deadline of December 2004. All three operators have awarded contracts to network equipment manufacturers for the deployment of their 3G networks. M1 has also begun trials of its 3G network in the central and other parts of the island. However, as with any introduction of new technology, IDA will set the overall framework for the commercial development, but leave it to the operators to decide on how best to price and market the new services. The operators in Singapore have not announced their pricing strategy. But so far, we have observed in overseas market, 3G prices for data and voice have been priced competitively against existing 2G and 2½G services for voice and data. With three operators here offering a variety of service packages to meet the different needs of consumers, we can expect competitive pricing for 3G services when they are rolled out towards the end of the year.”
“Sir, prices for telecoms services such as international private lease circuit and Internet connectivity have also dropped significantly over the last three years by as much as 75% and 62% respectively. However, effective competition has yet to be achieved in markets like local telephony and local leased circuits. This is due in part to fundamental market characteristics such as a high sunk cost and lack of economies of scale and scope, which render competition difficult to achieve. Other jurisdictions like the UK, US, Australia and Japan had also experienced similar difficulties. Sir, notwithstanding the competition status, our consumers continue to enjoy reliable and high quality local telephone services at relatively low rates compared with the US, UK, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. The rates have remained the same, unchanged, for more than 10 years. And about a year ago, some competition was introduced when StarHub completed the roll out of Singapore's second residential fixed line network via cable. Homes are now able to take up an alternative package catering to their needs for fixed line telephone services by switching to StarHub. StarHub will further ensure that SingTel's fixed line phone services are priced competitively. I would like to point out that Singapore's residential fixed line market is already saturated at about 98% of households covered. We are not likely to see significant growth in this sector. Given the market saturation and the existing price level of fixed line services, there may be limited scope for competition to lower price in the future. Overall, we should give the four-year old full liberalisation of the telecommunications market the thumbs up for the benefits it has brought to consumers and businesses.”
“Sir, Mr Tan Soo Khoon has asked about the impact of liberalisation in the infocomm sector, particularly referring to the telecoms sector. He also asked about why charges for local calls have not dropped as a result of the opening of the market. He also asked about the pricing of the 3G services that are to be rolled out. I will respond to his points. Sir, our telecommunications industry was fully liberalised in April 2000. Since then, we have made good progress in developing competition in the telecommunications market. Both individual consumers and business consumers have benefited from more than 400 new operators providing a wide range of new and innovative services at competitive prices. Today, some key telecoms sectors are already fully competitive. The mobile phone market is one good example. Consumers now enjoy a wide variety of offerings from three operators, high quality services and some of the lowest prices compared to other jurisdictions like Hong Kong, Japan and the UK. As a result, currently, Singapore has one of the highest mobile penetration rate of about 83%. Other sectors that are competitive include the wholesale international telephone service. More competition has also been introduced in the retail broadband and retail international telephony services, with lower prices, high quality and more service differentiation. Broadband prices have fallen by as much as 50% since liberalisation with consumers able to choose from a diverse range of broadband packages. For retail IDD services, consumers can now select from a variety of premium or budget services, including voice over Internet protocol. Since 1998, the average IDD call charges to top overseas destinations have, in fact, fallen by as much as 73%.”