Yatiman Yusof
Singapore
“I would like to ask whether this concept would be incorporated together with the parks development, and whether MEWR is working closely with the National Parks Board. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Yes, Sir.”
“In areas where there are both land and water bodies, such as East Coast Park, Sembawang Park, Seletar, MacRitchie and Bedok Reservoir Parks, the gardens or park developments often end at points where the land meets the water.”
“We work hard in stimulating growth for this sector and then work towards providing the manpower needed either by bringing in talent and expertise from abroad or training them locally.”
“Facing an open sea, it could be developed into a seasports centre for those who love to go yachting, boating, sea-kayaking, wind surfing and even sports fishing. The untouched Semakau Island could be a unique place for nature lovers to view its fauna and flora.”
“If they do so, they would have to chalk up the difference with cash. I appreciate the assistance that the HDB gives to them by allowing them to defer their payments, but this does not solve their problem. I also know that in some instances, HDB did consider the request on a case-by-case basis.”
“Sir, since 2003, the MDA has worked with MediaCorp to subtitle the Prime Minister's National Day message, something which Ms Olsen said is not a big deal, but we have made a start.”
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“I would like to ask whether this concept would be incorporated together with the parks development, and whether MEWR is working closely with the National Parks Board. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Yes, Sir. As you know, for example, in the case of Bedok Reservoir, we own the waterways but the surrounding part is managed by NParks, so we have to work together with other agencies. As I mentioned in my reply, we work closely with NParks and HDB to ensure that we integrate our plans.”
“Asking a question. The Chairman: Please do.”
“Sir, I am heartened to see the plan for the various waterways as elaborated by the Minister. I targeted my question at MND yesterday, but now I have MEWR replying to my question. I would like to add a point here, Mr Chairman.”
“In order to realise the full potential of our waterways, this undertaking cannot be PUB's alone. We need to harness the ideas and efforts of many parties in the private, public and people sectors, especially those living close to these waterways and who have a stake in bringing this vision to fruition. This will take time, and can only be possible if we continue to enjoy good economic growth. Sir, PUB is working towards a public exhibition early next year, and all Singaporeans will have the opportunity to share their ideas on how we can make our living environment, including the waterways as a more vibrant and enjoyable place. This will give new meaning to living in a garden city where beautiful waterways run through it. Sir, we have outlined how the Ministry will spare no efforts in tackling the environmental challenges which face us in preserving and enhancing our natural resource endowments of water, land and air. We have put in place many programmes and plans, but we cannot achieve and sustain this without a strong partnership with the people and private sectors, ie, a 3P partnership approach. We also need individuals to do their part, so that as a nation, our collective efforts would make that quantum difference to our continual quest of being a clean, vibrant and beautiful global city.”
“Learning from this pilot project, the PUB and NParks will then develop the remaining sections of Kallang River in the next stage, which could even incorporate water features. With these in place, residents could look forward to carrying out activities amidst the greenery by the river, such as leisure strolls, jogging, or simply socialising with neighbours and friends. Another potential area for redevelopment is upstream of Kallang River that runs adjacent to Bishan Park and the HDB housing estate. By maintaining a constant level of water in the canal and integrating landscaping and recreational facilities, the canal could be transformed into a focal point for residents to engage in recreational activities and enjoy the serenity of the waterway. For the Marina Basin, its strategic location in the heart of the city presents a wonderful opportunity to promote the Basin as a lifestyle attraction with lots of activities in and around the waters. We have heard the announcement about the Bridge. More can be done. With the closure of the Marina channel, expected to be in July this year, the Basin will become an enclosed water body ideal for recreational activities to take place. PUB is working with relevant agencies through the Downtown Ministerial Steering Committee and other inter-agency forums, as well as with stakeholders to manage the activities in the Marina Basin so that these can be conducted safely and smoothly. Sir, in building the Marina Barrage and beautifying the waterways leading into the future Marina Reservoir, PUB, as the custodian of our water resources, has shown us a host of possibilities for bringing us closer to water and transforming the waterfront view in many of our neighbourhoods.”
“Our waterways and reservoirs should not be just for water collection, storage and drainage purposes. The ABC Waters Programme will transform the waterways and reservoirs into vibrant and aesthetically pleasing community spaces with activities for everyone to enjoy and participate in. I have circulated some pictures to Members of the House so that they have a better sense of what we are talking about. Members in this House are aware of the concept plans that have been drawn up for Bedok and MacRitchie Reservoirs which were developed after much public consultation and feedback. In the next two to three years, PUB will be working with the relevant stakeholders and grassroots organisations to implement the plans. Sir, with the experience gained, PUB intends to work with other stakeholders and 3P partners to develop similar plans for our other reservoirs such as Pandan, Upper and Lower Seletar reservoirs. Sir, another initiative which will be implemented under the ABC Waters Programme is Watershed Management. The PUB will appoint private sector companies with the relevant experience and know-how to manage our water bodies. These Watershed Managers will contribute ideas to enhance and redevelop our waterways and reservoirs. This is not new. It has been done in some other countries. More can also be done to improve the aesthetics along and surrounding the waterways to provide further opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy the environment. Projects of similar nature have been attempted overseas with great success, like the Cheong-gye Stream in Seoul and the Isar River in Munich, Germany. As a pilot project, the PUB, NParks and HDB will provide landscaping and recreational facilities along a short stretch of Kallang River in the second half of 2006.”
“The Hawkers Association, together with the Merchants Association and grassroots have worked together to increase the centre's vibrancy. It is the first hawker centre to provide wireless broadband services. In addition, with five 29-inch television sets placed around the centre, diners will be entertained while they enjoy their food. To top it off, the centre has a customer service counter where customers can charge their mobile phones and borrow umbrellas when it rains. PR consultants have also been engaged to help stallholders improve the presentation of their stalls. Sir, I would like to encourage Hawkers Associations to work with the grassroots and NEA to organise activities at our hawker centres. NEA is also developing a set of guidelines to help the hawkers associations in introducing more activities. Sir, let me now move on to the second part regarding our water bodies. In 2005, the PUB adopted a new approach to engage our 3P partners to value and enjoy our water resources. We opened up our reservoirs for more recreational activities and launched Our Waters programme that encouraged public adoption and ownership of our waterways. As more and more of our population live and work within water catchment areas, these efforts encourage the public to form a closer bond with water and appreciate the need to keep our catchments clean. Singaporeans can play a part by not littering or polluting the catchment so that our water sources remain clean and our water quality remains high. Mr Yatiman has asked about the plans to enable the public and community to better enjoy our reservoirs and waterways. In 2006, we will continue the outreach efforts under an umbrella programme known as the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme, or ABC Waters Programme.”
“With increased ventilation, wider aisles, larger stall spaces, and aesthetically pleasing landscape, these upgraded centres have enjoyed improved patronage and business. Besides being key amenities, hawker centres are places for social interaction and community bonding. Mr Yatiman asked what we can do to make hawker centres more vibrant. Sir, I mentioned in the COS last year that my Ministry would study the feasibility of introducing activities to increase the vibrancy of our hawker centres. I am pleased to announce that since August last year, a variety of activities such as busking, cultural performances and flea markets have been organised in more than 80 centres. Television sets have also been installed in some of our hawker centres. Sir, we have received positive responses from both stallholders and patrons on these activities. Stallholders have reported an increase in customer volume. 71% of the respondents in MEWR's recent survey indicated that they would visit hawker centres more often if there were such activities. In fact, we have been told that the singing and dance performances at hawker centres have become so popular that some customers are requesting for singing and dancing contests to be organised for them to take part. Sir, the Hawkers Associations have played a key role in organising these activities. In fact, Hawkers Associations have a better feel of the uniqueness, strengths and shortfalls of their respective centres. They are thus best placed to work with the grassroots to determine the nature, extent and frequency of such activities. Let me cite an example. The hawker centre at Blk 137 Tampines Street 11 is a good example.”
“So when I saw the Lianhe Zaobao report on 23rd January and the Straits Times on the same day that said, "Flea markets, buskers jazz up hawker centres; over 50 food centres now have added attractions.", I say we have done well in energising our hawker centres. But, Sir, how many of these 50 or so centres really have all the attractions mentioned by the newspapers? Why not also consider placing television sets so that diners can eat and update themselves on news and enjoy the entertainment such as football matches? Or provide stages for buskers or music performance at the site? Sir, one of the reasons for the constraints faced by those managing the hawker centres is the location. It is either too cramped or too near residential areas that neighbours get unhappy over the noise generated apart from the fumes coming from the kitchens. Perhaps, we could build some of these hawker centres near to parks or water bodies. Sir, over the past year, we have seen more recreational activities taking place near the water bodies such as reservoirs. I remember hearing about a plan to build hawker centres and recreational facilities near the water areas. Bedok Reservoir has been mentioned as one of the possible new locations. May I ask the Minister whether there is a plan to move towards this direction island wide? If indeed there is, when would such a plan be completed? Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I would like to thank Mr Yatiman for raising an issue which is close to our heart and our stomach, which is on the hawker centres. I am impressed by his ability to read Mandarin apart from his knowledge of Tongkat Ali. Sir, the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme was launched in 2001. To date, a total of 48 centres have been upgraded.”
“Sir, our hawker centres are part of "Uniquely Singapore". They are the special attractions to both Singaporeans and tourists. A few years ago, when I was with MFA, a Malaysian Minister on transit at Changi Airport asked me to take him to a hawker centre. As he had only 90 minutes to spare, I took him to the Bedok North Avenue 4 hawker centre near the SBS depot, the nearest from the airport. He was impressed not only by the quality of prata served, but also the way stalls were neatly arranged, the manner in which tables and chairs were cleaned, how the eating plates were removed and cleaned, etc. More than this, he commended on the good sanitation and sewerage system, and the multi-racial nature of the hawker centre. 1.15 pm He said, and I quote, "Your hawker centres are good models to emulate." Sir, it was in the light of this special position enjoyed by our hawker centres that I am heartened to learn that the upgrading work for 48 out of the 113 centres which started four years ago had made them look more attractive to their customers. With improved floorings, better tables and chairs and stall designs, more airy environment, improved disposal system and better and more airy toilets, many found the upgraded hawker or food centres more comfortable. However, we need to do more to make it vibrant. I had been to the upgraded East Coast Park, Adam Road, Bedok Corner, Pasir Panjang hawker centres during the weekdays and weekends. My impression is that they have not shed their old characteristics of a place for one to "come, eat and go". To make them more vibrant, we need more than just improving the gastronomic aspect.”
“In areas where there are both land and water bodies, such as East Coast Park, Sembawang Park, Seletar, MacRitchie and Bedok Reservoir Parks, the gardens or park developments often end at points where the land meets the water. This does not seem natural, as the geographical landscape forms a continuum between land and water, regardless of whether it is the coastal or inland features. While we are successful in creating and beautifying the landscapes, we tend to disregard the waterscape, as Dr Geh Min just mentioned earlier. In some places, such as at Bedok Reservoir, it is painful to our eyes to see the cold, solid grey granite lining up the watermarks. Sir, I have seen the works of park planners and designers in the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Holland where there were major reclamation works done. The planners take both land and water as an undivided continuum and the results are fascinating. May I ask the Minister whether his Ministry will consider extending the greening programme to cover the water areas as well, especially our southern islands?”
“Sir, Singaporeans who have grown up with greening programmes started by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in 1963 are happy to learn that the Government has announced a plan for the Garden City by the Bay at Marina South, East and Centre. Looking at the pictures circulated by the Minister earlier, we are quite excited to know what is coming. Indeed, this is a major undertaking that will complement the existing Botanic Gardens. Being an avid gardener myself, I am fascinated by the unstinting efforts of the National Parks Board (NPB) people who scoured the tropical and sub-tropical forests in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America to identify and bring back unique species previously unknown here. They had enriched our flora collection and made Singapore an attractive place. So, every time I drive along a canopy-covered road and slopes lined up with shrubs with unique species of trees adorning our roadside and road dividers, I am reminded of their hard work and creativity in enriching our natural heritage. It is a refreshing experience being able to enjoy the shade, greenery and beauty of the rain trees and pueh poui that we brought from tropical America and the yellow pinda from Australia. One day, as I was driving near Grange Road, I was pleasantly surprised to find even some "Tongkat Ali" trees among the shrubs by the roadside. I hope the plants will be allowed to grow and achieve their optimum potential. Sir, I had planted a number of similar species in our gardens in Tampines without labelling them - to hide them from the eyes of the public - but they were found missing less than a year later! Sir, what strikes me in reading about the new botanical garden and the upgrading work of our parks is that the concept tends to be restricted to work done on land only.”
“Sir, if we compare the history of Singapore and the history of the United Kingdom and how the two societies developed, there is a vast difference. If we go to London, there will be records for almost every old building. The British people are very proud of their heritage and they spend enough time, effort and creativity to preserve their culture and inheritances. Ours is a young nation, but we are trying very hard to develop our historical heritage for the benefit of our people. Yes, I do agree that having an ambience for research in the National Archives could be helpful to draw more people. I think we are moving towards that direction and I note that the Member recognises the efforts that the National Archives had done for the Ford Factory where quite a number of our displays are being shown for the people to share. I am sure that we will be looking more into this as we discover more and more important icons and important places for us to use to educate our people. Again, I would like to say that the online service is useful. Yes, one has to go to the Archives to do more serious research. But as I said, if the materials are available, we will share them with our people.”
“1.15 pm I agree with Mr Seng that even though the National Archives may appear old, but the contents it offers can be inspiring, and we want the contents to be shared by Singaporeans through the easiest way, ie, online. I would also like to clarify the point made by Mr Steve Chia on the wastage of space. Sir, our Library is one that will be responsive and adaptive to the needs of the users, regardless of their age group and interest, and their need for information. I think the new NLB building will provide the kind of facilities that would be useful to all Singaporeans. Judging by the public response to the new National Library, I am confident that this institution is well worth the investment. It will serve us well for many years to come. On Mr Loh's suggestion that the new NLB building be named after our beloved co-founder and former Second Deputy Prime Minister, the late Mr S Rajaratnam, I would like to say that the passing of Mr S Rajaratnam is a great loss not only to those who are keen on reading books and the library, but it is a great loss to the nation. But naming an institution after him is a serious matter and requires greater study and serious consideration. TV and Radio Licences”
“1 million visits to the old National Library at Stamford Road for the whole of year 2003. Mr Chia asked about the maximum number of books a user can borrow. With 35 million loans a year, the NLB has to balance the desire to borrow more books with the need to ensure the availability of the NLB's collection to the large body of library users. The present loan of four items per user is reasonable. However, from time to time, the NLB had raised this limit to promote reading. For example, as part of the DEAR (or Drop-Everything-And-Read) Campaign during the year-end school holidays from November 2005 to January this year, the loan limit was raised to eight books per user. NLB will consider doing this on an annual basis. Mr Loh Meng See spoke about the etiquette of library users and what can be expected of the $118 million new library building to Singaporeans. NLB launched the "I Love My Library" Campaign early this year in the wake of increasing incidents of poor library etiquette. This is to inculcate greater sense of ownership of public libraries so that they would treat the library's collection as they would as their own belongings, and to extend due considerations to fellow library users, as libraries are public spaces. NLB has also provided rooms for groups that wish to have discussion without affecting other users. Mr Seng Han Thong suggested allowing public access to materials at our National Archives via the libraries. This is a similar appeal made by Ms Irene Ng for the National Archives which the Senior Minister of State had earlier replied. But I would like to add that records are available online and they are able to access them from home. This is better than providing access via the National Library. But efforts are being made to make available records online.”
“Sir, in reply to queries raised by Mr Seng Han Thong and a few others, I would like to say that our public libraries offer world-class service to Singaporeans. About 30 million people visited them each year to make 35 million loans. The libraries offer a wide range of books, audio visual materials and provide a collection of rare and historical publications for reference and research. Mr Seng asked about the new programme of NLB to promote a knowledge community. The NLB will continue to enhance its offerings to meet the evolving needs of our community and to serve it better. This is the strategic thrust of the Library 2010 plan (or L2010). Formulated in consultation with library users through focus group discussions, L2010 is a five-year action plan to offer Singaporeans more comprehensive library services to meet the demands of the knowledge community where innovation and creativity are key drivers for progress. NLB will expand its offerings beyond books, periodicals, other publications and audio visual materials to include more online digital resources. Library users will have more extensive and convenient access to knowledge and expertise. L2010 will transform our libraries into gateways to the world's resource of knowledge, information and learning for all segments of our society, not just scholars, but they include students, workers, professionals, minority communities, the unemployed, researchers, interest groups and others. The new National Library will offer many of the L2010 services when these are launched starting this year. Since its official opening in November 2005, the new National Library has proven to be popular with Singaporeans. Since its soft opening in July last year, the new National Library saw 2.14 million visitors. This is a huge jump from 1.”
“We work hard in stimulating growth for this sector and then work towards providing the manpower needed either by bringing in talent and expertise from abroad or training them locally. The problem with this approach is that it may put our people at a disadvantage as there is always a time lag between the increase in demand and our ability to provide the local manpower. As we may take some time to train our people, an increase in demand for workers in this industry will encourage companies to opt to headhunting or hiring ready-made talent and expertise from abroad, thus depriving our locals from benefiting from it. May I ask the Minister what plan his Ministry has in ensuring that the setting up of the International Maritime Centre would also provide Singaporeans with a fair share of the employment opportunities? What lesson can we learn from other more successful ports in the world in providing the manpower requirements for their IMC and in marketing our services?”
“Sir, Singapore is known as among one of the biggest and busiest ports in the world. We succeeded in becoming among the best by not only exploiting our geographical location, building our strength from an entrepot trade by plugging ourselves into the world economy and using every opportunity presented to us to make ourselves relevant to the world, but also in applying modern technologies and the latest management philosophies. We are now in the process of enhancing our standing by making Singapore an important international maritime centre. To achieve this, we used a three-pronged strategy. First, we have to attract a core group of shipowners, operators and managers, to base their operations in Singapore. Second, we need to develop the breadth and depth of maritime ancillary services. Third, we have to enhance the operating environment for the maritime business through conducive and responsive regulatory and fiscal policies. However, as in other business enablers and service providers, our objective can only be achieved if we are able to convince the shipowners that, apart from the conveniences offered, they stand to benefit financially by coming to Singapore. This means that Singapore must also offer financial incentives, develop our manpower capacity and market our services world-wide. In this connection, I would like to ask the Minister the following questions. First, to what extent has MOT succeeded in creating the conducive fiscal environment so that more shipping and insurance companies and more shipowners will use Singapore as their base? Second, our approach to manpower development to meet the projected growth in this sector seems to be based more on the demand side.”
“Facing an open sea, it could be developed into a seasports centre for those who love to go yachting, boating, sea-kayaking, wind surfing and even sports fishing. The untouched Semakau Island could be a unique place for nature lovers to view its fauna and flora. It could also be developed into a retreat for families and voluntary welfare organisation members. Sir, to do so, we need first of all to turn the place into a green island, which Seking is lacking. Recreational Use of Reservoirs”
“Mr Chairman, 10 years ago, the Government acquired Pulau Seking and Pulau Semakau and developed them into an offshore landfill which was operational about six years ago. A fortnight ago, I was fortunate to be able to visit the site on the courtesy of Assoc. Prof. Koo Tsai Kee. In my life, I have seen how Kallang Basin, the area from Jalan Kolam Ayer to Lavender Street, had evolved from a dumping ground to a public housing and industrial estate and how Lorong Halus, another dumping ground, had attracted stray dogs and how residents who initially moved into Pasir Ris had to tolerate the odour coming out from the area. Contrary to the general perception that a landfill is an unhygienic, smelly and dusty place, this offshore landfill, which I am told is as big as Sentosa, is a clean and nice place with the smell of fresh air from the blue sea filling our lungs. The special care taken during its construction has prevented leakages into the sea and the air. In this way, the maritime eco-system is fully protected and the air is clean. More than that, Sir, the rejuvenated natural habitat of Pulau Semakau, with the replanted bakau trees and the mangrove mud flats, provided an attractive opportunity for the creative and productive use of the place. 2.30 pm I have two questions to ask. Firstly, to what extent has the landfill been able to meet our current and future needs for waste disposal? Secondly, going beyond just a landfill, as Semakau/Seking is large enough an area, I would like to know what the Ministry has in mind in maximising its potential for the benefit of Singaporeans. Sir, I would like to venture to suggest that the island be developed into an intensive-recreational area.”
“Sir, the economy is recovering. Many of us are looking forward to a sustained, albeit smaller, annual growth rate. This is expected. Yet, reading the reports from the newspapers, I get the impression that the recovery in the property market would be very slow. Many are fully aware that the golden years of the late 1990s property boom will never return. We are also fully aware of the fact that the property market is cyclical. There is always a gap between economic recovery and improvement in the property market. Therefore, it is not unusual if the potential players and buyers are still taking a "wait and see" attitude. Sir, the question is: should the Government take a hands-off position and let the market decide its future direction? In the past, the Government had been known to do something to stimulate the market, such as controlling the land supply and releasing the land parcels and adjusting the development to meet the changing circumstances. Could the Government consider helping stimulate the growth of the property market by (1) reviewing the property ownership involving locals and foreigners? After all, we have done it for the Sentosa Cove; (2) reduce the stamp duties for purchases of properties; (3) be flexible on the five-year occupancy period for flat owners who want to sell their flats; and (4) review the 80% cap for the bank loans for the purchase of properties? Records for Rental and Lease Transactions”
“If they do so, they would have to chalk up the difference with cash. I appreciate the assistance that the HDB gives to them by allowing them to defer their payments, but this does not solve their problem. I also know that in some instances, HDB did consider the request on a case-by-case basis. Sir, may I ask the Minister what else can be done to assist these people on their housing loans? Sir, the rules were made many years ago and the circumstances merit such rules to be made and enforced, and enforced vigorously if necessary. But, now, I strongly believe that the situation is different. Can we not review the policies? Housing for an Ageing Population”
“Sir, over the last three years, I have seen an increasing number of cases where HDB flat owners who want to downgrade to smaller flats or sell their flats and move to rental flats facing great difficulties in financing their needs. The financial crisis, SARS and economic downturn had changed their capability to pay for their housing needs. Sir, the first group consists of divorcing couples, the second group involves people who are retrenched during the economic downturn. They found themselves unable to continue the mortgage payments and did the right thing by downgrading to smaller flats. However, there are three major difficulties facing them. First, the minimum occupancy period set by the HDB; second, the 30-month debarment period during which they are unable to apply for purchase or rental of flats; third, in getting financing from the banks. Sir, in the past, when the market was buoyant, they had no problem as the selling price was good. After deducting all the necessary payments, they still have enough money to buy flats from the open market. Now, divorcing couples and downgraders may face the prospect of not finding shelters over their heads. As some were divorced only after two years of marriage, they have difficulties of selling their flats as ordered by the courts because they have not met the minimum occupancy period. For those retrenched and wanting to downgrade, the above HDB conditions are also not helpful to them. Those who bought their flats during the peak years of 1997 or 1998 and took the maximum loan of repayment for 30 years are the worst affected. Many are unable to meet their mortgage repayment. At the same time, they could not sell their flats to downgrade because of lower selling price of their existing flats.”
“Sir, a sarong is a sarong. Once you cut it into two, it becomes two pieces and it is no more a sarong! It would not reflect the entirety of our culture. But, seriously, Sir, we are not saying that the TV station is not ready for that. What I am trying to explain to the House earlier is that the news is presented in a packaged form. For example, if you want to carry a report about tsunami, you have a newscaster reading, giving the figures, taking some shots of the scenes, then you go down to Phuket or Meulaboh and you interview the people there. It may come in the Malay language. From there, the newscaster will project the viewpoint. In the end, after one minute of looking at the news, you get a totality of the news. Having just our portion of the news caption and carrying it into the air amounts to having the sarong cut to one-third. Then, you miss covering the bigger part, which could be a crucial part of the news. But I think we can learn from other major broadcasters. We have seen CNN doing part of that. We have seen CNBC doing that too. But the difference here is that they do it with delayed broadcast. In other words, if you want to carry the captioning from Meulaboh and Phuket, we can do it. But we delay the news by one or two hours to provide the captions together, so that the totality of the news remains intact. So, we have a choice. Do you want to have the news in real time or do you want to have the news in delayed time?”
“Thank you for the request for further clarification. I think there is a difference between TV requirement versus radio requirement. It is slightly different in the sense that we are talking about songs, as compared to a mix of production genre. For the television programmes, you may have current affairs, or scenes that capture Singapore's culture, its people, which have a tremendous value, in terms of social education and nation building. In terms of songs, there is a slight variation. I am not saying that songs do not have a role in nation building. It does tremendously, if the theme of the song covers mainly the love for the nation, love for the people, the leaders, and so on. My answer is that, what makes it different is that the TV programme has a requirement because it directly affects nation building. Whereas for radio, there is less requirement. But I must say that there is a greater realisation on the part of our local broadcast station to play more local songs. I would say that, compared to five years ago, we have done quite a lot. Apart from just playing local songs, some of the radio stations even have certain times of the day to play some songs. I will give you an example. Station UFM 100.3 FM, for example, every Sunday, between 10 pm and 12 midnight, for three hours, you have all the airings of local songs. Three hours per week may not be much, in terms of percentage or proportion. But I would say that if you have one Chinese radio station that allocates a certain amount of hours for Chinese local songs, that is a progress. Of course, we will persuade them to have more time.”
“We will be studying the technology to see how we could overcome the serious hindrances and achieve Ms Olsen's dream.”
“Sir, let me answer the second question first. As I have said in my reply, it is almost difficult for us to stipulate to the broadcaster the percentage of local music that ought to be played every day. Because the different radio stations would cater for different needs, and some of them would have greater need to play local music. Let me give the Member an example. Between Warna and Ria, we have more local music played by Warna than Ria, because the tendency of Ria listeners is to listen to more westernised or rock music. As for the Chinese and English radio stations, I think they are making real effort. They are getting more feedback on the types of music that the locals wish to hear. They even went to the marketplace and interviewed local people to know how some of the local music would be presented on the air. On the question of captions, I wonder how the New Zealand broadcasters managed to do it. But as I explained earlier, the modern TV presentation on news is such that when you have the news carried, say, by Channel NewsAsia, we have the news reader in Singapore reading the news from a prepared text which is captionable. We then cross over to Indonesia to get the CNA Indonesian correspondent to give a live interview, say, with the President of Indonesia - that is not captionable. And then the correspondent goes to interview Indonesian listeners for their views - that is not captionable - and then back to the studio. Sir, I think to avoid listeners from having a truncated form of the news which is being packaged in the form of news, interviews, commentaries and inputs, we will have to look into better technology to have subtitling or captioning incorporated. But I am not saying that we are not going to do it.”
“Sir, since 2003, the MDA has worked with MediaCorp to subtitle the Prime Minister's National Day message, something which Ms Olsen said is not a big deal, but we have made a start. MDA is also working out an arrangement with the broadcaster to provide subtitles for official scripted speeches that are carried live such as the President's Address at the opening of Parliament. MDA will continue to explore with the broadcaster on the possibility of providing subtitles for other selected information programmes on CNA and Channel 5. On Ms Olsen's suggestion of providing subtitling of non-English programmes, many TV programmes shown in Mandarin, Malay and Tamil already have English subtitles. However, MDA will look into this matter with the idea of implementing it, not just studying it, bearing in mind the constraints that the operator will face.”
“The Chinese stations Y.E.S. 93.3 FM, Dongli 88.3 FM, and UFM 100.3 FM have similarly devoted air-time to local artistes. The Malay stations Warna and Ria play at least one local song per hour, or an average of 20 local songs are played each day. In addition, a weekly programme on Ria called Artis Kita aired on Sundays also showcases local talents. Given this, it is not necessary to stipulate a minimum number of hours of air-time to be devoted to local music. The stations need the flexibility to select music that appeals to their listeners, and this would include the works of both local and foreign musicians. Notwithstanding this, we will examine how to provide more support to local musicians, especially the budding ones. Some of our musicians have made it to the world stage and we should show them through our radio. On subtitling or captioning for the hearing-impaired raised by Ms Olsen, I would say that it is difficult for pro grammes, like news bulletins, to be accurately subtitled, due to their on-the-air nature and time sensitivity. Nowadays, news bulletins are a mixture of reads by newsreaders, video-packages and "live" cross-overs to correspondents. The content of "live" cross-overs is unscripted. These practices make subtitling very difficult. Instead of subtitles, broadcasters currently do provide captions summarising the key points in news bulletins aired on Channel NewsAsia and Channel 5. This represents a good balance between addressing the broadcaster's operational constraints, and allowing the hearing impaired and senior citizens to follow the news programmes. Viewers who want greater elaboration can turn to Teletext or the CNA news website which is updated regularly.”
“Sir, I would like to thank Dr Ong Seh Hong for raising the question of the need to have Malay language programming for cable TV. In Singapore's broadcast landscape, Malay TV and radio audiences are served by Suria, a Malay TV channel, and two radio stations (Warna and Ria) operated by MediaCorp. StarHub Cable Vision has two channels targeted at Malay viewers. These are TV1 from Malaysia and the Indonesian channel TVRI. Suria has done well in catering to the needs of the Malay community. Its programme has grown and improved over the past five years. Suria's strength is in the local programmes. It provides news, current affairs, children's drama, and variety programmes. These programmes are funded by MDA, which provided $17.4 million last year. We have taken note of Dr Ong's suggestion on having more Malay programming on cable TV. While there are already Malay programmes on both Suria and also SCV, we agree that the programming could be improved to provide viewers with greater variety and choice. This will require investment in content and programming by the cable operator. If SCV finds it viable and is able to offer another pay cable channel with programming for the Malay community, it should work with MDA who will consider the application on its merits, including the ability to provide localised and differentiated programming to cater to the needs of the Malay community. Let me now move to the question of giving radio air-time for local musicians raised by Ms Olsen. Sir, our Singapore radio stations do provide a respectable amount of air-time representing the music of local artistes. The newly-launched Lush 99.5 FM station has a dedicated weekday 7 to 10 am time belt which features local musicians. Power 98, in its Sunday 5 to 7 pm slot, also features local musicians.”
“Sir, our maritime security objective could only be achieved through collective efforts. No single country in the world could protect ships passing through its own waters. All interested parties, big or small, must be part of an anti-terrorist network, sharing information, technology and cost of these efforts. Sometime ago, the USA had come up with a specific proposal regarding how it could contribute towards ensuring security in the Straits of Malacca. But some of the littoral states in the area are not in favour of it, at least at the moment. Meanwhile, major international shipping countries have requested for countries involved in export to share the burden of checking the transported goods, including those in the containers. Singapore has done its part on this matter. Sir, in view of all these developments, I would like to find out the progress made in this area and what else can the Ministry of Transport do to ensure the security of our ports. What are the challenges the Ministry foresees in protecting our ports and sea lanes?”
“Sir, since I broached the subject on maritime security last year, there had been a number of positive developments taking place. I would like to follow up on this issue because maritime security is critical to Singapore. Sir, I am assured on learning that Singapore takes the question of maritime security very seriously. It must be so. Just one terrorist attack near here or in the Straits of Malacca would trigger massive, if not tsunamic, reactions. The ship and cargo insurance rates would go up, and shippers would start looking for alternative routes. Not only our position as a major sea port and a maritime hub would be threatened, the entire region would be affected too. An article in the Straits Times today even went to the extent of saying that commercial confidence in Asia would be shaken, at least for a short term. For these reasons, Sir, we have initiated and participated in a number of initiatives at international, regional and bilateral levels in order to forge greater and closer cooperation to protect the shipping lanes in the Straits of Malacca. As late as yesterday, our Minister for Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, in addressing the issue on maritime security in Southeast Asia, said that, in addition to working closely with international maritime organisations and enhancing regional security cooperation, Singapore is putting armed security teams on high-risk ships passing through our waters. This must be seen as a clear signal of our strong commitment to contribute towards ensuring maritime security in this part of the world. Sir, in addition to that, the replies made by the Minister for Home Affairs in this Chamber, just two hours ago, on steps taken for homeland security is a further testimony to our unflinching commitment on this issue.”
“Sir, I would like to seek clarification from the Minister. Earlier in my speech, I have said that the feeder bus service is a non-profit making effort. No company will be set up just to provide feeder services anywhere in Singapore. I think it is unfair of him to ask an MP to set up a company to provide the service. But, Sir, if you look at the SBS' and TIBS' annual returns, you will see that there are sufficient profits made by them. If you look at the profit made by these companies, it is not unreasonable to ask them to do a small public service by improving the feeder service.”
“These are the structurally unemployed, the persons who have not been able to find jobs so far even though the economy might have improved. I wonder whether the Ministry could look into this problem seriously, with the CDCs, who are the front line for determining what sort of help we could give the unemployed and the chronically unemployed, to see whether we could actually offer them concessionary rates or some way of identifying cheaper cost for them because, even with the improvement of our economic performance, this group is unlikely to be helped. Finally, we have the objective that the public has a wide range of transport choices. This is true, in the sense that we have more taxi and bus companies now. We also have two companies running MRT trains. But the essential point, Mr Chairman, is that even with all these various additions to the public transport system, somehow passengers still feel that the buses are not coming frequently enough, and taxis are not available especially when you needed them. There seems to be integration, but not from the customer's point of view, in the sense that, as Mr Yatiman has already pointed out, people have to change from bus to train to bus again. I wonder whether the Minister could brief us as to how the integration of these land transport services could be improved. Finally, Sir, I believe that the White Paper on Public Transport to make us have a world-class system was in 1995. In it, the Report said that it would take 10-15 years to come up with a world-class system. I do think that we have moved somewhere along there, but I wonder whether the Minister could update us as to how far we have moved and how far we have to go. Public Transport Cost”
“To follow that up, we also need to have school children and so on going into MRT trains, taking them to even neighbourhood schools near Yishun or Marsiling. 4.00 pm Fares remain affordable is another objective of public transport. We find that in this particular case, we have a few problems to look at. First of all, the deregulation of taxis and the increase in the number of taxi companies, for example, we now have seven taxi companies, and we were hoping that with the deregulation, which was, I think, in 1998, to allow for better fares, differential pricing, better quality services and so on, seems not to have worked out. And, as was pointed out earlier, most of the taxi fares remain more or less the same. The suggestion, therefore, is that is it likely there is a cartel operating among the taxi companies to make sure that the fares do not differ so much so that everybody could have a bigger piece of the cake. The net result is that the cost of transport in taxis, for example, is not any lower. Thirdly, the public transport industry is regulated by MOT to ensure that service is efficient and of a high quality. Sometimes, I am told by passengers that the service is of too high a quality. For example, the installation of TVs in the buses has made people miss their stops, difficulties in thinking what is it that is keeping everybody so engrossed on the TV that they did not want to leave the bus. And, as a result, the people getting off the buses are slower and all sorts of problems come up. Additionally, the bus fares go up. While I welcome, of course, the GPC's move to regulate public transport fares and to peg it to economic performance, there is a very real perception that a particularly big group of passengers would be adversely affected.”
“Sir, at one stage, the construction of the LRT at Bukit Panjang, Punggol and Sengkang had given a glimmer of hope that there would be a better and cheaper alternative to the intra- and inter-housing estate transportation service for the heartlanders. However, the announcement that there is no plan to build a LRT in other housing estates after the two above has brought the question of feeder services back into the forefront. Sir, we know that in most cases the feeder service by itself is not profitable. We also know that the operators are cross-subsidising the feeder or the LRT services from profit made from the trunk route services and the main MRT lines. The question is: can the operators not do more? Sir, in the light of this situation, may I ask the Minister whether there are other ways of achieving an efficient integrated public transportation service in these HDB towns, especially in the area of feeder services? Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): My colleagues in the GPC have already pointed out several points that I was going to raise and, therefore, I should be taking less time than I have been reserved for. First of all, may I just say that if you look at the MRT website, there are four objectives that public transport is regulated to ensure. The first, is that public demands in terms of coverage are met. We have already heard from Mr Yatiman that there are serious problems relating to feeder services and the like. I share his concerns. All MPs I know have this problem, especially in big towns, for example, Woodlands, where there are very difficult problems of navigation in the smaller ring roads, and so on. So feeder services to interchanges have been a problem.”
“Sir, during my MPS, I came across an increasing number of parents in Tampines who complained that their children have to spend almost one hour to reach their school in Bedok, thus forcing them to spend almost two hours daily in travelling to and from school. One of them said that his child has to take a feeder bus to the MRT station in Tampines, hop into the MRT train to Bedok before taking another feeder bus to the school. I could not believe that. I thought that with the linking up of the bus and MRT services by the respective operators, commuters have benefited from the through-ticketing offered by the operators. Such benefit should also include shorter travelling time. Alas, I was wrong. I found out how close to the truth the complaint was one day when I decided to take the same bus routes mentioned by them. The problem lies with the poor and slower feeder services. Sir, I am sure this problem is not confined to Tampines area but it is an islandwide problem. The question of efficiency and cheaper feeder services in housing estates has long remained a thorn in the flesh for both the operators and the commuters. On the part of the operators, they are unable to overcome the supply and demand problems. Due to wider areas to be covered and the manner in which the commuters are distributed, the number and frequency of services could not be increased as they are said to be not cost-effective. So the bus operators resort to routing and re-routing the feeder services to meet the other changing demands. But this is acting like what a Malay saying of a person with short sarong: If you pull down your sarong, you expose your top. When you pull it to your top, you expose your bottom!”
“We remain bound by the cultural roots of our origins, the lands of our birth, our culture, our norms and our values. Mr Speaker, while serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a committee member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, I had the opportunity to travel to the Carribean and Africa. The people of Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago descended from slaves who were brought in by the whites. Due to the loss of ties with their cultural roots, they knew only English and practised the English culture. And yet they were not the heirs of that culture. Their elites speak English very well and use the language for intellectual discussions, but among the ordinary people, their mastery of English was limited. They lack the proficiency, could not express themselves in the language. In other words, their English was stunted and could not serve as the language of cultural life for them. And worse, in the eyes of the Englishmen, the people of Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago are not accepted as English because they have no ties with the culture and history of the English homeland. The same with some of the people of the southern part of Africa who do not emphasise their Swahili language and as a result, the Swahili language is truncated, stunted and unable to meet the needs for the creation of their identity. How many of them have grown to be like Kunta Kinte, aware of their origins and seeking to re-connect with the cultural anchor that they have lost? Not many. The rest are happy with their present position and so they become neither here nor there.”
“One of the participants rose and spoke loudly and emotionally, calling the MTU's proposal akin to pulling out a banyan tree in our hot, equatorial climate, and planting in its place a pine tree more suited to a colder environment. But years later, the proposal proved to be a sound one. Malay parents began sending their children to English schools because the graduates of the Malay-stream schools could not find jobs. The same with the Chinese community leaders and their Mandarin language, who vociferously protested the closure of the Nanyang University. But the fact that graduates of Chinese schools and universities were also having problems finding jobs made them send their children in droves to English schools. Pragmatism eventually decides the best course of action and we are as always guided by a commitment to ensure a future for our children. Mr Speaker, throughout our debate, the issue of the mother tongue, whether it is Mandarin, Malay or Tamil, or even the other Indian languages, being given the status of a second language, has given us cause for concern as to the status and treatment of these languages. But does being called second languages make them less, or worse, not important? I do not think so. Can we live without a mother tongue? I think we can, but we will be a very different society. After all, our mother tongue is the language of our soul, our faith, our culture. As Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in his speech yesterday, we are Asians. No matter how fluent, how proficient, how competent is the mastery of English among the Japanese, the Koreans, the Chinese, the Indians, Indonesians, Malays or Arabs, even if they were graduates of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard or Princeton, we are still Asians. We cannot be Englishmen.”
“I shall not discuss the economic reasons behind this move because they have been dealt with and widely debated by Members who spoke before me. And this is not the first time that questions of language and culture have been debated here. For 40 years, I have been through one debate after another on the subject. From our opting for English as one of our official working languages, to the introduction of multi-streaming in 1960, to the issue of the lack of economic value of Malay, Mandarin and Tamil languages which led to the demise of multi-stream education, and eventually the end of the use of Mandarin as the medium of instruction at Nanyang University, the Speak Mandarin campaign and the introduction of SAP schools - I have been through all this. But what is interesting and apparent this time, and this is important, Mr Speaker, is the lack of the emotional element in this debate. We are not at each other's throats. We are not speaking the language of the hardliners, except for the Member for Hougang with his cynical tones. We speak with cool heads. The lack of emotional heat in the three days of debate in this House is evidence of our maturity as a multi-racial people in handling such a sensitive issue. This is a vast difference from my experience of 30 years ago. I took part in the National Education System Conference organised by the Malay Teachers Union (MTU) in 1971 at the Jamiyah Hall, as representative of the University of Singapore Malay Language Society. MTU had suggested that Malay parents send their children to national English Language schools. Of course, that was bound to attract heated debates.”
“Mr Speaker, I join my colleague, Mr Ahmad Khalis, in speaking in the Malay Language. (In Malay): Mr Speaker, the report of the Chinese Language Review Committee contains pretty wide-ranging proposals relative to the changes that had been introduced before. The reasons are obvious: so that the Chinese Language will continue to be a medium for dissemination of the culture and values of the Chinese community in Singapore. This is totally in line with the original objective of mother tongue teaching and does not in any way represent a shift from our bilingual policy. Everyone has to learn English and his mother tongue. Mr Speaker, I wish to declare my interest as Chairman of the Malay Language Council of Singapore and as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. English is vital for our survival. It is the heart and pulse of our life. Everyone knows that English is a language of knowledge, of modern technology and the means by which we can communicate and conduct business with the world, giving us the ability to apply and absorb modern discoveries and innovations. Would we be the same Singapore today if we had chosen Mandarin, Malay or Tamil as our working language? Minister Mentor, in his insightful speech yesterday, clearly showed that that is impossible. I share his views completely. If Sri Lanka, with its population of 20 million, and a standard of living higher than Singapore at one point, can be sidelined by the mainstreams of modern development for having taken the path of nationalism and emphasising Sinhalese, and having failed, is now trying to revive the role of English, what chance is there for Singapore, with our small population of four million?”
“Sir, I think I have, more or less, touched on the question of talented people, but I would like to focus on the studies carried out on the percentage of talented people, whether they are more inclined towards the Express or Normal Stream. I think the Committee will also conduct studies in this area. In general, it is always perceived that those who are inclined in sports and arts are less capable in the academic field. This is the perception. It could arise because of the motivation found among the students. But studies in other countries have shown that those who are good academically are also capable to perform in sports as well as in the arts. Yes, we will look into this area to make sure that the School will be able to bring in talented people if they are academically inclined or strong, as well as those who are talented but not so academically inclined. In other words, I want to assure Members that the School will cater to their needs to meet this objective. But I think, ultimately, the market will decide whether graduates of this School will find a higher level of entry point to their job opportunities or end up becoming nightclub music players or poor artistes. NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Deployment at construction sites) 8. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether it is true that National Servicemen are being deployed at construction sites to serve their National Service duty.”
“Sir, according to early estimates, the School is estimated to cost about $80 million and the annual operating expenditure would be about $18 million. With this amount of investment and operating cost, there must be some comparable input from the shared users. Some people have been talking about the possibility of the fees to be around $500. The question is whether this is too high and whether this would deny those from the lower-income group from benefiting from the scheme. On our part, MITA has carefully considered the proposed fees before deciding on the appropriate level. The School is actually for young Singaporeans who have the passion and talent for the arts, regardless of their family background. The School will have to fix its school fees taking into consideration the School's sustainability and the parents' affordability. Why is it so expensive? Sir, we are having an annual intake of about 200 students only for such an excellent facility. We will have better teacher-student ratio, giving ample space for personal tuition with inter-personal kind of coaching. The school will also cater for the performing arts, visual arts, music, apart from the academic component. And we have to draw in staff with expertise in various areas. Sir, all these are not cheap. We also have to provide the facilities - the dance studios, the performance spaces, music studios, musical instruments, etc. Sir, while we want to ensure that the School is sustainable, we will not deny the poor from joining the School. If we have poor students who are very talented and have tremendous passion in arts, I think there will be enough scholarships offered to ensure that they have equal opportunity to join the Arts School.”
“Sir, the setting up of the Arts School will not in any way affect the current emphasis given in the ordinary secondary schools for the learning of the arts. The Ministry of Education will make sure that the Arts School could be seen as an additional input into how normal secondary schools could model their arts learning lessons by comparing what is being taught in the Arts School. As to how do we synergise the Arts School with the existing institutions, such as the SIA-LaSalle College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), the SIA-LaSalle College and NAFA's intake is offered to those students who have gone through the normal secondary school - GCE 'O' level - and they have tied up with a number of foreign institutions to offer some degree courses. Whereas the Arts School will prepare its students for the Ivy League, in other words, graduates of the Arts School can proceed to not only other institutions of higher learning, but those which are top in the world. In other words, while the permeability of the Arts School students at the secondary level within the first four years is such that they are allowed to go back to the secondary school, those who continue with the Ivy League institutions will have their own paths. This means that they will not be going to LaSalle or NAFA, because the curriculum of LaSalle and NAFA is quite different compared to the Arts School, in the sense that it will prepare its students both in terms of academic as well as the arts component of the curriculum, whereas the curriculum of LaSalle and NAFA is very heavy towards the practising arts.”
“Sir, the comparison between the Express stream and the Normal (Academic) stream with a minimum of two GCE 'O' levels is the minimal point. But again, this is the basic consideration that is required before a person is allowed to apply. Talking about the portfolios, it is a factor to be considered. Some students may not be very bright academically, especially in Mathematics and Science, but in other areas, they are quite strong. But it must be tempered with a balanced academic capability. In other words, a minimum standard will ensure that the Arts School will not be a school for those who could not do well in the academic field because, ultimately, when they qualify later, they could either be professionals, ie, lawyers or doctors, after pursuing their studies with very deep-rooted feelings and passion for the arts and vice versa. Those who are very strongly inclined towards arts are capable of switching over to find jobs in other fields or professions if they do not succeed in that field. In other words, the Arts School provides the option for them to go to either academic professional line later or in pursuing their passion in arts.”
“Sir, I totally agree with Mr Seng Han Thong's concern over the proliferation of chatline audio text services and the impact on the young. I would like to emphasise here that to do so, we require a tetra-partite approach that combines the efforts of the police in legal enforcement, the chatline industry in regulating their services, the major media players in regulating advertisements and parents in guiding their children. Specifically, I would also say that the chatline operators have to accept the responsibility to protect the young and operate their services with adequate safeguards to discourage potential offenders from preying on the young. Apart from having that to uphold higher standards, efforts are also aimed at regulating chatline advertisements to ensure that they are not misleading. Because under the new code that is to be introduced, operators would be required to carry precautionary messages in their advertisements warning users of the dangers of meeting strangers acquainted through chatlines. As these advertisements are carried by major media owners, such as SPH, it is useful if they also monitor the compliance of the chatline advertisements in their publications. We are happy to note that, so far, till December last year, SPH has improved their chatline advertising guidelines. Finally, the efforts of the police. I think the police and the chatline industry would be successful only if there is close cooperation given by the parents. In other words, the parents will have to be able to come in and act on their concerns.”
“In addition, they conduct training for prison inmates in library and information technology skills. Sir, in March last year, NLB launched a Library@office programme to attract more professionals. It is not just the ignorant and disadvantaged, those who 'can't be bothered' type are also being reached. So, we reach out to the professionals, managers, executives and businessmen (PMEBs) to the libraries, as about half of the members of this group have not borrowed any books or audio visual materials from the library in the preceding year. NLB presented some of its services at the office doorstep of the PMEBs in the central business district and selected high traffic suburban office malls. The programme was successful in reaching out to some 600,000 people and subsequently resulted in about 90,000 additional visitors to the public libraries. Moving ahead, NLB will keep up with its effort and continuously develop new programmes to reach the disadvantaged or those who do not naturally go to the libraries.”
“Sir, to this end, MITA continually strives to improve the professionalism of the public servants in public communication. This is done by our Public Relations Academy. Specially trained information officers from MITA are also seconded to various Ministries and public service agencies. Their role is to assist Ministries in their mass communication efforts. In the face of many changes in the sphere of Government public relations, our public communication strategy remains committed to inform citizens and help them better understand Government's policies and changes. Now, I would like to turn to the issue raised by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua. I thank Mrs Lim for raising the question of how to attract the unconverted to our library. I totally agree with her that there is an important role for the library to reach the ignorant and the disadvantaged. But there are a number of efforts in which the National Library Board (NLB) has started towards this direction. For example, the NLB organises annually a charity book donation event. For this financial year, the NLB donated over 26,000 books, 500 packs of magazines and about 1,900 audio visual materials for 56 charity and non-profit organisations to help promote reading and literacy to some 25,000 people. The organisations that benefited from this effort include the Movement of the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore and the Society for the Physically Disabled. Through its Corporate Volunteerism Programme, volunteers from among NLB staff employ their skills to set up the libraries and multi-media resource centres at Gracehaven Home and Changi Women's Prison. Over 3,000 books and audio visual materials were donated to the library at Gracehaven Home and 5,000 books and magazines were given to the Changi Women's Prison.”
“Sir, when a crisis or disaster strikes, communication is indeed extremely vital. It can make a difference, whether the community will have confidence to face the situation in a peaceful manner, or there could be chaos, or even deaths. So when Mr Seng Han Thong asked about the new initiatives to help Singaporeans to understand Government policies, especially in dealing with disasters, it is crucial that we also look into the initiatives to help Singaporeans understand the policies, especially those who cannot be reached by the mass media. Sir, in Singapore, the mass media, with its wide reach and appeal, is an important basic channel of communication between the Government and the people. We will continue to use it as the principal means of communication of our policies with Singaporeans in a timely and responsive manner. Nevertheless, where information is crucial and additional means over and above mass media communication are required to reach all segments of the public, we will work with all relevant parties to achieve the widest possible reach. 2.45 pm The SARS crisis is a case in point. Soon after the SARS virus hit Singapore, we set up a SARS website and worked with the broadcasters to establish a special SARS TV channel to ensure our citizens have ready access to up-to-date information. SARS information kits were also published in all four official languages and sent to every household in Singapore, while briefing packages were prepared for MPs and grassroots leaders to reach constituents. Rules regarding the use of dialects for broadcasting were relaxed to ensure that messages reach the ground. We will do what is necessary to ensure that key Government messages reach all Singaporeans, especially in a national crisis.”
“I appreciate the clarification. In any TV programme that we have, there are people who say that it is not enough, but we shall try.”