Zaqy Mohamad
Singapore
“Deputy Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the Question Time at this day's Sitting be exempted from Standing Order No 22(1) so as to enable questions for oral answer to continue until the completion of Question Nos 7 to 29, including relevant supplementary questions, until 12.45 pm?”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your consent and the general assent of Members present to move that the proceedings on the item under discussion be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No 48(8) to remove the time limit in respect of the Minister Tan See Leng's speech, please?”
“I think on the hawker front, we keep our rentals as low as possible to sustain our hawkers. But for food prices, we continue to monitor. My colleague, Minister of State Gan mentioned about how we are monitoring food supply of food prices, and I think that we will continue to do so.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On seafood specifically, we do not see immediate risk. We have diversified our food imports. We have also got local production of seafood readily available. At this point, as both the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister have shared, our main risk for agriculture lies in fertiliser.”
“Mr Speaker, as I shared, we are monitoring the situation. The Government is monitoring at this point. There is no need at this juncture, because we have not seen the price hikes hit the hawkers in the same way as yet. There will be downstream impact. I think that is quite sure.”
“For us to also look into buying local produce, that helps our farms to increase capacity at this point, helps them build resilience over time and should there be disruptions or should there be a need for us to divert supplies or look to ramp up local production, I think they would be in a better position if we do what we can today to supp…”
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“Seventeen years from now, in 2030, what will be the position of the Government of our Malay sons next to others from these families with foreign spouses and new citizens? This will be a question to consider as the numbers from immigration and foreign spouses have increased significantly. Seventeen years from now, we will see more and more sons of this segment serving National Service. But I hope that by then, our national security narrative pertaining to Malays serving in the defence sector would have also evolved and that all sons of Singapore get an equal footing in all opportunities, including that in our national security services. Madam, understandably, the 6.9 million headline took precedence over other strategic issues when the White Paper was first announced. It was unfortunate that our ageing population needs, managing our economic growth outcomes, ensuring a Singapore Core —”
“The community also hopes, that come 2030 and beyond, the Malays do not become a super-minority in Singapore and this assurance will go a long way, as the Government commits to do its utmost, including ensuring that the foreign workforce is also representative of the race. I believe our sustenance today at this level has been due to organic growth, while the community has seen the influx of new immigrants and workforce of other races. The same fears can also be said of the Indian community here. The new citizens, Permanent Residents and the workforce are of the same race, but not really the same. Madam, if I may refer to an exchange between Member Zainudin Nordin and Member Faisal Manap yesterday. I was mentioned with regard to sentiments in the community on the position of Malays in the SAF. In the last Committee of Supply (COS) session, I sought clarity from MINDEF in order to measure our progress periodically and be that check and balance for the community. I was heartened that MINDEF has assured the Malay community that there is positive progress being made, there is loosening of the policy and that MINDEF continues to be in sync and is aware of where the community wants to head. And I hope, Madam, that this progress continues. But if I may bring us back to this population debate. This is a question for PMO and MINDEF to ponder. I know it is not easy because this is a concern on national security – but I ask, on behalf of many Malays in the community who have asked this question as well – for the Government to consider. We have 40% of marriages between Singaporeans and foreigners, and more new citizens that have been added in the last few years and forthcoming Page: 88 years from now as well.”
“Do more to develop each citizen to his or her full potential. And I urge the Government, as some Members have before me, to take the bold step of seeking companies to justify why a Singaporean cannot fill a job, in order to justify their need for foreign manpower growth. I also urge the Government to strengthen our laws and enforcement authority against discrimination against Singaporeans and biases against race, against age, against gender. Singaporeans cannot lose out on opportunities because someone else comes in cheaper. After all, Singapore has created a high cost of living structure and we need to ensure that our citizens are taken care of and get the adequate wages to survive. This is a small step, but it gives deep assurance to Singaporeans. If we want Singaporeans to buy in to the population proposal and accept that we need to Page: 87 have a diverse workforce, they must feel and see that their place as Singaporeans in their homeland is secure. Home is where the heart is. This is where the hearts have to be won. Madam, I am heartened by Minister Grace Fu's response with regard to the racial mix of Malays of 14.9% in 2000 and 15.1% in 2010. I hope that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) or even the Prime Minister himself can give assurance to the Malay community that the Government will preserve the racial proportion of Malays even as the population grows in 2030. There is a Malay saying, made famous by Hang Tuah, "Tidak Melayu hilang di dunia" which means "the Malays will not disappear from the earth".”
“Several business associations have come out to say that the projected productivity gains are aggressive as the trends have shown that Page: 86 the industries have always lagged behind the Government's productivity targets. It will also help businesses, if the Government takes the bold step of being more transparent to businesses on target quotas for the various work passes, and broad allocations to the different sectors. This will also help companies by giving them advanced notice and adapt to the environment better. I also strongly encourage the Government to have a more open approach in helping companies manage their foreign manpower workforce. We must give them some level of certainty that they face no shock surprises when work permits are not renewed or new growth requirements cannot be met. The reality is that GDP is about jobs and the livelihoods of Singaporeans. Let us not sell Singaporeans half-truths. Let us be honest about the implications of the projections – foreign manpower, GDP growth, population projection – we are all putting our livelihoods at stake here. These are about our jobs, these are about the jobs that our children can have when they graduate, these are about the businesses that we want to run, or businesses that our children want to start up. But the Government also needs to change the narrative on jobs competition against foreign manpower. We need to come to a compromise on the Government's position and its narrative. We need to do more to assure Singaporeans that Singaporeans do come first. Singaporeans accept competition, and that we cannot be protectionist. But Singaporeans must also know that their interests are always protected, their stake and commitment here must count for something. We must make Singaporeans feel valued.”
“The White Paper's projection is already cause for concern and the Workers' Party's recommendation of not increasing foreign worker growth till 2020 will cripple many businesses. I foresee the following implications. Firstly, it will be difficult to have new investments and emerging sectors in Singapore. Our economy needs to be dynamic, but if emerging sectors do not come, we cannot transform. Speak to any young Singaporean. Almost all will aspire to have an exciting job or entrepreneurial opportunities. If we cannot gear the economy right, we cannot create the kind of jobs our young Singaporeans want. Our SMEs are likely to be the first to be affected as they would not be able to compete for labour against the MNCs. Even the MNCs will find it difficult if they want to move more operations or value jobs here to Singapore. If we are doing this, we are giving them the wrong signal of not wanting them in Singapore. But I am most concerned about essential areas, such as healthcare, where we need to be able to find people to do the difficult jobs of taking care of the less able, elderly and the ill. So, we still need foreign manpower to supplement our own, but I think the Government needs to calibrate – and go down into more details which areas the conditions should be more relaxed. But manage the overall foreign manpower population numbers. We need to manage population and manpower polices well. I agree with Member Inderjit as well, that we should give our smaller businesses more breathing space to adapt. SMEs do not have the benefit of larger firms who can attract top talents and have the spare capacity to transform and transit to the next business model.”
“There are also limits to Government subsidy and tax rebates if costs are not managed effectively. We must find new ways of managing our cost structure. The White Paper should consider dedicating a whole chapter on affordable cost of living and sustainable cost of doing business in 2030. This will send a strong signal on the Government's priorities in managing our cost issues today, projecting into 2030. Madam, the low GDP growth projected by the White Paper of 3%-5% per annum for seven years and then 2%-3% from 2020-2030, has caused concern among the business community. Many business leaders I speak to are also concerned with the Government's deliberate attempts to manage expectations on this growth number, coupled with the tightening of foreign manpower. So, this is how it looks to businesses. Singapore is projecting a low growth, but Singapore lies within a fast-growth, high-growth region with many opportunities to offer. Our competitors are surely looking at companies here and will try to lure them over. Many of our businesses today are already exploring cheaper alternatives, such as the Iskandar and beyond. Page: 85 Based on yesterday's Business Times report, the American Chamber of Commerce has indicated that 5% of member companies it surveyed have already moved their operations out of Singapore and that a further 15% of respondents are looking at relocating their businesses overseas. If we lose up to 20% of such companies, I worry for job losses for Singaporeans. Singapore's competitiveness is at stake as we debate politics and let emotions run. The Workers' Party proposal only served to send more severe signals to the market and businesses.”
“This, despite the Government's best intentions to help our local businesses. Given the expectation to extract the maximum value for our limited landspace, this approach seems to have translated into how agencies charge for services and rentals in trying to match market prices. Recently, Madam, I led a delegation of business leaders to the Iskandar region. Of course, it was heartening that Ascendas has also ventured into Page: 84 Iskandar and I was asking if any of the businessmen were interested in exploring space with them. Many were of the impression, and likely, that Ascendas would be more expensive than some of the local industrial developers. So, if we take a purist free market approach even as a Government, we are not helping our SME businesses venture and grow. We need to take a differentiated approach to ensure that we continue to build and support quality growth of our SMEs. Recently, I met a resident during a block visit who had just moved in, in the last few months. They said they purchased a flat which was previously managed by JTC. I asked, they must have gotten a good price for it? They said, no, JTC asked for $30,000 Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) upfront. So, I asked myself why does the Government need COV? Thus, we need to be mindful of the impact and influence these agencies have on the market and on the people. If Government agencies and vehicles take the perspective of maximising revenue in each venture, where should our local businesses and SMEs turn to? I hope that the Government invests more in research and manpower to find breakthrough solutions beyond traditional methods, such as currency control and land sales, to manage inflation, property prices and rentals.”
“I ask that the Government reconsider its KPIs and benchmarks to include how the various costs, whether it is public costs – transport costs, housing, food, recreation facilities – have affordability benchmarks pegged to real wage growth. Our strategy cannot be just about GDP growth, it should also be about real wage growth and household income growth. So, the Government needs to keep grounded to keep affordability and quality of living sustainable. On the business front, similarly, we should not simply benchmark our cost indices to the global cities. Their business dynamics are different and their economies are more mature with a larger proportion of local businesses that carry the local economy. So, why is this important to Singaporeans? There is a link. If companies are not profitable, they are pressured not to pay Singaporeans well and not give bonuses and increments. If companies are under cost pressure, this is when they revert to lower cost alternatives by using foreign labour and here is where wages may be depressed. Otherwise, companies may just move out of Singapore to find lower cost alternatives. So, my concern for the ordinary worker is that any productivity gains that the Government has pushed for so far may be lost to increases in rentals and other business costs. The Government needs to do more to help businesses manage their cost structure and help them derive more value add from our economy. To do so, the Government may also need to relook its revenue maximisation mantra for land use and value-add KPIs it expects from its agencies, such as JTC and its corporate spin-off, Ascendas. The business community perceives them as expensive sources of industrial property space rather than agencies that add value to their growth.”
“We need to and we should also look into sacred policies or philosophies, if necessary, to look into managing our cost of living and cost of doing business in Singapore. I am concerned that the Government has not done enough to outline how it plans to reign in inflation for the long haul. How do you plan to balance high quality living with affordability of Singaporeans? The recent Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey that ranked Singapore as the sixth most expensive city in the world and the third most expensive in Asia. It is a concern for me. I think many Singaporeans as well. Member Inderjit also pointed out yesterday that our wages have not caught up with inflation given the steep increases over the past few years. The Government needs to make clear where we stand on managing our cost structure. Should we not also make it a goal to reduce our cost structure to move our ranking down the ladder? And on the wages benchmark, we should be conscious of how real wages move in line with inflation and cost of living indices. Page: 83 In fact, the Government should avoid statements that aim to compare our costs to other global cities as the primary indicator. Yesterday, I noted Transport Minister's statement that our public transport fares have not increased as much as other global cities. It is a credit that the Ministries try to keep our costs low by comparing to similar economies. But in addition to such comparisons, the Government should consider and share with the public how fares and other public costs are also benchmarked to increases in real wages, especially at the median and the lower income groups. So, we cannot just take a topline approach.”
“Mdm Speaker, let me begin on an area which the Population Paper has not addressed substantially, which is Singapore's cost of living and the economic competitiveness from a cost perspective – and how these will be projected into the 2030 scenario. Page: 82 Reading the White Paper, I appreciate the plans and proposals for Singapore to provide quality housing, quality education, attract quality investments and so forth. But reading the booklet, there is a lot of mention of "quality" but our concern on "affordability" is not covered in the same depth. We appreciate the Government being upfront and transparent on its planning projections. But this also created fear – not just about the perceived lack of space – but also how do we manage costs as Singapore tries to move towards high value-add industries, higher quality housing, higher quality education. So, basic economics tell us, in a land-scarce environment – as more land is used, property prices will only have to go up. Meaning business costs, consumer indices seem destined to go just one way – up. The narrative about "quality" lifestyle becomes synonymous to high-cost lifestyle in people's minds. I hope that the Government will consider a dedicated initiative in its population plan and put in the necessary research and resources. We have asked businesses to transform to adapt to the changing economic and manpower landscape. But the Government also needs to be proactive to find ways to transform our cost structure and supply-side strategy to manage costs because our current strategies are not sustainable given our land constraints. What happens beyond 2030 if we get our land supply policies wrong?”
“So, is he asking for the Government not to give childcare subsidies or that all private centres close down and be taken over by the Government and be made public? We cannot, in all honesty, use Government funds to fund shareholders' profits. The Anchor Operators today are charity foundations, and I believe the right step is to increase the number of Anchor Operators, but we have to qualify and ensure that taxpayers' support in subsidies is met and used for the right reasons and not to line the pockets of private shareholders. Through my interaction with residents and Singaporeans in general, most understand our challenges of an ageing population and how our population will downsize in the long term if we do not take the necessary steps today. However, many are also concerned because not enough time has been spent to convince and solicit feedback from the public to assure them that the White Paper is in sync with their aspirations and why this is the best way forward. The initiatives presented are bold, but the Government needs to do more to show that it has come up with ground-breaking solutions to some of our existing issues. The White Paper also leaves Singaporeans with many other questions. What will our cost of living look like in 2030? Will Singapore still be an affordable place for my children? Can my children succeed and find their way in this Singapore 2030? What types of jobs and what kind of salaries can we expect by 2030? Will I retire comfortably and what amount of savings and retirement income do I need to live comfortably? And for those left behind, what will our safety nets look like for citizens who cannot cope with the high-value, high-pace economic and social environment?”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this Motion. Sensing the ground, speaking to residents and friends, this debate on the Population Paper is a bold move and has generated much debate among citizens. I thank Deputy Prime Minister Teo and the Ministers for sharing the Government's deliberations in putting forth this White Paper and the rationale behind the various plans presented. The White Paper has outlined bold initiatives, such as the Marriage and Parenthood package, packed with substantial benefits and subsidies. It has also put forth a bold promise of 700,000 homes, how we will optimise land use, the upgrade of public transport system and other measures to ensure that Singapore can scale to accommodate more growth. It is also certainly bold for the Government to make public its planning consideration towards a 6.9 million population projection. The Workers' Party, as iterated by Member Pritam Singh earlier, has also taken the bold step of projecting a population target of 5.9 million in 2030. I agree that we face a tight infrastructure today. And, therefore, my view is that it is better to commit Page: 81 resources to ensure that we do not face the same issues today in 2030. Infrastructure cannot be built overnight. So, I ask, what is the Workers' Party's position on what should be the parameters for population planning? As it stands, should the Government plan on a 6.9 million projected upper limit in 2030? Or should we plan based on a 5.9 million population projection and with future bottlenecks again? If we fail to plan sufficiently, we plan to fail. As for Member Yee Jenn Jong, I am not clear on his objectives on subsidies for childcare for fear of fees going up. I think MSF has got guidelines on fee increases.”
“We have to work with people to give us space in their buildings to allow us to locate all of their base stations and other necessary equipment in order to get better coverage for Singapore. Page: 22”
“I thank the Minister for covering the aspects of mobile broadband. When we talk about broadband today, it also relates to mobile. If you look at the various studies, I think Singapore lags behind. Some people say we are behind in terms of coverage and speed for our mobile broadband. One area is that we do not have enough base stations, and I think many of the telcos are having difficulty getting access into buildings. Would the Ministry work with the BCA, for example, to look into how we can include base stations as part of the building codes? These are usually spaces which are not used, and I do not see why operators need to spend a lot of time and extra money, which is passed on to consumers, in trying to put up base stations. We should just fix some of these costs and include these base stations in the building codes. Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: These are very good questions from the Member. In fact, that is what we are doing under the new regulation, which is part of the Act. We are requiring developments to set aside space for base stations for the purpose of broadband services. This is an important move as we begin to realise that broadband services are becoming an essential part of life in Singapore. By working with the developers to make sure that spaces are provided to allow providers to put up the stations earlier, I think it will help consumers to get their service as soon as possible. On the current efforts to work with building owners, we are in conversation with the telcos and with the building owners to see how best we can meet the needs. We want to try and increase the coverage as much as possible. But the Member is right. At the end of the day, the hurdle is structural.”
“Mdm Speaker, it is good that the Minister has answered on the issue of competitiveness and allowing other entrants to enter the market. There was talk initially that MDA was looking into a single set-top box so that it can enable other providers to come in. This has not taken off. I just want to ask the Minister if this is still on-going and would the MDA consider putting this in place to ensure there are lower barriers of entry for other providers. Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: That is a good question. The Member asked about the idea of the common set-top box, which both MDA and IDA were keen to have. In fact, when we went out for the consultation and put out the call for proposals, we found that none of the proposals submitted was likely to achieve the desired outcomes that we wanted – minimal consumer inconvenience in dealing with multiple set-top boxes. We decided to proceed with a no-award decision. Having said that, we will continue to engage the industry, to ensure that whatever measures that we put in place will facilitate – as the Member rightly pointed out – a more vibrant and competitive eco-system. Thus far, despite the lack of having a common set-top box, it has not prevented other players from coming into the market, albeit niche players. As to whether other larger players will want to come into the market, it is really for them to make the evaluation. Page: 18 At this point in time, we do not think there are regulatory hurdles to prevent them from coming in.”
“MDA is monitoring this very, very closely because the Member is right, and this relates to the Member's third question – whatever it is, we have to look at every contract that is agreed upon between the provider and the content owners, and ensure it does not, in any way, violate our cross-carriage measure. I want to assure the Member and the House that the MDA is on top of the situation. We are looking into this very, very closely to see whether there are any built-in barriers which will bypass the regulator. We are on the side of the consumer. We want to provide as many offerings as possible. At the moment, all we know is that SingTel has signed but we know that other providers are Page: 17 interested and that they are in negotiations. To answer the Member's third question, thus far, we have not received any evidence or seen any evidence of circumvention of the measure but, as I have mentioned in my earlier reply, we will continue to review and see whether there may be other loopholes that we have not seen, and see how we can tighten that. In terms of the market, there is nothing to prevent other providers from coming in. In fact, there are a lot of other niche players that have come into the market. We are an open economy and we offer many factors which are positive to international providers. We have a very conducive business environment; we are English-speaking. And so, apart from the two providers, we have other providers like BBC and Discovery, who have anchored their operations here in Singapore. We are keen to open up the market as much as possible because we believe, by having a vibrant and competitive market, in the end, our consumers will benefit.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for his response. The objective of the cross-carriage policy, I suppose, was also to bring more players on board. And I hope that we will see a more competitive market. But I also would like to know from the Minister whether other broadcasters, apart from the two that he has mentioned, have expressed interest. What has been prohibiting other such operators from coming in? What measures does MDA have in place for operators who signed non-exclusive content to declare some of these principles of the contract agreement? I understand that MDA requires other operators to provide evidence before they take action and, of course, these kinds of commercial arrangement, such as discount structures, length of delays before the next person comes in, are barriers for others to come in. My intent is to ensure that the cross-carriage policy has bite and that the regulatory framework also works. Lastly, specifically, I think the Minister brought up the BPL issue. I know many Singaporeans are soccer fans. Given the cross-carriage policy, why have no other players come in? I know SingTel has signed on exclusively last October. We have not heard updates since then. There is market talk, but are there other loopholes that have gone into this non-exclusive arrangement that the current framework perhaps could not detect? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for the questions. Let me begin with the one that all of us have common interest in, which is BPL. All I can say is that negotiations are on-going.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. My supplementary question relates to my Parliamentary Question (PQ), which I do not think was answered. In order to facilitate the workers to air their grievances, would the Ministry consider allowing relevant agencies, NGOs or even union branches to be situated within the dormitory compound? As we all know, the workers living in dormitories are often restricted in their movements. Therefore, by the time they go to MOM, it is typically quite a late stage. So, would the Ministry consider that, to improve the accessibility to air their grievances? Page: 30 The second point relates to not just observing contract rules, but I am taking NMP Eugene Tan's point about fairness, in which the Ministry today considers contracts and employers where employment terms are set in Singapore. But we also know that sometimes we do have contracts being set outside of Singapore, in which today we do not recognise. To some extent, I think this also makes it much worse for the workers as they come here on a poor footing.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for the clarification. In my Parliamentary Question I also asked about the subsidies given for ECs. I understand that ECs are subsidised. I have three supplementary questions: (1) How has it impacted Government subsidies in light of the run-away EC prices?; (2) Was this within the subsidies that the Government budgeted for; that is, what has been spent; and (3) How do we protect our interest such that developers do not profit from Government subsidies?”
“I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister if the banks are today working with the MAS on perhaps publicising the list. Unless many of these citizens are actually keeping money under the bed, I would suspect many of them would have to withdraw money from the banks. Perhaps putting signs on the ATMs or giving out brochures as they withdraw money from the banks would be useful. Is the MAS working with the banks to educate consumers on this?”
“Sir, I hope the MOE is not looking at this and saying, "Let us just take a very race-blind approach to this", because I think, for years, we have known this is a problem. We looked at the statistics, it has been an issue. What I hope is that MOE could review and look at it, and if the data is showing something, we could address it, maybe differently or in a more creative manner. I know the self-help groups and I know that they do have challenges as well, in terms of resources there is not rich, compared to what MOE has in the schools.”
“I would like to thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his clarification and answer. My initial intent of asking this question was really about whether cultural differences play a part in terms of how Malay students have performed over the years. That is why I have asked MOE because, over the years, MOE has also undertaken a lot of efforts in terms of helping weaker students. But has MOE studied whether there is a correlation? For example, if we look at students coming from poorer backgrounds, especially the Malay community, through proficiency in English language specifically, and whether it plans to tweak the way it handles weaker students as part of its learning support programme to accelerate how this community can potentially achieve better and be up to national standards.”
“Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his clarification and answer. One of the issues of ITE students is that those who come from low-income families typically have this issue of having to work to supplement their family income, and that is what we also found speaking to teachers. This distracts them from pursuing their education effectively. Page: 970 So, my question is, is the Ministry studying this trend and what can be done to enable them to focus on their studies by providing adequate financial help for them and their families. How can the schools also involve parents in terms of getting the parents on board, because parents from this segment of society may not necessarily see the same importance as they are concerned about bread and butter issues? Lastly, how can we get more from the people sector and the charities sector on board to help in this space?”
“Beyond 680 places, it is a business risk that they have to take because we can never assume that what has happened in the last four years will continue for the next four years, even though we have been granted additional places for the last four years. Similarly, to the question on the livestock for our annual Korban, we were, in fact, alerted much earlier, and we have done our best to meet the requirements of the Australian government. We have done so and they have actually given us the approval for the 16 mosques plus two Malay-Muslim organisations. Page: 967 But going forward, we know that these are matters in which the Australian government has to consider on a year-by-year basis because there are developments over there that we have to be cognisant of. We thank them for giving us the opportunity to import livestock for this year but I think it is important for the community to prepare ourselves that we may have to first look at alternative sources and, secondly, even considering doing some of our Korban overseas. Much earlier this year, MUIS and myself have, in fact, come up to inform the public that we may have to be prepared for some other eventualities but, thankfully, we have now gotten the approval for this year. But we can never guarantee that the same approval be given for us next year. So we have to prepare for a different outcome, the possibility that it will not come for next year's Korban.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for sharing with us his comprehensive reply. Many in the community have viewed this issue involving the Saudi government as well as the Korban issue involving the Australian government as being situations in which we find ourselves at a difficult end because of the decisions made by foreign governments. The question is whether the Ministry has early warning about the risk and probability that this may not happen, and whether the public could have been better pre-empted and actions taken so as to avoid late disappointment. Pertaining to the Haj itself, I would like to ask the Minister this: does he see this as a short-term or long-term concern in the sense that is there a chance that the old quotas will be reverted in due course? Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I think we better correct this: that there is no such thing as an old quota. Our quota is 680. It is just that we have been granted additional places in the last few years. We have been told that this is a short-term problem because the government is, in fact, improving the accommodation around the Holy Mosque and in other places in Mecca and Medina. And we have been assured that once they have been able to finish the construction work, they will reconsider. That is what we have been told through some of the discussions we have had with our Saudi counterparts. As to the Member's question on whether or not we can pre-empt, I think sometimes it may be very difficult because the quota allocation is a very sensitive matter. We made our appeal earlier this year, but we have already informed all the agents that whatever planning that they have to make, they must plan based on 680 places.”
“The fact that data is pervasively being transmitted – knowingly or unknowingly – by means or devices and applications means that we will also need to put in place an education framework to educate the common person on the street of their rights. I also hope that the law serves to better protect those who are more vulnerable, such as children and the mentally incapacitated, from being exploited. At the same time, while we do more to protect our people, we must also be mindful of the need to balance Singapore's economic interests as an economic and information hub. Sir, I support the Bill. 3.47 pm”
“There have been many cases in which personal data, such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, even home or office addresses, are disclosed online for the purposes of intimidation or embarrassment of an individual online. I am personally in favour of a light-touch approach and self-regulation on the Internet. However, such acts are tantamount to cyber-bullying and intimidation. The PDPB has made significant strides in pulling together relevant laws across the various Acts to provide some protection to an individual's privacy. As such, why should such instances be excluded? While there may be laws that disparately cover these situations, there is no one consolidated framework with an established machinery, such as the PDPB, to handle such issues. The issue today is that such cyber-bullying and intimidation in disclosing personal data are also not high on the priority of the Police Force, and very likely a costly affair for one to pursue through civil litigation. Page: 840 Sir, I would also like to seek clarity from the Ministry as well. In a situation where posting of personal data is made public, once made public, is the individual's data still covered by the PDPB? Sir, in closing, I would like to commend the Ministry in implementing the Personal Data Protection Bill. The evolving business landscape, in which consumer data is key to sales and marketing, has led to undesirable use of consumer data, a practice which this Bill aims to curb. I hope that the Ministry puts in sufficient resources and protection to ensure the effective regulation of the Bill.”
“Of course, existing frameworks, such as those by WDA, may be considered as suitable platforms to deploy such training. Sir, I note that the industry will be given 18 months before the execution of the Bill, or, in particular, the PDPB. After which they will be able to continue to use such data which was collected prior to the implementation of the PDPB. I would have hoped that the notice period would be shorter at six to 12 months because this presents a loophole. Much data would have already been collected under the current regime without having obtained consent in section 16. In addition, the fact that an 18-month period is granted provides more than ample time for the industry to go on an aggressive approach in collecting personal data. In this respect, I have a suggestion, when the Act comes into force in 18 months, to make it compulsory for companies holding on to personal data to re-obtain permission in accordance with section 14, or alternatively, all such companies should at least inform or declare upon the implementation date, on the terms defined under section 20, which relates to the notification of purpose in which data is used. If possible, the notice should also inform their members or customers of their rights to personal data privacy, as well as to have the option to withdraw, access or update their personal data. Sir, I would like to put forth one final recommendation in my speech before I end off. Beyond the existing scope of the PDPB, we have also seen various instances in which personal data is revealed or exploited to intimidate and embarrass individuals online.”
“Moving on to a different segment, Sir, the implementation of the PDPB is more likely to affect the SMEs, and potentially load on them additional costs to maintain and secure their customer databases and information. Though I note that the Minister also mentioned earlier that there are many efforts being made to minimise this, small companies and proprietors may have difficulty setting up processes, in view of section 12 which states organisations are required to implement and develop policies and practices to comply. So, given the complexity of the nature of data protection and the various legal and regulatory implications, will the Ministry or Commission set up an industry guide as a reference point to help organisations get up to speed on what are some of the best practices in implementing data protection policies, processes and systems? To comply with section 24, which states organisations "shall protect personal data… by making adequate security arrangements...", given this new requirement on organisations, will the Ministry define security standards to ensure a minimum baseline is required? This will put consumers, companies and auditors on the same baseline and agree on an acceptable degree of compliance. But I also hope that these requirements will not be too onerous on smaller companies. Thus, to support the implementation of this section, are there also readily available funding which companies can access and be assisted to upgrade their systems and capabilities? Page: 839 I foresee that companies will need to train employees to ensure consistent application across the organisation. So, I would like to propose that the Ministry or the Commission consider making funding available for companies to tap on to develop their staff to obtain such training.”
“So, how does the DNC registry affect such companies? This may prove to be a loophole in which contacts can still be sold to foreign marketing agencies whose source of information will be hard to trace legally. How can we prevent such loopholes from being exploited as foreign agencies are not affected by the DNC registry established under this Bill? On regulation and enforcement, Sir, our laws are only as good as the resources in which we put in place to regulate and enforce them. The administration of the PDPB provides for a Commission, Advisory Committees, Administrative Body and other offices in which powers can be delegated. To these functions, how many resources will the Ministry invest into the machinery to regulate and enforce this Bill? Will these resources be sufficient to regulate the pervasive and vast use of consumer data across businesses and the Internet? If the resources are needed to prioritise their focus, what will their priorities be in dealing with electronic and manual data? Sir, in the event of a dispute resolution, the Bill does not provide specific timelines in which the Commission established or the mediation parties should aim to resolve the dispute, especially in minimising any inconvenience or legal costs to the ordinary citizen. I hope that the Ministry will consider putting in place timelines in which dispute resolution should be made, so as not to cause lengthy inconvenience to businesses and consumers in resolving their concerns. Given the benefits offered by this Bill in protecting one's data privacy, may I also ask what efforts will the Ministry put in place to educate and keep members of the public informed, and educate students in schools of the individual's rights to personal data privacy?”
“What change does the Ministry foresee if the Bill has an impact on the operating environment of our local business context? On the Do Not Call (DNC) registry, I welcome the establishment of the DNC and I think it is a move welcomed by many Singaporeans who have been at the receiving end of repeated calls and SMSes for unsolicited services several times a day. I have just received two this morning, by the way. I am supportive of this initiative and it is about time we enhanced our framework to work in tandem with other measures, such as the anti-spam laws, that are in place. The only concern I have is the implications it has on small businesses and agents in that they will have to find alternative means to promote their services or products. However, I am also certain that the inventiveness of the industry will mean that marketing will evolve and, hopefully, in a way that is more palatable to the ordinary consumer. Technology, too, will evolve, and I see areas in which we will need to monitor. Alternative channels, such as social media and digital messaging such as WhatsApp or Viber, may then become alternatives for unwanted messages because personal data identifiers, such as mobile phone numbers or e-mail addresses, can be used to access and reach users in this area. I think this is an area of development that the Ministry and Commission should consider and continuously monitor to update the laws. I understand that these are early days for the PDPB, and it will take us time to understand the implications to the various business sectors and organisations. Page: 838 Increasingly, we receive various calls from overseas numbers for purposes of telemarketing. These calls range from the marketing of investment products to various personal services.”
“Sir, with respect to section 26, relating to the transfer of personal data outside of Singapore, I have some queries on how the PDPB will apply in the following situations because these are increasingly common, especially with the pervasiveness of IT and digital media: (a) firstly, service providers or cloud services that provide multi-country disaster recovery or high-availability options; (b) with duplicate data being resident overseas, will the organisation still be responsible if the data is accessed without proper authority or under legal warrant by a foreign entity or authority? Is the organisation obliged to disclose such a situation to its customers or users if they are legally required to disclose data on their servers overseas? (c) how can the Bill be enforced on a foreign company which may collect data from subscribers in Singapore with the data being outside Singapore? What is the recourse, if such data is subsequently transferred or sold back to a company to market in Singapore? Page: 837 Sir, I know it sounds a bit complicated, but what powers does the Commission have to direct and determine damages on the above cases should the PDPB or subsequent Act be contravened? I think that these considerations should be clarified and perhaps FAQs be made available to companies and consumers to better educate each of the parties on their rights and obligations. Sir, pertaining to section 10, subsection 4, in which the Commission may give an undertaking to a foreign data protection body that it will comply with terms specified in a requirement made, under what circumstances will the Commission agree to a foreign body? And what are the existing obligations that Singapore has undertaken in this respect?”
“Here in Singapore, we have many accounts and transactions – and the numbers are still growing – of consumers here using the Internet and various business platforms used on cloud or global shared services. In many of these cases, copies of consumer data reside on overseas servers serving as back-up, disaster recovery or alternative active mirror sites. Taking reference from the UK Data Protection Act mentioned, is our data also as adequately covered and protected by similar laws and regulations overseas? To enforce data sovereignty in Singapore only will be too tight and may impede businesses, but we should also take due care that copies of data collected must be from a list of countries that provide adequate data protection. In cases where companies also have copies of our personal data stored overseas, I think that they should be made to disclose upfront where copies of our data will also reside. In the event that the PDPB is not able to address adequacy, let the consumer make an informed choice at the point of consent by letting them know where the disaster recovery or alternative mirror sites reside, and this will enable consumers to make informed decisions on the risks at which their data will continue to be kept private.”
“Sir, on the impact of this Bill on Singapore as a global hub and a connected nation, many service providers, especially in the ICT sector and digital media business, are closely monitoring the developments in this space, as this has impact in the way information flows and how the businesses have evolved in this space. I believe that many will probably be heartened to note that one key point raised during the public consultation, which has been considered in shaping the tone of this Bill considerably, is that the focus and the responsibilities of the obligations are more on business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions rather than B2B. Page: 836 As a global economic hub, we have to ensure that the implementation of this Bill must strive to balance Singapore's economic interests and, yet, provide sufficient protection for our citizens in their right to personal data privacy. Our compliance with foreign regulatory requirements should not impede our status and investments made for Singapore to continue as an economic and ICT hub, especially as digital media, Internet and mobile commerce, as well as cloud services, become more pervasive here. At the same time, we also need to ensure that individuals are effectively protected against loopholes in which organisations may exploit by using overseas channels to bypass the jurisdiction of our laws. The Data Protection Act in the UK (1998) covers eight principles, one of which enforces that the data can only be transferred to countries offering adequate data protection. So, should Singapore consider extending the protection of individual data protection to include this coverage in which functions, such as disaster recovery, should be limited to countries that can offer similar or as good legal protection and undertaking as the PDPB?”
“So, I understand activities, such as data mining in the industry, are common, and I believe that most consumers are fine with this if their identities are not identifiable and if mining is done in aggregate form or with identities masked. However, if the situation is otherwise, should the use of data for mining be also declared upon collection of such data? Overall, I am heartened with the extent of protection provided in sections 3 and 4 on the accountability of organisations and their intermediaries and the stipulated period in which the data privacy is enforced for living individuals and those who are deceased. I would also like to put forth a suggestion for consideration. Should special groups of the society, such as children or minors, the mentally incapacitated, be singled out for special protection? Perhaps, in such situations, we should require legal guardians to assist with the consent. And, perhaps, we should consider that data of minors should be automatically protected without the need for consent. In the application of the Bill, in section 11, subsection 1, it states that "in meeting its responsibilities under the Act, an organisation shall consider what a reasonable person would consider in the circumstances". I believe there could be greater room for clarity in this subsection, and it would be better if the Commission sets out to define what the meaning of reasonableness is or allows the industry the latitude to self-regulate by constructing a framework or a set of guidelines. Section 18 explains the limitation of purpose and extent, whose reference to what "a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances" does provide a loophole for companies or organisations that may have different interpretations, given the latitude given.”
“If we compare it to the EU Data Protection Directive of 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and free movement of data, "personal data" here is defined as information concerning an identified or identifiable person, such as identification number or one or more factors specific to his physical, physiological, mental, economic, cultural or social identity. My primary concern is that the definition of our PDPB is vague in which personal data protection relates only to the identification of a person or his personal details. There are potentially other aspects in which a person's personal data that is reasonable to be kept private which also include details, such as salary information, or preferences with respect to religion, even social preferences, such as where I eat, what I buy and so on. Thus, I think that the Bill should delve deeper into the definitions of and to what extent personal data should be protected. Page: 835 Sir, if I may use a simple example of one's monthly income or salary slip, such data being disclosed may not necessarily impact one's personal safety. However, this breaches one's right to privacy and potentially impacts one's "face value" in the Asian context. The second aspect of personal data that is not covered in this Bill is whether data analysis on our personal data and acting on the analysis subsequently breaches personal privacy. And this concerns issues of whether business intelligence or data mining on behaviour or transactions over a period of time in which I can be identified is breach of access.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDPB). I would like to thank the Minister for his opening statement explaining the Bill. The PDPB marks a milestone, especially in this digital age and the era of the Internet, in which data is pervasively being transmitted – knowingly or unknowingly – by means of devices, applications or identifiers in hardware. Data is collected everywhere. As consumers or users, we may not have the necessary laws to govern its use or sharing. I am heartened by the establishment of the PDPB that puts in place safeguards which were previously across several Acts concerning statutory secrecy and disclosure provisions. Thus, the PDPB provides an overarching regime to the right of privacy or protection of personal data for Singaporeans. This moves beyond a sectoral approach which previously only covered selected industries, such as financial services and healthcare. Sir, I plan to address this Bill in several parts, but let me begin with queries and concerns pertaining to the definitions and coverage of personal data protection. The definition of "personal data" in this Bill means data, whether true or not, about an individual who can be identified (a) from that data; or (b) from that data or other information to which the organisation has or is likely to have access. In my view, this definition is vague and only concerns information and specific use of data that can identify a person.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for his reply. I have some supplementary questions. Firstly, with respect to the additional BTO housing that is being provided, we still see a rise in the resale flat price index. What would be the acceptable level before MND considers further cooling measures? Secondly, at which point would MND deem that our resale flats are unaffordable, and would act to assure the public about affordability?”
“Could it be that because for every ounce of misinformation, perceived or otherwise, these websites and blogs also ask serious questions pertaining to governance in Singapore – questions that are side-stepped, diluted or even ignored by the Government and the mainstream media? The Government has, over the last few years in particular, referred to the new media in largely pejorative terms. The Prime Minister has referred to it as the "wild west" and more recently, as a "cowboy town". But the reality is this – the new media is here to stay, and it will continue to eat into the mindshare of the mainstream media, no matter what the Government chooses to call it. Temasek Review may have gone offline, but it is not going to be too difficult or technically challenging to bring in 10 new incarnations of Temasek Review online overnight. Rather than fear or castigate the new media, Members need to consider how far the explosive popularity of the new media is partly a function of the PAP Government's politics of indirect control, and the boundaries successive PAP Governments have placed upon the mainstream media. In 2010, former MICA Minister,”
“22 pm Mr Pritam Singh : Mr Speaker, Sir, before I begin, please allow me to congratulate you on your election as Speaker of the House. Sir, in his speech to the House, the President noted, "we must find ways to use the new media constructively, to connect with the digital generation and sustain fruitful conversations on issues concerning us all". MICA's Addendum noted that the Ministry seeks to find innovative ways to connect with citizens and it plays an important role in driving and coordinating whole-of-government efforts in fostering an informed and engaged citizenry. Page: 364 Mr Speaker, Sir, my speech today relates to suggesting ways in which the Government can foster an informed and engaged citizenry. It is divided into two parts. First, I assess Singapore's mainstream media landscape, which directly affects the online world. Secondly, I seek to provide suggestions to the Government on how it can sow the seeds for a media and information environment where Singaporeans are as far as possible, inoculated from lies and misinformation online, and biased reporting from other media outlets in general. Sir, the new media environment does not exist in a vacuum. Some Singaporeans routinely wonder why alternative political commentary websites are so popular among Singaporeans – these include Singapore Recalcitrant, Singapore Daily, Singapore Notes and sites from across the centre-left of the political spectrum like Yawning Bread, The Online Citizen and even some articles from the discontinued Temasek Review.”
“Yes. We have undergone three generations of Government that have taken us from the Communist years, rapid growth and modernisation. So, what do we envision fourth-generation Singapore or Singapore 4.0 to be? What ideals and shared vision can Singaporeans of today identify with? To credit our founding fathers of independent Singapore, there were many ideals that they believed in, where statistics, benchmarks and rankings would have foretold that post-Independence Singapore was impossible. Back in 1965, if we benchmarked Singapore against many islands of comparable size with no natural resources, cut-off from Malaysia, the analysts would have told us that we should have remained a backward port. When S Rajaratnam wrote the Pledge to fuel the core values of multi-racialism and meritocracy, even the developed Western countries then were struggling with minority rights, economic progress and social mobility. Today, we need this Government to do the same – to sell a vision of a life and a nation that our people can aspire to for years to come – ideals that appeal to our human survival and comfort instincts. And ideals that we must believe we can try to achieve against the odds. Sir, we need to carry the nation towards a common dream, a common set of ideals that we can all identify with – and in the process strengthen again that bond and trust that the Government truly understands their aspirations and will take them there as we had many years ago. Our predecessors had written our story from Third World to First. I look forward to this new Government in this new term, and hope that we can inspire this nation forward to write the next chapter of our Singapore story together. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion. 3.”
“Mr Chairman, we have had a meaningful session with a variety of cuts and clarifications which started with the development of the arts and heritage sectors to make Singapore more private and inclusive, including the heartlands, and we went on to see how Singapore's economic growth model will be supported by the various programmes in the infocomm design and media sectors. And, finally, we also heard how we can ensure quality programming on a free-to-air broadcast and at the same time protect our young and old from these days of Internet. There was also a bit of lobbying. So, if the Minister wants to come to my constituency, he is welcome to do so. Sir, with that, I just want to thank the Minister and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for all their clarifications and comprehensive replies. I would also like to thank the men and women from MICA for providing the background for this session. Mr Chairman, Sir, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave withdrawn. The sum of $652,872,200 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimate. The sum of $325,288,300 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Mr Chairman, with the removal of the radio and TV licence fees, there are segments concerned that the support for Public Service Broadcast (PSB) will be reduced and this may impact the quality of programming. What are MICA's plans to improve the quality of programming and to ensure that our programmes remain in sync with viewers' expectations? Today, we can be proud that PSB funding has made local television hits, such as the "Little Nonya". For programmes in other mother tongue languages, such as the Malay and Tamil channels, funding is usually a challenge as the advertising revenues on these channels are lower but production costs are the same on a per unit basis. How can MICA help to better promote language use and talent development in the various national languages? There is also common perception that the amount of repeat telecasts on our free-to-air channels, including the English channels, is also high. One of the objectives that I see PSB fulfilling strategically is to promote artistic and creative talents through independent production houses, many of whom produce for free-to-air channels. With greater PSB support, independent artistes and media professionals will have more opportunities and this may create a more vibrant media industry. Does MICA have plans to promote a more vibrant media production sector and cultivate creative talents beyond a regular supply of talents from MediaCorp? Increasingly, we also find more young Singaporeans accessing content from the new media. Perhaps, MICA can consider doing more to extend its PSB-funded programmes through new media channels, even creating programmes fit for purpose for the new media, to keep pace with viewership patterns of young Internet-savvy Singaporeans.”
“The SMEs typically have a tougher time in getting good resources. How can MICA assist growth companies to better enable them to attract good ICT and media talents? With world-class infrastructure, we should also try to nurture world-class ICT leaders and entrepreneurs. Today, the barriers to create such global leaders in this sector are much lower. We have a well-exposed Internet-savvy population. Many in the industry often ask, "why can we not create the next Facebook or Google, software giants like Microsoft or Oracle, or online gaming powerhouses"? I would like to hear if MICA has plans to drive greater entrepreneurship and harness top talents who can feature strongly to make Singapore a world-class international ICT and media hub in Asia. If there are any lingering doubts whether we can make this happen, I conclude my cut with this question, "Why not?" Building a unique service proposition for Singapore in media”
“Infocomm technology and media capability development Mr Chairman, as we move into the next phase of development of our ICT and media sectors, we also need to build the capabilities and talents in place to drive this engine. The sectors can only be as world class as the talents they have within them. Recently, the Singapore IT Federation (SITF) conducted a survey with 126 companies, locals and multi-nationals. The top business concerns of these companies were (i) the ability to recruit talent, (ii) manpower costs, and (iii) the ability to retain talent. Interestingly, all the top three issues were centred on manpower concerns on Singapore's growth. What is MICA's assessment of the current manpower supply for the ICT and media sectors? What is being done to encourage the young to take up ICT and media disciplines, and can we make such careers attractive? In the same survey, most respondents also expect difficulty filling the following positions – in the following order of priority – solution and architecting, sales and marketing, project management, followed closely by managerial C-level positions such as CIOs, CTOs, IT managers, software development and R&D. These are all high value positions and what initiatives does MICA have to develop managerial, technical and creative talent to support growth in these sectors? I am heartened that the Minister also announced the Manpower Development Programme (MDEV) last week at the SCS Gala night. It is a step in the right direction. But we also need to work towards matching the supply of manpower to industry demand. The survey has given an indication of what the industry needs and I would like to hear how MDEV can help address the talent gap in Singapore.”
“Mr Chairman, the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN) has been well underway and broadband plans on the network have been launched since last September. Many homes in my constituency, for example, have had the fibre connected to their homes. However, most co-relate the NGNBN with faster broadband plans from the telecom operators and not much more. Businesses are more aware. Many are excited but most will welcome clarity and, in fact, it can share with us on its plans beyond faster broadband speeds. Industry experts often cite that only content being delivered within Singapore will enjoy the high speed benefits of the NGNBN. Most of our users access content that are overseas, such as Facebook and other social networking sites, online gaming and other entertainment content. What are MICA's plans to have more content generated here and to have overseas contents providers reside in Singapore? How does our investment pipeline rate presently? In terms of local content, how can we develop more homegrown content creators and players? On the broader NGNBN agenda, can MICA provide the update on services that consumers and businesses can look forward to on the NGNBN? How is MICA helping the ICT and media sector innovate and generate new services that make full use of the capabilities of the next generation broadband network? Related to the open-access principle of the NGNBN initiative, can MICA also give an update on the progress of the newest project and how are our service providers responding to it? How will Singaporeans benefit from this project and what new offerings and services can we also look forward to?”
“I also hope that MICA will do more to take the arts into the heartlands; bring more art and cultural works that the community can appreciate and get involved in so that not only more can attend but participate and learn. In doing so, I hope that we create arts for the heartlands differently. Perhaps MICA can also do more to incorporate arts housing in the heartlands, so that artists can also tap on the heartland audiences and that our residents can be more exposed to the arts. Madam, last year, MICA announced that it would be embarking on the Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR). Among its objectives is to double the percentage of Singaporeans attending arts and culture events, and raise arts participation. I understand that the ACSR has submitted an interim report. I would like to ask MICA if it can provide an update of the review and new strategies that the review is proposing. In addition, could MICA share how some of its proposed recommendations will impact and benefit artists and arts organisations? We cannot talk about arts without talking about the Censorship Review Committee (CRC). With regard to the CRC's recommendations released late last year, can MICA also update us on how it is progressing and which recommendations have been adopted? 6.30 pm”
“But Singapore has created many brand names – from Singapore Airlines to Hyflux, even our IRs today are renowned destinations internationally. Moving on from the sector to the people behind it, our arts and culture scene cannot exist without the artistic and technical talents behind them, but these talents cannot live on passion and fresh air, at least not in Singapore. One area I am concerned with is the employability and development of our artists and others in the creative areas. I remember a visit to one of our arts centres, and I was told how much our dance performers earn. At some levels, they actually qualify for the MOM's definition of "low-wage earners". It got me thinking that this is not sustainable if we want to continue to develop our talents for the long term. Many need to find alternative jobs to supplement their income. I am aware of actors and playwrights who literally live on passion, little or no income as jobs do not easily come by sometimes, especially in the recent downturn. How can MICA better help our artists with their employability and professional development? Today, we have a wider pool of arts and culture graduates coming through SOTA and NAFA. If Singapore becomes a commercially-viable branded arts destination, then more Singaporeans can consider pursuing the arts as a career with more opportunities and prospects on offer. We used to call sports the sport sector. It is now known as the sports industry. This is because we have established Singapore as an international destination for the F1, the YOG and other international sports events. Perhaps some day we can have our own arts industry that we can put on the world stage.”
“We have a city buzz, robust economy and modern infrastructure. We just need to develop the software to create brand awareness, establish talents, create the eco-system to put this together and establish Singapore as an arts destination of the East. Madam, there is a common perception of the arts and culture scene in Singapore – it is only for the elites. In this sense, I do not mean the well-heeled elites but many of our better local arts and culture groups tend to favour niche and avant-garde performances which regular audiences find hard to appreciate except for those who are very familiar with the arts scene. Many artists seek to push the boundaries in the name of arts creativity and passion, and I respect their artistic principles. But in reality, it is hard to find commercial sponsors and paying audiences on a sustainable basis and many rely on Government funding. If the content is too localised, it is also hard to tap on tourism in the international markets. So, to establish a top quality arts sector, we need people who are more involved in the sector backed by sufficient resources to make the arts sector more commercially sustainable. We need to find arts and culture group champions who have the talent and are able to benefit from mentoring the world's best to create works that mass audiences are willing to pay for, meaning that some may have to balance paid commercial work against their creative interest. I am sure with MICA’s global connections, we can make this work – to expose our artistic talents and find experts who can help commercialise our works and promote them internationally. I do not mean to trivialise the efforts as there is certainly much to do.”
“Madam, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head W of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Madam, MICA has played an important role over the years in keeping people connected through technology and information while continuing to develop our heritage, arts and culture to keep pace with an increasingly progressive society. I look forward to MICA’s plans and strategies for its wide portfolio. Allow me to begin with the arts and culture. MICA’s effort to make more performances accessible and free for some is commendable. We have been seeing increasing numbers of people participating in and paying for performances. More Singaporeans are willing to pay for good entertainment and if we also consider what people are paying for our pop concerts, for example, I think there is a lot of dollar potential that arts and culture performances can benefit from. From a broader view, what MICA can do today to complement a world-class city that we have is to create a commercially sustainable arts scene and turn Singapore to an arts destination of the East. If one were in London, for example, one would be looking at the West End for musicals and theatre works. If one were in New York, it has a Broadway stretch that also completes a bustling city as a theatre destination. In Singapore, with a world-class infrastructure, increasingly cultured Singaporeans and many expatriates and tourists on our shores, we have the potential to build a brand equity for our arts scene – supported by a collection of local and international arts groups – to collectively create the Broadway of the East. Basically, this also means commercialising some of our arts programmes and perhaps the Renaissance City Plan, to develop the next Met Museum or the Guggenheim of the East.”