Committee of Supply − Head Q (Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts)

Community, Arts and Heritage

Ms Indranee Rajah: Sir, I beg to move,

That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100.

Sir, in times past, we used to talk about Generation X or Generation Y. This is all rather passé . We are now in Generation "I" and the concept is best illustrated by the iPhone, iPod, ITunes, IMac, Internet, it is all about "I", the individual and the rise of individualism. There is nothing wrong with individualism per se and, indeed, we do want people to be themselves, to realise their individual potential and to appreciate the special and unique talents of each person. At the same time, however, what makes Singapore different, and which is our special hallmark, is that being Singaporean is also to be a nation and to think of ourselves as a community. And the sense of community is important because it helps us to think beyond ourselves and for the wider society at large. So, we have these tensions: an increasing focus on individualism but, at the same time, how do we strengthen our societal and communal bonds. And here, I think that the arts and heritage have a big part to play as these are the ties that bind.

The thing about arts and heritage is that we see in them things that we can identify with. They move us emotionally − we laugh, we cry, we empathise with them or they trigger memories and a sense of a shared identity. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what plans MICA has to develop the arts and heritage in the community. I think it is particularly important in terms of giving local talent a platform to develop artistic and creative abilities. We do not always have to focus on the traditional arts, and this is especially in the area of funding, because I think that Singaporeans are actually very creative. To see an example of that, you just need to go on the Internet − there are extremes, there are some things which are not particularly polite, but there are some things which are genuinely creative and funny, and where a lot of thought and creativity has gone into it.

A day or two ago, Ms Janice Koh, the NMP, spoke about my meeting with Daniel Sassoon and what had come of that. Let me just explain to the Chamber a little bit more in detail what happened. Daniel Sassoon plays with an independent band. It is called In Each Hand a Cutlass. I met with him and he was decrying the lack of opportunity in Singapore for local independent music. And I think one of the difficulties is that whenever something is being organised, the organisers traditionally, if it has a commercial element or if there is a funding element, they want to be sure that they can recoup the investment that they put in. So, there will be a tendency to go with more established bands or bands with greater brand-name recognition. And, of course, this means that the local independent bands do not get the chance to display their talent. So, I thought about that and I said, "Well, you know one area which has not been explored is why do you not showcase it in the community, work with me – my constituency – and we will give you a platform." Because, obviously, we have the People's Association, we have got access to the residents, so we will try it out. And what we did was we organised an evening in Tiong Bahru park. They came up with the name, again, very creative – the Malay phrase " lepak ", which is to basically relax, so you lepak in the park, right? And it was a success because it had good attendance. There is only one portion where one band was not as good as the others so that the NPC got 11 complaints about noise during that particular band. But, apart from that, it went well, so well, in fact, that we are thinking of doing another one this year called " lepak lagi ". And this one we hope to do either at Botanics at Bay or some other area a little further away from the HDB flats so that we will not get as many complaints.

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But the point about this is to give the local arts community a platform. Just think about it. Most of us would have heard of Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay. All right, some Members in the Chamber may not have heard of these either, but trust me, they are well-known international bands. On the other hand, how many have heard of Cheating Sons, Great Spy Experiment, Weave a Thousand and the Obedient Wives Club – not the one in Malaysia – but the musical version? These are all local independent bands who are trying to find their feet, if you like, on the local music scene, and I have heard some of them, they are extremely good and they deserve recognition. So, we should give them the opportunity to have their creative talents seen and heard.

But that is not the only place where we can build in arts and heritage. Newton hawker centre – when that went for upgrading – and they first showed me the plans for the upgraded hawker centre, it looked just like any other hawker centre. I asked them to redraw it because I felt that given its location, given the fact that it is an important part of our tourist industry, Newton hawker centre should have a definable identity of its own. And since the area was surrounded by black and white bungalows, I asked them to incorporate into the design for Newton hawker centre the elements of black and white bungalows. So, if you go there, you will actually see that the beams are black, the rest of it is white and in the columns there are plaster mouldings which reflect the kind of design that you would see in the colonial bungalows. NParks was kind enough to source, at my request, pepper plants because Newton and Cairnhill used to have pepper plantations. It also used to have gambier plantations but NParks did not have gambier trees in stock. They told me I had to go to the Malaysian jungles to find those. I thought it would be too much trouble, and I said look for the pepper plants.

Tanjong Pagar Plaza had just announced the upgrading for the market and hawker centre there. And for this, I have made a special request to the National Heritage Board to help us research historical elements of the area that we can incorporate into the design of the hawker centre, because it is a historical place, and we should not just let that history slide into oblivion. We should actually make it part of the hawker centre so that when people come for their everyday food, when they go there for marketing, it serves as a reminder of what this area used to be, what happened here, what our roots are, and then we start to think of ourselves in terms of a community.

I would encourage MICA to make available platforms for local talent, for local culture to be displayed. I did notice that MICA and the People's Association have now worked to have an officer posted in each community centre (CC) to encourage the development of the arts. The officer rejoices in the name of the Arts − I think the "Cultural Officer". I have asked MICA to reconsider the naming of the officer because "Cultural Officer" in the days of the Cold War used to be somebody whom after you had met, you were taken away and never heard of again. So, perhaps we could have a slightly more creative and imaginative name for the officer who is posted to the CC so that it would help to foster a greater sense of creativity, a greater sense of fun and a greater sense of outreach to the community.

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National Identity

Dr Lam Pin Min (Sengkang West): Sir, when National Education was introduced back in 1997, its main objective then was to imbue in our children and Singaporeans a sense of national identity and knowledge of our history. However, in recent years, we have seen an increased influx of new immigrants, many who have taken citizenship. At the same time, while income levels have grown across the board, there is inevitably a growing income disparity between the rich and the poor. This is partly a result of globalisation and partly a result of our economic strategies.

We have also seen in the last General Election, how there have been great differences in opinions about national policies, a more vocal electorate and a creation of a "new norm". Even more recently, we are experiencing tremendous stresses on our existing infrastructure, due to the sudden increase in residential population. This is especially worrying for me. While difference in opinions contributes to a more vibrant society, we seem to have lost our sense of a common identity, especially when we see Singaporeans expressing unhappiness over many hot-button issues. The recent uproar over religious insensitivities by a Christian student group is also a case in point. In view of these changes, what can the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts do to help reinforce our society's sense of national identity and cohesion, to value and share what we have in common than to accentuate the differences that divide? How can we make Singaporeans feel confident about our future and be rooted to the country as we head towards half a century of nationhood?

The Chairman: Miss Penny Low is not in the House. Ms Irene Ng, please take both your cuts together.

Heritage and National Identity

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines): Sir, first, I would like to declare my interest as the editor of the book The Short Stories and Radio Plays of S Rajaratnam .

Mr Rajaratnam wrote a six-part drama series for radio called "A Nation in the Making" for broadcast in 1957. He wrote this before he joined politics in 1959 and before he became one of the founding leaders of independent Singapore in 1965.

In the series, he provoked readers and listeners to think about what binds a nation together; he delved into the sensitive issues of language, race and religion, highlighted the need to teach the young to see themselves as products of a common history, and appealed to their reason.

One of the plots concerned the search of two characters – Pessimist and Optimist – for a common Malayan identity and history out of the many races. At the time, Singapore was part of Malaya and its people were deeply divided along the lines of race, language, class and religion.

To seek answers on what would bind the people together, Optimist and Pessimist travelled far to seek out the Spirit of History. And the Spirit of History told them, "The growth of civilisation in Malaya is not due to the effort of one race, one community, one group. So, if you discover in the history of Malaya the imprint of many civilisations and cultures; and if you can show that the Malaya of today is what it is, through the efforts not of one race but of all races who may live in it, then you will reveal the binding strands of a Malayan history."

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Sir, if we replace the word "Malaya" with "Singapore", we will find the idea as provocative and insightful today as it was then.

Sir, we need to tease out the binding strands of Singapore history through stories of our early pioneers of all races – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Europeans and others – who have contributed to Singapore, and make sure that we preserve their memories and legacies for future generations.

We draw strength and our national identity from our common heritage and our sense of common destiny. But as Members know, despite all of Rajaratnam's efforts and that of many others promoting a sense of national identity over the many years, Singapore was not spared race riots and terrorism threats from within. It is a never-ending process with each new generation.

The need to reinforce our society's sense of national identity and cohesion seems even more urgent today, in an increasingly diverse and fractious society set against a backdrop of globalisation. In this regard, the Singapore Memory Project is a valuable one. It encourages Singaporeans from all walks of life to share their diverse stories to weave a Singaporean tapestry.

Sir, we should go all out to promote this. Some stories should be packaged into one or two-minute clips and aired on radio and TV over prime time in the popular channels, and also load them up on Youtube on the social media.

In this way, the sharing of experiences is amplified and multiplied, and deeper reflection of what we stand for, for what we have in common, can become more of a habit in our daily lives. Indeed, we should be bolder in using our radio and TV to communicate such stories of defining moments in our history, and give them more freedom and funding to do so. It need not be all documentaries or talk shows; it can be short dramatic films. Great script, great acting, great visuals that evoke memories and a greater appreciation of our history. Allow for some experimentation, for dialects, for some artistic licence.

3.15 pm

I would also like to see our radio and TV programmes delve deeper into the problems facing our society and reflect occasionally the hard, unyielding realities of the world. If they are deemed too boring for TV, why not produce some high-quality biopics of our early pioneers and founding leaders, as they had faced such hard realities and overcome them? Good examples of some recent biopics include the movie "Iron Lady" on Margaret Thatcher, and "Invictus" which dramatised Nelson Mandela's support for the South African rugby team, the Springboks. Okay, we do not have Meryl Streep and we may not have Morgan Freeman, but we can aim for such high standards.

Sir, I started my speech by mentioning the plays that Rajaratnam wrote for radio broadcast over prime time on the then Radio Malaya. It was an intellectual engagement with the wider public. That seems to be something that is missing in our existing programmes. Let us bring back such radio plays and more informative and intellectual discussions on our radio.

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Sir, the Public Service Broadcast (PSB) Review Panel has just submitted its review on enhancing the delivery of PSB programmes. I would like to ask for MICA's response.

I would also like to say a quick word about heritage in terms of preserving cemeteries, such as Bukit Brown. Sir, I am not advocating that we preserve everything that some people may clamour for. But I would urge MICA and its bodies like the National Heritage Board to play an active role in deciding what is "heritage", what deserves priority over urban development, and whether it is worth arguing for in terms of preservation for future generations. Buildings and cemeteries that are demolished in the name of development and urban renewal can never be recovered. Even if Singaporeans today may not appreciate it, they may not visit the cemeteries, they may not go down to the Green Corridor, 100 years down the road, 200 years down the road, at least they will still be there and there may be new generations of Singaporeans who would appreciate it and find that this is something that links them back to the past. So, I would urge MICA to work with MND to work out an arrangement where MICA and NHB will play the role as the lead agencies in charge of our heritage and identify what are the principles that guide our decisions on deciding what to preserve and what not.

Vision for the Arts

Sir, last November, I asked our national poet Prof Edwin Thumboo, if he could write a poem specially for a new butterfly garden in my constituency.

Life can be very stressful for our HDB folks, I told him. We can help them with the financial and social welfare aspects − this is actually the easiest and most obvious − but I am hoping that maybe, through poetry, through the arts, and through nature, we can remind them of the beauty around us and inside us. Simple joys. He agreed. Some of my grassroots leaders were a little quizzical, considering poetry as a little hoity-toity and elitist, but they went along.

For inspiration, Prof Thumboo came down to our butterfly garden and he spoke to some of our grassroots volunteers there. We spent quite a few hours just touring the garden and speaking to them. For the grassroots volunteers there who were setting up a butterfly interest group, it was a new experience, talking to a gentle poet who gave them some beautiful lines to think over and to ponder on. One of them, a very conservative housewife, took a sudden interest in poetry. At the launch of the butterfly garden later, he recited his lovely poem to a motley crowd, most of whom have never heard Singapore poetry performed before.

The Chairman: Ms Ng, you might want to round up your cut, please.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: Sir, art can transform communities. The ACSR has proposed a new approach to arts and culture to reach out to the community. Can I ask what are MICA's plans to reach out to the heartlands to promote the arts?

Evaluating the Impact of Arts Policies

Ms Janice Koh (Nominated Member): Sir, please forgive me for the speed at which I would speak. As a new Member of the House, I completely underestimated the time I would need.

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Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the Arts and Culture Strategic Review report launched in February this year. The report suggests taking a more bottom-up approach to developing the arts and culture scene. I think this is a great idea, if it means that Government will be more flexible and responsive with financial and infrastructural support when good ideas are initiated from the ground.

However, charting a course for arts development requires some top-down leadership, especially when it comes to providing a vision and framework, for art-makers and stakeholders to work collectively towards. The strategies put forth should also be backed by quantitative and qualitative research that studies the impact of previous arts policy recommendations. In this way, we build on previous successes and identify gaps where policy has failed. We never start from ground zero.

The ACSR report, however, did not include an objective assessment of the collective recommendations made under MICA's Renaissance City Plans (RCP) I, II and III over the last 10 years. In fact, some of the broad aims and proposals in the ACSR report had already been identified and echoed in RCP III in 2008. These include the need to strengthen professional capabilities, enrich arts education in schools, strengthen community bonding through the arts, promote advocacy through research, and provide more incentives to increase arts sponsorship. Sir, my question is, has MICA conducted any detailed evaluation on the impact and outcomes of these recommendations made under RCP III, as a lead-up to and backdrop for the ACSR report?

For instance, considering that cash and in-kind sponsorships to the arts have fallen since 2008, has MICA set up an independent body to broker arts partnerships between business and arts communities? Have we successfully co-located more arts groups within schools, libraries and CCs to ease the arts housing crunch while strengthening ties with the community? Has MICA partnered with HDB to integrate arts and culture in town planning design as a way of transforming our urban landscape?

In addition, has MICA been collating comparative data that evaluates the contributions and, say, returns on investment of our major grant-funded organisations, including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) that would provide the basis of a more targeted approach in their funding policy? If so, would MICA consider making such information public? Detailed impact studies are regularly undertaken by arts councils in Canada, Scotland, Australia and the UK, as a way of providing a good overview of the health of the funded arts sector, and are usually made publicly available.

The Chairman: May I request Members, while they try to set the speed record for delivering their cuts, to spare a thought for the interpreters in the booths behind.

Arts and Culture Strategic Review

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, the power of arts and culture cannot be underestimated. It not only helps to preserve our heritage but also engages our people to create and build a stronger sense of national identity, rootedness and social cohesion. An investment in the arts and culture is, in a sense, an investment in our future. To achieve this, however, arts and culture must reach out to the larger community and not remain as a leisure activity for those who can afford it or those who have an inclination for the arts.

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MICA had, in 2010, initiated the Arts and Culture Strategic Review for this purpose. The review stated that "in the area of heritage, the 2008 Heritage Awareness Survey conducted by the National Heritage Board showed that although three in four Singaporeans agree that participating in heritage activities and visiting museums will help them develop a greater sense of belonging to Singapore, only one in two Singaporeans actually visited historic districts to appreciate our heritage, and only one in four Singaporeans actually visited museums and heritage galleries".

In the arts, while the percentage of Singaporeans attending an arts event has increased since 1996 to 40% in 2009, it is still less than half of our total population. I would like to know what is MICA's response to the report of the Arts and Culture Strategic Review Committee. How can MICA reach out to the community to participate in the arts and also encourage more Singaporeans to visit our historic sites to better understand our history and heritage?

The Chairman: Ms Janice Koh, will you be seeking to better your previous record?

Management of Arts Festivals and Venues

Ms Janice Koh: Sir, in light of the ACSR report's proposal to review and restructure some of MICA's cultural agencies, namely, the National Arts Council (NAC), National Heritage Board (NHB) and the National Library Board (NLB), would MICA consider devolving some of the major festivals under NAC to be run independently and autonomously, but with the necessary financial support? These will include the Singapore Arts Festival, the Biennale and the Singapore Writers Festival. Similarly, would MICA consider letting major venues like the new Victoria Theatre and The Drama Centre be managed as independent entities that receive Government subsidy?

If these major arts events and venues have their own independent boards and managements and artistic missions, it would generate greater vibrancy and diversity on the ground, while giving the arts community a chance to develop expertise in this area of management. In fact, the concept of running major arts organisations as independent and autonomous entities is really not a new one. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court Theatre and the National Theatre are major venues that also programme and commission new work. Government grants hover between 30%-50% of total income and in New York, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) receives more than 50% of its income from government and private sources.

Sir, letting go some of these entities will provide NAC with some objectivity and distance when it comes to looking at cultural policies and development. Any conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, is eradicated because NAC would no longer be in competition with arts groups for event sponsorship, and would be able to play their role as an objective and independent broker of arts and business partnerships. Similarly, NAC would also no longer be in the incongruous position of being both the grant-provider and a collector of theatre rental from arts groups.

The Chairman: I think after that delivery, the interpreters are signalling that they need a break. So, I propose to take a break now.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 3.50 pm.

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Sitting accordingly suspended

at 3.29 pm until 3.50 pm.

Sitting resumed at 3.50 pm

[ Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

Head Q (cont) –

Arts Hub

Ms Indranee Rajah: Sir, I would like to ask MICA if it would consider advocating or securing land for the purpose of an Arts Hub. The closest that we have to an Arts Hub currently is the old school at Mount Sophia, which is used by various arts organisations and entities as artelier and to showcase their work. However, the lease of the old school is coming to an end and it will not be renewed as the land is slated for redevelopment. Whilst one understands the need for development, there is also a place in our society for the arts. One meets physical and basic needs, the other feeds the soul. We need to have a place where artists of different genres can come together, showcase their talents and just have a place where there are artistic buzz and vibe.

Having an Arts Hub would add vibrancy and an indefinable character to Singapore. This is so in many other great cities in the world, eg, New York has Soho and Tribeca; Paris has the left bank or Rive Gauche. Typically, you will find that these places start off as little-known offbeat places, but after the arts community moves in, the artistic activities attract eateries, bistro, coffee joints and, after a while, the area takes on a whole new life and character of its own. Haji Lane in Singapore is one such example.

I would urge MICA to consider whether it can secure land for this purpose. The land does not have to be in the hub of the CBD. Artistes thrive in quirky off-the-beaten-track type of places. They just need to be sufficient space which is reasonably accessible. We should not attempt to contrive artificial cultural villages. The better approach would be to set aside the space, work out an equitable rate for the use of the land and then let the artistic talent flow.

Angel Funding for the Arts

Mr Chen Show Mao: The arts make up the stock of our nation's cultural capital which enables us to build a stronger sense of national identity, rootedness and social cohesion. To grow this stock, we need generous angel funding. In fact, one of the recent Arts and Culture Strategic Review Committee's recommendations was to "invest more in the experimentation, creation and incubation of new content". Much like innovators in many other industries, perhaps, even more so, artists need access to funding during the very early stages of their work. This is why the Review Committee has suggested that more funds could be channelled towards the National Arts Council's existing Arts Creation Fund. The fund focuses on the creation stage of the artistic process. It does not cover the distribution and the full production costs associated with the completed work. There are separate NAC schemes for this.

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Sir, I would like to make a point on this role of the Arts Creation Fund. I hope we take great care to ensure that the Arts Creation Fund's funding process does not unduly influence an artist's creative work in the early developmental stage, even if we would hold the artists accountable for the public funding they receive. Currently, applicants for developmental funding are required to submit their plans for future distribution of the completed work. One of the stated aims of the Arts Creation Fund for literary arts is the creation of work that has "broad readership appeal". Drafts of manuscripts are required to be submitted for assessment on, among other things, the market potential of the work. Currently, the fund strongly encourages attaching mentors, consultants and editors into the early stages of the creative process. For example, it is strongly recommended that recipients appoint an editor, either identified by the National Arts Council or with a choice of editor subject to the Council's approval, who will play, among other things, a developmental role. All these can represent additional time and cost and, more importantly, the commercial considerations, editors and the funding process could end up directing the work too much. As the Committee notes, a balance needs to be struck between accountability to the public and giving the artists the time and space they need. Sir, time and space are even more important during the developmental stages of an artist's creative work, and angel funding should reflect this.

Protecting Freedom of Expression

Ms Janice Koh: Sir, "if art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him". These are not my words. They are the words of John F Kennedy and they take us back to the core, fundamental principles of art making – that is, in order to create work that is relevant, authentic and truthful, artists need the artistic freedom to hold up a mirror to society; to examine and raise questions about who we are; and bring to the fore the issues of the day, which may sometimes make their work challenging and provocative.

The ACSR Report does not address how censorship and regulation procedures may also negatively impact the development of a vibrant arts scene in the longer term. It does, however, suggest the creation of a No-Censorship Zone, like a Speaker's Corner, for the arts. Many artists I have spoken to feel that this is a regressive move. Instead of opening up channels for dialogue, such zoning marginalises art and the role that it plays. It also sends a signal to the public that any art, no matter how good, which raises a topic deemed as sensitive, should be ring-fenced and protected from the public, lest it offends them. Typically, all it takes is for one member of the public to be so-called offended. A letter of complaint is sent. Alarm bells ring and suddenly the whole work, which took months to create, and its funding, are in jeopardy. It does not take into consideration the majority of the audiences who value and had no problem with the work.

In an age where information is easily available on the Internet, and where dialogue and debate on issues have become increasingly borderless, it seems almost backward to think that this sort of ring-fencing will (a) stop sensitive issues from coming out into the open; (b) stop members of the public who did not participate in the event from being offended; and (c) satisfy an artists' right to expression and their need to communicate with an audience simply by giving them a little corner of their own. If MICA were to adopt this proposal, it should consult closely with art makers and producers.

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MICA has been trying to shift the balance of content regulation from censorship towards classification and co-regulation over the years. It is true that it is rare for a film or arts event to be disallowed under current guidelines. But artists are still finding it difficult to make work, because not only is the Government involved in regulation, it is also extensively involved in the administration, funding, housing, presentation and promotion of the arts. Therefore, the scope of interference, both direct and indirect, in the creation of this work continues to be wide.

In moving towards regulation and away from censorship, we should instead promote responsibility on the part of art makers and greater transparency and accountability on the part of the regulator, and any disagreements should be resolved through an open and transparent appeals procedure. Guidelines and timelines should be clear, readily available and followed, and there should be a consistent approach in the treatment of local and foreign work. At the same time, the arts community, together with the media, should find ways of developing platforms to dialogue our differences, so that we gradually develop greater tolerance and understanding in our society. In this regard, mainstream and online media play an important role in raising the level of arts discourse.

Sir, at this juncture, I would like to remind the House that artists, too, are parents and educators who have the interests of the young at heart, and who have audiences and independent boards to whom they are accountable. Ultimately, we want to move towards building a relationship of trust and mutual respect between artists and Government, and where audiences and the public are empowered to make choices.

Finally, Sir, MICA announced in September 2010 that they accepted 80% of the Censorship Review Committee's latest recommendations. These include granting term licensing to arts groups and increasing transparency on its regulatory process. Could MICA give us an update on how many of these recommendations have been implemented and to what effect?

My second question to the Minister is: how does MICA and its cultural agencies intend to strike the right balance between protecting the freedom of artistic expression and imposing restrictions that may curtail artistic vibrancy and diversity?

The Chairman: Mr Baey Yam Keng, you may take your two cuts together.

4.00 pm

Local Culture

Traditional Arts

Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): ( In Mandarin ): [Please refer to Pg 1849 for Vernacular Speeches.] The recently published Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) report felt that to fulfill Vision 2025, a mindset change is needed. Many people think that arts is "something we can do without". The ACSR committee hopes to turn this kind of perception around as arts is something we cannot do without and is omnipresent. I agree with the Committee's suggestion to widen the coverage of arts as it should not only be confined to high-brow arts but also include common culture, such as handicrafts, busking, popular entertainment and local culture, such as getai .

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Getai is a uniquely Singapore activity which has decades of history. It is not only popular in the past but has become even better received in recent years. As getai can reach a wide range of audiences, some Government agencies, such as Central Provident Fund Board and National Problem Gambling Council, actually spread messages to the public through getai . I heard the response was very good. I spoke to a getai organiser about the kind of help they need from the Government. He said they are commercial entities and dare not hope for any form of grants, but they hope to get some form of recognition from the Government. Despite what he said, the getai organiser also revealed that the $180 per night copyright fees for songs sung during the performance is a heavy burden. I gathered that the organiser actually only makes a profit of several hundred dollars for every getai performance. As we can see, it is actually passion for the industry that keeps them going. The Getai Star Awards Presentation organised by Shin Min Daily News and the STOMP Getai Awards are great encouragements. But this recognition is from the media. What about the Government?

Getai uses a lot of dialects and I would like to speak on the dialect restrictions in the media. Young Taiwanese singer Lala Hsu won the "A Million Stars" singing competition with her song Shen Qi Bai Ma (which means Prince Charming on a white horse). This song was also nominated for Song of the Year, Best Composition, Best Arrangement and Best Single Producer in the 21st Golden Melody Awards. It is a popular song in the Mandarin pop industry. The most interesting part about this song is that it is an adaptation of a Taiwanese opera and the chorus is sung in Hokkien . I understand that based on the Government's regulation, as long as a song has more than four consecutive lines sung in dialect, it cannot be played on local radio, otherwise the station would be fined. Therefore, local audience cannot hear Shen Qi Bai Ma on local radio, whereas on TV, we know that the Government has relaxed the restriction on dialects. The theme song Wo Wen Tian (which means I Ask Heavens) of Taiwanese drama serial Love is very popular in Singapore. In fact, it is one of the top karaoke hits. If the Hokkien theme song of Love can be played on national TV every night, why is a song with only the chorus sung in Hokkien banned on radio?

Similarly, we can hear Korean and Japanese songs on radio, and TV viewers can listen to the original Korean and Japanese dialogues using dual sound channels. Why such a strict restriction on Chinese dialects? If we are worried that more exposure to dialects would affect Singaporean's learning of Mandarin, then with many people learning Korean now, do we ban this, too?

I understand the rationale behind Singapore's language policies and we do not need to lift the ban completely. I would like to appeal for Channel 8 and Channel U to offer dual sound channel options for not more than two hours of dialect programmes a day. In addition, can every radio station be allowed to play up to eight dialect songs a day too?

Drama serials and dialect songs are part of popular culture. We should also place more importance on traditional arts as they are our heritage and an essential part of our identity as Singaporeans.

I am glad that in an effort to support traditional arts, the Government has announced a budget of $23 million for the next five years to develop traditional arts. I would like to ask Minister how these initiatives would be developed and the kind of results MICA hopes to achieve. In light of current circumstances where young people are not interested in traditional arts, how are we going to turn the situation around and cultivate their interest in traditional arts? Sir, I wish to continue my speech in English.

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( In English ): The Member, Ms Irene Ng, appealed to MICA to be actively involved in the development of Bukit Brown as part of its national heritage blueprint. Singapore has very few historical resources of such significance as Bukit Brown. Even if it is not possible to develop the entire area into a heritage park, we should try to preserve certain segments with some significant graves and fully document the rest of the graves.

With approximately 100,000 graves, Bukit Brown is the largest Chinese cemetery in the world outside China. According to Associate Professor of History at Columbia University New York, Adam McKeown, a world renowned expert on Chinese migration, I quote, "Over half of the 20 million migrants who left China from 1840 to1940 passed through Singapore. Many of them chose to live and work in Singapore. Singapore is thus a critical site in understanding all aspects of the history of the Chinese diaspora. This, in turn, will help us to understand the important role of Singapore in the history of Asia over the last two hundred years." What is destroyed will be lost forever. Many of us may not realise how the process of grave exhumation is done. It is literally bulldozed without any proper search for artefacts. So, I hope that some of these artefacts would be preserved and be valued assets for the Asian Civilizations Museum. Too often, we look afar for cultural fulfilment and overlook the gems underneath our noses. I hope MICA could invest more effort and resources into our own culture and heritage.

Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): ( In Malay ): [Please refer to Pg 1850 for Vernacular Speeches.] Sir, the traditional arts are part of our heritage and identity, and it can be considered as a bridge to the history of a community. Can MICA provide the latest update on the position of the traditional arts in Singapore? How many traditional arts groups are in existence presently? How many groups are still active and still growing?

I would also like to know what MICA is doing to promote the various types of traditional arts in Singapore. How can MICA help and support these groups? I would like to find out about the level of acceptance and interest among the youths today towards traditional arts groups. What will MICA do to ensure that these groups can retain their present supporters, and attract interest and acceptance from new supporters?

Support for Local Popular Music

Ms Janice Koh: Sir, I was heartened by the initiative taken in the ACSR report to provide more support to the Singapore popular music scene. However, the proposals put forward by the report seem to prioritise infrastructural and business needs over the longer term development and promotion of individual musicians and bands.

Some of the concerns voiced by many practising musicians in the industry are fairly basic. The local contemporary sector has been suffering from a lack of opportunities to showcase upcoming artists as well as experienced, export-ready talent. There is also an insufficient pool of professional expertise on the ground, from sound engineers to tour managers, to groom new music talent and support the career development of more experienced ones. But the biggest obstacle to developing an audience for home-grown music is not having sufficient airtime on radio. How do you nurture an interest in local music or build a thriving ecosystem for the music scene, if it is not even readily available on mainstream, popular radio stations or heard during peak airtime hours?

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Of course, some local programmers play local music on their stations but a few hours, once or twice a week, is not enough exposure. Similarly, it is not enough to relegate local music to one specialist radio station like Lush 99.5 – the audience for such channels are just too small to help local musicians make any significant impact on the market.

Many developed and developing countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and Ireland, have established quotas for the broadcast of local music, where legislation or regulations require some minimum percentage of time devoted to the broadcast of local music, or a minimum number of tracks per hour. The quota requirements average between 25% and 30%, with some countries like France going up to 40%. Such quotas help to support the development of a unique local music culture and the forging of a common cultural identity. But, more importantly, quotas ensure that the public has regular access to local music. And once a demand for the music is created, the benefits and positive spillovers are real and tangible. Increased airtime play contributes to improved record sales. This leads to more bookings for the bands, increased music production output, a jump in the quality of music, greater coverage in the media, and eventually a demand from international audiences.

There is a chance that there may not even be enough high quality content to broadcast in the beginning. But in the case of New Zealand and Canada, the music content improved and started to double within five years.

Sir, my question is this. Would MICA seriously consider establishing a broadcast quota system as a key strategy for developing an audience for local music, and eventually building a self-sustainable and vibrant contemporary music scene?

Also, what kinds of initiatives and funding support is MICA planning to roll out for this sector? And how does MICA intend to balance the support given to the development of local musicians against those given to the commercial music sector?

Public Service Broadcast

Mr David Ong (Jurong): Public Service Broadcast (PSB) programming has served Singapore well. Many Singaporeans grew up with the shared experience and common space watching the same programmes forging a common value system.

Broadcasting is changing very rapidly. Hardly a day goes by without more news of an innovative way to access audiovisual content over a wide variety of new media platforms. In television, our main free-to-air channels are fighting for viewership with hundreds of competing channels, and soon the digital-only television. But with the multitude of entertainment options today, more will need to be done to enable PSB to stay relevant and achieve its goals.

What can MICA do to ensure that PSB remains relevant and an attractive source of information and entertainment, such that it continues to achieve its social objectives of promoting social values, celebrating our culture and heritage, promoting racial and religious harmony, and promoting the Singapore identity?

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The Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, I will pace myself so that everybody can hear. I thank the hon Members who have shared their concerns on our changing demographics and their impact on our national identity. I share the Members' concerns. In the face of these challenges, it is all the more important that our identity and sense of belonging as Singaporeans remain strong at its core.

Sir, our common memories provide the scaffolding to build up our national identity. Memories of the sacrifices and achievements of earlier generations help give tangible form to our sense of nationhood. More recent memories, like how we fought SARS together in 2003, also strengthen our collective identity. These memories help to shape our collective outlook and define who we are. Collective memories have served to bond groups of people into nations, with a shared sense of the past and a common view towards the future.

Many of our past efforts to draw out common narratives for Singapore have focused on the big events, major themes and well-known personalities. These efforts have been commendable and paint the broad picture. However, at best, they are broad strokes; the details are not evident. Current times offer us a wealth of interactive technologies with which all of us can fill in the details. Indeed, there could hardly be a more opportune time for ordinary Singaporeans – whether you are eight years old or 80 years old – who have collectively built up Singapore to what it is, flesh and soul, to share those rich memories.

So, in 2011, the National Library Board (NLB) launched the Singapore Memory Project (SMP), to build up the story of our nation through the eyes of our people. We have 230,000 memories and we hope to collect five million memories before our Golden Jubilee in 2015. Today, Sir, as we speak, we launch the SingaporeMemory.sg portal. And with this portal, every Singaporean gets a personal memory account to contribute his or her experiences. An SG Memory iPhone app will be launched in April, to enable memories to be contributed on-the-go.

Sir, this is a project about Singapore by Singaporeans. Our memories will provide a layered look at everyday experiences at and around our homes, schools, hawker centres, National Service, and many other experiences that make up our personal and shared lives. The family's first HDB flat, watching "Wonder Woman" on TV, or the "The Man from U.N.C.L.E" which I used to view with my family, missing that primary school that was no longer around. I lost my primary school, too. Over time, these memories get weaved into richer narratives offering multiple perspectives to the many experiences that we share as a people. More importantly, Sir, these narratives strengthen our bonds on what it really means to be Singaporeans, and it becomes a gift of memories to a future generation.

Sir, another way in which we can build our national identity, as rightly pointed out by many speakers, is through arts and culture. Through shared passions and common experiences, arts and culture bring people together – across race, language, religion, age and social status.

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One example is the Memories of Love project, which brought students and seniors together. Singapore Polytechnic students heard seniors telling and re-enacting stories about their own teenage love, which will be woven into a theatre production. This project not only engages the seniors, it also builds bonds across generations.

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Beyond bonding communities, arts and culture is about enriching lives. Economic progress provides for our lifestyle, but quality of life cannot be achieved by economic progress alone. Our Prime Minister said in his speech at the signing ceremony between LASALLE and Goldsmiths College just this week, "The arts and culture give us fulfillment; they uplift our emotions, stir our souls. They are essential aspects of our identity, of our sense of worth and humanity." Indeed, arts and culture give meaning and connections to our daily lives, and they fulfill a profound human need and enriches us. It is this power of arts and culture that draws amateur groups like the Raffles Winds together. Its members rehearse two to three times a week, to put on performances year after year, all while juggling work and family commitments. They are mainly professionals. Why do they do it? For their love of music, for their friendships, and, more importantly, to contribute to society.

It is in recognition of this value of arts and culture that the Government embarked on our earlier cultural masterplans – the report of the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts (ACCA), and the Renaissance City Plans (RCPs). Ms Janice Koh has asked about the impact of the RCPs. Since their launch from 2000 onwards, the number of arts activities in Singapore has tripled, to around 35,000 in 2011. NHB's museum visitorship has increased by five times to 2.9 million, compared to 1999. The National Arts Companies – the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) – have achieved critical acclaim. Several of the groups funded by NAC have toured the world and received international accolades. These groups include The Singapore Repertory Theatre, Theatreworks, The Necessary Stage and the T'ang Quartet.

The Advisory Council and the RCPs have laid a solid foundation for our arts and culture scene, which the Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) is building upon. Driven by practitioners, the private and the people sectors, the ACSR recently submitted its final report to the Government. As noted by Ms Janice Koh, the ACSR builds further on some of the RCPs' proposals, such as strengthening community engagement, arts education and arts capabilities. Not only does this leverage on our existing strengths, it brings us closer to a goal that we have been moving towards collectively all along. Ms Irene Ng and Mr Low Thia Khiang have asked for the Government's response to the ACSR's recommendations. The Government agrees in-principle with the ACSR's report. The ACSR urges all to embrace activities, such as getai , community singing and hip-hop as arts and culture. Mr Baey Yam Keng calls these "living cultures", and rightly so. It is timely for the Government – and Singaporeans as a whole – to recognise the contributions of these lively activities to our national culture. Embracing them will help bond the community together.

The Government is committing more resources to implement the ACSR's recommendations. As some of the recommendations are longer-term in nature, the Government will first focus on raising the awareness and interest of the community, to provide the demand to sustain our arts and culture sector. At the same time, we will provide opportunities for our practitioners to strengthen their capabilities, to create the arts offerings to meet this demand. And this, we believe, will sustain the ecosystem in the long run.

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Sir, the Government will start with three key masterplans: the Community Engagement Masterplan, the Arts and Culture Education Masterplan, and the Capability Development Roadmap. More than $270 million has been set aside from FY12 – FY16. And this is on top of the $24 million and $23 million committed to the National Literary Arts Plan and the National Traditional Arts Plan announced in 2010.

Let me now share some of the major projects under these three masterplans. My Ministry will provide more details separately. For a start, the Government will invest up to $210 million from FY12 – FY16 in the Community Engagement Masterplan. This will promote appreciation among new audiences, and proliferate touchpoints for arts and culture. It will provide more grants for community interest groups, and showcase opportunities for enthusiasts. It will also upgrade cultural facilities in the heartlands. Through these, Sir, we hope that arts and culture can become a living experience for all Singaporeans.

Let me elaborate on some of the Masterplan's projects. To help us know the basics of arts and culture, NLB will roll out Arts and Culture 101 programmes. Over the next five years, NLB will conduct more than 6,800 sessions that will reach more than 340,000 people. Sir, the Government will implement targeted programmes to raise interest among specific groups. For the elderly, NAC will implement a Silver Arts Programme, to conduct activities, such as community drumming, community singing, and arts and crafts. For the youths, NAC will put in place youth engagement programmes, such as the Pocket Rocket programme, which will fund arts projects proposed by youths for causes they care about. For the needy and the disadvantaged, NAC will continue to support ground-up arts initiatives that benefit the under-privileged.

To reach out to more Singaporeans, the Government will establish multiple arts and culture touchpoints. This will include cultural concierges in every library to point people to activities, groups and resources, community arts and culture clubs in every constituency to connect grassroots groups together, and a one-stop portal for arts and culture, called ArtsCultureSG. As to whether we can change the designation from "Cultural Officer" to something more appealing, I shall leave it to the creative community to think about.

Sir, the NAC, NHB and PA will provide more funding for arts and culture community interest groups. The target is to grow 50 groups or more over the next five years, to catalyse a nationwide movement. To provide more opportunities for the community to showcase their talent, PA will be piloting a Community Arts and Culture Month, featuring performances by residents at various community spaces.

The Government will also upgrade community facilities to support the community and practitioners' needs. Siglap South Community Club (CC) and Kallang CC have been passionate in bringing the arts to their residents. We must help them do more. For a start, NAC will upgrade the two CCs' cultural facilities. Between FY12 – FY16, up to 25 community spaces will be upgraded altogether.

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In addition, the Government will work with the community to explore establishing Regional Cultural Centres in town hubs, where larger-scale facilities could be built to serve a wider catchment. What you see, Sir, on the slide is an artist's impression, not something that we can promise all the time. Through these initiatives, we hope to see more participants like Mdm Padma Krishnan. Despite being a full-time teacher for special needs children, Mdm Padma has performed annually at Marine Parade CC, and in touring skits. She is now working on a production with a youth theatre group. Mdm Padma's passion is remarkable, as she is just 61 years young.

A quality arts education can set the foundation for lifelong love. The Government will do more to improve arts education in schools. From FY12 – FY16, we will invest up to $40 million in an Arts and Culture Education Masterplan. This will upgrade cultural facilities in schools, raise support for arts and culture curricula and co-curricular activities (CCAs), and enhance teaching methods and resources.

Under this Masterplan, MICA hopes to work with MOE to identify cultural facilities in selected schools for upgrading. This will provide students with a better learning environment, and boost their confidence as young artists. In addition, more funding will be made available for arts and culture CCAs, research on art and music teaching methods, and education materials infused with cultural elements.

Sir, to sustain interest in arts and culture, the artworks must resonate with the audiences. To raise the quality of our arts and culture creations, NAC will invest up to $24 million in a Capability Development Roadmap from FY12 – FY16, for a start. Artists and would-be artists will benefit from better training and development. The current shortage in arts supporting manpower will also be addressed. Under this roadmap, NAC will support up to 140 scholarships in the next five years. This is three times the number of scholarships awarded in the last five years, and will include scholarships for young artists, cultural policy-makers, arts managers and arts educators.

To raise the quality of arts instruction, a Specialist Diploma in Arts Education has been introduced. NAC is also working with existing companies to ramp up or introduce new CET programmes. This will provide more opportunities for practitioners to upgrade their skills, and address the shortage of arts supporting professionals in areas such as technical theatre and arts management. NAC will invest up to $4 million in CET programmes, to train around 900 supporting professionals from FY12 – FY16.

In addition, NAC is developing a mentorship and apprenticeship framework, to facilitate coaching of students, hobbyists and new professionals by more experienced practitioners. Over the next five years, the NAC will invest up to $3 million to put some 200 people through mentorship training.

Sir, if our history, memories, arts and culture can bring us together, learning can move us forward. The world is changing and rising in complexity, but if we learn together, no one will be left behind. NLB has been promoting the love of reading to all groups across all ages and socio-economic segments. It will do more. Firstly, NLB will engage all ages in learning. For pre-schoolers up to six years old, the National Early Literacy Programme for Pre-schoolers will provide educators and parents with best practices in developing early childhood literacy. For older children up to 19 years of age, NLB will expand its Whole School Reading Programme, to encourage reading outside of the school curriculum. 14 schools are involved in the pilot phase, and this will be expanded to many more schools.

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Learning is as crucial to the elderly as it is to the young. NLB will provide senior-centric programmes and content, including large-print and audio books, and dedicated spaces for our seniors. NLB will also extend its reading programmes outside of the libraries, to senior centres. The Government will invest an additional $30 million from FY12 – FY16, in NLB's initiatives for the young and the old.

Secondly, Sir, the NLB will reach out more to the underprivileged groups, who need the library's services and social-levelling the most. NLB's kidsREAD programme promotes reading among young Singaporeans aged four to eight, especially those from low-income families. The children, for example, at Concord Primary School know the impact that kidsREAD makes. In 2006, Emperor Akihito of Japan visited the National Library, and the kidsREAD children were chosen to put up a skit. This was, indeed, a rare opportunity for these kids. The performance, I heard, went well, but the real impact came after. The children grew more confident, and, more importantly, improved in their studies. KidsREAD is a powerful and meaningful programme. Moving forward, NLB will lengthen the kidsREAD programme from one year to five years, to provide sustained assistance. The target is to double the number of participants to around 22,400 for this five-year phase.

Sir, let me now address the other concerns that Members have raised. Ms Indranee Rajah has suggested developing an arts hub. NAC's Goodman Arts Centre has the potential to become such a hub. Today, the Goodman Arts Centre houses 42 arts tenants, comprising a wide diversity of artists and arts companies. Shared facilities, such as music, dance and project studios, meeting rooms, an exhibition gallery and a black box provide synergy and economies of scale. So, it is really up to the groups today in the Goodman Arts Centre to make use of the facilities and build this into a very vibrant place.

Mr Chen Show Mao has suggested reviewing the NAC's arts incubation funding framework. The NAC has an Arts Creation Fund, as pointed out by the Member, which funds incubating ideas to fruition. To-date, the Arts Creation Fund has supported 57 projects, of which 16 have since become full-fledged plays, productions and publications. I take his point. They have to find the right balance between how we manage the fund and how to manage the creative process.

Sir, NAC's Incubating Scheme has also provided rental assistance to newly established arts companies at the Goodman Arts Centre. In addition, NAC's Seed Grant has helped promising traditional arts companies to professionalise.

Going forward, NAC is considering extending the Seed Grant to promising companies across all genres. Artists have also suggested extending support beyond the work's first performance, and involving intermediaries, such as producers, publishers and presenters at suitable stages. NAC will be reviewing its incubation funding framework with this feedback in mind, and in response to the ACSR's recommendations.

Sir, Ms Janice Koh has asked about the initiatives that MICA is rolling out for the music sector, in response to the ACSR. The Government is still considering the specific music-related proposals, as the ACSR's recommendations are very comprehensive. MDA also recognises that broadcast access is important for the promotion of local music, and is reviewing the Member's suggestion for a local music broadcast quota.

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Our year-round calendar of exciting arts festivals has brought vibrancy to our city, and provided many platforms for our arts groups to showcase their works. Ms Irene Ng has suggested taking a more strategic approach to these festivals. Indeed, NAC has been coordinating festivals and events with close synergies. For example, the 2011 Singapore Arts Festival and the Esplanade's Flipside festival were timed to coincide with one another, as were the recent Art Stage and the soft launch of Gillman Barracks.

Ms Janice Koh has suggested for these festivals to be run independently of NAC. Sir, the majority of these festivals are already privately organised, such as the M1 Fringe Festival, the Man Theatre Festival and the Laneway Music Festival. As our arts scene and audiences evolve, NAC will continue to review the arrangements that best allow our pinnacle festivals, such as the Singapore Arts Festival, to meet their objectives. In the same way, NAC has been gradually relinquishing direct management of arts venues. NAC outsourced its management of the Drama Centre to The Esplanade Company Ltd in 2010. As more arts venues develop in Singapore, including the re-opening of Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, NAC will continue to partner relevant industry players to manage these facilities.

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Sir, Ms Janice Koh has advised caution on the ACSR's proposal on "no censorship" zones. We recognise that the "no censorship" zones have the potential to incubate more experimental work. However, as Ms Koh has noted, this could also marginalise such works. In addition, other issues, such as the use of public spaces and public order, would need to be considered. As such, MICA will need to study this proposal in greater depth with the relevant agencies.

Ms Koh has also asked about the implementation status of the Censorship Review Committee's (CRC) recommendations. Sir, MDA has implemented most of the recommendations; the remaining ones require more detailed study.

Sir, several Members have also raised the issue of Bukit Brown. Let me just state the position at this point in time, Sir. At the moment, there is an advisory committee on Bukit Brown chaired by the CEO of URA, and this comprised representatives from key stakeholders as well as representatives from key Government agencies, such as the URA, LTA, NLB and NHB. We will continue to support the working committee in its documentary work by sharing NHB's expertise on oral history methodology, and this will facilitate the collection of the oral history recordings from the descendents of those buried in Bukit Brown. Similarly, Sir, the National Archives, as the custodian of the burial register of the Bukit Brown cemetery, has been supporting members of the public in their search for ancestors buried in the cemetery. At this point in time, we will continue to work with the advisory committee chaired by the CEO of URA, and I understand that MND will reply in greater detail during their COS when the cut is discussed under their Head.

Sir, there were several points raised by Ms Janice Koh and Mr Chen Show Mao about striking the right balance. I agree with both Members that it is something that we have tread very carefully but if you have looked at the statistics over the years, I think the Government has done pretty well in developing the arts and culture scene over the years. With growing numbers of attendances in all of our performances and growing number of visitorship in our museums, and a growing number of people visiting our libraries, so I think we are on the right track, but we will continue to evolve and learn as we go along.

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Sir, history and memories, arts and culture, reading and learning are a continuum of experiences that collectively define us as a people. But more than these, it is our spirit of coming together in diversity that makes us a nation. Whether it is the elderly re-enacting their teenage crushes to Polytechnic students, or learning together in the libraries both rich and poor, our desire to come together is a strength for Singapore. So, let us continue to build up our national identity as we celebrate our Golden Jubilee in 2015, confident in our unity as we face the future together. Sir, I shall invite Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu to continue with the response.

The Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Thank you, Mr Chairman. I agree with Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Zainal Sapari on the importance of traditional arts. Our traditional arts anchor our identity as a young multi-racial nation, tracing our roots to an immigrant society. We would not be complete without our cultural roots.

The Chinese, Malay and Indian traditional arts have evolved over the centuries, through adaptation, localisation and interaction with the populace. Traditional Chinese music, for example, has shifted from the formal court music played in the Tang dynasty, to the less formal Jiang Nan Silk and Bamboo genre of the masses. More recently, traditional Chinese music has incorporated the use of western instruments to improve harmonisation and the richness of the music. Closer to home, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra has developed its own unique style of music – the Nanyang style, a Chinese repertoire with Southeast Asian influences. The evolution of traditional art forms is therefore not unusual. As long as they stay true to their artistic core, the evolution of traditional arts could be embraced as a positive contribution to their richness.

Singapore contributes to the richness of our traditional arts. As the confluence of many cultures and a modern, open society welcoming of ideas and talent, Singapore provides a conducive environment for cultures to influence one another. The Siong Leng Musical Association is one such group. Siong Leng promotes Nanyin music, one of the oldest forms of Chinese music. The group has experimented with Indian instruments like the tablah. The result is a remarkable blend of old Chinese and old Indian sounds, and a new sound that breathes new life into an ancient art.

Innovation can take place in two ways. First, in presentation techniques, such as revolving stage platforms, digital projections and creative moveable sets. Bhaskar's Arts Academy, for example, has made good use of theatrical lighting and multimedia projections to enhance its Indian traditional dance. Second, in the adoption of alternative cultural elements. Our arts groups can infuse our traditional art forms with modern or cross-cultural influences, or even elements from other art forms altogether. Era Dance Theatre, for example, has incorporated other Malay art forms like the Angklung, Kulintang and Wayang Kulit into its traditional Malay dances. Their creativity has been well received by critics and audiences alike.

Mr Chairman, my Ministry agrees with Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Zainal Sapari that the Government should support the traditional arts groups. Under the $23 million National Traditional Arts plan announced in 2010, a seed grant helps promising organisations professionalise and attract more practitioners. The presentation and promotion grant has also been expanded to raise the funding support level from 30% to 50%. This grant can be tapped on to make productions more appealing. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please.

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( In Mandarin ): [Please refer to Pg 1851 for Vernacular Speeches.] The ACSR's recommendations will also help traditional arts groups overcome their challenges. For example, traditional arts groups will be able to use the cultural facilities to be built in the heartlands, to lower production costs and bring their artforms to new audiences. Arts interest groups, including traditional arts interest groups, will receive more funding and support. The community arts and culture clubs will connect enthusiasts to professional traditional arts groups, to raise their standards. Through these initiatives, we hope to build greater awareness of traditional arts, grow new audiences, and attract new practitioners.

The ACSR has also recommended providing more Continuing Education and Training (CET) opportunities for arts practitioners. We encourage traditional arts groups to take up the CET programmes in technical theatre and stage management. With the latest skills in sound and lighting equipment, these groups can inject greater innovation into their performances. Traditional arts practitioners can also join CET programmes on inter-cultural art forms, and tap on NAC's mentorship and apprenticeship framework to learn from experienced practitioners. The cross-fertilisation of ideas will help them integrate modern or cross-cultural elements into their works, and bring them to greater heights.

The Government will play a facilitating role by providing the necessary resources and programmes. The traditional arts groups, on their part, should take the initiative, reach out to more audiences, and make the traditional arts more relevant to Singaporeans.

We have many good examples. The Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan's Arts and Cultural Troupe (ACT) has a junior drama troupe, a youth drama troupe, a traditional Chinese dance troupe and an adult choir. Each year, the ACT enrols 2,000 people, and puts up annual public performances. Many of its performers go on to participate in other local arts performances. The Huay Kuan is now enrolling a "second generation" of members' children. This shows that there is a growing passion for traditional arts among the young.

The Singapore Lam Ann Association is also exemplary in its initiative to preserve culture. In 2004, it carried out major renovations to the historic Hong San See Temple. To raise funds for the $3 million restoration, the Association carried out innovative activities, such as partnering the Singapore Chinese Orchestra for a concert. In 2010, after years of painstaking works, the temple was conferred a UNESCO Award of Excellence for cultural heritage conservation. This was no mean feat, given the competition from 33 contenders from 14 countries. This ground-up, community-based restoration effort won special commendation from the UNESCO panel.

The effort of an individual may be small, but together, the collective effort of many could make a difference. We hope that other traditional arts groups will galvanise the ground, and create innovative works that resonate with Singaporeans. The infusion of traditional arts with a distinctive Singaporean flavour will enrich our culture, and ensure its continuation.

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( In English ): Mr Chairman, in English, please. Let me now move on to public service broadcast (PSB) programming. PSB is very much related to some important issues raised by our Members. Ms Irene Ng asked how MICA could help to reinforce our sense of national identity and cohesiveness, and if PSB programmes could profile our early pioneers and founding leaders. Our PSB programming, indeed, aims to celebrate our culture and heritage, and to promote our Singapore identity, racial harmony and social cohesion as well as social values.

On Ms Irene Ng's suggestion about featuring our founding leaders, I am pleased to say that last year, Channel NewsAsia 's documentary "A Few Good Men" featured the stories of our nation-builders, former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and former President S R Nathan.

Singaporeans find different genres of PSB programmes entertaining and appealing as they present local themes and issues that resonate well with them. Examples of popular PSB programmes are Channel 8 and Suria 's drama series 行医(The Oath) and "Embun Di Tengah Hari" (Dewdrops in the Afternoon) respectively; local talent show "Vasantham Star", and Channel 5 's reality programme "RenovAID".

However, as Mr David Ong has pointed out, times are changing. With media convergence driven by the Internet, the TV set in the living room is losing its lustre, especially among our young. The Internet has opened up a new and exciting world of information and entertainment. With so many alternatives, the challenge is for our PSB programmes to remain competitive and appealing. Hence, the Government embarked on a review of our PSB framework, including the formation of the PSB Review Panel in October 2010 to study and recommend ways to enhance the delivery and reach of our PSB programmes. The panel comprises members from the community, media industry and academia.

The Panel, which I chair after taking over from Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sam Tan, identified two key challenges to our current model of PSB delivery. The first challenge is to keep PSB programmes attractive amidst the increasingly intense competition for viewers. The second is the declining reach of our free-to-air TV channels.

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Countries around the world are facing the same problems. However, we are particularly vulnerable. Our technologically-savvy population is well hooked up to the Internet and we are the heaviest Internet users in Southeast Asia, averaging 25 hours online per week. It is, therefore, not surprising that fewer Singaporeans are watching free-to-air TV channels. Daily reach has declined significantly between 2005 and 2011, from 92% to 75%. Conversely, the percentage of our population who access the Internet has shot up, with daily reach rising from 43% to 62%.

The PSB Review Panel has completed and submitted its recommendations to MICA. Broadly, the Panel has made two key recommendations: one, to enhance the quality and appeal of PSB content and, two, to extend the reach of PSB content beyond traditional free-to-air TV channels. To enhance the quality and appeal of PSB programmes, the Panel has recommended ensuring that adequate resources are channelled to improve PSB. It has also recommended channelling resources to develop talent in the media industry. The Panel recommends putting in place a sustained talent-development and talent-matching programme to help nurture our local creative talent. This has been requested by many Members here when they spoke of the need to nurture local talent and the Panel has the same recommendations.

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The Panel also recognises that the media landscape and Singaporeans' consumption habits have changed. Hence, it has recommended that PSB content be carried beyond free-to-air TV channels and on other platforms like the Internet. Here, I would like to commend MediaCorp for having started to put their PSB programmes online since March 2010. MICA is now studying the Panel's recommendations and we expect to complete the study by June this year. Details on the Panel and its recommendations have been released to the media. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Panel members for their timely recommendations, which I believe will help boost the quality of our PSB programmes and make them available to a wider audience.

Cyber-bullying

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, moving on from the right brain, the arts and culture side, to the left brain, the more logical side. According to a Straits Times report on cyber-bullying, Singapore has one of the highest incidences of cyber bullying in the world after the US. In view of this trend, will MICA consider implementing data privacy laws, similar to those in developed countries, such as the US and the UK, to update the relevance of existing laws to better protect Internet users in Singapore against personal threats, and particularly cyber-bullying among young users?

Data privacy laws will enable individuals to better protect themselves, especially in increase in cyber-bullying despite education measures in school, individuals to protect themselves from intrusion and unauthorised or illegal release of personal details online to better enable authorities to help online users better.

MICA's proposal to enact an Internet code of conduct is a good measure, especially with the ground-up involvement of the online community. But self-regulation can help the regular conduct. Today's laws are only effective for those who can afford legal action and, based on cases I have come across, there is very little authorities can enforce unless one is willing to go far with civil litigation. But there is only that much legal action can help. Not many can also afford to take the legal route as legal costs are high. So aside from legal avenues, it may also be useful to take a more holistic approach to tackle the problem. We need to create a national culture to reject cyber-bullying and, as such, we should enlist the support and assistance of all relevant sectors of our society – especially parents, schools, the youths and children themselves − against cyber-bullying.

National anti-cyber bullying awareness campaigns can be a good option. We understand that talks on bullying awareness are currently not mandatory in schools – and disciplinary measures, anecdotally from parents, for cyber-bullying cases, are not as strict or tough compared to physical bullying. So, can the Government, especially with the help of MOE, do more to stop the surge of cyber-bullying? Can we engage teachers, parents as well as other segments of society, such as IT and social media organisations, global tech and social media brand names and other community organisations, as key partners to help in our anti-cyber bullying efforts? To eliminate cyber-bullying, it would help if the culprits also know that the law in Singapore does not tolerate cyber-bullying and that our society rejects cyber bullies and their actions.

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Cyber-wellness for Pre-schoolers

Ms Low Yen Ling (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, the Inter-Ministry Cyber-wellness Steering Committee aims to encourage and support cyber-wellness. I would like to suggest that the Committee, as well as the MCYS and MOE, strongly consider educating preschoolers and their parents on cyber-wellness. As we know, the influence of the mass media, Internet and the use of mobile devices is increasingly pervasive, reaching toddlers, even babies, before they go to preschool. It is now certainly a common sight to see toddlers playing iPhones, babies fixated on iPads and pre-schoolers look to YouTube.

According to a very recent Nielson Digital Consumer Report that surveyed over 1,000 people last year, nearly one in four of them said they have a tablet computer in the household. The survey also showed that 70% of the respondents use smartphones. Today, many of our little ones are unwittingly being exposed to the unparalleled influence coming through the mass media and the Internet. Parents and their pre-schoolers can benefit from education and advice on how to manage the use of smart devices and Internet exposure. I, for one, know of parents whose toddlers cannot go to sleep without playing with the iPhone.

We must start cyber-wellness education right from a very young age. May I suggest that the Government also consider conducting a survey to find out the extent and the impact of Internet exposure and the use of mobile devices by babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers? As we know, the learning environment has become increasingly complex now. A plethora of information comes through multiple channels in cyberspace and from traditional and digital media. It certainly takes greater vigilance and training to discern sources of misinformation. What can MICA do to address these challenges? Can organisations like the National Library play a role in cyber-wellness education? And how can stakeholders like parents, community leaders and schools contribute to this effort?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, let me respond to one comment that was raised by Mr Baey Yam Keng on the dialect policy. Sir, as with all policies, our dialect policy is not cast in stone, and the Government will review it regularly to ensure that it continues to remain relevant. At present, Sir, there are sufficient concessions made for dialect content, taking into account our need to support the Speak Mandarin Campaign.

Mr Chairman, earlier, Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu spoke about our people watching less TV as they increasingly turn to the Internet. Sir, the impact of the Internet on our lives goes far beyond this, as we commonly use the Internet to source for information and to interact with others. The rise of social media has also intensified online interactions. Overall, while the Internet and social media bring a host of benefits, they also bring some challenges that can pull society apart. The Internet can Build and Bond, but it can also Divide and Disturb. Let me elaborate.

Sir, the Internet has the power to Build and Bond communities as it enables families and friends to keep in touch easily – anytime, anywhere. Social media has made it easy for people to share stories, experiences, photos and videos readily. Through such sharing and interaction, generations connect and communities bond. Social networking sites have also enabled old friends who had lost contact for years to reconnect and rebuild ties. I have just been invited to a Facebook group about my old kampong in Bedok.

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Sir, Singaporeans of all ages and from all walks of life have taken to popular social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. There are more than 2.5 million Facebook users in Singapore – this is almost half our resident population. Thirty-six per cent of our resident population say they use Facebook or Twitter at least once a day, sometimes within the Chambers. The Internet is also a powerful tool that can bring like-minded people together for a good cause online. Online donation portals are one example. Since GIVE.sg was set up in 2010 by a group of six final year students in the National University of Singapore, the site has attracted more than 10,000 members. It has helped to rally Singaporeans and raise more than $1.4 million for various charitable causes. MICA's portal, give2arts.sg, links volunteers and donors to arts and culture organisations.

Unfortunately, Sir, the Internet can also Divide and Disturb. Why is this so? The Internet and social media have enabled greater interactivity among people by expanding our social space into cyberspace. This has led to more intense engagement, as people share their views readily and spontaneously, as well as debate issues through blog and online forum postings. Many of these exchanges are conducted responsibly and constructively. However, there are instances of insensitive racial or religious remarks that can threaten our racial harmony and social cohesion. Besides racist and hate postings, there are other divisive and disturbing aspects of online behaviour. Extremists are using the Internet to reach out to the bigger world, and self-radicalisation can occur from the comfort of the home half the world away. Other forms of negative online behaviour include cyber-bullying, flaming, cyber-stalking and sexual preying on the young, and such behaviour can certainly cause great harm to the victims.

Elsewhere, Sir, we have also seen how social media can be abused for destructive purposes. In the riots in the United Kingdom last August, agitators made use of social media networks to mobilise crowds to wreak havoc in several cities in the UK. Using Twitter and text messaging, rioters alerted one another to easy targets for looters. But not all is bad. At the same time, social media was also put to good use. For instance, there were people who used social media to organise citizen clean-up campaigns to help clean up after the riots.

Sir, Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Ms Low Yen Ling have expressed concern about how the Internet can negatively influence our lives. Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked how we can protect Singaporeans from cyber-bullying. Ms Low Yen Ling highlighted the pervasive influence of the mass media and the Internet, even on our pre-schoolers. Sir, I share your concerns about the undesirable and harmful impact of the Internet on our people. Be it cyber-bullying, online scams or gaming addiction, these are serious problems that afflict societies all over the world. There are no easy solutions to these problems. Let me share with you how governments in different countries have taken various steps to tackle these challenges. Some measures are regulatory and others involve public education.

On the regulatory side, there are various measures that authorities in different countries have taken. One is the mandatory requirement that Internet companies and social media websites pre-screen and take down offensive content. Another measure, Sir, is the blocking of certain social media sites altogether. There was also experimentation with mandatory real-time verification in the user registration process for online forums.

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On the public education side, I observe that there is often close partnership between governments and the members of the community in driving public outreach initiatives. Down under, the Australian Communications and Media Authority work closely with community organisations on digital media literacy. In the United Kingdom, the Council for Child Internet Safety brings together more than 170 organisations and individuals from different sectors of society, including government, industry, academia and charity groups.

Sir, in Singapore we have adopted a two-pronged approach of having legislative measures and public education. There are laws which can deal with those who cause harm or exploit others. Earlier, the Minister for Home Affairs has mentioned that we are reviewing our legal instruments to better deal with inappropriate or wrongful Internet behaviour.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad has proposed the introduction of laws to prevent the unauthorised release of personal details so as to protect individuals against personal threats, particularly cyber-bullying. MICA, Sir, has proposed the introduction of a general personal data protection law to protect personal data and provide greater consumer trust in the private sector, including on the Internet. Sir, I will give an update on the data protection law later when I address the cuts on consumer data protection.

However, Sir, legislation alone is not enough, as Mr Zaqy Mohamad has pointed out. There must also be public awareness and understanding of the potential dangers in cyberspace. Importantly, we must learn how to deal with them. So, for instance, in the European Union and other countries across the world, "Think Before You Post" was the campaign theme for Safer Internet Day 2010. In the United States, a similar campaign warned teenage girls about the potential dangers of posting and sharing information online, as this could be used by sexual predators to entrap them.

In Singapore, our Media Development Authority (MDA) advises Internet users on how they can protect their personal information from unauthorised use. For example, users should set their privacy settings of their online accounts to the strictest level. They should also limit the sharing of personal information on social networking sites. To ensure a safe online environment, we will focus our efforts on two key areas. First, Sir, we will encourage the online community to foster a culture of netiquette.

Secondly, we will equip Singaporeans with the skills to safely navigate the new information world. I will speak about netiquette, and the Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Mr Chan Chun Sing, will address the second issue.

5.00 pm

Sir, I thank Mr Zaqy for supporting a community-driven Internet code of conduct as he believes self-regulation is the way to go. I share Mr Zaqy's view that the community plays an important role in fostering a culture of netiquette, or good etiquette on the Internet. The Internet is very much a public space, and the community is best placed to determine whether online behaviour is acceptable and what is not. Moderators, website owners and the broader Internet community can help to set the tone and guidelines for online interaction and behaviour.

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But, Sir, a code of conduct is not something new. Most websites and blogs have guidelines. For example, Yahoo's forum guidelines advocate netizens to be considerate and respectful of fellow posters; not to use profanity, vulgarity, obscenities or inappropriate language; not to harass, abuse, or threaten another's personal safety or property; not to make false statements, defame, or impersonate someone else.

Different people have different views on what constitutes good netiquette. But I think there is common ground on some fundamental principles, such as respect for differing views, not abusing fellow netizens, not making false statements, and being considerate to one another. Just as we have social norms to guide our interaction in the physical world, there should also be similar norms to guide our online behaviour and interaction.

Sir, I encourage individuals, groups, organisations and other members of the community to come together to develop a code of conduct, to encourage good gracious etiquette online. By working together, I believe we can foster a more conducive online space that encourages and enables enriching experiences for everyone. I invite Minister of State Mr Chan to continue with his response.

The Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts (Mr Chan Chun Sing): Sir, Minister Yaacob has spoken about how we need to be mindful of the potential dangers of the Internet, and how the community can foster a culture of netiquette. I will talk about how we need to strengthen our "information quotient" as we navigate this new information environment. By "information quotient", I mean using information effectively. This requires us to have the skills to access, analyse and evaluate the information that we consume responsibly. These skills allow us to harness the power of the vast amount of information that we have at our fingertips. Upon which, we can then develop our own new ideas and insights.

Technology has expanded our access to information like never before. The Internet has permeated every aspect of our lives. We have access to more TV channels than we can ever watch. And the Internet and TV are now converging to present yet more opportunities for broadcast and narrowcast to reach out to an even larger audience than before.

In this new world of information abundance, if not overload, our society, like every other society, faces three challenges. First, making sense of our new environment; second, finding strength in the diversity of ideas, yet finding sufficient consensus for our country to move forward together; and third, defining our unique Singaporean identity amidst the avalanche of competing ideas and identities.

Like ancient explorers who ventured into new terrain and developed new skills to survive, we, too, are venturing into new terrain and need to master new skills to compete and thrive. As many generations of military practitioners have been taught, terrain is neutral, and it is he who understands and masters it better that will do better. Our challenge is to equip our society with the skills to master this new information terrain, so that our people can compete and thrive in the global arena.

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MICA is committed to strengthening the information quotient of our people to enable us all to tap the full potential of the new information and media environment. To this end, we will work closely with the Ministry of Education, MOE, as well as private and people sector organisations, as suggested by Mr Zaqy Mohamad.

The skills we need to navigate this new terrain include the ability to research and verify the sources of information, to distinguish facts from opinions, and to harness diverse ideas to develop new ideas and insights. We also need to adopt a disciplined approach to check our "confirmation bias", or the psychological tendency to only access and accept information that supports our pre-existing suppositions, and to evaluate the diversity of ideas and information out there to see how things can and should be understood in context. These are life skills that we must continually hone.

MICA and MOE are working together to enhance these skills in students. MOE has incorporated the teaching of these skills in various subjects like English and the humanities. The National Library Board (NLB) will support MOE by developing additional resources and programmes on research skills that cater to Primary 3, Primary 5 and Secondary 1 students. The Media Development Authority (MDA) will also work with MOE on programmes for students in upper secondary and tertiary institutions, such as talks, forum theatres and other means that will appeal to them. NLB and MDA will also work through the Infocomm Development Authority's Silver Infocomm Initiative to reach out to our senior citizens to enhance their access to the new media environment, and their ability to make sense of and navigate in this environment.

These are good initiatives. But we need more. We will also encourage other like-minded private and people organisations to come forward to join this outreach effort to help equip our people with even higher order skills to sense-make and navigate in this environment. We should not be complacent, thinking that only the very young and the very old need such life skills. All of us must continually improve and keep pace with the rapidly evolving media and information environment.

For all the good that the Internet brings us, it also poses challenges because aspects of it can divide and disturb our people and society. Research by Norton found that 71% of our children have had negative experiences on the Internet, such as receiving inappropriate pictures from strangers or being bullied. The figure is higher for those who are active on social media, standing at 79%.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Minister Yaacob have both spoken about the various ways in which we deal with negative online behaviour. Let me now talk about cyber wellness, or the well-being of Internet users and a healthy cyber culture. Cyber wellness involves an understanding of the risks of harmful online behaviour, an awareness of how to protect oneself and other Internet users from such behaviour, and recognition of the power of the Internet to benefit oneself and the community at large.

We want to bring cyber wellness to everyone. As Ms Low Yen Ling pointed out, the influence of the Internet is reaching even our pre-schoolers, and she calls for cyber wellness to be promoted among pre-schoolers and parents. Hon Members, I believe parents play a critical role, especially when children are in their formative years. To equip parents with cyber wellness knowledge and skills, MDA has set up a Parents Portal and published and distributed a Parental Guidebook.

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The Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Committee has been established to drive and support public, private and people sector initiatives that promote the responsible use of the Internet and new media platforms. It does so by funding relevant projects proposed by the public, private and people sectors. As we work together to safeguard our children as they explore this new information environment, we welcome and will support initiatives that protect our children against cyber-bullying and curb gaming addictions, and overall, help to promote responsible and ethical Internet use and behaviour. The evolving information and media environment has given us unprecedented opportunities to share and connect. We should all cherish this right with responsibility.

Minister Yaacob earlier emphasised the important role of the community in fostering a safe and enriching online experience for everyone. Previously, we had involved the community through efforts like the National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC); the Parents Advisory Group for the Internet (PAGI); and the Internet and Media Advisory Committee (INMAC). The information and media environment has changed since the INMAC was formed in 2007. Now we see social media and the convergence of the Internet and traditional media platforms. Moving forward, MDA is reviewing the role of INMAC in this new environment to see how it could play an even more pro-active role in championing and equipping Singaporeans with skills to navigate this new information terrain effectively and safely.

Sir, the evolving Internet and media environment is a new terrain for many of us individually and collectively as a society. Our individual ability to master the skills to make sense and navigate this environment will help define our aspirations, achievements and contributions in life. Our collective ability to define the rules we want to operate in will define our society. Going forward, we need to strengthen our information quotient both at the individual and societal level for all of us to thrive. We cannot do this alone. We need everyone from all walks of life to walk this journey together and define the path for ourselves. As explorers in a new environment, we must have the diversity of ideas to strengthen our resilience to survive against the unknown. Yet we must find sufficient consensus in our values and outlook as a nation. The environment will not define us as individuals or as a nation. How we respond and prepare for the challenges ahead will.

The Chairman: Mr David Ong, please take both your cuts together.

Safeguarding Consumer Interests

Mr David Ong: As a result of MICA's good work in promoting the infocomm industry, the spin-off is the mushrooming in the broadband and mobile penetration rates amongst local consumers and households in Singapore. This has fuelled a growing utilisation of infocomm and media services on a daily basis for study, work and play. The functions and choices for utilisation are multi-faceted. While Singaporeans have benefitted from the increased connectivity and mobility, a downside is the emergence of consumer-related issues. One such issue is unintended expenses, including very high mobile charges for data downloading amounting to thousands of dollars when they are overseas. Other forms of complaint may be related to inadequate quality of services. What is MICA doing to ensure that consumers' interests are being safeguarded?

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Data Protection

Mr Chairman, if we were to ask anyone here if they had received any unsolicited telephone calls offering attractive credit terms, loans, insurance or card offers, nine out of 10 would have received at least one in the last six months or so. There are mounting concerns and criticisms about the lack of proper controls and data protection safeguards by organisations. Businesses are buying and selling customer databases for marketing purposes, others are mining personal data from lucky draw forms, surveys, business cards and telephone directories and selling them to other companies for a profit. This has led to growing frustration among members of the public who are subjected to numerous annoying marketing SMSes and calls every day, and are made to bear the costs of receiving such calls when they are overseas. MICA has taken the important step of drafting the necessary legislation to protect misuse or abuse of consumers' data. What would be the tangible outcomes and benefits for consumers with the Do-Not-Call registry and the data protection law?

Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast): Sir, Singaporeans are increasingly getting frustrated at the number of calls from telemarketers offering packages, services and products. Some of these calls are not only unwanted and untimely, they also come during ungodly hours when one is overseas. Many have politely declined the offers to join this or that, or buy this or that, from one caller only to receive the same proposition by another person representing the same company days or weeks down the road. How many times does one need to tell the same company representative or call centre that we are not interested?

It is not uncommon for companies to mine customers for personal data, as the hon Member Mr David Ong has mentioned. There are also alleged incidents of companies who may, through legitimate means, obtain clients' personal data and then sell them commercially. This, I think, is the crux of the problem. The public is totally helpless and there should be a law to address this, or for the authorities to regulate. I hope the Government can address this increasingly pervasive activity or, rather, invasive activity. No means no, stop calling means stop calling.

Another area that needs to be looked at are the breaches of confidential data by companies' websites. There was a recent case where personal information of other passengers was displayed instead of the details of the person who had signed on. This caused questions on the integrity of the data management and protection of the company. There should be regulatory consequences to such breaches, to protect personal data provided to businesses by the consumer.

5.15 pm

Mrs Lina Chiam: I raise the issue of data protection in view of MICA's public consultation to seek feedback on the proposed Consumer Data Protection regime for Singapore which was issued last year. In Singapore, companies and organisations tend to collect too much data from consumers, much of which is unnecessary and irrelevant. Extraneous data, including sensitive personal information, such as NRIC numbers, addresses and telephone numbers, are collected through lucky draw coupons, membership card applications and the like. So the proposed changes to our Data Protection Law are much needed but the regime is still too light-touch.

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Some academics and experts in this field are of the opinion that it will not make a substantial difference. We need to make the security of consumers the fundamental principle here. On one end, this may lead to unsolicited calls by telemarketers; on a more serious note, the NRIC numbers can fall into the wrong hands and could be used to impersonate or represent someone else, thus compromising the security of the unfortunate individual. Yet the proposed regime has no specific provision on the collection of NRIC numbers which are so important in the daily lives of Singaporeans. There also does not seem to be any requirement that personal data collected by a company is kept confidential or to limit access to the collected data.

Does MICA want to balance the interest of consumers with that of businesses as it does not want to affect Singapore's reputation as a place to do business, especially for ICT service providers and for the development of cloud computing? As the data protection regimes in other advanced economies in the European Union or in Canada and Australia are much more stringent than ours, so I do not think we would lose out. Eventually, we will be forced to harmonise our regime with theirs when we need to meet their requirements in return for a market as theirs, such as during negotiations for trade agreements.

Fibre Broadband Network

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, OpenNet was appointed by the IDA to install superfast national fibre broadband network in 2008. Over the past few years, OpenNet had written to thousands of households inviting them to opt for the free installation of the fibre cable. The feedback I received is that many households do not understand the contents of the invitation letter. Many households had treated the OpenNet letters as junk mail. Elderly residents who are illiterate could not even understand the need for them to opt for the free installation.

Sir, there must be many houses in Singapore who have missed out on the free installation of the broadband fibre network. Sir, the Government had the best of intention when it promoted the installation of this network. The execution of the works leaves much to be desired. Many households are unhappy that they had to incur additional costs for this installation of what is supposed to have been done free. Sir, what does the Government intend to do about this situation? Will the Government withhold the grant of $750 million if OpenNet fails to meet the universal service obligation? Would the Government insist that OpenNet repeat the offer to install the fibre cables free of payment to homes that had missed the first offer?

SMEs Adopting ICT and Design

Ms Low Yen Ling: Sir, our SMEs today not only have to cope with a tight labour market, they are also under pressure to reduce their reliance on foreign labour. There is also the need to manage costs more efficiently. To meet these demands, SMEs have to increase their productivity and competitive edge. One of the ways they can do so is to harness technology and design more effectively. With the use of ICT means, SMEs can do more with less. Some SMEs have successfully utilised ICT to improve their work processes. Restaurants that integrate their point-of-sales systems and kitchen management system with portable devices have reduced manpower needs considerably.

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The Government is encouraging SMEs towards greater use of ICT. However, are there enough trained professionals in this area? How will MICA develop our pool of specialised expertise in Singapore to meet SMEs' increased needs for ICT skills? Or can SMEs be encouraged or incentivised to tap upon this important pool of talent to increase their productivity?

Another way where MICA can indeed help our SMEs in a competitive edge is in the area of design innovation. In 2010, the Economics Strategies Committee highlighted design as a key business capability to enhance the productivity of our enterprises. MICA has since sought to increase our companies' design thinking and capabilities. SMEs that successfully exploit design innovation to build their bottomline can stand to gain in the long term. They not only improve the quality of their services and products, their image, their brands, will also be enhanced. For example, SMEs can move up the value chain of production from being an OEM or what we call Original Equipment Manufacturer to being an OBM, Original Brand Manufacturer. To this end, can MICA provide an update on the design-related initiatives and programmes for our Singapore companies? How can MICA help enterprises to adopt design thinking and adoption? What is the SMEs' participation rate for such programmes? And lastly, how are SMEs leveraging this programme to increase their competitive edge and intellectual property?

The:

Chairman: Miss Penny Low is not in the House, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Chairman, let me now update on MICA's economic portfolio. In spite of the uncertain global outlook for 2012, governments around the world have continued to look to the infocomm, media and design sectors, collectively known as the ICMD sectors, to drive innovation and growth.

Worldwide IT spending this year is forecasted at US$3.8 trillion, a 3.7% increase from 2011. Media revenue in 2011 reached US$1.2 trillion, up 3.6% from 2010. As for Design, the European Union has launched a design innovation policy to fund design projects which raise SME performances; China is also shifting from a "Made-in-China" to a "Designed-in-China" strategy to create economic value.

Singapore's investments in ICMD have yielded positive outcomes. We have achieved exceptional results in international rankings. For two years in a row, Singapore ranked second in the World Economic Forum's Global IT Report; and the 2nd Annual Global Innovation Barometer ranked Singapore 14th for our global reputation in innovation.

The ICMD sectors have lent a strong push to the economy, both in terms of value-add and employment opportunities. Preliminary statistics show that in 2011, the media sector grew strongly at 10.6%, infocomm at 9.5%, and design at 8.9%. All three sectors exceeded the GDP growth of 4.9%. The ICMD sectors as a whole registered an increasing employment trend from 2006 to 2010, with growth rates ranging from 4.6% to 7.0%.

ICMD also plays a key role in our daily lives. Singapore is one of the world's most connected nations. Household broadband penetration reached 85% last year, while mobile penetration increased to 149.6%. As for the pay-TV sector, six in 10 resident households are now subscribers of at least one pay-TV service. With strong investments globally in the ICMD sectors and increasing consumption of related products and services, our goals remain clear: first, to enhance consumer experiences and, second, to improve business competitiveness.

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Sir, let me start with our consumers. Mr David Ong pointed out that while Singaporeans have benefited from increased connectivity and mobility, a downside is the emergence of consumer-related issues. Indeed, our infocomm and media ecosystem must be one which consumers can trust, especially when Singaporeans increasingly view them as necessities. Whether for education, entertainment, work or play, Singaporeans are increasingly turning to digital solutions for the latest, fastest and "coolest". Steps have been taken to resolve these consumer issues.

One key set of concerns pertains to the high charges incurred by consumers, oftentimes without knowing. Consumers now can block unsolicited chargeable SMS messages, otherwise known as premium rate services, through a barring service which is free. Consumers' minds can also be at ease when managing their overseas data roaming usage. To minimise data roaming "bill shocks", consumers can opt-in to a free service which automatically suspends data roaming service once charges hit S$100 in a single month. These measures have been made mandatory for local operators since 1 February this year.

Finally, Sir, subscribers of pay TV services are now protected against excessive early termination charges as retailers are required to graduate the charges on a monthly basis when consumers terminate their contracts early. Residential pay TV contracts have also been capped at two years to ensure that consumers are not tied to excessively long contracts.

Sir, the second set of concerns pertains to consumer expectations on quality of service. I am pleased to note that 3G mobile coverage within buildings, on the streets, and in our MRT tunnels will be enhanced. Internet Service Providers will also be required to publish information on typical download speeds, in addition to theoretical maximum speeds currently advertised. These measures will come into effect progressively from 1 April this year.

Mr David Ong, Mr Arthur Fong and Mrs Lina Chiam raised concerns over insufficient protection of consumer personal data, which could be misused or sold for marketing purposes. Sir, MICA is formulating a Data Protection Law to prohibit the unnecessary collection of personal data, as well as the unauthorised use and disclosure of such data by organisations. MICA has also proposed to create a National Do-Not-Call Registry. This will allow consumers to opt out of unsolicited marketing messages received through phone, SMS, MMS or fax. Consumers can expect the Data Protection Bill to be introduced in Parliament the third quarter of this year, and for the Registry to be set up by end 2013.

MICA has also put in place a National Authentication Framework to assure consumers of greater security when performing transactions online. This has become more important as Singaporeans increasingly engage in online transactions which involve sensitive information.

Since 12 December 2011, Assurity Trusted Solutions, a subsidiary of the IDA, has started offering authentication services to interested service providers. Service providers enjoy cost savings as they do not have to invest in their own online security systems. At the same time, end-users, such as you and me, can enjoy the convenience of using a single authentication device to access multiple online services. As you can see, this particular person has nine tokens compared to the single token that we hope to develop and proliferate in Singapore.

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Trusted services can only be efficiently delivered with the support of quality infrastructure. To prepare Singaporeans for an infocomm-enabled future, we have laid out plans to build the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network as the core backbone of our digital communication infrastructure. As of January 2012, the deployment of the Next Gen NBN has reached 86%, and we are on track to cover 95% of all homes and offices by the middle of this year.

Sir, as the Next Gen NBN roll-out is a massive island-wide exercise, we must expect some operational challenges. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked for a review of the manner in which OpenNet informs homeowners of the free installation, noting that some did not understand and missed out on the offer.

IDA and OpenNet worked with multiple stakeholders and leveraged various platforms to publicise the free installation offer widely. Besides notification letters and information brochures, a media campaign was launched on TV, press, online and public platforms. IDA also worked closely with grassroots organisations to brief grassroots leaders and showcase the Next Gen NBN at community events.

In spite of these efforts, there remain some homeowners who did not respond to OpenNet's free fibre installation. Since additional costs for subsequent installations have to be incurred by OpenNet, it is not a simple matter to require OpenNet to re-offer free installations. I understand that IDA has been facilitating appeals from these homeowners, and that OpenNet has acceded to as many as nine out of 10 appeals. This applies mostly to homeowners who can show proof of their absence. In addition, some service providers are also now offering waiver of installation fees for certain service plans.

Sir, I am pleased to inform the House that consumers and businesses are already enjoying the benefits of the Next Gen NBN. Many new Internet service providers have entered the market. There are currently 12 service providers, offering over 40 competitively-priced fibre-based broadband plans. Several of these plans are also packaged with value-added services, such as interactive TV applications, video conferencing and online learning resources. Over 100,000 households have signed up for fibre-based broadband plans as of January 2012.

Sir, as infocomm becomes increasingly embedded within the day-to-day lives of our society, we are also concerned that some could be left behind. To build a digitally inclusive society and avail its opportunities to all, MICA has rolled-out an extensive digital inclusion programme to help all Singaporeans stay abreast. First, MICA recognises that infocomm is increasingly essential for education. Needy households with students must not be left behind. Since 1999, IDA has helped low-income households with school-going children acquire new computers. And these computers come bundled with free software and broadband access. As of January 2012, the NEU PC Plus Programme has benefited more than 32,000 households. Currently, 97% of households with school-going children are able to access a computer at home.

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5.30 pm

Let me cite one example. Adeline, a Secondary 2 student from Holy Innocents' High School, is one such beneficiary of the NEU PC Plus Programme. Previously, she spent long hours at the school library to complete her assignments. This has changed since she received her laptop under the NEU PC Plus Programme. She now completes her school work at home, and is able to enhance her school projects through productivity tools offered as part of the PC Bundle.

Second, Sir, MICA will also help our senior citizens log on to the digital world and acquire relevant IT skills. One hundred Silver Infocomm Hotpots will be set up island-wide by March 2013 in public areas where senior citizens commonly congregate. They will get free access to computers and Internet services. As of February 2012, 49 Silver Infocomm Hotspots are already operating in various Community Clubs, Residents' Committees and Senior Citizen Activity Centres.

Senior citizens also get affordable IT training at 12 conveniently-located IT learning hubs, known as Silver Infocomm Junctions. Over four years, more than 57,000 senior citizens have attended training workshops on topics such as social-networking, e-transactions and online health management. Seventy-two-year-old Victor Sim is a beneficiary of IDA's Silver Infocomm initiatives. After three decades in the film processing business, Mr Sim then attended courses at IDA's Silver Infocomm Junction and learnt about digital photograph management. I understand that Mr Sim has now set up an IT laboratory and is conducting IT lessons for other senior citizens − a second career at the age of 72!

Third, MICA recognises that most jobs in the workplace today require infocomm skills. To help persons with disabilities, the Infocomm Accessibility Centre has provided industry-relevant infocomm training and structured certification pathways. As of January 2012, over 4,800 trainees − including 19-year-old David Ng Hui Quan who suffers from hemiparesis or weakness on one side of the body − have attended customised IT programmes at the centre.

Sir, let me now address business competitiveness within the ICMD sectors and beyond. MICA's key strategy is to sharpen capabilities so that our talents are valued both locally and internationally. We have studied the manpower needs of the various sectors, and will put in place customised strategies to help workers raise professionalism and stay relevant. IDA launched the Infocomm Manpower Development Roadmap 2.0 last year. This Roadmap develops infocomm talents and creates higher value-added jobs. This is in response to the industry's needs for sophisticated infocomm skills, as a result of the industry's shift towards more knowledge-intensive business models.

IDA's Company-Led Training programme will help fast-track fresh professionals to specialist-level jobs through on-the-job training by leading companies. IDA will also build a pipeline of infocomm experts in high-end, strategic growth areas through local and overseas attachments under the Infocomm Leadership and Development programme. These programmes will be complemented by the expanded Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme, which seeks to equip infocomm professionals with critical, new and emerging infocomm skills. Sixteen thousand trainees are expected to undertake the training courses over the next four years.

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The creativity-driven nature of the media sector requires a continual focus on manpower development. However, upgrading opportunities are not easily available for some. For example, freelancers face opportunity costs when pursuing skills-upgrading. Many media companies also lack the scale in terms of financial resources to invest in training.

MDA will provide training allowances for media freelancers to upgrade their capabilities at various courses recognised by the Workforce Development Authority. MDA will also enhance apprenticeship programmes to provide opportunities for media practitioners to learn from international experts. In all, MDA has committed $15 million over five years to up-skill 2,000 media professionals.

Sir, let me now briefly touch on the Design Singapore Council. The Design Singapore Council has implemented capability building initiatives catering to upgrading needs at various levels. Individual designers can tap on capability development programmes to upgrade their skills, while the Industry Association Development Scheme helps design industry associations roll out industry-wide training. Last year, around 3,000 individuals had benefited from these programmes.

By 2013, a Design Accreditation framework will be established to recognise quality practice and raise the professionalism of our local designers. A Singapore Good Design Mark and Award will also be launched to recognise well-designed products and services. This would further motivate our designers to develop professional capabilities and enhance design excellence. To be launched in October 2012, the Singapore Good Design Mark and Award will be administered annually from 2013 onwards.

Sir, Ms Low Yen Ling asked about how SMEs can be further encouraged to adopt ICT and design for productivity gains. MICA will continue to encourage the adoption of infocomm by SMEs through the $85.5 million iSPRINT scheme, supported by the National Productivity Fund. Launched in collaboration with SPRING and IRAS, the iSPRINT scheme offers SMEs with ready-to-use infocomm solutions that bring immediate productivity gains. To date, more than 2,800 SMEs have benefited from the scheme, generating more than $20 million in ICT expenditure and a projected $650 million in value-add. We can see that these are small businesses which we are flashing on the screen, from a simple grocery shop to a company dealing with bank scanning system.

IDA will also spur the adoption of emerging technologies, such as business analytics and cloud computing. IDA will develop at least three sector-wide shared business analytics platforms in identified sectors. Tax deductions will also be available for businesses who take up cloud computing services through the Productivity and Innovation Credit Scheme.

Even as businesses increase their productivity through ICT, it is important for them to move up the value chain by constantly creating compelling products, services and experiences that engage the users. This is where design comes in as a strategic differentiator to help businesses innovate and stay ahead of the curve. The Design Thinking and Innovation Academy (DTIA) was set up by the DesignSingapore Council to infuse Design Thinking across all levels.

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For the young, the "Many Ways of Seeing" programme helps cultivate a design thinking mindset. A few weeks ago, I saw students from Victoria School learning how design can be used to reinterpret everyday objects under the guidance of Ms Masayo, a professional Japanese designer. For businesses, the DTIA has in place a Design Thinking Workshop Series to help realise design thinking capabilities for competitiveness and growth. This has reached out to companies in sectors, such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail and services. DTIA's design thinking workshops have also benefited participants from the people sector organisations, including hospitals, foundations and community groups. I understand that the Central Singapore Community Development Council attended one such workshop, and is now using design thinking to implement more resident-centric programmes. Sir, to date, over 3,600 participants have attended various DTIA workshops and seminars.

Beyond raising the awareness of design thinking, assistance schemes are also in place to help businesses capture the economic potential of design. For example, companies can tap on the Productivity and Innovation Credit for Design, a tax incentive scheme that provides significant tax deductions for businesses that invest in product and industrial design. Companies can also apply for the Design for Business Innovation Grant, or DBIG, a co-funding grant which seeks to incentivise first-time adoption of design.

Let me cite some examples. Many local companies have, in fact, benefitted from the DBIG scheme. Univonna, one of Singapore's largest sofa suppliers, transformed from manufacturing for other companies to designing its own brand of furniture. Boncafe, a European coffee roaster based in Singapore, is using design to diversify from solely selling products to offering a holistic retail experience for its consumers.

Sir, the Economic Strategies Committee Report in 2010 identified the growing economic might of Asian consumers as a new growth opportunity. As a microcosm of Asian diversity and culture, Singapore is well-positioned to design products and services for the region. Global enterprises have profited from the expansion of personal consumption in Asia by targeting the unique taste of Asian consumers. For example, the global company Kraft Foods observed a growing market in Indonesia for the biscuit business. Instead of merely marketing existing products, Kraft Foods focused on designing products based on an understanding of local food culture. The result was the launch of the Oreo Softcake, as inspired by the "bolu" cake. This has helped the company capture 10.6% of the market share within two and a half years. So, they moved from something hard and crunchy to something soft and juicy for the Indonesian market, and they have captured 10.6% of the market share in Indonesia within two and a half years.

The Asian Insights and Design Innovation initiative (AIDI) was launched to help identify business opportunities for Singapore. Over the next few months, the AIDI will be conducting studies in different parts of Asia to help Singapore businesses better understand Asian users' needs. The first set of Asian Insights & Design Innovation workshops will be launched in the third quarter of 2012 to help translate these insights into design concepts for business growth.

Sir, MICA's portfolio is wide-ranging, as pointed out by Mr Zaqy Mohamad but they are all complementary in realising Singapore's vision of: (i) an inclusive and embracing society, where no Singaporean is left behind; (ii) A stronger and more productive economy, with high-value jobs; and (iii) An even better home with a vibrant arts and culture scene, further enhanced by infocomm, media and design.

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The Chairman: We have some time for clarifications. Mr Baey Yam Keng.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: ( In Mandarin ): [Please refer to Pg 1852 for Vernacular Speeches.] The Minister mentioned that some clan associations are actively participating in activities to preserve our culture, this is heartening news. Recently, a few senior members of the Chinese community have actively lobbied to commemorate the contributions of the Nanyang Chinese who returned to China to serve as drivers and mechanics during the Sino-Japanese War (Nanyang Volunteers). Back in 2009, I had the honour to officially open a National Heritage Board exhibition featuring these Nanyang drivers and mechanics. Hence, I would like to ask, what is the Government's position regarding such a suggestion? If organisations from the Chinese community volunteer to lead this project, how will the Government support it?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: ( In Mandarin ): [Please refer to Pg 1853 for Vernacular Speeches.] Firstly, I would like to thank the Member of Parliament for taking time to attend the event organised by the Chinese community. All along, civic organisations within the Chinese community have been actively working to promote Chinese tradition and culture, including greater knowledge of the contributions of our forefathers. Just as Mr Baey Yam Keng mentioned a while ago, the Government supports these activities. The contributions of Nanyang Volunteers during the Sino-Japanese War is noteworthy and deserve praise. Their fearless self-sacrifice, in particular, is worth emulating. During this process, the National Heritage Board has also done much. For example, we have documented oral archival history from the surviving Nanyang Volunteers; we have also organised some of the artefacts, including reorganising and exhibiting historical records and photographs of the Nanyang Volunteers. As mentioned by Mr Baey, some of these have been exhibited during certain activities. Looking forward, if representatives and senior members of the Chinese community feel that it is necessary to further affirm the contributions of these Nanyang Volunteers, we will support civic organisations to initiate these efforts.

From what I understand, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) have mentioned to us that they may play a leading role on this issue. In fact, in the course of history, the SCCCI has played a leading role in the story of Nanyang Volunteers. For example, they played a big part in recruiting the Nanyang Volunteers. They also played a major role so that the story of Nanyang Volunteers will be reflected in history. The Government will try its best to work with the Chinese community, to re-affirm and commemorate the contributions of our forefathers.

Ms Janice Koh: Sir, I would like to thank Minister Yaacob for his responses to my questions. I just have four clarifications. The first is regarding the process of regulation. If most of the Censorship Review Committee's (CRC) recommendations have been implemented, I hope MICA can list the groups which have been given term licensing on their website, so that it is transparent. Does MICA agree that we do need a more transparent and accountable approach to regulating our arts and film industry so that guidelines are published and followed? In this way, both artists and Government officials do not need to second guess what is permissible. Second, it is regarding the collation of data to study the impact of arts policies. I understand that there has been general statistics collated with regard to arts attendance and the number of activities – that has been ongoing for many years now. However, would MICA collate very detailed information about the funded arts groups so that we know what their impact on our arts scene is? Not just general arts attendance but looking at subsidy per head, for example, looking at ticket pricing, at the way their expenditures are broken down, so that we can help these arts groups develop further and remain relevant to Singaporeans, and not just to an elite audience.

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5.45 pm

My third clarification is regarding what the Minister of State Mr Chan Chun Sing mentioned. He said that forum theatre has been a very good initiative as a way of reaching out to the community, and I totally agree with him. Forum theatre is a very important platform to discuss social issues that are relevant to the community, and it requires audience participation as part of the dramatic process. However, at this point, I believe on NAC's website, forum theatre is still considered an art form that is not funded by the Council. In light of the fact that this has become such an important platform to reach out to the community, would MICA consider funding this art form so that the arts is really, truly, available to all?

My final clarification is in response to the traditional arts that was highlighted by the Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu. I am glad that we are promoting the traditional arts. However, some really serious issues still remain, and it is regarding how our Cultural Medallion winners at the very forefront of the traditional arts, including Mr and Mrs Bhaskar, who are founders of Bhaskar's Arts Academy, are finding problems in their succession planning. It is the same with the Chinese Theatre Circle, which is led by Mrs Joanna Wong and Mr Leslie Wong. I believe that they are also slowing down, and this is becoming an obstacle to the way they can run their company. I would like to know whether or not MICA or NAC is slowly "hand-holding" them through this process of change and transition, so that they can really remain relevant to future audiences.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for raising those questions. I am not sure whether I have all the answers that she wants to hear.

On regulations in the CRC, as I mentioned in my reply, we have implemented about 80% of them. Some of them require further study. But to her point as to whether or not we can be transparent about which part of the recommendation that we are going to implement or will be implementing, I think this is something which we have to continue to study because there are some recommendations in which we have to understand further in terms of their implications down the road.

On the guidelines on being transparent, at the moment, if you go to the website of NAC or NHB for funding for whatever classification of arts entertainment, it is very clear. I have been in MICA for less than a year, but I have been able to assess some of this information where companies have responded to the guidelines that we placed and they have modified some of the script in order to meet those guidelines. But I will agree with her that as we endeavour to bring more people and groups onboard, we need to be transparent to ensure that we are on the right side of the House, so to speak, for both the Government and the arts community. This is something that we will continue to endeavour.

I agree with her that we need to be more refined in the way we understand how funding is being used by the various groups and whether it would achieve our purpose. She is right that we do have a lot of macro data that we have collected. But, going forward, these are the things which we are studying in greater detail, and how best we can collect. It is easy to collect, but whether we can analyse it for the kind of granularity that she mentioned about, may be a bit difficult. But I understand where she is coming from because these are public funds and we want to make sure that we get the returns that we so desire from our funding.

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On forum theatre, as mentioned by the Minister of State Mr Chan, this has been used by some practitioners. In terms of the overall funding scheme, we look at the total package as to what exactly is being delivered by the artistic community. Some groups have used it within their overall presentation rather than as a presentation itself. So, we should give the flexibility to NAC to assess as to whether or not this deserves funding or not. But I agree with her that, going forward, as the art forms continue to evolve and become relevant to the kind of goals that we want to achieve, we will have to review our funding framework.

On traditional arts, she spoke about succession planning. Really, I am not sure whether it is the business of the Government to go and intervene into the various groups. But I agree with her that there is a need and that is why we hope, through the funding of the ACSR recommendations that I mentioned earlier, that we can actually develop a younger group of people through the pipeline from the schools into the community and, hopefully, into some of these groups. I visited some of them. I was at Bhaskar's Academy a few weeks ago. They do great work and are very talented people. But she is right that in order to get young people in, they would probably need to see a clear path. Some of them who were present there were not Singaporeans, but the more important point is that we want to grow this sector and bring in younger people so that they can take on the leadership of some of these organisations. But this will take a long time and, really, not something which the Government can compel. The best that we can do is to create a platform, facilitate it with the proper funding and infrastructure so that more can come forward. In fact, at the signing ceremony between the LASALLE and Goldsmiths College just this Wednesday, where the Prime Minister was the guest-of-honour − it was my first visit to LASALLE, embarrassed as it may be as the Arts Minister − I was touched by the vibrancy of the place, the enthusiasm and the comments by the foreigners who were present from Goldsmiths College, about the quality of our students and our capability. This is, in fact, a testament of the efforts of our Government to put more resources into the arts and culture sectors so that we can produce arts professionals for Singapore.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: Sir, on Arts Festivals, I think we need to take a more strategic approach to the various Arts Festivals in our calendar and promote Singapore as a unique global city of the arts to the world. I have asked MICA for a list of all the Arts Festivals and it gave me a list of 52 festivals. I am not sure if all of them really qualify as Arts Festivals but they do give a sense of the vibrancy of our arts scene. Can I ask the Minister to consider setting up an umbrella discussion body to look at the strategic development of all the major Arts Festivals and the overarching areas of mutual interests? In this way, while the events may themselves be run by different organisations, there can be better coordination in marketing and planning, and also a louder voice to shout out to the world of the feast of festivals that is available here.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Well, actually, the umbrella body exists. It is called the NAC. The National Arts Council is the umbrella body to manage the arts scene in Singapore. But I do agree with the Member that we can do better in terms of coordinating because a large number of the festivals are run by the private sector groups and organisations, which is basically a very good development for us here in Singapore. To be able to manage a very, very, crowded and well-packed calendar, right down to the last details of timing and non-overlapping places, I think it would be very difficult. I agree with her. In fact, we are looking into this very seriously. As to whether or not we need to create another body, I think that would be redundant. How can NAC play a better role? In fact, as I mentioned in my earlier reply to Ms Janice Koh, we did, for example, coordinate some of the events at the Esplanade, and some events staged during the Singapore Arts Festival, which is run by NAC, and those run by the private sector organisations. But I agree that we need to do more so that we can have this fantastic calendar that not only can show Singaporeans but also can display internationally.

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Mr Zaqy Mohamad: I thank the Minister for his clarification and his speech earlier. I have a clarification. In terms of the arts performers and professionals, in this year's Budget, we notice that there is a lot of focus on increasing wages and incomes. As part of arts policy and strategic plans, what are the Ministry's plans for arts? For professionals, we have training skills; for practitioners, perhaps there is something that we need to work on. I know some do not receive CPF if they are working on a project basis. So, how can we help them improve their livelihoods in the long term?

On another issue – the Next Generation Network (NGN) – I have heard the Ministry's reply on the deployment of NGN and OpenNet, but that is more for consumer households. How about the commercial aspects, ie, commercial buildings and corporates? Are we also on track? I am heartened to see the level of competition. Is the Ministry happy with the level of competitiveness in terms of the rates and also the number of diversity of services, because I think one concern that we initially had of NGN was that we had a very big pipeline. What types of services are we delivering and is there some diversity?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, I did mention in my reply that it is part of the three-pronged approach that we will take in response to the ACSR. One of them is the Capability Development Roadmap, and this is where we will work with art practitioners and enthusiasts out there to help them. NAC is also working with WDA to roll out CET programmes to help the practitioners upgrade their skills. I do not think the Government can guarantee that everyone of them will have a fantastic livelihood but what we can do, as I responded to Ms Janice Koh, is that we create an eco-system or platform and, hopefully, practitioners in the field can take advantage of that. And we support not only in terms of training but also in terms of honing their craft. There are a lot of efforts by MDA and NAC to help some of the practitioners improve their skills. By doing so, we hope that, over time, they can deliver better performances and therefore garner better audiences. So, I agree with him that this is something which we have to pay attention to but, at the end of the day, as I mentioned also in my reply, some of the practitioners have to weigh this against the opportunity cost because if you take time away from producing and training, you will lose some time.

On the NGN, as far the commercial sector is concerned, we do not have much of a problem other than some of the earlier teething problems that we had with building owners opening up access to OpenNet, to be able to bring in the fibre. We have since resolved that problem. IDA, in fact, stepped in to work together with OpenNet and the building owners to ensure that we can have free access.

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Finally, on the rates and diversity. It is difficult for us to say whether we have reached the optimal level, but we can see that prices for fibre are coming down tremendously. I have signed up one recently with my own provider, not the cheapest but, nonetheless, it offers a diversity of programmes. In terms of the diversity of services – there were 14 to 16-odd kind of services. There are many more other providers out there offering a whole range of services. So, MICA's assessment is that the NGN is slowly but surely developing an eco-system to allow new creative ideas to come onboard. The pipeline is big, and he is right that we want to try and push a lot through the pipeline. We cannot mandate it again but we have to work with the private sector. There is a lot of effort by MDA to reach out to a lot of groups to encourage them and to produce new products and services for the consumers. I would like to assure the Member that this is something which we pay close attention to because the investment is huge and we have to make sure that the money is well spent.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Is there any plan or programme to encourage Singaporeans to visit heritage sites and museums?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sorry, Mr Low, I have forgotten your question. There are, in fact, existing plans. Maybe I can send a brochure to Mr Low on the various schemes that we have put in place by NHB. But, seriously, I agree with him that this is an important part of our work as heritage is an important part of our identity. In fact, the NHB has rolled out many, many programmes for various groups, including our school children, to visit our museums. Just recently, to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Second World War, we started a couple of heritage trails, and I joined one group of students from Woodgrove Secondary School to walk from Fort Canning all the way down to the memorial at the park opposite Padang – what we used to call Elizabeth Walk. The point is that there are efforts by NHB to create information to enthuse schools and special interest groups to come forward and take advantage of all the offerings that we have through our heritage trails.

In fact, there are existing exhibitions going on at the museums and some of the museum offerings are free on certain days. In fact, they are free for students, for senior citizens and NSmen. So we have lowered the bar for a lot more Singaporeans to come forward. The numbers are encouraging. We have seen a lot more schools coming forward. Even the schools in my constituency have started organising heritage trails every year with the help of NHB. It is really about whether people want to come forward. I would be happy to work with any groups out there to encourage them to make use of the heritage trails that we have developed and, increasingly, we will develop new heritage markers and therefore we need to advertise this further so that people can take advantage of them.

6.00 pm

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Sir, if I can just go back to the Fibre Broadband Network. Since we are promoting the high-speed broadband network to all Singaporeans, why do we not make it available to all households? Why go through the process of sending one letter, then a second letter? And we have illiterate residents, ignorant residents who are not aware. In fact, my own household − the first letter was thrown away by my wife. I was looking out for it then, so I asked my wife, "Did you see it?" Then I got my second letter €”

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The Chairman: Mr Lim, can you keep the clarification short, please?

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Yes. So, if the Minister could also let us know the number of residential homes that have taken up the offer.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, this is a very big project and we want all Singaporeans to take advantage of it. But there is a cost to OpenNet. The reason IDA initially obligated OpenNet to send all these letters to inform the residents is because when you roll out programmes, you have to mobilise resources. And once you miss a certain estate, to roll it back again, it will incur costs [ Interruption ]. But we have to inform you so that you will be at home when we come so that we can roll out either to your gate or whatever the case may be.

We have done it twice, through two letters. First one may be thrown out, but not the second one. But the point is, as I have mentioned in my reply, there were a lot of efforts by IDA to mobilise grassroots, various organisations. The picture I showed Members was an exhibition in Geylang Serai where IDA worked very closely with local grassroots to advertise about the roll out. But having said that, we will concede that there will be some instances where people were away, or whatever the case may be. As I mentioned in my reply, we looked at every appeal and nine out of 10 appeals have already been acceded to by OpenNet. We have to understand it from that perspective. All of us received the first letter and then we got feedback according to IDA that people did not understand the first letter. That is why, maybe, it was thrown away. We changed and the second letter had a big text that says "OpenNet Free Installation", and so on. We have tried our very best. To do so now, I think it is not fair to OpenNet. Having said that, we have also worked with some of the Retail Service Providers (RSPs) to see whether they could bundle and, in fact, they have been offering plans, to waive the installation fee if you sign up for a service plan. Because all of us, after we get connected, must have a service plan. What is the point of having a fibre network at home when you have no service plan? This is again another opportunity to work together with some of the RSPs that are already servicing you or new RSPs to try and get fibre into your homes.

The Chairman: Mr Nicholas Fang, last clarification. Keep it short, please.

Mr Nicholas Fang: Thank you, Chairman. I will do my best to emulate fellow NMP and speak really quickly. Three clarifications if I may. I was heartened to hear that MICA views and values history and heritage as a key part of building our society and anchoring our people. My question is, whether or not there is an unbalanced focus on our history post-independence largely and that whether or not this misses out a valuable part of our past from the time that Raffles first stepped on our shores up to World War II?

My time in history class in primary school was long time ago, but like many of my peers when asked what we think of our history, I can only remember largely the last four plus decades as an economic miracle, renowned for our sound policies and clean, stable society. This may be true but it is not always the most inspiring especially for the youths whose imaginations would be better fired by grittier tales of Singapore's early days as a rough and tumble seaport and a melting pot for immigrants replete with pirates and gangsters and what-not. To be sure some parts were grittier and seamier than what we are used to €”

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The Chairman: Mr Fang, less drama, more prudence, please.

Mr Nicholas Fang: This part of our history and our roots, knowing where we come from, warts and all. The second question is about a mindset change. We have seen widespread cheer among the arts community and the championing of arts and culture by my fellow NMP Janice Koh. She has already been christened the Arts NMP. My concern is that this is praise and discernment from the converted. Recent comments on the REACH website shows that there is still broad perception that the arts and culture is for the elite or perhaps hoity-toity, as Ms Irene Ng put it earlier. So, how do we get this broader message to a wider public?

My third question may require some mental gymnastics as we fuse the left and right brains but does MICA have a plan to address the phenomenon of new technologies such as tablet computers, iPads and smartphones? The Minister has spoken on how we tap on new media and social networking. Do we have a plan to tap on new technology so that we can harness the plans of, for example, the NLB, to broaden the appeal of reading using such new technologies?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, do I have the time to respond?

The Chairman: We will give you a short time.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, actually if the hon Member is interested, I can invite him to the National Museum of Singapore where the exhibition goes way before 1965. We do value our history before 1965 and in fact, the NHB has on several occasions held exhibitions to show different eras of our history. And I do agree with him that we need to broaden that. In fact, it is being done by NHB. As I replied to Mr Low, there are many opportunities available and it is really up to Singaporeans and the various groups to take advantage of that.

On the mindset change, I agree entirely with him and that is why we are going to have cultural offices at the various community centres (CCs) to bring arts to the masses and bring the masses to the arts. Really, this is an effort by the ACSR to bring arts everywhere, everyday to everyone. And this is the response by the Government. We hope that the various constituencies will take advantage of the resources that we are deploying at the ground. I think, more importantly, for Singaporeans also to widen our definition of arts and culture. When I see my senior citizen ladies doing line dancing, week in, week out − large groups, I mean they are having fun. But it is an art form. They go through classes. There are moves which I cannot emulate. They do it very, very well. And they are good at it. So, I think widening the definition on our part is also very important. And that is why in response to Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Minister of State Grace Fu mentioned that g etai which is a local popular culture is going to be embraced as part of our arts and culture heritage. Finally, the use of technology − the answer is yes. We are looking at every opportunity to use whatever that is available to promote our arts and culture vision.

The Chairman: Ms Indranee Rajah, may I please invite you to withdraw the amendment.

Ms Indranee Rajah: Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Minister and the Ministers of State for their comprehensive replies over what is clearly a wide range of topics and issues covered by their Ministry and I should therefore like to take leave to withdraw my amendment.

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Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $774,543,300 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $364,234,400 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.