Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts

The Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts: (

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): MICA's mission is to build a Creative People, a Gracious Community and a Connected Singapore. Singapore will be celebrating its 50th year of independence in 2015. We have achieved much economically and become a vibrant global city with world-class living environment and infrastructure. We need to focus equally on making Singapore an endearing home for our people and foster a strong sense of belonging and national identity.

Arts and culture serve as an important platform for us to celebrate our heritage and shared values. With this objective, MICA embarked on the Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) last year. One of the recommendations of the People Sector-led ACSR committee is to strengthen arts and cultural offerings, making it an integral part of everyday life for all.

In the next few years, we can expect more distinctive cultural icons. These include the refurbished Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall when they re-open in 2013 and the National Art Gallery in 2015 which will be the largest visual art institution in the region.

Under the Library 2020 Plan, National Library Board (NLB) will tap on public libraries as spaces for learning and knowledge sharing, as well as social touch-points for community engagement. NLB has embarked on the Singapore Memory Project to collect, preserve and provide access to the memory of our nation through the collection of memory contributions from different eras.

Infocomm has become an integral and indispensable part of everyday life. MICA will continue to leverage on infocomm as a social enabler to ensure that the benefits of technology percolate into different segments of society. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) launched the People Sector Programme in 2010 to increase the awareness and savviness of the population in using infocomm. IDA works with strategic partners such as the PA, NTUC and NCSS to reach out to the community.

In particular, IDA is actively engaging communities that are less technologically savvy. Under the Silver Infocomm Programme, IDA has provided affordable infocomm training and customised curriculum for senior citizens. Nearly 45,000 elderly have benefited from this programme since its inception in 2007. IDA is also working closely with Special Education Schools to leverage social media and mobile applications as assistive learning tools for children with special needs.

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The media landscape has evolved considerably, presenting new opportunities as well as challenges. New innovative Internet Protocol TV services will be enabled by the bandwidth of the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network. Singapore will also move from analogue to digital broadcasting. On the flipside, some unlawful and undesirable behaviour in the physical world have also spilled onto cyberspace. Cyber-bullying, anti-social behaviour and racially insensitive comments have made their way onto the Internet. Operating under a cloak of anonymity, some content creators also resort to lies and misinformation. It is crucial that community support for cyber wellness literacy is further enhanced. The cyber ecosystem can flourish into a constructive and civil engagement platform if a code of responsible conduct is observed by all.

As media choices proliferate with easy access to global content, MICA and the Media Development Authority will continue to refine our regulatory framework to safeguard community values and public interests. The production and delivery of Public Service Broadcasting programmes will be improved to better engage and serve the diverse viewing interests of our local audiences.

MICA plays an important role in driving and coordinating the whole-of government efforts in fostering an informed and engaged citizenry. MICA is working closely with government agencies to explore, develop and make greater use of social media platforms and mobile technologies to enhance communication and engagement with our people.

We will find innovative ways to connect with our citizens. The emphasis will be on building bonds and strengthening bridges around shared values so that Singaporeans can come together to discuss and deliberate on issues of concern and contribute constructive ideas to help improve Singapore. The objective is to ensure that our citizens' concerns and aspirations are heard, understood and considered in policy formulation. In this process, we hope to strengthen active citizenry and tap on the diversity of ideas to co-create better policies and programmes.

MICA will continue its capability development efforts to ensure that Singapore's talent in the Infocomm, Media and Design sectors remain competitive and relevant. MICA is committed to building enabling infrastructure to enhance Singapore's competitiveness and productivity.

A National Design Centre will be opened in 2013 to serve as an integrated hub to provide enterprises with the resources and opportunities to innovate through good design.

Singapore's Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure will be fully developed by 2012. This will position Singapore to offer new opportunities and attract new investments. To support the fast growth of data, the IDA is developing a Data Centre Park to offer a secure, efficient and cost-competitive environment for data centre operations.

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The National Authentication Framework will be rolled out in 2012 to boost online trust and confidence against fraudulent access to online services. Singapore will also establish a general consumer data protection regime to safeguard individuals' personal data against misuse.