ADDENDA, MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS: RADM LUI TUCK YEW

Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts

MICA is committed to making Singapore the best home for Singaporeans and those who choose Singapore as their home, where our quality of life in a vibrant global city is enriched by arts, heritage and learning. Besides providing the cultural ballast that fosters a united and rooted society, MICA will continue to spearhead the development of new career and business opportunities in the creative and infocomm technology sectors.

A vibrant global city

We will continue to raise the visibility of Singapore's arts and culture internationally through performing, visual and literary arts festivals, residency and exchange programmes, and travelling exhibitions from our national museums. At home, we will develop world-class cultural infrastructure for artistic creation and the enjoyment of Singaporeans. The Arts Housing Scheme will be enhanced to provide more spaces for artistic collaboration, and to develop clusters for the arts community to interact and realise new ideas and projects. The Civic District, anchored by the iconic National Art Gallery, will be revitalised as a must-go destination for arts and culture in Asia with distinctive, world-class institutions and events. The Bras Basah-Bugis precinct will be developed as a dynamic hothouse of young talents and cutting edge ideas.

Through acquisitions and donations, MICA will grow the National Collection of artworks and artefacts as our national patrimony for the appreciation and enrichment of all Singaporeans. Between 2003 and 2008, we received $149 million worth of artefacts and in-kind donations. Going forward, we will encourage individuals and organisations to donate their collections for the public's enjoyment in special exhibitions and dedicated galleries.

Despite the economic downturn, MICA will continue to invest in the creative minds and skills of our people. We will upgrade our libraries to provide Singaporeans with lifelong access to learning resources and opportunities. The National Library Board (NLB) will open a new library in Clementi and relocate the Orchard library to the new Specialist Shopping Centre. NLB will also develop a repository of Singapore’s digital content that Singaporeans can access on-the-go through their mobile devices.

MICA will do more to facilitate easier access and encourage greater involvement in our shared heritage, even in cyberspace. The National Heritage Board will launch a Cyber

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Museum in 2010 and invite users to virtually "curate" their own exhibitions based on the artworks and artefacts from our national collection. The Community Heritage Trails will be expanded and brought online to encourage people to share social memories and build communities by creating their own trails.

The media landscape has changed dramatically since the last Censorship Review Committee was convened in 2002, with the Internet and new media providing diverse sources and modes of content for Singaporeans. Government will reconvene the Censorship Review Committee to undertake a mid-term review and make recommendations on updating our content regulations and policies to give our citizens more choices in content without compromising Singapore’s racial harmony, social cohesion and strong family values.

New economic opportunities

MICA will continue to develop the creative industries and infocomm sector to contribute to the growth of Singapore and make Singapore a city of opportunities for enterprises and services. We will continue to sharpen our focus on capability development efforts such as the Techno-Strategist programme by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) to deepen infocomm professionals’ domain knowledge of key growth sectors, Media Training and Attachment by the Media Development Authority, and DesignStudios by DesignSingapore Council. These initiatives will better prepare our workforce to exploit future opportunities. By providing advanced infocomm and media infrastructure, and nurturing innovation and growth of local companies, we will strengthen Singapore's overall competitiveness.

The rollout of the Next Generation National Broadband Network (NGNBN) will enhance business competitiveness and help us to exploit emerging growth opportunities. For companies to fully leverage on the potential of NGNBN to transform business processes and deliver innovative services, MICA will facilitate the adoption of emerging trends such as cloud and grid computing, develop next-generation data centres, and establish a neutral platform for the efficient exchange of internet traffic. IDA will support private enterprises in the creation of new services such as the Digital Concierge, which will enable local and foreign mobile users to access information and services in Singapore anywhere and anytime. Consumers can expect a wide range of services over ultra-fast broadband at attractive prices.

Finally, through the Singapore Media Fusion Plan (SMFP), MICA, with our public and private sector partners, will build a vibrant media ecosystem for our companies to create attractive content, media applications and services for the local and international markets. The focus on digital media technologies and transition to digital broadcasting will enable Singapore to keep pace with global developments, invigorate the local media space and allow consumers to enjoy higher quality content and interactive TV features. To complement the SMFP’s investment in software, MICA will work closely with the private sector to develop cutting-edge specialised infrastructure at Mediapolis@one-north.