CULTURE IN SINGAPORE'S NATION-BUILDING

Debate resumed.

Mr Speaker: Mr Teong, please continue.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, I shall continue.

On the other hand, bad culture will paralyse the human mind, make a person pessimistic, despondent, torpid, and lead him to decadence and even ultimate destruction. This is the kind of bad culture which we must discard by all means.

The bad culture I have mentioned refers to films, books, newspapers and magazines which contain licentious, indecent, corrupting, fantastic and immoral material. In the national language this kind of culture is described as Kebudayaan Chabul. This expression has a profound significance which connotes incest, promiscuity, immorality, the infringement of the proper code of conduct, sensual, adulterous and criminal behaviour. In Singapore at the present moment, what aspects of this bad culture have we? Let me give you a few examples. Our cinemas are still flooded with pictures depicting fantasy, monstrosity, shameless sex, murders, brigandism, hooliganism, and James Bond-ism. Rare indeed are there occasions when one is treated to film shows with good themes of an educative and meaningful nature. What educative effect will films of this undesirable nature have on our people? What bad influence will they exert on our youthful generation? In the world of night clubs, Rock-n-Roll and A-Go-Go is the rule, and in the dance troupes, excessive exposure of a sexy nature is the centre of interest used to attract an audience. What undesirable influence will this kind of culture have on our younger generation? Apart from this, they learn nothing but the art of jumping-jack and flirting and petting in their crudest forms. The streets of Singapore are flooded with chain-picture story books (Chinese comics) about monsters, goblins, and fantasies, in spite of the action Government took last month to ban the sale and circulation of such publications by 44 publishing houses in Hongkong. Extensive damage is being done to our school children, causing them to procrastinate in their studies and to dream of becoming flying heroes like Batman.

In the fields of radio and T.V. broadcasting, apart from programmes on political talks, forums, and traditional dramas which are commendable, our radio and T.V, stations have hardly been able to offer anything new and meaningful. The films shown on T.V., except for a small number of good educational ones which are very few and far between, are mostly of a farcical nature. If we allow this kind of situation to develop in its own course, it will inevitably lead to the emergence of some serious social problem. It is, therefore, necessary to review the position with the utmost care and attention.

The good and healthy culture which I have been talking about refers to those movies, radio and T.V. programmes, books and publications, etc., whose contents are such as to extol virtues and condemn vices, to cultivate an excellent character, to enlighten and educate people to be noble in their thought, to nurture and to bring about a keen sense of morality among the people, and to encourage them to strive for goodness and progress. At the present juncture, culture should serve the purpose of fostering the growth of national consciousness, the idea of loving one's country and a spirit of patriotism.

I have said earlier on that all unhealthy culture, be it in the form of film shows, books, newspapers, magazines or chain-picture books, will definitely exert an undesirable effect on our people, especially our younger generation who will suffer even more harm, for, being young people, they are not quite mature in their thinking, are easily subjected to the influence of yellow culture which will corrupt their thought -

Mr Speaker: Mr Teong, could you please speak a little slower? The interpreters are having difficulty.

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): If I were to speak slowly, would I be restricted with regard to time?

Mr Speaker: You are obviously speaking too fast. Could you speak a little slowly and more distinctly, please?

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): Yes, Sir.

And make them despondent, daydream and go astray; worse, make them commit criminal acts. Many criminal acts that are taking place in society, such as fighting, robbery, theft, raping, etc., are mostly done by young people.

To get down to the cause of all this, yellow films and publications are mostly to blame. Last month, a robbery took place in the Department of Social Welfare. The robbers first handed a letter to the victim. On opening the letter, it was found to contain these words, "This is a hold-up." Is not such a dramatic robbery learnt from and modelled on the style of Western films depicting robbery? The harm caused by these unhealthy films is, therefore, not a small problem.

Mr Speaker, Sir, of course, it has been the consistent policy of our Government in the field of culture to uphold and promote the excellent cultural traditions of the various races and to curb all yellow culture. Hence, after our Party was voted into power to form the Government of self-governing Singapore, we immediately launched an anti-yellow culture campaign. Measures were taken to ban pornographic publications, close down massage parlours, and impose a more stringent film censorship. On the other hand, we have actively promoted a campaign for healthy culture, such as the holding of Aneka Ragam Rakyat in various constituencies which will help promote the interchange and flow of the cultures and arts of the various races, playwriting contests, the building of the National Theatre, the holding of the South-East Asian Cultural Festival and other activities. As a result, there is manifest in our country a lively, flourishing, healthy culture. Meanwhile, with the active encouragement of the Ministry of Culture, various artist bodies of our community have also been very active in recent years and our painters have also held many exhibitions of works with realistic themes. Therefore, except for those obnoxious phenomena I have mentioned, the cultural activities in our Republic are, by and large, developing towards the better side.

But no matter how strict and stringent the Government may have been in its measures, the sex-mongers are still able to have their way in carrying on their nefarious activities. This is particularly so when the authorities concerned become lax, thus facilitating such yellow culture to invade our country, spreading its evil effects, and continuing to poison the minds of our younger generation. For instance, only last month 44 chain-picture story book publishers in Hong-Kong were banned from selling their publications in Singapore, but such publications had already been in circulation here for more than one year before they were found out and banned. I think it is necessary to find out why such phantom comics had been allowed in Singapore for one year before they were banned. Obviously this is ascribable to the laxity and negligence on the part of the censoring authorities.

Apart from this, I would like to point out another aspect of the matter which is rather serious. There are huge cinema posters displayed at prominent places on the roadside and advertisements put up by dancing troupes in the newspapers. They all depict sex and love-making and excessive exposure. Similarly, advertisements by the cinemas and dance troupes appearing in the newspapers also contain pictures of excessive sensual exposure. It is obvious that posters and advertisements of such obscenity should not be allowed to be publicly displayed, for they will give rise to a chain of dangerous reactions, daydreaming, culminating in fatal traffic accidents and other mishaps. But what puzzles me is that, in spite of the fact that my colleague, comrade Chan Choy Siong, the Member for Delta, raised this question in this House last year and made criticisms of these obscene advertisements, so far no measures have been taken by the department concerned to curb such advertisements.

Of course, Mr Speaker, by enumerating those phenomena of unhealthy culture, I do not mean to say that yellow and unhealthy culture is out of all control in our country. No. In fact, it is still under effective control. But while we are in the course of nation-building and bringing up a fine generation after us, while the country is engaged in the setting up of a disciplined society, and while our Prime Minister has again and again stressed the need actively to bring up a new generation with learning, scientific knowledge, strength and courage, we should prevent such poisonous culture from continuing its inroads into our country, bringing in its train harmful effects on our younger generation. Therefore, we should take early steps to prevent and wipe out the spread of such yellow culture, because it is against our aim and endeavour to nurture and bring up a fine new generation. If we tolerate its existence, it may even wipe out all our efforts.

Mr Speaker, Sir, undoubtedly a fine and healthy culture will bring up and imbue a people with fine thinking and character. On the contrary, a bad culture will make a people decadent in thought and lethargic. Therefore, cultural construction is very important to the cultivation of character in the people and to the great task of nation-building. The renaissance of Europe in about the 14th century is a good example. In a multi-racial society such as ours, we must, first and foremost, develop and give expression to the inherent fine traditional cultures of the various races. Of course, I do not mean to do away with all Western culture or to impose the culture of one race upon the other races, as this is absolutely impracticable. In fact, being situated at the hub of South-East Asia and the cross-roads of Asia and Europe, Singapore cannot entirely escape from the influence of foreign culture. Even so, in order to look after the interest of our people, we still have to curb any foreign culture which has excessive poisons. Secondly, as an emergent independent Republic, we should create and enrich our own fine culture. Of course, our cultural mission should aim at the dual objectives of enriching the healthy and recreational life of our people and helping in the promotion of the task of nation-building. How to achieve these ideal aims? I feel it lies in the joint effort of our Government and the art circles. If pioneers and workers in our art circles will exert themselves, they will definitely be able to promote and enrich the cultural life of Singapore.

Mr Speaker, Sir, finally, on the question of cultural construction, I would like to offer my ten-point suggestions for the Minister's reference:

(1) A complete set of cultural policy be formulated to serve as guidance to all future cultural activities of the country.

(2) A Cultural Consultative Committee be formed, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Culture, educational, arts, cultural, religious and journalistic circles and the N.T.U.C. to put forward to the Minister now and then views on cultural construction.

Mr Speaker: I want to assist the Member to make the best use of his time. At 8.20 p.m., if any other Member wants to speak, the Member for Sembawang will have to stop and the Minister may want an opportunity to reply. So the Member has got about two and a half minutes left,

Mr Teong Eng Siong: (In Mandarin): (3) A National Film Studio be set up to take movie films of all national construction, and, where possible, to take one or two movies on a larger scale with contents rich in national consciousness and educational value.

(4) A National Academy of Arts, to study the way to develop our culture and arts and further to study the arts and cultures of South-East Asian countries in order to enrich our cultural heritage.

(5) A large-scale cultural festival be held annually, to afford an opportunity for comparison and mutual emulation between the fine cultures of the various races, so as to enrich the cultural life of the people and further promote progress in arts and culture.

(6) A large-scale anti-yellow campaign be held annually, to be promoted jointly and in mutual co-operation with the People's Association and civic organisations.

(7) Stricter measures be taken in the censorship of photographs, books, newspapers and magazines and all corrupting, unethical and immoral films and publications to be banned.

(8) Stricter restrictions be taken in regard to cinema posters on hoardings on the roadsides and film and dance-troupe advertisements appearing in the newspapers, publicity of excessively sexy and indecent exposure to be banned.

(9) Radio and television stations be stopped from broadcasting any sexual, monstrous, immoral and farcical programmes.

(10) More programmes of healthy and educational content and significance be broadcast by radio and television stations.

Mr Speaker, Sir, with this, I conclude my speech.

Mr Speaker: Mr Lee Khoon Choy.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap rose and then resumed his seat.

Mr Speaker: Perhaps the Minister can make a short reply, and if he will restrict it to about five minutes, there will be five minutes left,

The Minister of State for Culture (Mr Lee Khoon Choy): Mr Speaker, my reply will be more than ten minutes.

Mr Speaker: Under Standing Orders, I am afraid the House must rise at half-past eight, unless the Minister wants to make use of some other occasion to give a full reply. As we will be having many sittings in the course of the later part of the month, perhaps Inche Rahamat can address the House and the Minister can find some other opportunity to reply to both Members.

Inche Rahamat Bin Kenap (Geylang Serai): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, I wish to speak on how our national culture has deteriorated with the mixture of Western culture and dances, for instance, the Shindig, the Shake and the A-Go-Go. But I can conveniently describe them as mad dances. Such dances have affected our younger generation. They have become daydreamers. They have completely neglected their obligations towards society. They have become immoral as a result of these mad dances. They keep their hair long and wear tight trousers - this also applies to the girls - with the result that we cannot make out who are the girls and who are the boys! Some of them are still at school. With the spread of such dances we fear that the behaviour and conduct of our youths will damage our local customs which are respected by other nations. These youths will neglect their responsibilities towards the nation and society. Is the Minister for Culture prepared to condone such a state of affairs, or is it the intention to make such mad dances our national item? I cannot forget that in 1959, the Government banned the Rock-n-Roll and the juke boxes, which at that time were the craze of both boys and girls, to such an extent that they neglected their education and damage was done to their character. But these mad dances are worse than Rock-n-Roll. Is the Minister for Culture aware that Television Singapura is encouraging such dances through the Istana Pesta programme? The indications of this programme are that our children are under the influence of such yellow culture. I hope the Minister for Culture of Singapore will take steps to ban such dances so that our local traditions will be respected.

Mr Speaker: Mr Lee, you have to compress what you have to say.

Mr Lee Khoon Choy: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, it is difficult to reply in 5 minutes to the matters raised by the Members, who took 25 minutes. But I shall endeavour to do my best. If I have longer time I shall give a more detailed reply.

To sum up, Mr Speaker, the two Members have spoken generally on the so-called yellow culture prevalent in Singapore. The Member for Sembawang spent some 20 minutes on this matter. But to sum up his speech he appeals to the Government to take action to prevent the flood of yellow culture in Singapore, to take more restrictive measures against pornographic publications and films, and to take positive steps to promote a healthy cultural growth. In principle, Mr Speaker, the Government has since 1959 been implementing this policy. As a matter of fact, the Member for Sembawang himself has admitted, by the examples given by him, that the situation is not so bad. He says that yellow culture is not so rampant as to be beyond redemption. So, strictly speaking, the so-called unhealthy culture is still under effective control. That is what he says on his own admission. This is a fact, of course.

Mr Speaker, before giving a point-by-point reply to the two Members, I shall let the House know briefly our national policy on culture. It is dependent upon the political system and the economic environment of the nation. It is determined by the economy and the politics of the country. In Communist countries where the national power is unlimited, even, as the Member for Geylang Serai has said, if your hair is too long or your shoes are not where they should be, or the hairdo of the women is considered improper, the nation has the power to interfere with your personal life and describe you as elements of yellow culture and even brand you as anti-nationals. In short, in a Communist dictatorship, the State has the power to interfere with the way of life of each and every individual in the country. But in the environment in which we live, which is a democratic country practising parliamentary democracy, we do not advocate the unlimited power of the State. We have certain limitations to the power of the State. Apart from looking after the necessities of the people, such as education, health, food and shelter, and security, we allow and respect certain individual freedom of a personal nature. Also, to judge others' standard of culture by your own standard, and to impose your own standard upon others, is against the spirit and principle of democracy.

To illustrate this point. An African ballet troupe came to Singapore some time ago. Some members of the troupe were half-naked. If the Member for Sembawang were to see the show, he would not be able to sleep the whole night! But, generally speaking, from the artistic and aesthetic point of view, such half-nakedness was not provocative. It had an artistic effect. Even the folk dance of Egypt, the belly dance, which is a traditional dance, may be considered by some foreigners to be yellow culture. But in a democracy we must not adopt the views of a few Members and impose them on the people of Singapore in general and restrict them in their cultural activities. We will not force people to cut their hair short, because, by so doing we will be acting against democratic principles.

Talking about the promotion of a healthy culture, I shall take this opportunity to say that ever since 1959, when we initiated the Aneka Ragam Rakyat, we have also taken steps to establish a council which plans to launch a purely local-orientated cultural festival to display the work of our artists in Singapore. We want our artists and other experts to study and to create new art forms in Singapore and we shall launch a new art festival next year. In the field of drama we shall encourage our playwrights to write works reflecting local life for our radio and television. Perhaps this is what the Member for Sembawang would like to have, but some matters would not be to his taste. Because of the limitation of time, I shall under more favourable conditions give a more detailed answer to his speech.

The Question having been proposed at 8.00 p.m. and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mr Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

Adjourned accordingly at Thirty minutes past Eight o'clock p.m.