BROADCASTS OF PATRIOTIC THEMES OVER TV SINGAPURA

Mr Tay Boon Too asked the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs, as the Republic is in the midst of nation building, whether he will instruct the Broadcasting Division to broadcast more songs, music, plays and dramas with a patriotic theme over T.V. Singapura.

Mr Lee Khoon Choy (for the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, the media of Radio and T.V. Singapura have already been used to a significant extent to foster a national spirit amongst our citizens. This is done in a variety of ways through T.V, and Radio. In T.V. the most important of the programmes which inculcate a feeling of patriotism in our citizens is in the series "It's happening in Singapore" which was started on 15th January this year. The series goes out in four languages every week. The other series which is intended to make our citizens proud of our nation is in the Spotlight series. This is shown periodically to highlight different aspects of Singapore's achievements. So far this series has already shown our achievements in low-cost housing industrialisation through the Jurong lndustrial Complex, technical education and the Polytechnic, health services and cleanliness, communications, widening of roads, building of bridges, veterinary services to our rural population, development of community centres, and, lately, development of the Armed Forces.

The national spirit is also fostered indirectly through plays shown over T.V. in the Malay. Tamil and Chinese media.

As for broadcasts, the breakfast bulletin every morning gives speeches made by Ministers. Parliamentary Secretaries and other leaders of important events in Singapore. These speeches are intended to show what has been done in our island Republic to improve ourselves, thereby to help create a patriotic spirit amongst our citizens. Some of the speeches made by the Prime Minister and other Ministers have also been televised.

In the field of songs, the Broadcasting Department has recently promoted a competition in lyrics written in praise of Singapore. Some 700 entries were received for this competition. The selected songs in four languages will be broadcast over Radio and T.V.