POLICY ON CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, time passes very quickly. I remember on this day last year I spoke in this Parliament on the adjournment on "Culture in Singapore's Nation-Building". It is exactly one year since that occasion. I also remember that in the course of that speech I proposed a ten-point suggestion relating to the question of our cultural construction, including the formulation of a national cultural policy, the establishment of a cultural consultative committee, a national film studio, a national academy of arts and the holding of a cultural festival, etc. These suggestions have, in fact, largely been implemented by the Ministry of Culture this year. This indeed gives much cause for pleasure and encouragement. The Government's efforts in promoting cultural and artistic activities, the establishment of the Arts Council, the building of a national academy of arts, and the holding of creative singing competitions for the promotion of our arts and culture deserve our unanimous praise. These achievements should be attributed to the effective planning and leadership of our able Minister for Culture and Social Affairs who is not here now, the Minister of State for Culture, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture, as well as to the full support given by society. As for the humble opinion given by myself, I dare not brag of its contributing merit in any way. I was doing my duty as a representative of the people.

Mr Speaker, Sir, let me review the general conditions and cultural activities in the past one year. In the past one year there have been more cultural and artistic activities than in any period previously. This surely is an encouraging sign. Of these activities, those on a larger scale were the cultural nights and recreational concerts organised by the People's Association; dramas, local traditional plays and concerts, etc., staged by various civic organisations. Some of our P.A.P. branches, including the Sembawang Branch, also put in some effort to promote local plays. In addition, in the fields of painting and photography, many of our young artists and photographers held numerous public exhibitions, presenting to the people their works on the description of the lives of the people and reflecting the social realities. At the same time, many cultural and artistic organisations from abroad came here to perform, such as the Russian dance troupe, the Hongkong Sin Tian Chye Teochew drama company, and the Hongkong Thye Loon Hong Cantonese drama company, etc., who brought to our masses novel cultural recreations. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Culture, from January to October this year various cultural nights, dramas, plays, concerts, choirs, carnivals, art and photographic exhibitions, etc., were held at the National Theatre, Victoria Theatre and the Victoria Memorial Hall, on 217 occasions, some of which carried on for one or two weeks at a stretch. If these were added together, Sir, there would be about 300 occasions of such activities. In other words, in our country there are different cultural and artistic activities held every day to enrich the spiritual lives of our people.

Sir, I will now follow up with the radio and television programmes. In the past one year there have certainly been quite a lot of changes in the programmes. We now have such programmes as "It is Happening in Singapore", the introduction of art, music for the home, etc. At the same time, through the exchange of new films with other countries, we are able to view the latest documentary news films of many countries. For instance, recently Russia celebrated her 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. Our people were able to see a documentary film on this quite soon thereafter. Besides these, Television Singapura also arranged forums on political and social topics to enable the people to have more understanding of these questions. Such programmes certainly have educational value and I hope we will have more of them hereafter.

[Mr Tang See Chim in the Chair]

6.23 p.m.

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang): Sir, there was a programme on physical exercise, teaching people how to get fit, but it has suddenly disappeared. In fact, this sort of programmes on physical and health education should not only be preserved but also further developed. For example, the pugilistic art is now very popular in our country. Some of its basic movements should prove very suitable if made into films as instructional material for broadcast to the viewers to help them learn them. Of course, in the beginning the reaction of the viewers may not be favourable, but if Television Singapura persists and uses various methods to publicise the good points about learning physical exercise for health, I believe there will gradually be good results.

Sir, Radio and Television Singapura has great responsibilities in spreading knowledge and promoting culture among the people. At present, there are 67,000 sound receiver licence holders and 76,000 combined sound and television receiver licence holders. From these figures we can see the popularity of radio and television in our country and the extensive influence they wield.

Sir, I would like now to touch on Government's policy on culture. The Minister of State for Culture, Mr Lee Khoon Choy, on the 22nd of July this year, made a speech at a meeting of the Y's Men's Club of Singapore on the topic "Search for a national culture in a multi-racial society". And on the 12th of October he made another speech at the Rotary Club of Singapore West meeting on the topic "The Role of the Singapore Arts Council". Each of these two speeches numbering some 10,000 words distinctively and comprehensively expounded Government's cultural policy. The Minister of State has demonstrated his resolute endeavour to promote culture and the arts of our country. For this I would like to pay my heartfelt thanks to him. But following this praise, I must criticise what he has already said. To show you what sort of criticism is forthcoming, I wish to quote from his speech on the "Search for a national culture in a multi-racial society". He said:

`As democratic socialists, we do not believe that the state should interfere with the private life of the individual or decide the taste for the people in the field of art and culture.

We should not tell the people what types of clothing or hair-do they should put on. Would it be proper for the state to say what is the right music and what is wrong music and dictate to the musicians what type of orchestral theme or orchestration they must follow?

Some people get the impression that it is the function of the Ministry of Culture to decide on the pattern of clothings all Singaporeans have to wear or make music, dances and plays which must be followed by the people. This may be so in totalitarian countries which tend to put the writers, artists, composers and generally cultural workers into uniform.

The essence of totalitarianism, call it "cultural revolution" or any name you like, is to destroy the autonomy of every sphere of life and to bring all fields of thought under the control of the State.'

Sir, in another passage the Minister of State also said:

`The pluralist theory demands that science, music, literature or art will have its own autonomy. Autonomy does not mean that science, music and other forms of art have no social function and social responsibilities.'

He continued:

`We feel that it is up to musicians, artists, scientists, the cultural workers, the people and the representatives of the Government to get together to discover ways and means of raising the musical level or generally the artistic level of the people.

Ways and means will also have to be found for enlisting music, art, painting, drama and other forms of artistic expressions in the task of instilling national consciousness, a common sense of loyalty to the nation and generally in nation building.'

Sir, I fully appreciate that through these passages the Minister of State for Culture has made clear the enlightened attitude of the Government towards the problems of art and culture. This attitude advocates free competition amongst the development of different kinds of art and culture in our country. At the same time, this attitude also emphasises the social responsibility of art or culture in imbuing the people with national consciousness, undivided loyalty and the concept of nation building. This then is the positive aspect of the Government's attitude.

Further, in his talk on the "The Role of the Singapore Arts Council", the Minister of State for Culture again made clear his democratic stand on the question of having different arts and cultures when he said -I quote again:

`The lighter entertainment programmes provided by the entertainment industry have an overpowering narcotic effect on the mass audiences who consume them.

It is against this background that the Arts Council was formed.

In a democracy, the Arts Council or even the Government has certain limitations in deciding what is good or bad for the people. That is the price we have to pay for democracy.

There have been suggestions by some high-brow intellectuals and those who are more puritanically minded that we should ban the twist, the a-go-go or even the James Bond, pictures.

Others felt that the lowbrow entertainment programmes should not be shown at all over the T.V.

In a democracy, particularly where the population is multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual, is it right for any section of the community to impose its cultural taste on to the others?'

In another passage, he also said:

`I do not believe that the passive methods of banning this or that would solve problems.

It requires mental ruggedness to accept the challenge to win over the minds of the young people to the side of disciplined appreciation of the worthier things in life instead of allowing them to be won over by the sheer debasing, sub-artistic, uncivilised entertainments.'

The Minister of State continued, and I quote:

`The lop-sided entertainment type of mass culture via the mass media while useful in performing its function to dispel the boredom for the more elderly tired mind, may be harmful in corrupting the minds of the youth and teenagers.

The most obnoxious aspects of all of these mass media and mass culture are those that destroy their sense of value, and corrode their willingness to pay attention to serious thought.

It is one of the main functions of the Arts Council to see that our youths retain their sense of balance and mental ruggedness.

We intend to do so not by the passive way of wanting this or that banned, but by constructive measures.'

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

6.32 p.m.

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang): Mr Speaker, Sir, from the two speeches delivered by the Minister of State for Culture on cultural policies of the Government, I can draw two major conclusions. One is to encourage and support the development of the arts and cultures of the various communities, and the other is to accept with strong will-power the challenge from "narcotic" culture which it is not proposed to ban but with which the vigorous development of healthy arts and cultures must compete peacefully. While this enlightened attitude is to be praised, there arises the question of whether we can overcome the culture with narcotic effects. This is precisely the question for the attention of the Minister. Will this kind of culture, if allowed to go on its way, impede our constructive efforts in the promotion of healthy culture and art? Will its narcotic effects poison and demoralise our younger generation? Does it have any adverse effect on the vigorous and rugged society that we seek to build? These are the problems that arouse our anxiety.

Recently, some undergraduates of an institution of higher learning in one of our neighbouring countries were reported to have openly invited a strip-teaser for a performance. This dishonourable incident caused an uproar in the country in question and is worthy of our vigilance. In fact, some West European countries are bedevilled with a serious social problem arising out of the "hippies". These are the crazy boys and girls who indulge in the beatnik and degenerated way of life. What a pity they are! In some other Western countries, the teenagers also indulge in corrupt pleasures. These young people are desultory, slovenly and unproductive, and have dragged down their national economy. Tracing the cause of this serious social problem in the West, one finds that it is closely associated with the laissez-faire cultural policy which allows narcotic and erotic culture to flourish freely and the lack of attention to ethical concepts. Therefore, in order to ensure that our society will develop along healthy lines and succeed in bringing up a new generation of vigorous and rugged people, I feel that we should not adopt a laissez-faire attitude towards narcotic and erotic culture. At least, restrictive measures should be taken to contain the growth of such culture. Far from being passive, this is a positive step which is as proper as the surgical operation required for the removal of a malignant ulcer.

Mr Speaker, Sir, ours is a democratic socialist Government. We know that democratic socialism has had a history of more than a hundred years and that it is still a vital force surging forward. In the field of politics, we advocate equal rights for men and women and the right of all citizens to participate in politics while striving to provide a sound institutional framework for our State. In the field of economics, we stand for industrialisation and the utilisation of advanced scientific and technological know-how as a means to better the livelihood of the broad masses of the people. In the realm of culture, I think the democratic socialist ideas of art and culture should be patriotic, not traitorous, progressive, not degenerative, positive, not negative, salutary, not deleterious, full of instructive morals and glorifying the dignity of labour and its creativeness, not tending to corrupt and corrode the minds of our youths. It follows that in order to promote patriotic and progressive culture, we must get rid of all decadent cultures.

Mr Speaker, Sir, let me say something about the Arts Council. Ever since it was formed and registered as a body corporate in August this year, it has lost no time in launching out into all kinds of cultural and artistic activities of which the most notable one is the project to build a $3 million National Art Gallery and Academy of the Arts. When news of the project became known, it immediately gained the enthusiastic support of the public who donated generously towards the building fund which now stands at over $700,000. More and more civic organisations are planning to raise funds for the project through the staging of concerts and variety shows. The Arts Council and the National Theatre Trust will also jointly organise a big scale Trade Fair for the same purpose. Meanwhile, the Press is also doing its bit by lending its support to the project. For example, in its editorial of 1st September entitled "Give generously to the building of the Singapore Art Academy", the Sin Chew Jit Poh wrote:

`We hope that the public will warmly support the Arts Council's proposal to build the Art Academy by giving generous donations so that the hope of having a sixth higher institute of learning in Singapore can materialise sooner.'

At about the same time on 8th August, the Nanyang Siang Pau also voiced its support for the building of the National Art Gallery and Academy of the Arts by writing editorially:

`We earnestly hope that with the support of all of us the task undertaken by the Singapore Arts Council to build a National Art Gallery and Academy of the Arts will be accomplished soon.'

Mr Speaker, Sir, it is my firm belief That with the support of the various communities and people in all walks of life and the Press, the building of the National Art Gallery and Academy of the Arts, which will have a great mission to perform, will be completed according to schedule.

Mr Speaker, Sir, there has been tremendous development in our nation's culture and art in the past one year - a milestone in the history of our nation's culture and art development. When I say this, I am not giving excessive praise to the Ministry of Culture, because the fact is that 1967 has really been a year of rapid growth of our nation's culture. However, we must not be contented with what we have done. On the contrary, we must redouble our efforts to enable our multi-racial culture to blossom into brilliant flowers.

I would like to make three suggestions to the Ministry of Culture and three suggestions to the Arts Council relating to the culture and art of our nation.

First, I believe that the Ministry of Culture should organise an annual national Cultural Festival to provide an opportunity for various races to appreciate and enjoy the different cultures and arts and to learn from one another. This will not only enrich the spiritual lives of the people but will also make it possible to select talent from the various cultural groups and train them to form .a national corps of performing artistes. Their duty will be to show the rich and multi-coloured cultures of the Republic when they go on performing tours abroad. In this respect, the Ministry of Social Affairs has already made its Festival an annual affair, while the Ministry of Education also holds its Youth Festival annually.

The second suggestion is the setting up of a national film studio to produce films which are educational in nature or films which portray the task of nation building. I put forward this suggestion last year, but the reply I received then was that there was a lack of funds for the project. In my opinion, I think our Republic with its highly developed economy can afford to set aside a considerable sum of money for such a purpose. The need for such expenditure is more compelling when all are agreed that investment in culture and art, just as investment in education, is a worthwhile investment. Therefore, I hope that the Minister will give serious consideration to my proposal. At the same time, I also hope that the Minister for Finance will be generous enough to approve the expenditure for such projects.

The third suggestion is that in order to enable the labouring class to enjoy and appreciate performances given by foreign artistes who are sponsored by the National Theatre Trust, it is necessary for the Trust to adopt a moderate pricing policy with regard to the sale of admission tickets.

I would like to make three suggestions to the Singapore Arts Council.

First, as to the national theatre for art and culture, the Council should have a comprehensive policy and a series of measures to carry out this policy in order to better promote cultural and artistic activities in the Republic.

Second, if it is possible, the Council should take immediate steps to train the various kinds of artists and teachers who in turn will have to teach their students to become artists in the various fields. Moreover, it must accept the responsibility of launching out into all kinds of cultural activities in every nook and corner of our Republic.

Third, I understand that some of our artists are living in wretched poverty. To enable them to concentrate on their work, I think the Council should have plans to look after their livelihood.

Mr Speaker, Sir, may I recite a poem to eulogise the Ministry of Culture for its achievement: `Blossoming are the flowers of culture everywhere, Each vieing with one another in beauty and colour, Great is the achievement of the Ministry of Culture, And may your name be for ever remembered in the annals of our nation.'

Mr Speaker: I trust that the Member appreciates that when he refers to "your name", he is referring to the Chair and not to any Member on the Floor of the House.

Mr S. Rajoo (Farrer Park): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Sembawang spoke at length on the policy of the Ministry of Culture.

In the short space of time that I have been attached to the Ministry of Culture, I have observed the Ministry carrying out its objectives of keeping our people informed and successfully bringing about cultural integration quietly and without fuss. Considerable changes in cultural revolutions take place in countries from time to time in accordance with the change of time, conditions, and environment which transform a society radically into the new trend and new situation. There are countries which follow `the cultural revolution with violence and strife, and there are countries which follow the cultural changes with guided or no democracy at all. But we in a democratic State can only explain, encourage, and prepare the ground and provide the necessary incentives for a revolution and growth of a national concept of our own. But given our ability in innovation and change, I am sure that in due course a culture, embodying the best characteristics of our heritage and traditions, will emerge.

In 1959 when the Ministry of Culture was first set up, there was little cultural amity in Singapore. The various cultural and racial groups tended to look inwards, being proud of their own traditions, and were isolated from one another. Cultural integration seemed hardly a practical idea then. Now, after eight years, it can be said without fear that there has been a definite breaking down of these barriers that stem cultural progress. There is acceptance of the fact that in a multi-racial and multi-lingual society the people must co-operate along cultural lines to forge a national identity and the awareness of belonging to our Republic.

Throughout the ages nations have been split asunder as a result of cultural differences arising from differences in race, religion, language, and so on. Only a few days ago there was a threat of war in an island in the West, and it is clear that the problems there became acute, partly from `the indifference to attempt to integrate the two main racial groups with the different cultures in the' island. We cannot afford such a happening in our island of Singapore, and hence we have to be aware of the need for a common culture to weld our people together into a tightly-knit society. It is important, therefore, that we should not become complacent and slacken our efforts to bring about cultural co-operation and integration. The years ahead, therefore, call for an even more intensive pursuit of our present cultural policy. The Ministry of Culture is making strenuous efforts in the pursuit of these objectives despite shortages of staff and funds, but in the knowledge that we are racing against time. Therefore, in order that there can be no let-up in our activities, the Ministry is doing everything it can in the pursuit of our national objectives.

Mr Lee Khoon Choy: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, first of all, I wish to thank the Member for Sembawang for his kind words about me and for his constructive criticisms. His words are very encouraging. But at the same time his praise is a little embarrassing, because if we can say that cultural activities in Singapore in the past year have really developed and are flourishing, then credit should be given to the civic organisations of art, the various cultural workers, and those of our people who love art.

Mr Speaker, in a democracy, the Ministry of Culture is not a Ministry to create art and culture. Neither is it a controlling Ministry in so far as culture is concerned. Art and culture are matters which should come spontaneously from the people, from the art groups, and from the cultural workers. Art and culture must come up from the ground to the top, and not imposed from the top on to the ground. So if we only have to depend on a government agency like the Ministry of Culture to create a national culture, then in my view we will certainly fail in our objectives, because, as I say, the Ministry of Culture is not a creative Ministry. All that it can do is to give some form of assistance and encouragement. So it is the people themselves, the cultural workers, who are responsible for the creation of a national culture. And if the flowers of culture should bloom everywhere, then the credit should go to the people.

The Member for Sembawang said a few moments ago that in the establishment of the Singapore Arts Council, the setting up of the Academy of Arts, and the National Gallery, there might have been some misunderstanding about the Singapore Arts Council simply because he was under the impression that it was set up by the Government. In fact, the Singapore Arts Council was not set up by the Government. It was set up by the joint efforts of civic organisations active in the field of art. In fact, both the National Academy of Arts and the National Gallery will be set up through the joint efforts of civic organisations. So since the response has come from the people, the Government must, of course, do its own share by co-operating with the people in order to bring about an earlier realisation of our objective.

Mr Speaker, the Member for Sembawang also mentioned the song competition. This competition is organised by the Singapore Arts Council and not by the Ministry of Culture. So we must draw a distinction between the two bodies.

The Member for Sembawang made a reference to the sudden disappearance of physical exercise programmes on television. I have an explanation to give for it. Initially, we telecast a series of about 26 programmes on physical exercises. Then we had "The daily dozen", a programme on callisthenics. All these programmes were produced in series, and they have all been completely telecast. So we are now faced with the problem of materials for a new programme. Through the Ministry of Culture, the Broadcasting Department has written a letter to the National Sports Central Board for their co-operation in this matter. All along, these programmes on physical exercises or callisthenics involved basketball, table tennis, and other exercises and games, both indoors and outdoors. Most of the viewers treated such programmes as any other television programmes. There was no active participation on the part of viewers. So we hope that the National Sports Central Board can assist us by teaching people how to play, for example, basketball, tennis, table tennis, football, or any other game. In other words, we require programme materials to teach the people the skills in these games. These programmes will be telecast, and we hope that we can get adequate assistance and co-operation. In this way, viewers will not just view for the sake of viewing but they will have some form of active participation in the programme.

In the meantime, the National Pugilistic Arts Council has just been established, and we are preparing to get in touch with this Council for help by way of coaches and materials. We want them to help us by getting someone to demonstrate on television how to take up the pugilistic art. This is a part of our future programme.

At the same time T.V. Singapura is also making headway not only in the field of sports but also in art. They are planning together with the various organisations a full programme for the whole of next year. This programme will emphasise local creations of the arts, such as dances and music, and other forms of artistic expression. In this way, we will have more local works of art for the consumption of our people, and such artistic work will reflect the aspirations and lives of our people, so that they will see some glimpses of themselves on television. In doing all this and in implementing this programme, we cannot satisfy the interests and needs of each and every one at the same time because there is a time limit in televising programmes. For example, in one month we allocate a certain number of hours for the pugilistic art. Other programmes will then have to wait; programmes such as table tennis, because of limitation of funds and time. This, I hope, the people will appreciate.

Next, I wish to deal with another aspect raised by the Member for Sembawang. He has quoted extensively from the two speeches I gave recently. The impression I get is that he seems to have misunderstood what I said. For example, he has alleged that I do not propose to ban harmful narcotic culture. This is a misunderstanding. What I said was that I do not wish to ban this or that. I have not said that I do not want to ban harmful narcotic culture. So I have to explain that by "this and that", I meant those forms which appear to be yellow but are not actually yellow. Some people may say that a certain artistic form is yellow, others may not. So this is a question of opinion. It is difficult for one to impose one's views on another person. It is also a matter of degree. For example, in the field of art, if you go to Paris to learn art, the first lesson you may have could be to draw a model in the nude. So what yardstick are you going to adopt? If you want to measure yellowness by the weight of clothing, then I would say that ballet dancers have the lightest weight and the A-Go-Go dancers have the heaviest weight. So how can you say this is yellow and that is not yellow? By what standard do you judge? I do not mean, by saying all these things, that I appreciate A-Go-Go more than ballet. In fact, it is the other way round. What I am trying to say is that different people have different tastes and standards. Further, if I were to ban A-Go-Go, then some youngsters might accuse me of being unfair, because A-Go-Go dancers are fully clad. So how can we say that A-Go-Go is yellow. Russia is a Communist and a totalitarian country. It is the motherland of Communism. I wish to draw the attention of the Member for Sembawang to the present issue of "Life" magazine which has devoted some space to the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia. There are some pictures which depict "hippies". Even in a totalitarian country like Russia, these hippies exist. They appear in public, but it does not mean that Russia has adopted a laissez-faire cultural policy and that their control is not strict and therefore we should be more strict. So this is a question worthy of our discussion. I have been given to understand that the young people in Russia call themselves the fourth generation. The first generation was of the revolutionaries, the second generation of the World War, the third generation of science, and the fourth generation is a rich generation. They feel that those in the fourth generation should have some freedom in choosing their own private life. Does it mean that a Communist country like Russia is very liberal and that we should outdo it in this respect?

Mr Speaker, I am in full agreement with the contention of the Member for Sembawang that we must not be too liberal and we must not adopt a laissez-faire policy on culture. In fact, the measures that we have taken have already been criticised by others as being too restrictive. I can give you a few examples. In the first instance, from October 1966 to September 1967 we banned various periodicals. We have banned 341 Chinese publications. Altogether there were some 30,000 copies. We have banned records amounting to 42 categories. Altogether such categories of records amount to some 3,400 copies. In the case of English periodicals, we have banned some 738 types. We have banned two types of Malay publications and eight types of Indian publications. From all these restrictive measures we can say that we have not adopted a laissez-faire policy on culture. Recently some importers of yellow publications have been prosecuted and fined. In fact, the officials of the Ministry of Culture are always in close touch with the police and they have conducted surprise raids on book-shops and confiscated yellow books and even prosecuted the distributors in court. We have had several cases recently. Mr Speaker, Sir, what is the nature of the publications banned? I can give you a few examples. Recently we have banned the following types of publications: for example, the "Sex Club", the "Paradise of Cupid", "Night Life in Hong Kong". All these books have been banned. So you cannot say that we are very liberal.

In the field of films we have also been criticised for being too strict in our censorship. We have banned about 21 films this year, including "The Game is over"; "The Young World"; "The Seducer"; "Blow Up", etc. All these are erotic films. So again, we have shown that we have not adopted a laissez-faire policy. We have been accused of being too strict.

The challenge to which I have referred in my speeches refers to the challenge of things which appear to be yellow but are not actually yellow. We have to direct the attention of our young people from such culture to a more serious type of culture. I do not believe that we will fail in our efforts, because we must have confidence in our own people. We are not escapists. We are not fatalists. So long as the cultural workers are united and work together, I believe we can make Singapore one of the most cultured countries in the world.

Mr Speaker, on the proposals put up by the Member for Sembawang, one is on a cultural festival. The Ministry of Culture have organised cultural festivals in the past. In fact, we propose to organise one this year. But cultural festivals require funds. We require a lot of money. All the programmes have to be paid for. The funds allotted for this year have already been exhausted. When you organise art festivals, you must spend money. I do not believe one can make money out of art. It is very difficult. To come back, next year, in conjunction with our National Day celebration, the Arts Council will organise a massive cultural festival. It will display 100 per cent local works. This is to encourage our own people to create more works of art and take part in the National Day festival.

Next is the setting up of a National Film Studio. This again requires money. Our Government has many priorities in other fields over the setting up of a studio. Because of these priorities, we have to place culture second. But within limits we can ask our people to help solve our financial problems with their kind donations.

On the question of the National Theatre Trust, the proposal from the Member concerned was a low pricing policy. In order to help others, we must help ourselves first. Before you can help others, you must see that you are in a position to help them. The position of the National Theatre Trust is that it is autonomous and independent, and it has to depend on rents and hire charges for its survival. Even then it is very difficult for it to find enough money to make ends meet. The National Theatre Trust has to get more foreign troupes to perform here to raise more funds. And if we adopt a low pricing policy, then we will be losing a lot of business and money. This is the difficulty of the National Theatre Trust. The problems are many.

On the Member's suggestion of an Arts Council, we have overall planning for this project, and the first part of the planning is to raise funds. Without money we cannot do anything. We propose to build a National Academy of the Arts and a National Art Gallery costing about $3 million. So we must have funds for the buildings first. We have set up sub-committees to carry out other programmes. These sub-committees will marshal all the musicians in Singapore into one sub-committee on music. Likewise for dancing, publications, drama and other artistic forms of art. It is the hope of the Arts Council that all cultural workers and those engaged in art will come together and launch a campaign to raise our cultural standards. The emphasis is on creative work. So the second proposal is to set up a national training centre for artistic personnel. This is already part of our plan. The Member for Sembawang may have heard that in 1968 we intend to hold an Exposition. This Exposition is to be organised by the Arts Council and the National Theatre Trust. The proceeds will be divided on a 50/50 basis. This will give us about $250,000. This will be of great help. Our aim is to reach $500,000 and we can raise $250,000 by the Exposition next year for the National Theatre Company.

It is the duty of the National Theatre Company, which we propose to set up, to put up various performances and plays. The Arts Council will encourage our local people to write their own plays, choreography and music for performance by the National Theatre Company. So we require a lot of directors and other skilled personnel. With money available, we can do all this work. The life of artistes is very difficult and I think the Member for Sembawang cannot claim to know more than I do, because, in my view, it is very difficult to make a living by art. So to look after the artistes, we require plenty of money. At the present stage, when the Arts Council is raising funds for the setting up of the National Academy of the Arts, perhaps the artistes themselves will have to appreciate the difficulties of the Arts Council and redouble their efforts to ensure that our plans will succeed. Then and only then will we have the time and energy to improve the livelihood of the artistes. This we hope to do in future and we will encourage the artistes in their creative endeavours.

Mr Speaker, it is our hope that not only the Member for Sembawang but also other Members of Parliament and the people at large will take more interest in the promotion of culture and art. If we have erred in any way, we hope to have constructive criticisms, and if we have done well in some other fields, perhaps we require words of encouragement. By encouragement, I do not mean singing empty praises. I have already said that the Ministry of Culture is not a creative Ministry and that it is the people who deserve the praise. The praise should go to the artistes themselves, their organisations and the people in general.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That Parliament do now adjourn.

Adjourned accordingly at Sixteen minutes past Seven o'clock p.m. to Monday, 11th December,1967. Appendix "A" to Annual Budget Statement(Col.448) (Cols 0503-0504) Appendix "B" to Annual Budget Statement(Col.448) (Cols 0505-0506)