MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND THE ARTS (MITA)

BG (Res) GEORGE YEO Ag Minister for Information and the Arts

Mission of MITA

The Mission of the Ministry is: (a) to help Inform, Educate and Entertain, as part of our national goal, (b) to make Singapore a Hub City of the World, and (c) to build a society that is economically dynamic, socially cohesive and culturally vibrant.

The Arts

The Government will give greater emphasis to the arts. We will preserve and develop our rich multi-cultural heritage, and extend more assistance to artists and arts organisations.

We will establish by statute the National Arts Council to promote the arts in Singapore. Its activities will be jointly supported by the Government and the private sector.

The new Singapore Arts Centre on the shores of Marina Bay will be ready by 1998. It will be the hub of cultural activities in Singapore. Heritage

We will create a Museum Precinct comprising five galleries around the foot of historic Fort Canning. The old St Joseph's Institution building will be converted into a Fine Arts Gallery to be ready by 1993. Four other galleries will be ready by the end of the decade - a Children's Museum, a History of Singapore Museum, a Southeast Asian Ethnology and Natural History Museum, and a People's Gallery.

We will help the different communities develop their own heritage centres in ways which promote mutual understanding and national unity.

We will increase the collection of oral history to better document the history of the 25 years since independence. We will also expand archival records by acquiring materials on the early history of Singapore from overseas sources.

Information

The Government will pay more attention to public and media relations to better explain public policies to Singaporeans and foreigners.

We will introduce film classification this year. We will also review the censorship policy on publications and performances. Public advisory groups will be formed to recommend standards acceptable to the community. We will continue to disallow pornography, excessive violence, the promotion of drug culture and themes which cause racial or religious disharmony.

We will help build up our national spirit at home and abroad. We will give more emphasis to our history, our shared values and our way of life.

Broadcasting

Rapid advances in broadcast technology will force us to re-examine our policies on transboundary broadcasting and cable television.

SBC will invest heavily to upgrade the quality of its broadcasts. It will improve its current affairs, news, arts and entertainment programmes. The first phase of the Tuas outdoor TV production facility will be completed in 1991.

We will decide on how SBC will be re-structured once the privatisation study is completed later this year.

National Library

We will begin work in 1992 on a new National Library at Queen Street. It will be ready by 1995. The new library will provide access to national and international databases. Two new branch libraries at Yishun and Tampines will be completed in 1992. The Hougang branch will be ready by 1994.

Singapore International Foundation

We will establish a Singapore International Foundation to link Singaporeans oversea into a network and help us win foreign friends.

ASEAN

We will co-operate with ASEAN countries in information, broadcasting and the arts. We will explore new ways to help promote mutual understanding and regional unity.

Public Participation

In all our work, we will widen as much as possible the circle of public participation.