Committee of Supply – Head Q (Ministry of Communications and Information)

Mdm Chair, one of the key challenges that Singapore is facing is an ageing population. Our seniors continue to remain on the edge of the digital divide. We need to integrate this very special group of users into the mainstream modern digital society.

Infocomm media, without doubt, can play a significant role in assisting our elderly to manage their lifestyle, healthcare and active ageing. New developments in the field of ICT open up new possibilities in tele-medicine, applications for home, home use such as remote reading of bio-data such as ECG, blood sugar levels, patient monitoring and supportive actions. I would like to ask the Minister how ICT-ready are our seniors today. How will the infocomm media Masterplan be addressing this challenge and what are some of the ideas identified? It is important for our seniors to be active learners and contributors to society even after they have stopped work. How can our libraries better engage seniors, especially since some seniors may not be highly mobile or digitally literate?

Madam, the use of ICT pervades every aspect of our lives. In an age where cyber natives are no longer content with being just digital consumers, computing literacy could be the fourth "R" after reading, writing and arithmetic. To address this paradigm shift, the United Kingdom has incorporated computing into its national curriculum in schools, to train students as early as five years of age to become digitally literate.

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Computational thinking is not just for aspiring programmers. It develops problem solving skills, logical and scientific thinking using computer science techniques. It challenges one to find efficient and innovative solutions through algorithmic thinking. These are relevant skills across sectors in our knowledge economy. It is an edge in our knowledge workforce. Hence, what are Singapore's plans to enhance our present and future workforce's abilities in computational thinking? How can we nurture our future generations so that they can become positive and active participants in our digital world?

Big data and analytics have brought new opportunities across all sectors in our economy. I applaud MCI's effort to position Singapore to ride on the big data wave. The developments in the Infocomm, Media and Design (ICMD) sectors, such as the opening of the Google Data Centre and the Infinite Studios, seem exciting. What is the significance of these new additions to our ICMD ecosystem and what are MCI's plans to further enhance the vibrancy of this emerging sector?

The global big data technology and services market is estimated to grow six times faster than the overall ICT market through 2017. Companies are now jumping on the big data bandwagon in droves and the demand for data scientists is outpacing the supply. How do we intend to grow the big data market to complement other sectors of the economy, and what is the human capital situation and solution for this space?

Big data is also directly relevant to the social sector. I spoke about this in my Budget debate speech and I would like to repeat the call. Given the complexity of social issues and the resource constraints of the social sector, all NPOs, charities and cooperatives will need social big data analytics to become more effective and productive. Will the Government create an incentive framework to encourage the adoption of data analytics in the social sector, covering social enterprises, all other NPOs, big and small? How can we promote the use of analytics to address pressing social issues? How can we incentivise the use of analytics to start or co-create innovative initiatives to better the lives of the people around them? This will help promote collective responsibility in developing our country and solving societal issues.

Let us not underestimate this. Let me repeat the call again that as society becomes more complex, the ability to use social big data in uncovering and solutioning societal issues can make or break a nation.

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Following the announcements in last year's Budget, there were a number of interesting developments in the Infocomm, Media and Design sectors (ICMD). The ICMD sectors go through continuous disruption and in the process create many opportunities.

In the Committee of Supply debate last year, the Minister explained the evolution and convergence of these sectors. The first wave of convergence which he described as being almost complete, brought together the IT and telecommunications industries to give rise to the infocomm sector.

The second wave of convergence involves in unifying data and the emergence of massive datasets – Miss Penny Low has described in some detail the opportunities arising from this.

The third wave of convergence, which the Minister described as the most disruptive, involves the bringing together the infocomm and media industries.

I understand that MCI's plans for these sectors are wide-ranging and involve enhancing Singapore's infocomm and media infrastructure, enhancing Singaporeans' quality of life, leveraging it to improve business competitiveness and productivity and to position Singapore for future ICMD growth.

In line with these intentions, we have seen some interesting developments in 2013, including the opening of the Google Data Centre and Infinite Studios. What is the significance of these new additions to our ICMD ecosystem and what are MCI's plans to further enhance the vibrancy of these sectors?

I am also concerned that not all groups might be able to benefit from or enjoy the exciting developments from the ICMD sectors. Two groups of concern are the young and the elderly. In relation to the young, I am concerned particularly about youth from lower income households and whether they would be disadvantaged if their parents are unable to give them an early introduction to the fast developing new technologies. In relation to the elderly, they may be the most affected as the traditional forms of media and technology they are familiar with rapidly become obsolete and they may also be the ones left out if the new developments require learning of new technologies.

I am, therefore, interested to know if there are any plans to ensure that all groups in society, including the elderly and the young, will have opportunities

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and assistance to enjoy the full benefits of both these sectors.

Madam, I would like to declare my interest as I work in this sector. One of the major thrust in this year's Budget is to support companies in restructuring and upgrading to catalyse the adoption of ICT, especially for SMEs.

Key to success for the usage of ICT in business is not only funding though. The successful deployment and adoption of ICT solutions will determine the impact. This House has debated over the last week on the challenges of business restructuring and how it takes time. This is the same when companies introduce ICT into their business.

To achieve the benefits of doing work faster and more effectively with the introduction of technology, in many instances require changes in the way work is done. Otherwise, it is just the automation of an existing process which may not yield much benefits. To drive this change, successful adoption and deployment of ICT, business will require skills and expertise, which many do not have, to enable them to understand how to better leverage the solutions for their business. So, apart from the funding support, can MCI share what measures or support will be in place to assist SMEs in driving adoption and deployment of ICT solutions?

During the Budget debate as well as the COS discussions last week, we had much discussion about the aggregation of demand for common shared services, allowing consolidation of operations and pooling of resources. This will allow businesses in the same industry, especially SMEs, to benefit from lower costs. Can MCI share if there will be measures to support the concept of shared services for SMEs, for example, providing shared services for common functions that businesses require like accounting, HR and financial management services for SMEs? This will help businesses not only from a cost perspective but give access to capability that may not be viable for SMEs to build on their own given their size of operations and will relieve them from worrying about keeping up with technology.

Cloud computing gives companies the ability to operate without having to manage the high upfront costs and investments. This gives flexibility, scale and

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cost savings. To ensure that companies can best leverage the benefits of cloud computing, there is one key concern that needs to be addressed. That is with regard to ownership and protection of their data. Can MCI share what measures are being taken to create a trusted environment for the cloud that meets the needs of businesses for data protection, privacy and ownership, while meeting the needs of regulation on how data is managed?

Madam, at last year's COS for MCI, I spoke on how Government could bolster the sustainability of our songwriters' careers. One suggestion I made was that the Government could create more airtime to play Singapore compositions in Government buildings, so that our Singapore songwriters can earn royalties through the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS). The Minister said then that Government would look into this suggestion.

Since then, I understand that there has been some follow-up on this. For example, some Government-related bodies have approached COMPASS for licences to broadcast music at transport hubs and at the airport with a certain percentage dedicated to airing local works. On our part, the Aljunied/Hougang/Punggol East Town Council also obtained some licences to showcase Singapore's compositions at our Hougang Central Hub. It would be good to know what further steps the Government has taken to support Singaporeans songwriters in having sustainable careers.

Madam, I am encouraged by the growing support for contemporary Singapore music over the last two years. But deeper, more sustainable efforts are needed if we want to transform what is now just a Singapore music scene into a Singapore music industry. This can only be achieved if key stakeholders play a part to ensure the wider accessibility of Singapore-made music. And in this regard, I have three recommendations for the Ministry to consider.

First, Madam, I would like to reiterate the call to establish a broadcast quota for airtime play of Singapore music on local radio. I first raised this at the then MICA COS two years ago. Despite increasing access to digital music online, a sizeable number of Singaporeans still access music through radio. While I acknowledge that locally-produced Chinese and Malay music have been given adequate broadcast exposure, the case is just not the same for English-

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language music.

I appreciate MediaCorp's initiative to play one local song per hour across their English stations after discussions with local music producers last year. I also note that effort has been made to increase airplay through Lush99.5. The station has been doing an excellent job. But this is not quite enough to increase accessibility of our home-grown music to the wider listening public. One local song per hour is not enough to show Singaporeans that we have such diverse and excellent talents like Ming Bridges, Kevin Lester, Charlie Lim, Monster Cat, The Observatory, Shigga Shay, The Sam Willows, I could go on – all home-grown, Singapore music talents who work so hard, whom we can and must be proud of and whom we should support.

In a previous reply to my PQ on this issue, the Ministry explained that there was not sufficient broadcast quality content from Singapore musicians. What is not good enough exactly? If our recording quality is poor, then let us address that technicality with capability development and raise our sound engineering and mastering standards. Or does "not good enough" refer to the artistry of Singapore music? If so, is this an issue of music preference – a music preference that has been dominated and influenced by decades of listening to American-made pop music on local radio? Radio is a taste-making platform. If we do not help create a taste for Singapore music, then we may never be "good enough".

This strategy of broadcast quota is firmly established in countries like Australia, New Zealand, France and the UK. In Canada, for instance, a quota of 20% was mandated in the 1970s, and now, it is at 35%. Funding and tax structures were quickly put in place to support music production, videos, marketing, promotion and touring. Today, there is no shortage of well-known Canadian music artists, from Michael Buble to Avril Lavigne.

Second, Madam, we need to develop a strong export strategy for Singapore music, so as to tap into the commercial and soft power potential of our music talent in international markets. The growth of South Korea's music industry is a great example. Once peripheral and small, Korea's creative industries developed their own local cultural assets after investments were made into the creative sector, modelled after the UK creative industries blueprint. Today, it is among the most successful contributors to their national economy. The Korean Wave experienced a significant boost with the development of digital technologies, social media and smartphones in the 21st century. In 2005, they were ranked the 33rd largest recorded music market in the world. Today, they are ranked 10th. But such a change does not happen overnight. The updating of copyright laws, filtering illegal content and more investment in local artists

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were all major pillars that led to the rise of the South Korean music industry today.

Finally, Madam, our state of play for music has been hampered by the lack of a singular vision for music industry development. To be honest, I was not even sure under which Ministry to file this cut, since MCCY, MCI and other economic agencies are all separately involved in the development of this sector, each with their own set of KPIs. But I am glad to see both Ministers in the House today. I hope a central agency or a single body can be formed to work directly, and not in isolation, with industry professionals, to take a holistic view of our music industries' needs.

Madam, popular music is such an essential component in the daily lives of many Singaporeans, especially teenagers and young people. Let us make sure that Singapore-made music can be a part of their lives and memories too, as they grow up, and that Singaporeans will have a strong music heritage to look back upon 50 years from now.

Mdm Chair, Singaporean film director Anthony Chen has won many prestigious international awards for his film "Ilo Ilo" which depicted the life of a Singaporean family and their Filipino domestic helper. It shows that a very local story in colloquial language with Singlish and Chinese dialects, with no megastars, high budget or special effects, can still appeal to many audiences and film critics around the world.

This achievement is also testament to our investment in the media industry, given that Anthony learnt his craft at at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Film and Media Studies School, and "Ilo Ilo" received financial support from MDA.

Personally, I am particularly impressed with it winning the Best Feature Film, the top prize at the 50th Golden Horse Awards. For Members who may not be familiar with this award, Golden Horse is the pinnacle of the global Chinese film industry. For this 50th anniversary ceremony, all the past winners of the Golden Horse Best Actor and Best Actress were gathered on stage to witness renowned film director Lee Ang present the trophy to Anthony Chen. One could not get a higher honour than this. I hope Anthony will remain humble and persevere in his passion for film making.

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At the same time, I hope the country will also give him a special recognition for this very outstanding achievement. I am not talking about the Cultural Medallion or National Day Award as these usually require an illustrious and long track record. But working in the creative industries can be very lonely and tough. Let us be creative and timely in motivating and encouraging talents like Anthony Chen.

I also hope that Anthony's success will not be a flash in the pan, both for himself and for Singapore's media industry. I would like to ask how MCI would build on this momentum to further develop our local media industry and help media practitioners on a sustainable basis.

First, let us take a look at this Radio Shack advertisement from America. This is in 1991, more than 20 years ago. Radio Shack is an American electronics retail chain. And this advertisement features an old TANDY computer, if you can still remember that, a camcorder, a radio, an alarm clock, among others. So, who would have thought then that 12 devices in this advertisement can today be found in a single device that fits nicely into the palm of your hand? Today, the smartphone does all these and more. Imagine the possibilities 10 or 20 years from now.

Madam, in anticipation of what this future might bring, I announced last year that MCI would convene a private-sector led Steering Committee to spearhead the development of a single, integrated masterplan for Singapore's infocomm and media (ICM) sectors. This will enable Singapore to exploit the

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opportunities that will arise in the ICM space and in the increasing overlap between these sectors.

The Steering Committee is assisted by five private-sector led Working Committees that are looking into areas, such as establishing a roadmap for technology, R&D, infrastructure, industry development, manpower development and, finally, economic and social transformation through ICM.

The goal of the Masterplan is to establish Singapore as a Smart Nation that leads the world in harnessing ICM, and that nurtures Innovative Talent and Enterprises. This can bring about economic growth, social cohesion, improve the quality of life for Singaporeans and achieve sustainable growth for our ICM sectors.

Work on the Masterplan is ongoing, with a consultation document on the first part of their work to be published later this month. This document provides a broad plan that elaborates on the key ideas, especially those that represent potential new directions for us. The Steering Committee, Madam, will use the consultation document to have a deeper conversation with the industry and the public about the feasibility and potential applications of these ideas. Let me now share a sample of the key ideas from the Masterplan.

First, the idea of a nationwide heterogeneous network (HetNet). Madam, a report released in November 2013 found that half of mobile usage in Asia Pacific came from high bandwidth video downloads. With the growing availability and quality of ICM services, and our desire for faster Internet access anytime and anywhere, the demand for bandwidth is going to increase.

The Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network has provided an infrastructure that has met the needs of fixed line access. However, the spectrum to support wireless Internet access is a limited resource around the world. Therefore, the Steering Committee is studying the possibility of introducing a HetNet. Today, mobile users are able to operate and access data services across different wireless networks such as cellular and Wi-Fi. However, resources such as spectrum may not be optimally used to serve diverse user demands.

In a HetNet, operators will be able to achieve better management of traffic in their wireless networks. Users will be able to connect more seamlessly and operate their devices across different wireless networks such as cellular and Wi-Fi. Their devices will also connect to and utilise the best available network in

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range.

Madam, Singapore could be among the first in the world to adopt this cutting-edge solution at the nationwide level. And this is an example of how we can seize new opportunities in the Masterplan, as advocated by Mr Zaqy Mohamed.

Second, making home-based healthcare more widely available. I thank Mr David Ong for his cut on caring for an ageing population. The Steering Committee recognised the potential of ICM to support the right-siting of care and "ageing-in-place", with family and close friends using ICM to help them in their caregiving roles.

Sensors can help stable chronic disease patients self-monitor their conditions in the comfort of their homes, and receive healthcare services only when necessary. By deploying sensors-enabled home-based healthcare, patients can expect more timely attention from caregivers and medical professionals on their conditions. So, for example, floor mats embedded with sensors can help patients regularly monitor their weight. This will help the caregivers detect sudden weight fluctuations, which may suggest sudden fluid retention from renal or cardiac failure. And this can arise, for example, if a patient does not take his medication as prescribed. A son or a daughter can be notified if their parent has missed taking their medication. Caregivers can thus intervene in a timely manner to prevent the patient's condition from worsening and possibly avoid costly hospital re-admissions.

Accenture's recent Health Consumer Survey found that three in four Singaporean seniors use digital technology to help manage their health. The openness of our seniors to use technology for their healthcare needs, coupled with the probability of sensors becoming more unobtrusive and less costly, can facilitate the widespread adoption of sensors-enabled home-based healthcare for chronic diseases. This technology need not be confined to our homes. Patients with chronic diseases can also potentially be cared for at day-care centres and step-down care facilities. So, the social sector also stands to benefit from such innovations, if we can help them seize the opportunities, and this was a point raised by Miss Penny Low.

Thirdly, Madam, computational thinking – a suggestion from Mr Zaqy Mohammed and Miss Penny Low. The Singapore of the future, with a rich array

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of ICM products and services, will require different skills. To realise the ideas I talked about earlier, we will need people familiar with ICM skills and who are also sensitive to how ICM can be applied to improve living. Our children will also need to be more familiar with computational thinking as it becomes an increasingly essential part of our lives and careers. Apart from the infocomm sector, jobs, such as animators, visual effect artists and games developers in the media sector, also require our talent to have both creative flair and computational skills.

Hence, the Steering Committee is proposing the idea of developing computational thinking as a national capability. They hope to do this through a movement that they call "CODE@SG". We are working with the relevant stakeholders to introduce coding and computational thinking to more students in schools through a combination of infocomm clubs, competitions and enrichment programmes. Enrichment programmes will allow our students to learn fundamental programming concepts in a fun and easy-to-learn manner.

For example, students can use visual programming languages to programme graphically and in the process, learn fundamental programming concepts. This is in line with the global movement to teach the important life-skills of computational thinking to the young. Some countries have already started to incorporate computing into their national curriculum. The UK will do so for children from the age of five starting from this September.

We are also looking into revamping the infocomm clubs in schools. We can do this by developing a platform to "gamify" learning and increase interest levels in computational thinking. With such changes, we aim to increase our engagement with students and promote infocomm as a highly desirable career choice, as mentioned by Mr Zaqy Mohamad earlier today.

The three ideas I have just shared are a preview of some of the ideas that will come out later in the consultation document. Considerable work remains as the masterplanning process will only conclude next year.

Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Members of the Steering and Working Committees for the work they have done so far. I would also like to invite the industry and the public to share their thoughts on the preliminary ideas that have been developed for this Masterplan.

One of the directions we have already begun to embark upon is data analytics. We will continue building up our infrastructure and capabilities to

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seize the opportunities in a data economy and better the lives of our people. Data analytics, as noted by Miss Penny Low, is a powerful tool. We can rely on data analytics to develop better policies and programmes for our people. It allows us to spot trends and improve service planning, including in the social sector. Recently, we also expanded our Data Sciences Group at IDA to build deeper domain expertise and lead our efforts to grow our data analytics capabilities. We will be working closely with other agencies to identify and work on projects that can make use of this new capability.

The media industry also can ride on our national push towards greater use of data and analytics. For example, the old measurements of circulation, subscriptions, or linear viewership will no longer be sufficient. Audiences are no longer confined to programme time belts or to their TV sets for entertainment. With this changing content consumption pattern, the media industry must also learn to use data analytics to gain insights into audience preferences and to develop compelling programmes.

Finally, we will also revise and pilot new programmes and schemes over the year to help us assess their feasibility for inclusion into the Masterplan. Much of what we do now will provide us with a strong foundation to pursue the ambitious goals that we have set for ourselves in the Masterplan.

Miss Penny Low and Mr Vikram Nair shared their views about the increasing vibrancy of our Infocomm, Media and Design (ICMD) sectors. Mr Vikram Nair and Mr David Ong have also highlighted the importance of digital inclusiveness in society. Madam, I will address this in my response later and Minister of State Sim Ann will highlight NLB's library initiatives for our seniors, too.

In 2013, Singapore's economy grew by 4.1%. I am happy to share with Members of the House that our ICMD sectors are estimated to have grown by 5.7% over the same period.

A number of our filmmakers and producers have gained international recognition and acclaim over the past year. The most well-known is, of course, Anthony Chen, who in 2007 received an MDA scholarship to pursue a Masters in Film Directing. He took us to new heights by winning several top accolades with his first feature film "Ilo Ilo". Several other local feature films supported by MDA have also done well. For example, the local feature film "That Girl in Pinafore" featured a teenage love story set in the 1990s against the backdrop of "xinyao". The film celebrated this notable youth music sub-culture that is largely

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home-grown, and which has enriched our local arts scene since that period. Besides its widespread local appeal, we are also proud that the film was selected for Panorama, a non-competitive section at the prestigious Shanghai International Film Festival.

Another notable success was "Serangoon Road". This HBO series was one of Asia's largest original television productions and won the Digital and Film Award at the Australian Art in Asia Awards. "Serangoon Road" featured a large number of local cast and crew, and was partly filmed and produced in Singapore.

On the infocomm front, Singapore continues to be consistently ranked highly in the world for our infocomm achievements. We have been ranked second for both the Global Information Technology Report and the Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum. For the past five years, we have also been consistently ranked first in the Waseda University International e-Government report.

So, we owe many of these achievements today to the infocomm technology (ICT) pioneers that we had back in the 1980s. One such pioneer is Mr Philip Yeo, who was the founding Chairman of the National Computer Board (NCB) back in 1981. He is widely recognised for guiding Singapore through our transition to a knowledge-based economy. The efforts of Mr Yeo and his team of pioneers at NCB helped us take our first steps towards our nationwide adoption of ICT.

Several of our local start-ups have been successful also in carving a niche for themselves in the infocomm space. One example is leading Singapore-based online startup Reebonz – it is pronounced as "ribbons". Founded by Singaporean entrepreneurs Samuel Lim, Daniel Lim and Benjamin Han in 2009, Reebonz has since established itself in the e-commerce space. They created a new direct distribution sales channel online for their lifestyle products. This brought greater convenience, affordability and choice to consumers in the Asia Pacific region. With IDA's support, the company has continued to grow and expand its footprint. In May last year, they completed their latest financing round and raised US$40 million, bringing the company's total value to US$200 million in just five years.

Our design community has also done well and our designers have brought home prestigious international awards. One notable example is Mr Pann Lim, the Creative Director from Kinetic Design and Advertising Pte Ltd. He is a Designer of the Year recipient at last year's President's Design Award. Pann also

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clinched several other prestigious awards in 2013, including the Cannes Lions Bronze in the 360° Brand & Identity Experience category. Kinetic won these awards for their work done for Maki-San, Singapore's first fully customisable sushi store. Kinetic's design solutions included coming up with the whole brand identity and experience, designing the interior of the store and packaging for their products.

These successes are signs of the vibrancy of Singapore's ICMD industries. I am also happy to highlight several new exciting infrastructure projects completed over the past year that have enhanced Singapore's ICMD ecosystem.

As noted by several speakers, Google opened its first data centre in Southeast Asia in Jurong West in December 2013. This data centre is a key part of Google's expansion into the region, and it is their first urban multi-storey data centre. Earlier this year, Pacnet also opened their new $115 million data centre in Paya Lebar. These data centres will help Singapore meet our rising needs as we continue our push to establish our country as a regional data hub.

We also witnessed the opening of two key developments at one-north in early 2014. Infinite Studios opened its multi-tenanted development at Mediapolis in early January, featuring Singapore's largest purpose-built sound stages and high-speed content transmission capabilities. We also saw Lucasfilm open its first purpose-built facility outside the US at Fusionopolis. This award-winning building, named the Sandcrawler, contains state-of-the-art digital production facilities that will cater to the long-term global production needs for Lucasfilm.

So, with these key international players and local heavyweights, such as MediaCorp and StarHub, moving their operations to one-north in the coming years, this cluster is set to be the engine for our push to establish Singapore as a leading digital media hub.

Madam, last year, I updated the House about our progress with the National Design Centre (NDC). I am happy to inform Members of the House that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman will officially open the NDC on 12 March, this Wednesday. This will be a milestone for Singapore's Design community. The NDC will support the DesignSingapore Council's efforts in developing the design sector and helping our businesses to use design for innovation and productivity through training and assistance. Activities will also be organised for the public to deepen their appreciation of design. More details will be

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announced during the opening of the NDC.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Ms Jessica Tan have shared their views about the need to build up our SMEs. Besides funding support, IDA will continue to look into measures that can help SMEs strengthen their capabilities to adopt transformative ICT solutions and shared services. During the Budget Speech, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman announced the ICT for Productivity and Growth (IPG) programme to help our SMEs across all industries. This will be a major boost to our existing iSPRINT initiatives to increase the adoption of ICT. To further build up our ICT capabilities, we will place greater emphasis on innovation and creation, and provide Singaporeans and our local enterprises with more platforms to innovate. We will also look at ways to help our Singapore technology start-ups grow in the global market.

Therefore, IDA will be launching IDA Labs. It will be a platform in which IDA and Government agencies can partner with the industry to experiment and develop new solutions. IDA Labs will also be used to excite and attract young Singaporeans, ranging from those in Primary school to those enrolled at the Institutes of Higher Learning, to tinker, build and fix with technology. Equipment, such as 3D printers and laser cutters, will be available for their use. To support the emphasis on computational thinking, micro-processors such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino kits will also be provided. IDA Labs will also provide opportunities to develop applications and solutions where infocomm and media converge, such as in games development. We believe that this new programme will help us grow a culture of creating and building in Singapore.

For a start, IDA will build two Labs – one at the Mapletree Business Centre and the other at the National Design Centre. They will be launched over the next two months. At the Mapletree Lab, products from Singapore technology startups can be "plugged in" to be experimented and tested for feasibility of use within a Government context, and for demonstration to potential users. IDA would also be launching a new Accreditation Programme for Singapore technology startups within the Lab. This will help these enterprises establish their credentials, increase visibility to potential Government and large enterprise buyers and gain more opportunities through Government work.

IDA Labs at the NDC will target technology and media professionals as well as designers, and serve as a meeting point for them to collaborate on new products and services such as sensors, games and data visualisation. So, it will be a place for industry players to work on integrated ICMD solutions. They will have access to equipment to build prototypes, test-bed new ideas and speed up

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the development of new products and services.

The NDC will also host a Prototyping Lab that will be open to the public. This lab is jointly supported by SPRING Singapore and DesignSingapore Council. It is set up to encourage design innovation activities by providing our designers and the public with access to tools and equipment for prototyping.

The DesignSingapore Council will also collaborate with industry associations to roll out accreditation initiatives for design professionals and companies in specific design capabilities. This is aimed at setting up best practice standards to ensure quality design services.

Finally, Madam, IDA will also introduce Accelerator programmes progressively in 2014 in partnership with industry partners. This will help to nurture a pipeline of Singapore technology startups that are well placed to attract both funding and investments. So, I am pleased to announce that a partnership has been made with local accelerator Joyful Frog Digital Incubator and the first intake will take place this month. Such Accelerator programmes will allow our promising start-ups to scale fast, secure early funding, and grow to excel on the global stage.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Ms Sylvia Lim, Ms Janice Koh, and Mr Baey Yam Keng have highlighted the ongoing need to promote the growth of our local media industry.

Madam, MDA takes a holistic view in developing our media industry, providing support for all stages of the creative process across all media sectors. Since 2011, MDA has provided support to more than 2,000 projects in the media industry. While this has been promising, more will be done to increase the exposure and profile of our local artistes. We want, as the Members mentioned, their talent and works to be widely appreciated and recognised.

In the music sector, for instance, MDA is working with MediaCorp for the third consecutive year to call for the creation of original theme songs from local songwriters and producers. Some of these songs have done very well. For example, theme songs for 96º Café and The Dream Makers achieved recognition on Y.E.S. 93.3FM's music chart. Apart from enjoying greater exposure for their music, the creators of the winning entries also retained the intellectual property

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(IP) for their songs and can further commercialise their creations.

MDA also supported programmes, such as Anugerah Planet Muzik and The Final 1. These are useful platforms to spot local musicians and showcase their talent to the region.

In a competitive media sector, we must, ultimately, create quality content that can resonate with and attract the attention of our audiences.

I will now briefly highlight our future approach to help our media companies adapt better to the rapidly changing business environment and consumer consumption patterns. Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong will speak more about our efforts on Public Service Broadcasting and promoting local content in his response later.

Madam, over the coming year, MDA will continue to work with our media companies to develop new, interesting and compelling stories, and to develop and manage their own IP for increased revenue opportunities. We will also encourage greater development of media content and services catered for multiple screens, to extend the reach and returns of our companies.

MDA also plans to build a vibrant content industry by helping to forge partnerships between leading international companies and our local content creation companies. For example, "Serangoon Road" was a joint production by Australia's Great Western Entertainment and Singapore's Infinite Studios. It illustrates the type of collaborative relationship we want to develop, where leading international media companies can draw on local media companies' experience and understanding of the domestic and regional environment.

At the same time, as Singapore's media sector aspires to higher standards and income, our local media companies and talents will also get the opportunity to learn the best practices and standards of these international companies. Thus, we can build stronger media enterprises and capabilities through collaborations with companies experienced in the global media markets.

Madam, more details will be announced by MDA later.

Let me now respond specifically to the point raised by both Ms Janice Koh and Ms Sylvia Lim about local music. This suggestion was raised at MCI's COS last year. We have reviewed this together with MDA, NAC and other agencies, such as NHB and NLB. We think there are some limitations and challenges in

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taking the suggestion further. For instance, we realise that not all buildings that public agencies are located are Government-owned and this limits when music can be played. We understand that the intention is good and there should be some flexibility for our agencies to decide, based on organisational needs, whether it is suitable for music to be played in their premises. For example, as rightly pointed out, NLB has obtained COMPASS' licence for playing songs by local musicians at selected library events. So, we will continue to explore ways and means by which we can enhance the playing of local music over our local radio in Singapore and to allow our local musicians a platform to showcase their talent.

Mdm Chair, regulation of media content is necessary to provide a wide range of age-appropriate content for adults while, at the same time, protecting our young.

Given the trend of media convergence, how would our media policies and regulations evolve? Will MCI be reviewing its media policy principles and, if so, could MCI articulate some of these changes?

Moving on to Internet regulations, of late, there have been several new regulations implemented in the past year, such as the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification and the registration of Internet sites. This has caused concern amongst the Internet community that after consultation for Internet self-regulation, the Ministry has taken several steps back in terms of keeping the Internet on a light touch. I understand that given MDA's challenges over the pre-existing laws of foreign interference and funding of Internet space, the means of implementation could have been done better with greater notice, consultation and buy-in from the Internet in the news community. Understandably, the Internet landscape is constantly evolving and the regulated tool has to evolve.

Can the Ministry share if it has any plans to continue to engage the Internet community and whether the new regulations that it is considering today, and Internet self-regulations and code of conduct are still on MDA's agenda? This will help provide some visibility on the direction and approach that the Ministry is taking moving forward, as many have raised concerns that the goal post

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keeps shifting.

In light of the website replacements encountered by private organisations and the Tweet storms targeted at the Government, what plans does the Government have to strengthen the cyber defence of the Government's ICT systems and to raise awareness amongst individuals and businesses about cybersecurity? I notice that the National Research Foundation had last year identified cybersecurity as a key research cluster it wants to develop and has set aside $130 million for this. What is the status of that initiative and what is the take-up rate of the industry?

From the citizens' perspective, what is the Government doing to give the public the confidence that their personal data and access to Government's e-services will be kept secure, and these include civil servants and public officers who were recently at the centre of a cyber threat?

In addition, may I ask how does the Government develop the infocomm security workforce to cater to the increasing demands and capacity, and protect Government and business requirements from cyber harassments and cyber intrusions?

Ms Lee Li Lian (Punggol East): Madam, in last year's COS, I brought up the question of whether a $10,000 fine imposed on our operators for failing to meet IDA's QoS standards is sufficient to provide the push for operators to invest in improvements of their network infrastructure. I am glad to note that there had been more appropriate penalties levied on operators for failing to meet operational expectations.

On 24 January this year, M1 was fined again for failing to meet the new standard for outdoor 3G coverage. M1 spokesman said that, "We note that M1's network delivered the best call quality, with the highest call success rate and the lowest call drop rate". Instead of relying on two simple metrics, IDA should consider redefining how call quality is determined.

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Firstly, IDA QoS standards did not test for any data-related metrics, such as throughput and latency, which are two important components that will help Singapore become a dynamic and vibrant global infocomm hub. Next, allow me to make comparison with another country's regulatory standards. We are using received signal strength level of minus100 dBm to access the coverage for 2G. In UK, the regulatory authority, Ofcom, uses minus 86 dBm. This means that the absolute signal strength requirements for 2G is 25 times lower in Singapore compared to UK. For 3G, Ofcom is measuring received signal code power, better known as RSCP, which is more appropriate, as 3G is a spread spectrum technology with scrambling codes, instead of received signal strength (RSSI), as done in Singapore.

Will IDA consider having stricter coverage requirements and more comprehensive quality standards so as to provide Singapore subscribers and businesses with better access to telecommunications services?

My next cut. In a written reply to my Parliamentary Question on 17 February this year, the Minister mentioned:

"There are no inconsistencies between the results for mobile network coverage and drop call rates as they measure different aspects of an operator's network. The former measures the presence of radio signals of a certain signal strength, at a certain location. End users typically see this represented by the varying number of signal strength "bars" on their handphones. Test results for this indicator are typically collected by IDA through drive and walk tests. The call drop rate, on the other hand, is a measure of the availability of radio channels to handle and maintain established calls. It is assessed by IDA using the network traffic logs, which reflect actual users' data."

The reply stated that drop call rate is a measure of the availability of radio channels to handle and maintain established calls. However, in the IDA's QoS standards and performance results, there have not been any tests done, monitored or published for this availability of radio channels. Hence, I would like to find out how did IDA arrive at this conclusion.

The fact is, if there is no availability of radio channels, calls will not be set up in the first place and, hence, that call will not have existed to be dropped later.

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Apart from the above, I have three other questions for the Minister.

First, drop call rates are heavily affected by coverage because when a mobile phone moves to an area of low or no signal strength, the call will drop. Therefore, I would like to find out how did M1, with the worst coverage, have the lowest drop call rates?

Next, based on the drop call rates published by IDA, for every 1,000 phone calls that the Singapore subscribers make, they should only experience 2.7 to 4.1 drop calls. Does IDA feel that this accurately reflects what the Singapore subscribers are experiencing?

Lastly, would IDA consider using more technologically advanced and accurate methods to audit network traffic logs, such as using Deep Packet Inspection, better known as DPI?

Madam, I would like to declare my interest as a Board Member of the National Library Board (NLB) for all my cuts under Head Q.

Madam, our small island-state is probably one of the world's most wired in infocomm technology, if not the world's leader, in terms of choices and availability of media and instruments.

With my involvement at NLB, I am aware of the kaleidoscope of programmes, activities and services provided. While many had taken advantage of these services, even wowed by them, I am confident the libraries can do more.

For low-income families, it would be hard-pressed for them to equip their children with tablets or smart phones – I hope that the library can look into that – and at the same time, there are many other segments in our society, for example, the physically challenged, the visually handicapped, that may face barriers of access to the library services.

How would NLB ensure that its services can better reach the disadvantaged, the physically and visually challenged and the low-income households?

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Mdm Chair, digital transmissions allow broadcasters to send signals more efficiently, enabling viewers to receive better quality images and superior sound. However, the progress in the digital television arena should not be restricted to those who can afford the migration. As I understand it, the cost of migration to digital television requires a set-top box and antenna which is about $129. This is a tidy sum for any low-income family.

I am heartened that Minister Yaacob will be announcing plans to help some 170,000 low-income households to benefit from digital television. This is an important initiative as, currently, some of MediaCorp's free-to-air programmes are already in digital format. And by 2020, all analogue programmes would cease. I look forward to further updates from the Minister on this plan and to help low-income Singaporeans access digital television.

— and consumers do not seem to have much opportunity to change that. Is MCI taking any steps to ensure that consumers' rights and interests continue to be protected in the face of such developments?

Madam, with the new Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), I have several burning questions which I hope the Minister can provide the answers.

Firstly, I would like to ask whether clear and unambiguous consent in the duty to check the Do Not Call (DNC) Register can be dispensed with, to the organisation to send text and fax messages when the individual signs up for email updates. In the proposed advisory guidelines on the application of the PDPA to scenarios placed in the real estate agency sector dated 23 January this year, the Commission highlighted that in signing for email updates on certain types of properties, one is automatically given consent to be contacted by text and fax for such updates.

Am I correct, therefore, to say the same stance should be adopted for organisations in all other sectors? I have also been engaging our Professional

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Photographers Association of Singapore and their concerns. The second question I would like to, therefore, ask is whether the professional photographer engaged for a private event, such as a wedding or the organisation hosting an event, has to obtain their guests' consent before candid photographs of them can be taken.

The Commission and Advisory guidelines on key concepts to the Act issued on 24 September stated that photographs are personal data even if one does not know the name of the person in the photographs. It follows then that consent must be obtained, and the Commission has not considered the Act's purpose with respect to organisations. How can the many professional photographers dare to make a living with such onerous responsibilities?

The final question is with regard to use of personal data without consent in the area of research. For many organisations, we have opinion polls, surveys, interviews and feedback and the researched subject will have to be contacted for its specific research data. To do this, they would have to contact and use the researched subject's personal data. How can we reconcile this?

Madam, I thank Mr Zaqy Mohamad for reinforcing the importance of media content regulation. Our media landscape, as we know, is constantly evolving. Technological advancements and demographic shifts require us to constantly update our media content standards and regulatory frameworks, especially in light of media convergence, which has created opportunities and challenges for the consumer, the industry and the regulator.

So, let me, first, emphasise that our content regulatory framework has always been and will continue to be guided by three fundamental principles. Firstly, we need to protect the young while providing more choices for the adults. Secondly, we need to uphold community values and support racial and religious harmony. Finally, we need to safeguard our national and public interest.

These principles, Madam, form the basis of media classification, which defines the age-suitability of media content through the use of an age-rating system, accompanied by access controls for mature content, and consumer advisories to facilitate informed media consumption choices.

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Our approach so far has largely been platform-specific, based on the principle that content on platforms with higher reach and impact should be subject to more stringent regulatory requirements. Therefore, MDA maintains 14 sets of content codes spelling out the guidelines for different types of media services, ranging from TV, films, games, publications, the arts and the Internet.

However, we recognise that such an approach needs to evolve with media convergence, where consumers are increasingly able to access the same content across different platforms.

In 2011, MDA had taken the initial steps by harmonising the classification framework for films and broadcast content. More recently, the Media Convergence Review Panel recommended that a consistent age-based classification system be adopted across different mediums, including for higher ratings which signal the presence of mature content.

MDA will, therefore, launch a Content Standards Study in the second half of the year to assess whether we need to further harmonise our ratings system across the different mediums. The study, Madam, will also assess whether existing content standards and policies remain in line with community expectations.

To give Members a sense of where we are today, this slide shows the various classification ratings that currently apply to the various media platforms. As I mentioned earlier, the ratings for TV and films had already been harmonised in 2011.

In addition, we are reviewing our media legislation and regulatory frameworks to ensure their relevance in this media-convergent environment. The review of the Broadcasting Act is ongoing. We target to hold public consultation on the key amendments later this year, before we finalise them. I would like to encourage the Internet community and other stakeholders to give their inputs during the public consultation period.

Moving on to cybersecurity, I share Mr Zaqy Mohamad's concerns on cyber threats. The Government takes a serious view of cyber threats and remains vigilant to cyberattacks targeted at Government ICT systems. We have been actively monitoring online threats, including the Tweet storm in early-2014. This Tweet storm did not affect Government ICT infrastructure.

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Cybersecurity has always been an important priority. Since the First Infocomm Security Masterplan was launched in 2005, the Government has been stepping up our infocomm security measures. Our measures, Madam, are multi-layered and constantly updated to meet the changes in technologies and risks. We have a Cyber Watch Centre which provides 24/7 monitoring of cyber threats to Government ICT systems.

The Government will be enhancing the Centre with a wider range of monitoring capabilities. Baseline security requirements have also been raised to match the level of cyber threats. For example, agencies will patch and update their systems more frequently.

But hackers do not target only the Government. Cyberattacks can come from anywhere and attack any system in the world. Hence, it is important for businesses and individuals to have greater awareness of cyber threats. Businesses and individuals can protect themselves by adopting essential practices found in the "Go Safe Online" website. This is also one of the key focus areas of the National Cyber Security Masterplan launched in July 2013.

We are also looking into growing Singapore's pool of infocomm security experts under the Masterplan. This complements our work with the National Research Foundation to build up Singapore's cybersecurity R&D capability.

Ms Lee Li Lian raised the issue of quality of service (QoS) for our cellular networks. Singapore, Madam, is one of the few countries to impose QoS standards on telecommunication services for compliance purposes.

Some countries impose such standards where available for monitoring purposes. Our QoS framework incorporates recommendations from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), such as coverage, drop rate and call success rates. Since the enhanced 3G QoS framework came into effect in April 2012, all three mobile telephone operators (MTOs) have met IDA's QoS standards on call success and drop call rates. Their performances are independently verified by IDA.

IDA audits the operators' network traffic logs to validate the operators' call success and drop call rates. IDA also conducts independent sampling checks on drop call rates across the island, including roads and MRT tunnels. IDA also regularly reviews the QoS frameworks to ensure that the MTOs continue to enhance and optimise their networks to further improve their call success and

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drop call performance.

The Member has several questions which are technical in nature; I hope she can file a PQ so that I can give her a more elaborate answer. On one of the concerns she raised about M1's coverage, I think it is possible that while your mobile network coverage may be weaker at certain locations, calls do not drop due to sufficiency of radio channels.

Madam, let me conclude this section by reiterating that the Government remains committed to keeping our media content regulations in line with community expectations, strengthening our cybersecurity and ensuring a high quality of service among our mobile operators.

Let me now move on to the programmes and initiatives to enhance the quality of life for our people. Madam, our goal is to ensure that the benefits of a vibrant information, infocomm, media and design ecosystem improve the quality of life for all Singaporeans. And I thank hon Members who share this vision.

An inclusive society is an important priority for this Government, a point raised by Mr Vikram Nair and Mr David Ong. For my Ministry, this means that all segments of society are part of the digital and information revolution. And in this respect, we have been implementing various initiatives which I would like to share with the House.

Let me begin with our elderly population or our seniors. IDA is helping them to acquire infocomm skills through the Silver Infocomm Initiative. This initiative has been well-received. Over the last seven years, seniors have signed up for about 85,000 training places for IT courses and workshops.

These two elderly gentlemen that Members see in the slide – Mr Soh Chwee Paw on the left and his younger brother, Mr Soh Chuee Wan on the right – are beneficiaries of this initiative. They were initially hesitant to join IT classes because they were concerned about not being able to keep up with the lessons. But this changed when the younger Mr Soh heard about computer classes under the Silver Infocomm Initiative that were tailored for seniors and conducted by seniors.

Together, they attended the Basic Computer Course held at one of IDA's Silver Infocomm Junction. The elder Mr Soh said, "Having such classes dedicated to seniors is great because it has allowed us to learn at a similar pace

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with our peers".

Madam, we will intensify our efforts and provide more opportunities for IT-savvy senior citizens to help and train their peers. In September 2013, IDA partnered with the Organisation of Senior Volunteers (RSVP) and The Council for Third Age to launch the Silver IT Care Programme. Under this programme, seniors run an IT helpdesk to assist other seniors in solving infocomm-related problems and queries.

We currently have 33 senior volunteers for the Silver IT Care Programme and many more seniors have expressed interest to help man the helpdesk. So, I hope this will inspire more seniors to adopt infocomm technologies.

Our libraries have also been reaching out to low-income households and disadvantaged groups, an issue which Mr Arthur Fong had raised. Many Members will be familiar with the mobile library or MOLLY, as it is affectionately known. MOLLY has been in operation since 2008.

Last year, MOLLY reached out to 75 organisations, bringing the library to childcare centres, special needs schools, orphanages and welfare homes.

One student who has benefited tremendously from MOLLY is 10-year-old Muhammad Danish from Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School. Danish was once very shy but, now, he has become more expressive as he talks about the books he has read. By making books more accessible, MOLLY has helped Danish build his confidence and social skills, and I am told he has blossomed into quite a storyteller himself. But the existing MOLLY cannot reach as many locations as the NLB would like to, because of the size.

So, I am pleased to share that NLB will be rolling out two mini Mollies later this year. This is made possible with the kind donation of the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple. These new Mollies will be smaller than the original one that you see in this picture and will be able to better navigate tight spaces, especially in facilities with narrow driveways. With the two new mini Mollies, we will be able to visit 160 more organisations, and increase library visitorship by almost 50,000 in the coming year.

Madam, NLB also recognises the importance of promoting reading, more so amongst children from disadvantaged backgrounds. One such programme is kidsREAD, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.

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kidsREAD is a community effort led by NLB, in partnership with the People's Association, self-help and community groups. It nurtures reading habits among children from low-income families. With the help of over 7,000 volunteers in the reading clubs across the island, about 20,000 children have benefitted from kidsREAD for the last nine years. The programme has helped encourage these children to read more and strengthen their use of English.

The kidsREAD programme was originally structured as a one-year programme for each child. But last year, NLB recognised the importance of kidsREAD and, with the support of its stakeholders, expanded it to a five-year programme. With the expanded programme, we have introduced more reading activities to engage each child for a longer period.

The expanded kidsREAD has been successful, thanks to the dedication of our kidsREAD volunteers. One such volunteer is 16-year-old student Ong Jia Ying from Compassvale Secondary School who has volunteered for two years. She shared that she gets a sense of accomplishment and is inspired to do more when she sees the children showing improvements in their command of English. So, I am heartened that Jia Ying really enjoys the time she spends reading and interacting with the children.

This year, with kidsREAD celebrating its 10th anniversary, I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who have made this programme possible. NLB will continue to engage its volunteers meaningfully, so that they will have fulfilling volunteer experience and help kidsREAD continue to bring the joy of reading to more children.

Besides helping children to develop a love for reading, we also want to nurture their creativity, a point raised by many Members. Since 2004, the DesignSingapore Council has been organising a programme called ManyWaysofSeeing. Over the years, some 1,200 children and over 300 teachers have attended the various workshops under this programme and found the experience inspiring.

In 2012, the Council created a series of awareness programmes and Train-the-Trainers programme for pre-school educators to bring the programme to more children. This year, the Council will pilot a Master Class for past participants of the Train-the-Trainers programme. The Master Class will help our pre-school educators go beyond just conducting one-off workshops to

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developing a curriculum based on the ManyWaysOfSeeing approach. They will also be trained as mentors and advocates for the ManyWaysOfSeeing programme.

One of the more popular installations the pre-school educators learn to co-create with children is "The Spirit Garden". This set of sensory-based design workshops for children aged five to seven was developed together with Prof Masayo Ave, a senior designer based in Berlin. The workshops help our children to appreciate the designer's way of observing, drawing and composing. And this is achieved through the children working with the facilitator to create "The Spirit Garden", a unique work of art. This workshop has been beneficial and, as one parent, Mrs Angeline Sim, shared on her blog, "This is an excellent initiative to sensitise kids to the beautiful world around us and to nurture their budding creativity".

Madam, TV has always been an important source of entertainment and information for our people. On 16 December 2013, MediaCorp commenced transmission of all seven Free-to-Air Channels in digital format, in addition to analogue signals. MediaCorp is also progressively rolling out the digital TV network to provide good indoor coverage of the digital TV signals.

Digital TV will enhance our TV-watching experience with higher quality images and surround sound. Audiences can access electronic TV guides to keep track of their favourite programme. The move to digital TV will also free up valuable radio frequencies so that we can offer Singaporeans new and better mobile services.

Last year, I shared that while we work to improve the TV-watching experience of Singaporeans, we will ensure that low-income households can also benefit from digital TV. Mr David Ong asked for an update of this plan. Madam, I am happy to announce that we will provide low-income households with an Assistance Package to help them access Free-to-Air Digital TV. This package will comprise a DVB-T2 digital set-top box and an indoor antenna, and will be installed by an MDA-appointed contractor.

The assistance scheme will be launched by September this year. A key group of low-income households that we need to assist are those who live in 1- or 2-room rental flats, or who are on relevant ComCare assistance schemes including the Public Assistance Scheme. We will be working with HDB and MSF to include these households automatically on the scheme.

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Besides this group, we will also make the assistance scheme available to households with a monthly income of $1,900 or below, or per capita income of $600 and below. For households with no income, we will extend the package to them if the annual value of their residence is $13,000 and below. Households must have at least one Singaporean member in order to qualify. Those who have Pay-TV subscription or Integrated Digital TV will not be eligible for the assistance scheme, as they can already access digital TV through these channels. With this, about 160,000 to 170,000 low-income Singaporean households will qualify for the assistance scheme.

Community involvement will be important for the digital switchover. MDA will be working with the community to inform residents on the availability of digital TV in their estates and how to switch over to digital TV. Grassroots leaders will also be engaged to reach out to and assist the low-income households who qualify for the Assistance Scheme.

Madam, our move to help the low income will not stop here. In today's connected world, the Internet has become a fundamental utility to both businesses and individuals. We are taking steps to make important telecoms services like broadband Internet more accessible and affordable to the low income. We are also looking into enhancing our Digital Inclusion initiatives. And these will be made public in due course.

Mr Vikram Nair highlighted concerns faced by Pay TV consumers regarding unfair terms in their subscription contracts. To address these concerns, MDA will be reviewing the Media Market Conduct Code, with a view to introducing additional consumer protection measures for Pay TV subscription services by the end of the year. MDA will conduct a public consultation on these measures over the next few months.

One area that MDA will address is concerns arising from Pay TV operators changing the terms of contracts without the consumer's consent. This is a problem, especially when the new terms are not to the consumer's benefit, for example, an increase in price or the removal of a channel or important programme. When consumers wish to exit their contracts in such situations, they currently have to pay exit penalties. Occasionally, subscribers are required to upgrade their non-Pay TV services, for example, broadband services, when they change their Pay TV services. These upgrades are typically not necessary to support the changes in the Pay TV services. So, MDA is reviewing the possibility of disallowing such practices.

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At the same time, MDA is planning to require retailers to brief consumers on important details of their contracts, including package price and content, before selling these packages to consumers. Madam, MDA will balance these consumer protection measures against the cost imposed on the industry.

For contracts of telecommunications services, IDA will also be reviewing if similar enhancements are necessary and will conduct public consultations when ready.

Finally, Madam, I thank Mr Patrick Tay for his views on the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

I understand that the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has received queries from organisations and the public on the application of its Exemption Order, as well as issues of obtaining consent for photographs under the PDPA. The Exemption Order that came into effect on 2 January 2014 applies to every sector, including the Real Estate sector. However, the PDPC recognises that each sector has unique circumstances.

Therefore, PDPC will conduct a series of public consultations on sector-specific Advisory Guidelines to clarify these issues. The consultation exercises for Real Estate and Telecommunication sectors were the first ones to be launched and, now that the consultation has closed, I understand that PDPC is finalising the guidelines. PDPC will also conduct consultation on guidelines to provide greater clarity on how photographs may be collected, used and disclosed, a point raised by Mr Patrick Tay.

On the issue of research, organisations should generally seek consent from the individual to use his personal data. Where it is not practical for consent to be sought, the PDPA allows organisations, under limited criteria in the regulations, to use the personal data without consent.

The PDPA, which comes into full effect on 2 July this year, recognises both the rights of individuals to protect their personal data and the needs of organisations to collect, use and disclose such data. Should any organisation require clarifications on its application, they can approach PDPC.

Madam, to conclude, I would like to reiterate that the Government is committed to enhance the quality of life for our people, including the young, the old and the disadvantaged in our country.

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Madam, we have one of the best libraries in the region, if not the world. Notwithstanding what was reported in the press, our libraries are popular with our resident population. Even some foreigners who have travelled here will make it a point to stop at our libraries. The lending and the reference sections of our library are well utilised and some library goers have even asked for more seats. As our population now stands at more than five million, what can our libraries do to continually maintain a high service, catering to changing technology and demands of library users?

Madam, my second cut. Singapore would be celebrating our Golden Jubilee next year. We have certainly come a long way and, rightly, there is much for us to celebrate. But, at this important milestone, it is also important for us to reflect on our Singapore identity, especially in the light of recent changes to our demography and social fabric.

Various agencies, organisations and groups have begun making preparations and arrangements to commemorate our Golden Jubilee. The National Library is an important institution to help Singapore and Singaporeans in this effort to take stock and reflect on our national identity.

In fact, the National Library, as an entity, pre-dates Singapore's Independence. The National Library has its roots back in 1823, from Sir Stamford Raffles' time in the Far East.

The National Library has not stood still but has evolved and, I might add, is "aggressively" transforming, as I speak, to meet rising and changing demands and even ahead of many libraries of the world. With this constant development, the National Library's collections of the socio-economic and political developments of Singapore have become more than "nuggets" of information, and records of our past are a connected Treasure Trove of Singapore's history.

Although the role of the National Library may not be an actor in shaping the history of Singapore, a healthy collection of materials over the years, both primary as well as secondary, have accumulated. With the long history and the

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collection of materials, what more can the National Library do to showcase the same and, in so doing, help build a stronger sense of identity for Singaporeans?

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Next year, Singapore is going to celebrate its 50th birthday. This is a very significant event. I would like to ask the Minister if there are ideas to mobilise Singaporeans to help promote this very significant event to the rest of the world. Do we have enough resources and manpower?

We introduced the Pioneer Generation Package. Many Members in the House have also urged the Government to enhance communications via various channels. I would like to ask the Minister: when introducing major policies, do we have ample preparations to ensure policies are properly communicated?

When publicising information to the public, we often make a fool of ourselves. STB had made a fool of itself, so did NHB. NHB translated the "Bras" in "Bras Basah" literally into "bra" in Chinese. Most of us are very familiar with Bras Basah, but this mistake had made the news in the China, Hong Kong and Taiwan media.

NHB explained that the translation on its website was done by the Google Translate plug-in. However, whether it is Google Translate or other software, should we not view the work of translation more seriously, including Malay and Tamil translations? On this front, are we lacking in the heart or the ability to do the job right?

(In English): REACH's survey on how much people know about the help available to them shows that though Singaporeans are generally aware of the various assistance schemes, a significant number of elderly and low-income earners are still unclear about how the schemes work.

As we are celebrating Singapore's 50th Anniversary, may I ask the Minister if we have an overall strategy to engage all Singaporeans not only for this occasion but also for any good news, sad news and any important policy announcements?

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What is the Minister's assessment of the Government's public communications and engagement capability and capacity?

Madam, showing how the Government materially affects Singaporeans' lives through the implementation of key policies can increase citizens' engagement with the Government.

With increased engagement, there is a greater likelihood of greater trust and confidence in the policies and the Government. And policies will also more likely achieve their intended outcomes.

Since the 2011 general election, the Government has endeavoured to address the concerns of Singaporeans over various hot-button issues.

One of the challenges that any government faces is that people tend to notice the things that a government gets wrong more than the things a government gets right. This phenomenon is not unique to Singapore.

But getting things wrong is magnified in the Singapore context because we have come to expect effectiveness and efficiency from the Government.

In this regard, I share Mr Seng's concerns over the latest REACH surveys on citizens' knowledge about the various assistance schemes and benefits available to them. The surveys indicated a high level of awareness of Government schemes and policies but target groups like the elderly and lower income were less likely to be aware that they benefited from such schemes.

At one level, it would mean that Government policies and schemes might not have reached the intended beneficiaries. At another level, it suggests that beneficiaries may not be aware that they are being assisted.

A lack of understanding of the policy realities, such as the number of HDB flats to be built in the next three years, will mean that Government policies and

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schemes to manage property prices may not have the intended effect. To make matters worse, there may be greater unhappiness with Government policies despite concerted efforts to address the issues.

It is possible that the message is not reaching the recipients. And, even if they do, it may be that they do not comprehend the policies and schemes and how they affect them.

It would appear that the Government often performs better than it is actually given credit for. The REACH survey results vividly demonstrate that effort in and of itself is inadequate. Effort must be accompanied by positive outcomes.

However, I do not see it as just an issue of communications although communications is part of the problem and part of the solution as well. Could the survey results point to the subtle and latent lack of trust and confidence in the various policies and schemes? Could it also reflect how segments of the population feel that the policies and schemes are not sufficiently beneficial to them? This could, in turn, reflect an entitlement mentality; and, if so, there will then be a never-ending expectation that the Government should do more.

A larger concern is whether the lack of knowledge of the actual benefits to Singaporeans may actually point to disengagement with the Government. If so, there is a limit to what communication can do unless citizens are prepared to keep an open mind and look at policies impartially and objectively.

Communications is a two-way process. Otherwise, a ramping up of communications could be mistaken for more Government propaganda and, thus, deepen the disengagement.

My second cut. Top public servants, especially the Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives of Statutory Boards, can play a big part in providing, what I call, operational transparency and accountability of the bureaucracy's efforts in implementing Government policies and schemes.

Take, for example, the opening of the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) at the end of 2013. Although this was another milestone for our road transport system, teething problems were to be expected. However, when motorists felt that the congestion was due to poor design and other engineering issues, I

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thought perhaps that the Chief Executive of LTA could have taken on a more public profile in attending to the motorists' concerns and, perhaps, even anger. Yes, there were senior officials from LTA who were at the front-line but nothing like the Chief Executive taking on a more prominent role. In my view, when a Minister gets involved in operational matters, the matter invariably gets refracted through political lenses.

I appreciate the various Ministers' hands-on approach in ensuring that their Ministries and Statutory Boards under their care get things done well and right. However, where they relate to the operational domain, then the public servants should step up.

As domain experts, Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executives would be better placed to deal with the actual nuts-and-bolts delivery of services, explaining and attending to public concerns and unhappiness when these matters relate to the execution of operational matters. In so doing, they also demonstrate the operational transparency and accountability that is vital to public confidence in the Public Service, the one that is increasingly expected by the public.

Mdm Chair, last year, MCI added $182 million to Public Service Broadcast (PSB) funds to boost the quality and quantity of local content, documentaries on Singapore and current affairs programmes. Indeed, PSB programmes today feature famous artists, overseas shoots and sizeable productions. These are some achievements that Singapore can be proud of.

While this helps our media scene level up, I hope that resources would also be channelled to, firstly, raise awareness of important policies and help schemes for both the society and the private sector. The perils of poor communications on Government policies have been extensively discussed outside and inside this House. We need to heed the advice and views very

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seriously.

And, secondly, to give exposure to smaller community groups and social enterprises who are social do-gooders, but cannot afford the high advertising costs to promote their causes. In fact, whenever NPOs, especially smaller NPOs, approach the main media for collaborations, they are often shown the charge sheets. Also, unless it is a major production by a major NPO, any media collaboration will be almost impossible.

Perhaps, the solution is in PSB-funded short, simple productions, repeatedly played. These cost less and cover more ground. Will the Minister consider: (a) producing simple snippets and TV interstitials that are played repeatedly, to inform Singapore residents of Budget and other policies, like the PGP (Pioneer Generation Package), some of the help schemes, SME schemes and, of course, if you are low-income family, the help schemes? (b) commissioning TV interstitials and advertorials featuring smaller not-for-profit organisations like social enterprises, VWOs, schools, sports, arts or lesser known interest groups and their passionate endeavours? This will reflect the energy of our community, create a positive vibe in society, and inspire this can-do and do-good spirit. It is an uplifting message. These people cannot afford the high advertisement rates. But they need help and recognition.

Madam, I would like to declare my interest as the President of the Basketball Association of Singapore. Today, we see an explosive growth of TV channels and new viewing opportunities, such as multi-TVs at home, new mobile television services on mobile handsets, tablets and even gaming devices which can deliver content on demand. In spite of these developments, broadcast TV remains, for now, the medium of choice for the masses. Our public service broadcaster must keep its promise as a genuine public service and promoter of a breadth of local programming, including sports.

At the last SEA Games in Myanmar, Singaporeans did not get to see much of our athletes competing in 25 out of 30 events, although they brought back 108 medals in total. Public service broadcasting of the Games featuring our athletes is lacking even during off prime-time hours. In our efforts to better rally Singaporeans to support Team Singapore and its athletes, what can the Ministry do to ensure more air time over its free-to-air channels of our athletes competing in regional, national and even school sporting events?

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Imagine this: Tom Cruise on a speedboat chasing down Singapore River; Daniel Craig skydiving into Marina Bay or Jackie Chan somersaulting on a HDB rooftop. These need not be the stuff of fantasy. Such scenes can appear on our movie and TV screens if we put our minds to developing an integrated strategy to strengthen Singapore's capacity for producing film and TV content.

A key component would include promoting Singapore as a film location internationally. Some cities, such as New York and London, have done this well. They have proven that films make the key contribution to their economy and their creative buzz. Films also promote tourism and provide exposure to the country's culture.

I am aware that there is a HBO series titled "Serangoon Road" which is set in Singapore, but would you believe that it was filmed mostly in Batam? Why not in Singapore? Of course, we cannot force film-makers to shoot here but we can actively encourage them and create a welcoming climate for this. In other cities known to be film-friendly, they have set up a centralised film body backed by the government which offers free information service, helping film-makers with all aspects of filming – budgeting, studios, crew, locations, permissions and services – ensuring that filming happens as smoothly as possible.

For example, in New York, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting provides a one-stop shop for all production needs in the city, including permits, free exterior locations and free police assistance. Let us think big and set up such a one-stop agency for film and television for Singapore. It seems ridiculous that, today, even local producers find it hard to shoot a scene on a HDB rooftop.

At the heart of a good film is a good story. Raising the quality of scriptwriting is essential. For example, a murder thriller based on the Singapore F1 race would be a promising pitch, but, without a talented scriptwriter, it could flop. We need to bridge that quality gap between a good idea and successful production. We should also look at adapting evocative Singapore-based novels into movies.

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As Singapore turns 50 next year, there is a hunger for more documentaries on Singapore's complex history. A commendable effort in this direction is CNA's recent series, "Days of Rage". We should increase the funding support for more high-quality historical documentaries and encourage international corporate co-productions so that they can reach a wider audience beyond our shores.

Anthony Chen's recent success is an inspiration to our film industry. We should build on this success, pour in more resources and pursue a more integrated approach to put Singapore firmly on the creative path. I would like to ask the Minister his plans for promoting our film and TV industries.

Mdm Speaker, I will now speak on the role of MCI in building a knowledgeable and connected society.

As Mr Arthur Fong pointed out, our libraries are very popular. On a busy day, about 79,000 people visit our libraries and borrow over 100,000 items, and 300 new members join the library. Reading programmes and exhibitions in our libraries attract about 27,000 participants. Our libraries are well-used and well-loved. We recognise that libraries remain important to Singaporeans and we intend to continue to expand the library network.

I am pleased to inform Members that we will be opening two libraries this year. First, residents living in the north will be able to enjoy an expanded, newly renovated Sembawang Library on the fifth floor of Sun Plaza, which will offer a

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bigger space with a new look and feel. The new library will be ready in the third quarter of the year. The Sembawang Library is especially well-used by young families, and its collection will strive to meet their needs even better. The new design will not only focus on the young, but will also be fitted out for inter-generational learning to promote interaction between children and their parents and grandparents.

Second, the much-anticipated library@orchard will open at the new Orchard Gateway development at Somerset. This is an exciting project because the library@orchard took a new co-creation approach in development. During the last Budget debate, we shared with Members that NLB exhibited the service prototypes for library@orchard and obtained feedback on what features should be included. Since then, the design-thinking team from Singapore Polytechnic, NLB staff and volunteers with design expertise have been working to conceptualise the interiors and the collection. As a result, we can look forward to the opening of a new library with an innovative design in the later half of this year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the different groups for their hard work. This is one way we hope to continue engaging communities in building new services and improving on them.

NLB will continue to work with the community to see how libraries can be even more community-powered. With the community playing a role, we will be able to bring more library services to more people in more locations. If you recall, the library@chinatown, opened last year, is entirely run by volunteers who provide 77 man-hours of voluntary service every week. The library@orchard, too, will explore how it can work with volunteers to extend library operations beyond traditional library operating hours to better serve users along the Orchard Road belt.

Promoting the love for reading is core to NLB's work. NLB's reading programmes cater for people of all ages and social backgrounds. For example, the NLB has been reaching out to school-age children through its kidsRead and Read@School programmes. Among adults, some 50 reading clubs help build on common reading interests and the annual READ! Singapore initiative provides a wide range of activities for young and old. Members like Mr David Ong and Mr Vikram Nair have pointed out that seniors and the very young are important groups. This is why NLB will be introducing new reading programmes to better cover these age groups.

Seniors make up about 9% of our population and this will grow significantly in the next few years. In fact, population projections have our seniors population tripling by 2030. We need to be prepared to have more services to

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reach out and engage our seniors, and help them continue pursuing their learning interests.

Since last year, NLB has been revamping its services for seniors. For example, NLB has doubled its collection of large print books. There is also a wide collection of audio books in our four official languages. A key partner in IDA's Silver Infocomm initiatives, the NLB will continue to help seniors pick up new digital skills and they can enjoy digital services and free Internet access at our public libraries. To expand its reach, NLB has been working closely with partners, such as the People's Association and the CDCs, to provide services closer to our seniors. We also partner active seniors who are valuable volunteers with the library.

Take Mr Ho Hew Lee, for example. At 72 years of age, Mr Ho belongs to our Pioneer Generation. He has been an energetic, dedicated volunteer with our libraries since 2006. Passionate about helping others, Mr Ho has helped conduct training workshops for other seniors on how to use e-devices on loan, such as iPads and Kindles, and teaches them how to access resources from the library's databases. He also volunteers at events to raise awareness of the library's many reading programmes. We are thankful for passionate individuals like Mr Ho. NLB welcomes more seniors who would like to play a part in our library's learning services.

NLB has been working with community groups over the past few years in loaning out books at various places, such as community centres and senior activity centres. NLB is enhancing this service through a new scheme called Read@Community to provide guidance to community partners in setting up reading corners; these corners will be open to the public.

This scheme will be trialled first with groups catering to seniors. As Mr Arthur Fong said, there are some groups that may find it difficult to travel to a library and this applies to some seniors. Through this new scheme, community groups can come forward and work with NLB to set up their own reading corners close to the people they serve. NLB will provide the expertise to setting up a conducive learning space and select the right books to meet the community's needs, while the community can take on the management and operation of the reading corners. Some early adopters are the Senior Activity Centres in Taman Jurong and Bukit Batok East. NLB welcomes more groups to take up this scheme.

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Now, let me speak on what we are doing for the young. It is important to set a good foundation to learning for our young, but it can be challenging for parents to figure out the reading level of a young child and how to help him or her develop a love for reading. So, this year, NLB has embarked on an initiative called Early READ. In partnership with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), NLB will be introducing a comprehensive reading framework and toolkit for teachers and parents to start reading to their children as early as possible. To reach children not enrolled in pre-schools, NLB is working extensively with community groups and welfare organisations, such as the Singapore Children's Society, Mendaki, SINDA, CDAC and the Eurasian Association, to distribute a Starter Kit to these families. Free reading workshops will be organised to better equip parents through the use of simple but effective pre-reading practices.

NLB will also be setting up an Early Literacy Library at Jurong Library in April. The first of its kind for our libraries, this specialised library corner will feature over 60,000 books and audio-visual items in the four official languages which cater to children aged six and below. The collection for children aged three and below is carefully chosen to support the five literacy practices of playing, talking, singing, reading and writing. Parents and educators can also work closely with librarians specialised in children's books and learning needs.

I also wish to thank the Member Mr Arthur Fong for showing such strong support for the collections of the NLB. Indeed, the collections of our libraries are very carefully curated and, as a supporter of our Mother Tongue languages myself, I am very often amazed by the extent to which our libraries go to ensure that we maintain and celebrate our literary heritage in all four official languages.

Mr Arthur Fong has asked about what more can be done by the libraries to celebrate our nation's heritage as we mark our 50 years of Independence. Indeed, the National Library Board is the prime mover behind the Singapore Memory Project, and allow me, at this juncture, to also encourage all Members to participate in the Singapore Memory Project to share, curate and also to record the collective memories of all of our communities in Singapore.

Now, please allow me to address the comments on Government communications. I would like to thank Mr Seng Han Thong for highlighting the need for good public communications. Given the increasing complexity of issues and with new issues emerging all the time, it is all the more important

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that we engage citizens and reach out to different segments of society. We need to pay particular attention to groups, such as the vulnerable and elderly, for instance, when communicating the Pioneer Generation Package. Such efforts to customise communications will continue, and we will continue to pay special attention to all major policies and events, some of which the Member has named in his speech. That said, I agree with Mr Seng also that we have to regularly enhanced our capabilities and conscientiously assess the effectiveness of public communications.

I would also like to thank Assoc Prof Eugene Tan for raising the need for better outreach to address Singaporeans' concerns over hot-button issues. Last year, we announced that REACH will be ramping up the frequency of face-to-face dialogues to better understand the challenges and concerns of specific groups. Over the last year, REACH has more than doubled the number of consultation sessions with Singaporeans, in particular, youths and PMETs. This year, we have explored new ways of outreach to those in the heartlands. We have adopted an open concept booth where people can leave feedback and obtain information. These booths, called Listening Points, are set up in accessible locations, such as malls and transport nodes. Dialogues and outreach efforts help REACH and other Government agencies gather valuable feedback on policies. Our agencies will continue to work with community organisations and VWOs to reach out more widely to different platforms, including social media.

Miss Penny Low spoke of the importance of broadcast channels. Indeed, we can harness free-to-air channels and content development capabilities to do more, to communicate important policies to our people. We have been producing interstitials, or short video clips, in the four official languages to explain policies like the new BTO packages for singles, the Pioneer Generation Package, as well as the healthcare financing schemes like 3Ms (MediSave, MediShield and MediFund). These are featured on MediaCorp channels, YouTube, and also shared on various social media platforms to maximise reach. Videos are an effective means of communication and we will continue to leverage a wide range of platforms, such as TV, to extend reach.

This year, my Ministry will be revamping the Gov.sg website to provide citizens with an easy one-stop access to news and information on all Government policies, services and related matters. Public agencies are also intensifying efforts to conduct public engagement prior to policy formulation. This is an area we can and will do more in. We welcome suggestions to improve communications and deepen engagement, especially when consulting on difficult issues. Effective communications must occur at every level of the Civil

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Service.

Assoc Prof Eugene Tan has suggested that senior civil servants take a more prominent role in explaining and attending to the concerns of the public. We agree that they can and they have been doing so on appropriate occasions. Heads of Statutory Boards brief the media regularly. For instance, IDA's Managing Director Jaqueline Poh spoke on cyber threats and ways to tackle them in the wake of cyberattacks on Government websites. Senior civil servants have also engaged the public with their views on policies. For example, CEO of URA Ng Lang, URA Chief Planner Lim Eng Hwee and other members of URA's senior management met Members of Parliament, community leaders and stakeholders to seek their feedback on the URA Draft Master Plan 2013. MCI and the Civil Service College (CSC) conduct media and public engagement training to prepare our public officers for such efforts.

Let me now address Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr Seng Han Thong and Mr Low Thia Khiang's concerns regarding the need for better translation. Improving the quality of translation is part of our efforts to enhance Government communications. We recognise the Government can and should do more to establish consistency and translation standards across the public service. But we cannot do this alone. We need the partnership of our community stakeholders across the private, public and people sectors. That is why we will set up the National Translation Committee (NTC) to oversee short-term and long-term plans to enhance whole-of-Government translation capabilities. It will engage community stakeholders who care deeply about translation and signal the Government's commitment to communicate effectively with all Singaporeans, including those who are not proficient in English.

I will chair this Committee, which will include members from the media, academia, the translation industry, as well as Government representatives. There will also be resource panels providing expert advice on specific translation problems, one each for Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

The NTC will help improve the quality of translation in the following ways.

First, the Committee will help draw up best practices to help public agencies procure or produce quality translation. This includes addressing potential pitfalls, such as cheap-sourcing without sufficient regard for quality and failing to vet translated material before public release. I believe that best-sourcing practices, once established, will not only help our agencies procure quality services at fair rates, but also signal professional respect for skilful translators

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who understand the local context and are able to meet the public sector's requirements for accuracy and speed.

Second, we want to create a collaboration platform among the public, private and people sectors to promote and raise translation standards. There are already informal networks of the like-minded who care deeply about our offical languages and who support good translation. They include not only people who work with languages, such as teachers, media professionals and writers, but also members of the public. They are able to offer not just views on whether translating a term in a particular way is technically correct, but also rich insights into the more delicate aspects of linguistic convention, nuances and local flavour. We would like to reach out to such groups and tap on their collective wisdom and vigilance to grow community ownership on the issue of translation.

Third, nurturing the next generation of translation talent for Singapore. Here, I would like to pay tribute to Mr Lee Seng Giap, an acclaimed veteran translator and interpreter. Here, in this photo, you can see him in the interpreters' booth serving this House. One of the early pioneers of the local translation scene, Mr Lee helped to build up translation and interpretation standards for the public service. He also headed the then-Ministry of Culture's Translation Service from 1969 to 1980, and, in his 29 years as a civil servant, has helped to groom many outstanding translators. After his retirement in the 1990s, Mr Lee continued to share his expertise through lecturing in translation and interpretation at NTU. I had the good fortune of having been taught by him when I took a postgraduate Diploma in Translation and Interpretation some years ago. We need more of such translators in the Public Service.

We will look into collaborating with CSC and educational institutions to provide more training for our current in-house translators, and also to offer translation scholarships to young talent. These are still ideas we are exploring, and I will bring them to the NTC. Madam, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Recently, I had an introductory meeting with members of the National Translation Committee and its resource panel. They were very positive and enthusiastic, and were all geared up to work with us to improve the standards of translation in Singapore. I am pleased that Mr Baey Yam Keng has accepted the invitation to join us as a member of this Committee. I am sure that members of the Committee would be delighted to know that Mr Seng Han Thong and Mr Low

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Thia Khiang share the same interest as us.

The Committee will focus on the following areas: firstly, to come up with a set of guidelines to assist the various Government departments with translation or procurement of translation services.

Secondly, establish a platform for collaboration, so that the Government, the industry and our people can work together to raise the standard of translation and promote good translation.

Thirdly, nurture the next generation of translation talents. MCI will look into the possibility of collaborating with the Civil Service College and other education institutions to provide more translation training for public service officers to help build a pool of translators within the Government Ministries.

Mr Low Thia Khiang made some suggestions that are in line with the views of the Committee. First, is to launch a website for standardised translated terms. The officer in-charge of the website for standardised Chinese translated terms recently discussed this issue with me. As part of our work in the Committee, we also hope to launch such a website, providing standardised Chinese, Malay and Tamil translations of various terms. We are in the process of collating and updating some information. Hopefully, we will be able to launch the website soon, which will serve as a source of reference for everyone.

Mr Low also made suggestions in the area of procurement of services. During my interaction with the media, we have looked into how we can provide guidelines to help various Government departments do a better job in procurement, I will not repeat this in Parliament.

I believe that translation plays a significant role in a multilingual society, and promoting the translation profession is a long-term effort. Mr Seng Han Thong brought up the question of whether we have the capability. I believe Singapore has the capability to do well in translation, our potential has not been fully realised. I have full confidence in our local translators.

As to the issue whether we have the "heart" for it, I think we have both enthusiasm and determination. What we need now is time. I am pleased that members of the National Translation Committee and its resource panel have a common understanding of our objectives. Although we will not see an immediate effect from the work we do, we hope that our efforts will help to

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promote and raise the standard of translation in Singapore.

(In English): To conclude, MCI will continue to provide greater access to quality resources and strengthen the bonds of community through our libraries, to enhance Government communications and our translation capabilities.

Mdm Chair, MDA works closely with our local media industry to boost its competitiveness, as was mentioned by Minister earlier. This is not only for economic reasons; we also want to develop our talent to support production of local content that can resonate with Singaporeans. Let me elaborate on this.

Many of us would remember adjusting our daily schedules around TV programmes; we would rush home to watch the evening news and, perhaps, a local drama or sitcom with our families. Some programmes like "The Awakening" in the 1980s and "Growing Up" in the 1990s continue to resonate with many Singaporeans. They are part of our shared memories and bond us as a community.

The media landscape today is very different. While free-to-air TV remains the dominant local media platform in terms of reach, the Internet is fast catching up as an alternative platform for information and entertainment, especially among the young. The media industry is also facing intense competition as our local broadcasters and producers compete for viewership with a diverse range of overseas content.

It is all the more critical that we continue to encourage our media industry to produce good local content. Minister spoke earlier about MDA's industry development efforts. Another important aspect of Government support for the local media industry is through Public Service Broadcast (PSB) funding. Here, I would like to thank Miss Penny Low, Ms Irene Ng and Mr David Ong for speaking in support of TV and the quality of local PSB programmes. Indeed, the Government recognises the importance of PSB programmes and we have devoted a significant amount of funding support over the years. In response to Miss Penny Low's query, I will now provide an update on new programmes supported through PSB funding in the past year.

Last year, we announced $182 million of additional PSB funding support up to 2016 to improve the production quality of local programmes and to increase the number of current affairs and documentary programmes across our four

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official languages. In the last year alone, over 2,000 hours of PSB programmes have been produced. They include programmes like "Mata-Mata", which is a historical drama on Channel 5, and "Veethi Varai", a social drama on Vasantham.

We have also seen a strong suite of current affairs and documentaries being produced. For example, "IT Figures" is a current affairs series which explains the interesting numbers and statistics behind everyday issues like transport, housing and education; and on Suria, we have "#FORUMsg" which discusses national issues from the perspective of the Malay community and which also has interactive elements, such as viewer participation through social media, email and phone calls.

I am happy to hear Ms Irene Ng's positive comments of the documentary "Days of Rage." This is a documentary series which combines dramatic reconstructions, eyewitness interviews, rare archival documents and state-of-the art computer graphics to take viewers on a journey through our turbulent history. All these mean higher production costs, and, so, it is made possible only through PSB funding. With PSB funding, we hope to produce even more quality content and documentaries like these.

I agree with Ms Ng that the production and promotion of such compelling Singapore content can help profile our local TV and film talents both locally and overseas. The PSB Contestable Funds Scheme, for instance, has been revamped to allow for media companies to pitch their ideas for funding to develop programmes with Singapore content which could also be marketed overseas.

As Ms Ng highlighted, we want to take an integrated approach to help individuals and companies along the content value chain. MDA's suite of grant schemes helps local media companies to develop compelling content showcasing Singapore stories and capabilities to the international audience and we do so at key content markets in Hong Kong and France, for example, as well as major industry forums like MIPCOM in Cannes, which is an industry event where international industry professionals in TV and film network come together and they trade content rights, and profile their work to distributors. MDA also serves as a referral centre for both local and overseas content creators, by providing information on the local industry, as well as connecting interested parties, including those who would like to film in Singapore, with the relevant Government agencies and entities. Ms Ng also spoke about the

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importance of quality scriptwriting and I agree fully with her this is something that MDA is looking to develop.

Miss Penny Low has suggested that more can be done on TV to profile passionate Singaporeans in the charity, arts and sports sectors and I agree that this is something important which we are already doing and we have many such examples in PSB programmes. For example, the Vasantham programme, "Kalaimanigal", features former Singapore Cultural Medallion winners from theatre, dance and literary arts. The programme "Off The Path" on Channel U showcases talents in diverse fields, such as entrepreneurs, gourmet chefs, and even our very own Singaporean CSI agents. MediaCorp will continue to feature Singaporeans and share their inspiring stories of how they have overcomed their challenges and pursued their dreams.

On sports programming, I would like to respond to Mr David Ong's call for more airtime for our athletes on local PSB channels. In 2013, Channel 5 televised major sporting events like the SEA Games, the FINA Swimming World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, all of which featured Team Singapore athletes. MediaCorp will continue to support sports this year. For example, our S League teams are featured "live" on OKTO on Friday evenings when matches are on and, later in the year, we can look forward to MediaCorp's coverage of major sporting events, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

I agree it is important for Singaporeans to be able to cheer on and celebrate the achievements of our local athletes who train hard to do our country proud. Let me assure Mr David Ong and the House that the Government will continue to provide PSB funding support for the telecast of sporting events that feature Team Singapore athletes. And, next year, when we host the SEA Games, I am sure we will ensure that there will be adequate "live" coverage of our team Singapore athletes.

To further enrich PSB programming, we can tap on rich Singapore content in our archives. The National Archives is a rich repository of official and personal records, photographs, broadcast productions and oral histories, among others. It contains stories of our nation and our people: they tell the stories of what we have been and how we got to where we are today.

These records sometimes require laborious documentation work, especially for recordings that are transferred to the archives undocumented. Our archivists need to carefully work through such recordings to document and

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digitise them. One such recording is the first Parliamentary sitting broadcast over radio and this recording was the first Address for the Opening of Parliament, delivered on 8 December 1965 by then-President Yusof Ishak. [A slide was shown to hon Members.] And if you look carefully at the picture, on President Yusof Ishak's right is a soldier, a very young Winston Choo who, of course, later became our first Chief of Defence Force (CDF). Another recording on 14 December 1965, just six days after the first address, was delivered by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who expressed his hope for a new quid pro quo relationship with Malaysia.

Let me now respond to Mr Low Thia Kiang's query on the National Archives. Since the transfer of the National Archives to NLB, NLB has been working on a unified search platform that will allow users to access the different databases. This will enhance access to content from the archives as well as the National Library. The unified search portal will be launched this year and, through the revamp, portal users would also be able to access Oral History interviews. All these will help increase usability and accessibility of the contents in the National Archives. Besides the search portal, the National Archives also provides for public archives to be inspected by any person for purposes of research and reference.

Any such request to research Government records can be made at the National Archives' Reading Room and the National Archives will then consult the relevant agencies about providing access with these records. All unclassified information is made available upon request, and also released on various platforms, such as on the websites of public agencies and through periodic press releases.

There are some Government records which are not available for open access, including those relating to our national defence, foreign relations and internal security, as well as documents which may be bound by confidentiality obligations or personal privacy reasons. I would say that these conditions are also found in other countries. In the UK, for example, the government may refuse to disclose classified information which, if released, may harm certain public interest or, if it is too costly or time-consuming to retrieve the information.

Having said that, I have sketched out a broad approach with regard to the archives and I would assure Members that MCI and the National Archives will continue to work closely with Ministries and agencies to progressively make more information available to the public.

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Our national heritage can also be found in film. Film is an important medium that captures our moments in time; whether showing us Singapore's changing landscapes, or portraying simple, enduring traditions that are handed down to us.

Ms Janice Koh suggested an independent National Film Centre to facilitate audiences' appreciation of film, as well as promote our stories, film culture and heritage. I think Ms Irene Ng also suggested a centralised film body backed by the Government. In fact, I had discussed this idea recently with several young film-makers and I explained to them many of the functions of such a Film Centre are already being undertaken by various agencies. For example, a National Film Centre would typically showcase local films and would hold a Film Festival. In our case, we have the Cinematheque at the National Museum and we also have the Singapore International Film Festival which MDA is supporting and we should make a comeback later this year.

There is also an archival function, and here we have the Asian Film Archive (AFA), which was recently made a subsidiary of the National Library Board. It has a holding of over 1,600 films made in Singapore and the region since the 1950s. Many of the films are classics and would be familiar to some of us, such as "Moon Over Malaya", an old Cantonese film made in 1957. There are also iconic Malay Cathay-Keris films, such as "Mat Bond" and "Orang Minyak."

Many of these films and others like them are in need of restoration, and we will have them properly conserved and digitised. These films from AFA will be made more accessible through screenings in libraries and other collaborations with film festivals.

The other key function of curation and promotion of local films is currently undertaken by the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) in MDA. For example, to profile local films, the SFC partners film organisations, such as The Arts House and The Substation, MDA is now studying how it can beef up resources in the SFC, so that it can do more to develop and promote local films.

In the longer term, the question is whether there is a need to amalgamate all of these different functions under a single entity. I think there are merits to such an idea, so it is something that MDA is open to reviewing with the relevant agencies. But as Ms Irene Ng said, this is a long-term gain that we are getting into. For now, we will focus on building up each of the different areas, so as to strengthen our capabilities across the entire value chain of film development,

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archival, curation and promotion.

Yes, I will do so. Finally, I will just make reference to Mr Arthur Fong's mention of the need for more to be done to build national identity through our libraries, especially as we approach our 50th anniversary next year.

One key initiative of NLB is The Singapore Memory Project, which aims to put together a collection of memories with the help of the community. Such memories can help contribute to a more complete picture of our nation's memories and history and since its inception in 2011, the Memory Project has been working closely with the community partners to create content. Last year, the focus was on an exhibition called "Gift of a Generation", which featured many of our Pioneer Generation. That was important because it helped to pass down the conviction and values of our Pioneers to a young generation.

Mdm Chair, let me conclude by reiterating my first point about the need to continue to support local content, whether through TV or films, or in making Singapore content, like the archives, more accessible. We will support the production of content that speaks to us, that makes us proud, and that eventually forms part of our shared experiences and memories as a people. At the end of the day, all of these efforts will help bring us closer together and build a more connected Singapore.

Mdm Chair, earlier, I asked the Minister on a question which I think was not answered. It is about the Internet regulation, whether Minister is prepared or willing to do more consultation with the public because the goal post seems to have shifted.

My apologies. Our approach, where the Internet is concerned, as I have mentioned before, is really a light touch. We have made some adjustments primarily because the landscape is evolving and that is why last year we have the licensing of the online news sites. Going forward, we are reviewing the Broadcasting Act and I have made it clear this review of the Broadcasting Act will be opened to the public for consultation. I would like members of the Internet community, in particular, to pay special

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attention and give their feedback where possible to help us to enhance the Act. The basic philosophy that we will continue to take is that the Internet has to be continually light-touch in terms of regulation. At the same time, we have to ensure that the content that is provided on the Internet does not in any way undermine our national and public interest.

I would like to know the Government's position on the declassification of Cabinet Papers. We are 50 years old next year. 50 years on and all the papers are still sensitive? I am sure there are some that are not. Secondly, currently, all the stories, Singapore stories, are told by National Archives, the establishment. I am sure historians in Singapore are interested to research into the history of Singapore in an independent manner, and without those papers published, I think it is quite difficult for them to do so.

Mdm Chair, I would just like to clarify again that our position on the National Archives and declassification is not specific to particular types of information but broadly as I sketched out earlier. Meaning to say, all Government records beyond a 25-year period are deemed as public archives. That is stipulated in the NLB Act. Access would be provided to any of these public archives but there is a proviso that we will have to check with the relevant agencies and to make sure that these are unclassified information.

Cabinet Papers are classified and they are not made available. I would say also that when you look at declassification policies, our approach is not transparency for transparency's sake. Our approach is transparency that leads to good governance. If you look at what some countries have done, where they have gone somewhat overboard, with freedom of information legislation, or open access, it has not always led to better governance. What has happened is that the legislation that has been put in place has inadvertently led to more opaqueness and avoidance of records. Policy Papers or Cabinet Papers which are written may not have full information and full details because the civil servants writing them know that these will be made available.

We have to be careful of such inadvertent consequences, which we do not want to have in Singapore. Our purpose is to promote good governance. Our approach is that we want to make more information available but it would be subject to the broader conditions and philosophy which I stated earlier in my speech.

Mdm Chair, I have two related clarifications on public communications. Minister of State Sim Ann has said about the more complex

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issues we are facing now, sometimes cutting across different Ministries. In the Chamber, sometimes our PQs get redirected or we are told to ask another Ministry for answers. I wonder in the media, would they also face the same problem, since no one single person is able to answer complex questions. I would like to ask whether the Government is open to considering the model adopted in certain countries like China and US, where there is one single Government spokesperson to answer questions across the whole Government. That would be helpful in public communications and it will be more coordinated and more easily accessible.

The second question is: I am glad to see that there are interstitials being produced in the four official languages for the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP), but given the language proficiency of our Pioneer Generation, would the Government consider also producing interstitials in major Chinese dialects so that they can better communicate to our seniors? I believe we did so during the SARS period. I would like the Government to do so again.

Madam, Mr Baey has raised an interesting suggestion with regard to having a unified Government spokesperson. I believe that, so far, the approach that we have been taking is to ensure that information be given to the media or to members of public in as timely and as comprehensive a manner as possible. And what this means is that the spokesperson would need to be very familiar with the subject at hand. I also believe that our Government agencies do practise teamwork, such as if subjects should cut across several agencies, then the agencies would work hand-in-hand to ensure that the media and the public obtain the most comprehensive accurate information possible.

With regard to the use of dialects to communicate important policies, such as the Pioneer Generation Package, Madam, we agree that for the elderly who really are going to be the beneficiaries of the Pioneer Generation Package, communicating the details to them in the language that they are most familiar is of extreme importance. I am also very glad to see that Mr Baey himself has also facilitated a community dialogue using dialect for this very purpose. Indeed, we will continue to work with MOH and MOF to consider how to make use of available channels. For instance, news segments in dialect are on radio in order to make such information more accessible to the elderly.

Thank you, Chairman. I have a few clarifications. The first is on the social big data and analytics – I mentioned that earlier on and

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during the Budget debate. Could more information and details be given as to how the social sector can seriously benefit on this and how the Ministry also intends to purvey the use of social analytics? The reason I ask is because, last year or the year before, there was a fund of $100 million set aside for ICT investment into the social sector. But details showed that fund went to only registered charities and VWOs. So, that makes it very difficult for other NPOs to benefit from it. And then, also how do we avoid the same pitfall again – the SMEs, where the "S" in the "SMEs" is being left out.

The second question is on the cut on exposure for smaller NPOs: how do we create positive vibes in society? And I thank the Minister and the Ministry for giving quite a bit of exposure to some of these interest groups that do well. My question is: I observe that many of these programmes are still aimed at the larger, more established or award-winning kind of persons or organisations. But there are many others who have not won any awards, they are small but, nevertheless, creating a very positive vibe in society. I think we need to broadcast and multiply that.

And, lastly, could we also consider different forms of communication from television to bus-stop ads to newspaper editorials?

Thank you, Madam. Three quick points. On the first issue on how the social sector can benefit from data analytics, I mentioned in my reply that as far as IDA is concerned, we are going to help to build up the industry, build up the capability. But the social sector is very unique in comparison to the other sectors. Perhaps, if there can be a champion in the social sector who can work with IDA, we are happy to discuss how best we can roll out this programme. As a minor example, I have used data analytics for Syariah Court data. We have gained some very interesting insights for using big data analytics to why divorce took place in the Malay community.

The need to profile the smaller non-profit organisations is something which we have to work with the broadcasters, such as MediaCorp, TV and radio, to give them the profile. I agree with the Member that we need to do our very best to be as inclusive as possible to bring everybody on board.

In terms of the ads, this is something which is not cast in stone. We have left this to the various Government agencies. We know that MOF and MOH, for

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the PGP package, are looking at various platforms, not just TV and radio, but other ways of communicating it, including bus ads that the Member mentioned earlier.

I have two clarifications. The first is for the Minister. I thank the Minister for saying that he is looking into protection of consumers in pay-TV contracts. Would the Minister consider coming up with a set of standard terms for these contracts at the end of this consultation, particularly as we got this scenario where consumers do not have much bargaining power, and we also give clarity to the providers of content?

The second question is for Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong on PSB funding. I declare my interest as Chairman of the Indian Programmes Advisory Committee. There is a lot of very good content being generated by this funding. Could the Minister consider dubbing content that is good in one language to another so that, say, programmes which are popular with smaller communities might have a broader reach and programmes that, say, do well with the Chinese channel could reach the Indian community as well?

Definitely, that is a very good suggestion by the Member. I will ask MDA to study his suggestion.

I was going to repeat exactly what the Minister said. I think it is a good suggestion and we will work with MDA and MediaCorp to see how this can be done.

I welcome the statement by Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong that he is open to reviewing the need for a centralised body on film and TV content. Can I ask the Senior Minister of State when the review will take place and when it is expected to conclude its findings?

To clarify to the Member, I said that we are open to the idea but it is a long-term endeavour. Our focus now is to look at how the different pieces that we are doing which cut across several agencies can be strengthened. It is something that we have not set a timeline for. We are not saying we ought to have a national centralised film agency by "X" date. What is important now is we know the work is done by different parties, the Singapore Film Commission in MDA, the Cinematheque at the National Museum, the Singapore International Film Festival that has just started, we have an archives

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in the National Library Board. These have to be better coordinated – each individual function needs to be strengthened as well, and that is the focus of what we wanted to do in the coming years. Over time, as we develop these capabilities, there may be more synergies and we may eventually have a single entity. That is something that I think we have to develop organically.

Madam, one clarification on the topic of Government communications. I understand that within the Ministry, there is this post called the Chief of Government Communications. The current holder of that post is also concurrently the Director of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) which is supposed to be a think-tank doing research to promote good governance. So, while I am not making any accusations against the current holder, I would like to ask the Minister perhaps whether he agrees with me that this dual holding of the post of Chief of Government Communications, as well as heading the think-tank, is not quite a desirable state of affairs because it might raise some questions about the role of the IPS and its purpose.

The short answer is no because we have considered this seriously and that is why we hired that particular person. It is very clear that what IPS does is very different to what the Chief of Government Communications (CGC) is supposed to do. And the particular person has done his job well in the last two years or so, and we do not see any conflict in this matter.

Madam, I have just two clarifications. The first is for the Minister. Minister, you did not really state your view on the broadcast quota for music on radio. I would just like to know what is the Ministry's view on that; and if the Ministry is not prepared to implement that, then how does it intend to work with all the public broadcast stations to increase airtime play for Singapore music?

My second clarification is for Senior Minister of State Lawrence Wong on the central body to promote film. I would just like to repeat my point earlier about the South Korean creative industries. They started working on their creative sector in the 1990s and, as a result, by the early 2000s, when digital technology and social media took off, they were able to leverage on those platforms. So, the longer we take to review some of our own ability to come together and coordinate, the longer it will be before we are able to leverage on new developments in the industry.

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This is not a new thing that the Member has raised. She has raised this before. We realise that broadcast quota may not be the way for us to work towards ensuring that there is a lot of airtime for local musicians. But having said that, I think our stations recognise that there is a need to provide local music with adequate exposure. I have some numbers just to share with the Member. For example, on MediaCorp, they have dedicated at least about 10% of airtime to local music. On SAFRA, which runs 88.3 Jia, the local music makes up about 20% of its play list. It is an improvement. We would continue to work in this direction by working with our broadcasters.

But there was a second concern that she raised together with Ms Sylvia Lim about local music. I just want to mention this, that we recognise that we need to find something to develop the music sector more holistically and with a single vision. This is not new feedback. We have heard this also from the music sector. I agree that we have to take a holistic view. I would just like to inform Members that both MCI and MCCY have recently convened a project team comprising multi-agencies, such as NAC, MDA, EDB, STB and WDA, to look into how we can promote the development and promotion of the local music sector.

Just to elaborate on the issue of National Film Centre, a centralised body and the efforts that we are doing today. Like I said, just because we are not starting a national film centre does not mean that we are sitting back and taking it easy. Our focus, as I mentioned earlier, is to strengthen all the different parts that we are doing now. That is a more important priority than to get bogged down with organisational structures and how to organise. That may eventually result, in the long term, in a national entity or a centralised entity. But even with the work that we are doing today, which spans across different agencies, there is a need to strengthen each of these functions, and that is our priority and we are doing so.

If you look at some of the work that we are doing, for example, within the NHB family, they are looking at the promotion of the Singapore film showcase in France next year as part of our Singapore Arts Festival. We are doing more for films through the Singapore International Film Festival. Across a wide range of different agencies, I think the work for films will grow, there will be more effort and we want to make use of the momentum that has been created with the success of "Ilo Ilo". This is something we are focused on. Just like in the music industry, this is something that MCI and MCCY are both involved in and both sides are discussing and looking at ways in which we can better promote film.

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The Member mentioned South Korea as an example. I would say there is a certain perception in Korea that a lot of the efforts that went into the promotion of Korean films and the success were done through state intervention. Interestingly, when I went there and asked the government, "What did you do to promote Korean films so successfully?", the answer was, "We did not do very much because a lot of these came initially through the media companies themselves. CJ Entertainment, for example, big conglomerate. Media companies invested in it because it was a big market, because it was commercially viable. They invested in content and so the industry grew and, over time, as the Government sort of saw its success, saw it taking off, and the Korean wave taking off in music and film, that is when some of the government initiatives came somewhat later." This was what was told to me and related to me by a government official. I just like to relate that to Members because there is always this perception it became successful through extensive state intervention, which was apparently not the case.