Arts, culture & sports — Topics

8 May 2017

Public Entertainments and Meetings (Amendment) Bill

The Bill introduces a risk-based regulatory regime, allowing longer licence validity for compliant public entertainment (PE) establishments while strengthening penalties and enforcement powers against errant operators, including higher fines for unlicensed operations and immediate licence suspension for serious crimes.
Key amendments expand the assessment of licence applicants to include responsible officers and individuals with control over the business, and require licensing officers to consider urban planning considerations to prevent PE establishments in unsuitable locations.
The Bill establishes an independent PE Appeal Board to hear certain licensing appeals and enhances operational flexibility by authorising suitably trained individuals to conduct inspections, while also aligning arts entertainment regulations across different venues.

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3 Apr 2017

Plans to Redevelop Katong Swimming Complex

Lim Biow Chuan inquired about any plans to redevelop the Katong Swimming Complex.
Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that full redevelopment would be considered in later phases of Sport Singapore's Sports Facilities Master Plan.
She added that Sport Singapore plans to carry out rejuvenation works to enhance the user experience within the next few years.

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3 Apr 2017

Equipment for Fitness Corners at HDB Estates

Leon Perera asked about the criteria for selecting fitness corner equipment in HDB estates, how many are designed for National Servicemen’s IPPT training, and whether they also serve other residents like the elderly, teenagers, and children.
Lawrence Wong explained that new HDB developments since the mid-2000s include 3G Family Playgrounds with fitness stations for adults and the elderly, selected by consultants to meet safety standards and cater to different fitness needs.
He noted that IPPT exercises—push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2.4km run—do not require special equipment and can be done at fitness corners or at home, so existing facilities are not specifically designed for IPPT.

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3 Apr 2017

Number of Events Held at National Stadium and Indoor Stadium

In 2016, 24 events were held at the National Stadium and 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The number of events for 2017 could not be provided as discussions on venue usage are ongoing.
The government is monitoring the Sports Hub’s performance to ensure it meets contractual goals and enhances event vibrancy.

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9 Mar 2017

Committee of Supply − Head X (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth)

The Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) will partner Singaporeans to build a caring and cohesive society through initiatives like the SG Cares movement, the Our Singapore Fund, and youth volunteerism, while also expanding shared experiences in sports and the arts to strengthen national identity and social bonds.
The Ministry for Muslim Affairs (MMA) announced new measures to support the Malay/Muslim community, including a committee to help PMETs with reskilling, updates on madrasah education and infrastructure, and plans to review the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), while emphasizing the importance of religious guidance through the Mandatory Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS).
MCCY will enhance support for the arts, heritage, and sports sectors, including a top-up to the Cultural Matching Fund, the development of a national Heritage Plan, and improvements to high-performance sports systems, while also making these spaces more accessible to persons with disabilities and lower-income families.

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20 Feb 2017

Development Plans for Bedok Stadium and Bedok Sports Complex

Miss Cheryl Chan asked about development plans for Bedok Stadium and Bedok Sports Complex, and whether the running tracks would be upgraded due to safety concerns.
Grace Fu stated that Bedok Sports Complex is being redeveloped as part of the "Heartbeat@Bedok" integrated complex, with new sports facilities opening in phases by end of this year.
She also confirmed that Sport Singapore plans to replace the running track at Bedok Stadium by September 2017.

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6 Feb 2017

Allocation and Utilisation of ActiveSG Funds

The Minister reported that as of 31 December 2016, ActiveSG had nearly 1.2 million members and a total budget of about $60 million, which included funding for facilities.
Approximately three-quarters of members had used their $100 ActiveSG credits, representing about $10 million in annual revenue forgone, while 150,000 members had their credits lapse despite reminders.
Credits were extended for over 630,000 members who used them at least once within the previous year, and the debate highlighted questions about how forfeited and unconsumed funds are handled.

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10 Jan 2017

Profile of Organisations that Received Disbursements from Cultural Matching Fund

The Cultural Matching Fund (CMF) has disbursed about $152 million since inception, with $65 million to 12 national companies and museums, $33 million to 36 major grant and seed grant companies, and $54 million to 37 other charities.
The disbursement by sector is $23 million for visual arts, $40 million for performing arts, $0.6 million for literary arts, $24 million for traditional arts, $20 million for heritage, and $44 million for remaining groups.
The CMF does not match government grants or donations from certain entities, requires certified cash donations, and has a $15 million cap per recipient to prevent crowding out smaller organizations, with the government reviewing a possible new tranche when the current fund runs out.

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9 Jan 2017

Sustaining Youths' Interest in Sports after Olympics

The Minister highlighted that Singapore’s recent Olympic and Paralympic success has inspired youth sports participation, with the government building a broad base of active youths through initiatives like ActiveSG, which has 200,000 youth members.
Programs such as sports academies, the Sports Education Programme, and GetActive! Singapore engage thousands of students, while the National Games and school events help scout and develop sporting talents.
A high-performance system—including the Singapore Sports Institute, Sports School, and National Youth Sports Institute—provides pathways, scholarships, and support to nurture young athletes toward national and international excellence.

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8 Nov 2016

Balloting of National Day Parade Tickets

The total number of National Day Parade tickets balloted annually ranges from 50,000 to 165,000, varying with venue capacity and the addition of preview shows.
Since 2013, applicants who succeeded in the previous year's ballot are excluded from the current year's e-balloting to improve chances for first-time attendees.
Additional opportunities for live viewing include National Education shows for school children and reserved tickets for sponsors, grassroots groups, and families of participants.
Live telecasts are maintained to ensure broad access to the NDP celebration, despite high demand exceeding available balloted tickets.

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8 Nov 2016

Alternatives to Partial Demolition of Ellison Building

The debate centered on whether the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) could have realigned the North-South Corridor to avoid affecting Ellison Building, with questions raised about stakeholder consultation, heritage loss, and alternative options.
The Senior Minister of State explained that tight underground infrastructure constraints made a complete avoidance of Ellison Building impossible, but detailed studies reduced the impact to one shophouse unit, and agencies are working with heritage groups on mitigation measures.
Concerns were raised about earlier engagement of NGOs, the need for a mandatory cultural impact assessment, and whether the decision to partially demolish was the best option, with the Minister noting current conservation processes and plans to study heritage surveys further.

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7 Nov 2016

Paralympic Achievements

The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien, moved a motion to congratulate the 13 Team Singapore Paralympians on their achievements at the 2016 Rio Games, where they won two gold and one bronze medal, highlighting their inspiration and the support from the "team behind the team."
Other ministers and members of parliament echoed the congratulations, praising the athletes' resilience, dedication, and role as national inspirations, while also acknowledging the crucial support from families, coaches, and officials.
Speakers emphasized that the Paralympians' accomplishments go beyond medals, showcasing the power of the human spirit and promoting a message of inclusion and possibility for all Singaporeans with disabilities.
Discussions highlighted the long journey and sacrifices of para-athletes, the importance of societal support, and the need to move beyond awareness to genuine inclusion in schools, workplaces, and communities.
The motion was unanimously passed, with members standing to applaud the athletes, underscoring national pride and a collective commitment to celebrating abilities over disabilities.

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7 Nov 2016

Rearrangement of Business

The Leader of the House requested to rearrange the day's business to take the Motion on Paralympic Achievements as the first item.
The motion was moved under Standing Order 10(2) to prioritize the discussion before Question Time.
The House agreed to the motion, and the Speaker called upon the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth to speak.

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10 Oct 2016

Statement of Accounts and Financial Statements for 2015 SEA Games

Chen Show Mao asked if the statement of accounts and financial statements for the 2015 SEA Games would be made public, when, and if not, why not, as well as whether there were any net gains or deficits.
Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that the income and expenditure for the Games were included in the Annual Financial Statements of Sport Singapore over Financial Years 2013, 2014, and 2015, which were independently audited and made public.
She confirmed that the net cost was $60.4 million below the budgeted $324.5 million announced in January 2015.
The Minister’s response addressed all parts of the question, indicating transparency in financial reporting and a lower-than-budgeted net cost.

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10 Oct 2016

Reducing Pay-TV Rates with Content Reduction

Member Yee Chia Hsing asked whether pay-TV providers should be required to reduce subscription fees pro-rata when content is reduced, especially for bundled services where cancelling pay-TV alone may not save money.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) considered but decided against mandating pro-rata reductions after a public consultation, noting the subjective value of channels and consumer feedback preferring the option to exit contracts without penalties.
Instead, MDA introduced measures in April 2016 allowing subscribers to exit without early termination charges if operators raise prices, remove a material channel or sports content, or eliminate 20% or more of channels.
These measures also require operators to offer rebates when making such changes, aiming to protect consumers while allowing industry innovation and commercial viability.

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10 Oct 2016

Preserving our Heritage, Culture and History – Conserving Dakota Crescent

Lim Biow Chuan argued for preserving Dakota Crescent to maintain Singapore’s collective memory and identity, highlighting its historical significance as one of the first public housing projects and its unique architectural features, while acknowledging the need for balanced development.
Kok Heng Leun supported the motion, citing international examples where heritage sites were adaptively reused to enrich communities, and emphasized that conservation and development can coexist through cultural planning and ground-up initiatives like the Dakota Crescent proposal.
Senior Minister of State Desmond Lee affirmed the government’s commitment to heritage conservation, explaining the rigorous evaluation process for preserving buildings and noting that NHB and URA are open to engaging with the community’s proposals for Dakota Crescent’s future.

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10 Oct 2016

Value of Rewards for Paralympic Medallists

Members of Parliament asked about the value of rewards for Paralympic medallists, whether these should equal those for Olympians, and if there are efforts to raise public awareness of Paralympians’ inspiring stories and challenges.
The Minister explained that awards are managed by independent NGOs (SNPC and SNOC) with private sponsorship, and while there have been public calls to improve rewards, the Government’s focus is on pre-podium support through scholarships, training, and resources rather than post-competition monetary awards.
The Minister confirmed that the government provides equal support to both able-bodied and para-athletes in terms of stipends, training, and resources, and encouraged corporations and the public to contribute to a whole-of-society approach to support athletes beyond just monetary rewards.

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13 Sep 2016

Proposal for Special One-off Public Holiday to Celebrate Singapore's First Olympic Gold Medal

Lim Biow Chuan asked about the criteria for declaring a public holiday and suggested a special one-off holiday to celebrate Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal.
Lim Swee Say explained that public holidays are set under the Holidays Act, with one-off holidays considered very carefully due to their impact on public services and businesses, citing only the SG50 holiday as a previous example.
He noted that Joseph Schooling’s historic Olympic gold was celebrated nationally through a victory parade, a Parliamentary motion, and mentions in the National Day Rally, which were deemed appropriate and meaningful.
The government emphasized that while Schooling’s achievement is celebrated, all Team Singapore Olympians and Paralympians are also recognized for representing the nation.

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13 Sep 2016

Getting Singapore to be a Sporting Nation

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah highlighted four key issues: the lack of live Olympic telecasts despite national pride in athletes, the ad-hoc and rigid National Service (NS) deferment policies for athletes like Joseph Schooling, insufficient funding for the Singapore Sports School, and limited opportunities for students to engage in sports during school hours.
Minister Grace Fu affirmed the government's commitment to sports excellence through initiatives like the Sports School, National Youth Sports Institute, High-Performance Sports system, and spexScholarship, while noting the high costs of broadcast rights and the need for multi-stakeholder support.
Both speakers agreed that sports unite Singaporeans and inspire national pride, but stressed the need for a more transparent NS deferment policy and greater investment in sports infrastructure and culture across all levels.

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16 Aug 2016

Maintenance of Black and White Bungalows

Dr. Lim Wee Kiak questioned the number, rental status, and maintenance of black and white bungalows in Sembawang, as well as their heritage preservation, to which Minister K. Shanmugam responded that the Singapore Land Authority manages 45 such bungalows, with 29 rented out, 4 available for rent, and 12 reserved for government use, and that regular maintenance is conducted to prevent disrepair while heritage value is considered in future development plans.

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