Mr Speaker, Sir, it is very good to have such an enthusiastic debate on the development of culture. I will deal first with the comments made by the Member for Kampong Kembangan. The first point he has raised is about the Dewan Bahasa and what its achievements are. It is difficult to give full details of its achievements, but the fact that the national language is popular in the City State, where 75 per cent of the population are Chinese, is enough to show that at least the Dewan Bahasa is doing its best to encourage the study of the national language. We are now considering expanding this organisation into a Research Institute into Languages and Culture. When this is done, it will not only deal with publications but also research into the various languages and cultures of our people. On T.V. advertisements, the Member was not the only one to raise it. Of course, to the viewers it may be annoying to see an advertisement popping out in between very exciting moments of a film. But from the business man's point of view, that is exactly the time you hope to catch the attention of the viewers. Anyway, as we have explained many times, we have to include advertisements to help defray the expenses of running the radio and T.V. From radio and T.V. alone in 1966 we got $4,629,000, and from this money we were able to get better programmes for T.V. and radio. By next year we may get more than $5 million from advertisements. I can assure you, Sir, that much of the money received will be used to acquire better quality films as well as programmes for our viewers. The Member for Kampong Kembangan has also mentioned about programmes for golf players, and asked why we should have them. I have to enlighten him by saying that the programme on golf and bowling is introduced on T.V. and over the radio to cater for a cross-section of our viewers. We must not forget that we are a multi-racial, multi-cultural, as well as a multi-religious population, and we have to give a chance to every section. There are only three films on bowling. Whenever programmes on sport are included, the popularity of the sport is taken into consideration. For instance, there have been films on the World Cup soccer matches, wrestling, boxing, etc., and whenever possible good matches of local sport, such as soccer, badminton, and sepak raga are covered. With regard to orchid-growing, sometime back in the series of Woman's World, there were talks on orchids: for example, how to recognise the different species, and how they are grafted. Also the production of a programme on orchids will take time. However, we will look into the suggestions put forward by the Member for Kampong Kembangan and other Members. The Member for Geylang Serai raised the question of foreign publications, and he specifically mentioned Suara Malaysia and Merdeka. He advocated their banning. The Singapore Government is aware of these publications. We are adopting a very generous attitude towards these publications. We believe in an open society and we are not afraid to allow publications like those mentioned by the Member to compete in the market-place of ideas and thoughts in our society. We are sure that our people will be able to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. However, we also hope that the same spirit will be reciprocated from across the Causeway. I assure the Member for Geylang Serai that action has already been taken on his suggestion by the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. About Malay films and films in general, it is a question of staff. We are very short of staff who are able to produce programmes, particularly in the national language. There is only one Malay producer for the radio, and he is now mobilised into the Army. For television, we have three producers. With the removal to the new Television Centre, we have two big and two small studios as compared with one temporary studio in the old Broadcasting House. With these facilities and with more staff, we hope to be able to improve the production of Malay programmes. As for news from Radio Malaysia and T.V. Malaysia, I think that those who have been listening to the news from T.V. Malaysia will agree that, in fact, there is no news at all about Singapore. But this is beyond our control. It does not mean that we have to follow the same narrow-minded policy of not letting our viewers know what is happening in this part of the world, including Malaysia. The Member for Kampong Kapor has mentioned about air-conditioning the National Library. In fact, this suggestion has been put forward by us since 1962. But owing to the high recurrent cost, the matter has to he shelved. Everybody will welcome more comfort in the National Library, not only for workers but for children and other sections of the population. But we have to bear in mind the financial burden of the Government. On the other hand, comparatively speaking, the standard of living in Singapore can be considered to he very high: if not the highest, then the second highest in this part of the world. And at this time of nation-building, we should not make the people too comfortable, or they will become too soft, such as going to the National Library to read in an air-conditioned room. If this is the type of population we are producing, I do not think our nation can survive very long. Mr Speaker, Sir, coming to the point raised by the Member for Telok Blangah on public relations between the Secretary of the Singapore Turf Club and the Straits Times, I am afraid the relationship between the Secretary of the S.T.C. and the reporters of the Straits Times is not our concern. We have not received a copy of the complaint, but if we receive it, we will look into it, But I am afraid the Ministry of Culture cannot interfere too much in the relationship between other people and the Press. Coming to the comments by other Members, generally speaking, the Member for Sembawang wanted me to reply to his ten points, and the Member for Moulmein spoke about James Bond and other matters. I think I will cover all their points at one time. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is good to hear Members - for instance, the Member for Bukit Merah - asking for more funds to be allocated to the Ministry of Culture for the promotion of culture. Normally a Ministry is criticised for over-spending or wasting public funds. Any Ministry would, of course, welcome more funds, because with more money you can have more results. 5.00 p.m. However, we have to appreciate that there is such a thing as priority in the allocation of Government funds. This Government has to look after the rice bowl of the people, housing, education, health, welfare and the rest. Without the basic requirements - a full stomach, a roof over one's head, good health, a basic education - one will not have much time or energy to participate in cultural activities. That is why the Government has to pay more attention to these basic requirements first. Notwithstanding the small sum of money available for the promotion of culture, the Ministry has done its best to encourage healthy cultural activities and to promote a cultural interchange in our multi-racial society. Since 1959, regular performances of Aneka Ragam Rakyat - the people's concert - in the city as well as the rural areas have brought about a better understanding and appreciation of our multi-racial cultures. In 1963 we even went one step further by organising the South-East Asia Cultural Festival which, to a certain extent, helped to promote better cultural understanding among the various people of this region. The promotion of culture and the task of shaping a national culture out of a diversity of cultures is not the sole responsibility of a Ministry, in a democratic society like ours, it is the people - when we say the people, we mean the multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural citizens o Singapore and in particular the artistes - who can shape the national destiny of our nation. The function of Government is just to guide them, to give them encouragement, morally if not financially. In this respect, cultural organisations have since 1959 responded very well to our call for a healthy culture and for a cultural interchange. The marked increase in the number of cultural performances, as the Member for Sembawang has agreed and has also mentioned, exhibitions and plays performed during this period compared to-those of the pre-P.A.P, days speak for themselves. Although there was vitality in the cultural field in the past few years, I must say, however, that there was a lack of concerted effort in the field of creative art; I mean the meeting of minds among the leaders of different cultural streams to study the problem of cultural integration and the development of a national culture. Most of the performances, whether in the field of music, the dance or drama, were still foreign-inspired and did not reflect local conditions, the spirit and aspirations of our own people. Although there were encouraging attempts at local composition, there was no concerted and organised effort. This aspect of our cultural development was hampered by the unsettled and unstable political situation which prevailed during the two-year "romance" of one but now two nations. When the life or death of a nation and its people looms over the political horizon, very little time and energy can be spared on the promotion of culture or the finer side of life. Now that there is better political stability, we can devote more time and energy to the cultural aspect of our national life. In 1967 we will enter a new phase in cultural development. Next year the Arts Council will be formed to assist in the promotion of the creative arts, such as music, the dance, drama, painting and sculpture. The Arts Council will comprise cultural experts and leaders from the four cultural streams. The establishment of this Arts Council, we hope, will capture the imagination and satisfy some of the aspirations of our people. The Council will help to tap the cultural resources and cultural talents of our young nation for the purpose of nation-building.