Hansard, Friday, 15 March 2013

[(proc text) "to amend the Child Development Co-Savings Act (Chapter 38A of the 2002 Revised Edition) and to make related amendments to the Employment Act (Chapter 91 of the 2009 Revised Edition)", (proc text)]

[(proc text) recommendation of President signified; presented by Mr Chan Chun Sing; read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [7th Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [14 March 2013], (proc text)]

[(proc text) "That the total sum to be allocated for Head X of the Estimates be reduced by $100". – [Mr Baey Yam Keng]. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]

Madam, before I begin, I would like to inform Members that I would

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be taking clarifications immediately after my reply.

Madam, the story of the Singapore Malay/Muslim community is a mix of pain and joy. When we hear of a young Malay family struggling to make ends meet and find permanent housing, we despair at how things have gone awry for them. We tend to attribute these predicaments to many factors, which of late include the Government not doing enough. Then when we see successes in our community – be it in education, sports, music, career or business – we rejoice in these achievements. We also tend to forget that the Government has nurtured and continues to ensure the eco-system that allows those willing to work hard to succeed regardless of background. For example, outstanding madrasah students are able to enter our internationally-ranked universities because admission is based on merit and not where one comes from.

Some would choose to paint a picture of stubborn gaps and hopelessness for our community. Madam, I would rebut this firmly. Our narrative is a mosaic of hope, opportunities and challenges that we have fought wholeheartedly and together to overcome.

Through the hard work of our early pioneers and leaders in partnership with the Government, we have been able to tackle the different problems we face and steadily move our community forward within the Singapore system. It is because this Government is committed to developing the full potential of all Singaporeans that the Malay/Muslim community has been able to progress this far in many areas including education and employment.

The Singapore model of multiracialism and meritocracy has worked well. We take pride in working together and succeeding together while showing compassion for the less fortunate. To portray our community singularly as lagging and struggling is a dangerous attempt to lead us astray. The data we have speak volumes. Every year we see more Malay/Muslim students receiving awards such as those given out by MENDAKI for outstanding performance at national examinations. Household incomes have risen. There is an increase in Malay/Muslim PMETs from 7.2% in 1980 to 27.8% in 2010.

When I visited Lucasfilm Singapore in October, I asked them where they get the talent to keep the company at the leading edge globally. The management told me that it is indeed difficult as such talent is hard to come by even as they search across the world. But they did come across one local student who came through Polytechnic and took them by surprise. I asked for the student's background which I got later. He is Nor Azman bin Mohammad

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Rothman – completed his "O" levels at Ping Yi Secondary School before going to Singapore Polytechnic, found time to dabble in web design and videography, did many projects on his own accord, went through a rigorous Jedi Academy internship that was itself hard to get in and got in amidst very tough competition.

I checked with MENDAKI and they found out he was a MENDAKI award recipient in 2006. Today, he is with Lucasfilm armed with a Second Upper Honours degree from NTU in Fine Arts – Digital Animation. Nor Azman is one reason why I have asked MENDAKI to think of a talent management framework for our community.

The point I also want to make is that the system – from Ping Yi Secondary School, Singapore Polytechnic and NTU, and the employers who offered him internships and assignments, all spurred him on and helped create a talent that Lucasfilm is proud to mention.

Madam, last month I visited SingPost to launch a staff programme. I wanted to know about the company, how the company develops its staff and I learnt of Mr Abdul Rashid Mawi. Abdul Rashid joined SingPost as a courier in 2001 with "O" levels. He worked hard and rose through the ranks. Today, he is an assistant manager managing two Speedpost teams. He also has a diploma. He is an example of our people who work hard at upgrading themselves, even those who started humbly.

There are many more stories of students and workers doing well and of families who, despite financial constraints, are able to provide a home and an education for their children. They form a growing Malay/Muslim middle class which we should be proud of and look to for support for those further behind.

The Singaporean Malay/Muslim community does not shy away from challenges and has a strong desire to do better. We have progressed tremendously by working in partnership with our Government and seizing opportunities available to every Singaporean, without special treatment. This evolutionary process has made it possible for us to innovate and progress. We cannot – in good conscience – ignore our history of community efforts and Government assistance, just for the self-serving agenda of a few. And we will continue on this path with improvements in the working relationship between the Government and the community.

My colleagues and I, together with our community leaders, are committed to this path. There will always be an open invitation for each and every one –

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within the community and beyond – to work together on the next phase of our journey towards a Community of Excellence.

Madam, I can sense a growing appetite for a more all-encompassing definition of success. Many have found their niches in different areas. More are in the process of discovering their passions and interests. Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim pointed out, that our community is young and there are many talents among us. Some have made it – a name for themselves locally and abroad in varied fields. I have cited Nor Azman in Lucasfilm. There is Ms Sarah Ismail, a member of a local multiracial indie band called Seyra, making her unique imprint on our local cultural landscape. We also have Ustaz Nazirudin Nasir, a bright young MUIS scholar who is doing his PhD at Oxford University, and Mr Alfian Yasrif Kuchit, who went to Columbia Law School and is currently Syariah Court's youngest President.

These are encouraging developments. Indeed, the nurturing of talent must be our community's next key phase of ethos to embrace. We should support those who are excelling to their fullest potential, and give the hidden gems an opportunity to shine.

There are existing talent development programmes for the community to tap on. For example, MENDAKI's Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award is designed for talents beyond the academic field, while the Ridzwan Dzafir Community Awards is for promising professionals in the public and social service sectors.

Besides these programmes, there is always room to broaden what we can offer to the widening talent spectrum. MENDAKI is now exploring relevant pilot schemes.

Project Protégé is one initiative worth highlighting, as it gives emerging talents the rare opportunity to learn from established icons in our community such as music composer Iskandar Mirza and dancer Som Said. Under Mr Iskandar's mentorship, Riduan Yusoff, 21 years old, has grown remarkably as a musician.

Going forward, MENDAKI will work even more closely with families, schools and the community to draw out the varied strengths of individuals. We welcome ideas on how we can do this well.

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On the socio-religious front, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) plans to step up its grooming of outstanding students, young asatizah, or religious teachers, and graduates into specialists who are able to provide progressive religious guidance. Already, we are seeing more of such individuals scaling peaks of academic excellence in their desire to serve the community better and these include Ustazah Raihanah Halid, who had completed her Masters in Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. She was recently sponsored by MUIS to do her Masters of Law at NUS. This would no doubt add greater value to her work at the Office of the Mufti from both Islamic and secular vantage points. It is commendable that these individuals have the thirst for knowledge not just for personal development, but also to be of greater service to our community.

MUIS' strategy of incubating these specialists will complement other efforts to shape a progressive Singaporean Muslim community. And these include the Joint Madrasah System (JMS) which aims to produce our religious leaders; and aLIVE (Living Islamic Values Everyday) programmes that offer modular, contextualised religious education for our community.

Madam, education should remain a priority for the community as it is a key leveller. The motivation to do well in school has borne fruit for many Malay/Muslim students, some of whom have persevered despite personal setbacks.

Everyone has a part to play to make sure that our young receive quality education, starting from pre-school. I therefore urge Malay/Muslim pre-school operators to embrace this year's Budget initiatives to develop good teachers and be located closer to our homes and workplaces.

MENDAKI has been tirelessly enhancing its Tuition Scheme (MTS) to facilitate optimal learning. To address Mr Zainudin's query, MENDAKI places great emphasis on ensuring sufficient resources for the Tuition Scheme. Tutors are selected through a rigorous selection process and they undergo regular training to keep abreast with the latest curriculum. New MTS initiatives focused on strengthening students' thinking and inquiry skills will also be implemented this year. In pilot classes at upper primary levels, facilitators will cater to students' different learning styles to help them make better sense of science concepts.

Since MTS enhancements were introduced in 2012, enrolment has increased by about 20%. MTS now has more than 9,000 students, thanks to

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support from 69 schools, five community centres and one mosque in hosting the tuition centres.

MENDAKI will also bring on board Malay/Muslim organisations (MMOs) and Malay Activity Executive Committees (MAECs), to reach a total of 12,000 students.

Beyond the MTS, MENDAKI will launch SENSE College in Tampines, a Skills Centre for learning and upgrading. Through its bridging programme, SENSE College offers students a second chance to obtain qualifications, such as the "N", "O" and "A" levels.

Mr Muhamad Faishal Abdul Manap asked about the extension of the Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) Scheme.

Students of mixed parentage are eligible to apply for the TTFS, if his or her race, or the first component of the double-barrelled race as stated in the NRIC, is Malay. This means that a Malay/Indian student qualifies for the TTFS, provided he or she also meets the other eligibility criteria such as the monthly gross household Per Capita Income (PCI) cap.

Madam, the TTFS is a Government scheme for students studying locally at the Polytechnics and as undergraduates in our Universities. There are other forms of financial assistance for eligible post-graduate students such as the MENDAKI Study Loan Full-Time Scheme.

Education outside of the classroom is equally important in shaping the character of our youth. As announced in the Budget, there will be greater Government support for school-based student care centres.

Existing providers such as AMP will certainly benefit from this support. MENDAKI SENSE is also playing its part by setting up its first centre at Blangah Rise Primary School this year. Programmes at the centre will include Social and Emotional Learning to help our students acquire fundamental life skills, and a dedicated officer to support children with learning disabilities. With more of such centres, I believe mothers will have the peace of mind to re-enter the workforce while entrusting their children to qualified practitioners.

Madam, mosques are a key institution of our community's socio-religious life. We should be proud of our community's successful mosque-building

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efforts.

Building on this legacy, our mosques are evolving to meet our changing needs. Apart from being a place of worship, our mosques are a well established provider of religious education. It is at the mosques that many of us learn about Islam and its application to our daily lives.

Madrasahs are the other key religious institution which we should continue to focus on. Our madrasahs are not an alternative to mainstream national schools. Their key priority is to produce qualified religious teachers who are able to meet the changing expectations and needs of our community. They will produce religious leadership that will help our community develop together as good Singapore Muslims by ensuring our socio-religious compass in the right direction.

I am proud that our madrasah students have done well. At the primary level, Madrasah Irsyad has been continuously surpassing the PSLE benchmark score. Many Madrasah Al-Arabiah graduates have furthered their studies in fields from engineering to Biomedical Sciences after attaining good "O" level results. About 70% of Madrasah Aljunied graduates go on to pursue religious studies at the world famous Al-Azhar University in Cairo and other tertiary institutions in the Middle East.

MUIS has spared no effort in reviewing the madrasah curriculum under the Joint Madrasah System (JMS). I would like to assure Dr Intan that the new multidisciplinary and integrated JMS curriculum reflects a major paradigm shift in our madrasah education. It is designed to develop future asatizah and ulama, or religious scholars, who are well-versed in both Islamic and academic sciences, so that they are able to make sound decisions when tackling multifaceted issues.

We must not let up in the drive for a top-quality madrasah education system. MUIS has made significant strides in this respect, with the new International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), teacher development and student enrichment programmes in the works. The IBDP in particular will be a breakthrough in integrating academic and religious learning, and MUIS is working through the implementation details of this major move.

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Achieving our vision, of course, will take resources. We have to be prepared to invest more in building up our madrasahs, and I seek parents' understanding in helping to bear this. MUIS will also step up its share by increasing funding to full-time madrasahs and financial assistance to needy students.

Pooling together our resources has always been a hallmark of our community, from zakat to the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund (MBMF) and Wakaf Ilmu, and I ask for the community's continued support in these efforts.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked about part-time religious education for working adults. Leveraging on the positive feedback on aLIVE, MUIS has piloted the Adult Islamic Education Programme (ADIL) in six mosques and attracted more than 300 sign-ups so far. Classes are offered in both English and Malay, which tailors to the needs of our young urban professionals.

MUIS will keep improving aLIVE and ADIL, and make religious education for the entire community more student-centric and relevant.

We will continue to ensure that our mosques serve the community well. To address Mr Hawazi's query, the accelerated Mosque Upgrading Programme (MUP) Phase 2 (2012 - 2016) is on track. A total of 16 projects have been identified – seven mosques for major upgrading and nine mosques for minor upgrading.

Works are expected to begin in the third quarter of this year for most mosques in the latter category. Jamiyah Rabitah mosque in Tiong Bahru will be the first mosque under MUP Phase 2 to greet congregants with a fresh look later this year

Our plans for three new mosques at Punggol, Jurong West and Woodlands are progressing well. I recently unveiled the design concept for Punggol mosque, which will be ready in 2015.

This is the first time that a Mosque Design Review Committee makes recommendations on mosque design. We are now studying public feedback, and will see the final design at the ground-breaking ceremony later this year.

The Jurong West and Woodlands mosques are in the pipeline. To be located near the junction of Jalan Bahar and Jurong West Ave 2, the Jurong West mosque is expected to be completed in 2016. The new mosque in Woodlands, to be located along the future extension of Woodlands Drive 17,

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will also be ready in 2016.

Madam, 2012 was a challenging year as we faced external uncertainties that affected how we usually conducted korban and fulfilled our Hajj requirements. These are stark reminders that there will always be forces beyond our control, and we cannot afford to take for granted our privilege of being able to lead our religious lives well.

The key is to work together as a community to find sustainable solutions to conduct our socio-religious lives while keeping pace with circumstances beyond our control. I am happy that we have taken these changes in our stride.

Mr Hawazi is concerned about how we can better allocate the Hajj visas. Our official Hajj quota is 680 per year. Noting how well-organised our pilgrims and our pilgrim management system are, the Saudi government had offered 1,500 additional places each year between 2008 and 2011. However, Madam, in view of the various development projects in Makkah and Madinah, the Saudi government has since decided to limit all countries to their official quotas for the safety of all pilgrims. Hence, it is not likely that we can get additional visas above our official quota. To manage local demand, MUIS will implement changes to our Hajj registration policy having looked at the issues very carefully.

As Hajj is obligatory only once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford to do so, we must therefore give priority to first-time applicants. Those who have performed Hajj before, or repeaters, may only do so again at least 10 years after their previous time.

Each year, there will also be a 10% cap on repeaters. Based on the revised policy, MUIS will inform all affected applicants of their new allocated Hajj year.

As Mr Hawazi noted, a Korban Review Committee comprising representatives from AVA, MCCY, MUIS and the Singapore Mosques Korban Committee (JKMS) has been formed to review the supply of livestock for korban in Singapore.

Madam, this is in response to the new Australian regulatory requirements, which our 16 mosques offering korban had professionally complied with last year. The committee will continue to work with the Australian authorities to secure the livestock.

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As a contingency plan, the committee is also exploring alternative sources. The main considerations are that they have to meet the required health criteria and, of courses, be of reasonable cost. So, I seek our community's patience, as the feasibility study is ongoing.

Mr Hawazi has raised an interesting suggestion to utilise wakaf funds to set up a sheep farm to meet our needs for korban. However, our wakaf funds are disbursed strictly according to the wakaf's will or indenture, for specific purposes such as education and mosque building. I believe the supply of livestock is best left to private sector providers who are able to meet the necessary requirements.

With other global uncertainties, the community should think of new ideas to address existing challenges and plan ahead. It is important that we continue to engage and participate in conversations on issues that are pertinent to us.

The Independent Committee on the Engagement of the Malay/Muslim Community, or Suara Musyawarah, is playing an important role in bringing together the community's suggestions and recommendations. To address Mr Zainal's query, the Committee has listened to more than 200 people from all walks of life, over some 20 focus group discussions. I understand one major theme so far is how we can foster an inclusive society with our strong gotong royong spirit.

I am glad that some participants have pointed out that opportunities are open to all Singaporeans, including Malay/Muslims. To them, what matters is seizing such opportunities to pursue their dreams and lend a hand to the less fortunate amongst us.

Going forward, we can expect more candid sharing. I believe this is a journey for our community to put our heads together to create a better home for all. I am looking forward to the Committee's final report as a roadmap to chart our future together.

Madam, Dr Muhammad Maliki asked if there is scope to provide services in other neighbourhoods similar to MENDAKI's pilot Enhanced Wrap Around Care (eWAC) project in MacPherson. I am pleased to announce that MENDAKI@Heartlands will be set up in Pasir Ris and Woodlands. These satellite centres will help needy families gain access to a broad range of social services near their homes. I encourage the centre's clients to be open and forthcoming about their circumstances and concerns, so that the right solutions

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can be found for them.

Madam, our community is now in the next phase of our journey towards excellence. Singapore is tuned for success and I urge our community to make the most of the diverse opportunities that our Government works tirelessly to create. Where needed, we will ensure that help is always given, like for education and training through MENDAKI's many initiatives. The doors of our socio-religious institutions will always be open. And where possible, we will provide springboards for our bright sparks to reach greater heights. We must set our sights far, and scale new peaks along the way.

Allowing a misplaced narrative of hopelessness perpetuates the very stereotype that we have worked hard over many decades to dispel. We must not be our own worst enemy, by getting trapped into a negative self-fulfilling prophecy.

I recall that at MENDAKI's recent dialogue on the Population White Paper, a young man stood up towards the end. Mr Muhd Ibnur Rashad, the co-founder of Sustainable Living Lab, the innovative arm of a community-oriented organisation called "Ground Up Initiative", told the older gentlemen at the dialogue that: "we must find the courage to leave our baggage behind. It is a whole new world out there with many, many opportunities. If we continue to be preoccupied with what could have been, we miss out on what can be".

Madam, I took his message to heart. This is the crux of where we are today.

Our story is a mosaic of courage and fortitude, where individuals take pride in what they do, and together to move our community forward. I am encouraged by the spirit of these men and women that I have met. Like fellow Singaporeans, they steadfastly overcome the odds through hard work, and it is on the back of their efforts that this country has grown to where we are today.

It is only by working together – Government, community leaders and families, and like-minded partners - that we will continue to lift up our community tier by tier.

Madam, allow me now to conclude my speech in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In my speech in English earlier, I have laid out several initiatives that will be or have been implemented by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and MENDAKI. The main

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objective is to polish and develop the talents of our children and help the needy. It is important to help our community to achieve even greater success. I would like to emphasise that all the initiatives I mentioned earlier can only complement one's effort. It will not be beneficial unless we work hard to upgrade ourselves for the future of our families and our children.

Our community is now at a new phase in our journey towards a Community of Excellence. I would like to urge that we work together to fully make use of the many opportunities provided by the Government. We will ensure that all the assistance and support, for instance, MENDAKI's initiatives in education and upskilling, will continue to be given to those who need it.

Our socio-religious bodies will always open their doors to provide progressive guidance. As far as possible, we will provide springboards for our talented and able children so that they can achieve as much success as possible. We must set lofty objectives and climb new peaks. This is the path that we take to improve standards of living and achieve greater success for ourselves and our families in phases.

Our objectives or dreams must not be sidetracked by narratives or perceptions that our community is burdened with disappointments and despair. The fact is that our community's story is a story of a community that perseveres and is determined to overcome challenges. Our story is a story of how some families or individuals achieve success even though they face many setbacks. If we continue to be trapped by the perceptions I mentioned earlier, then we are disparaging the efforts of this group, and begin to believe the stereotypes about our community. We must avoid such traps.

Madam, I am heartened by the spirit of the individuals that I met. They persevered in the face of challenges and are able to overcome obstacles in life to work hand-in-hand with the community leaders and the Government. I am certain that with determined efforts by each individual, our community will find success, God willing.

We have some time for clarifications. Mr Zainal Sapari.

I thank the Minister for the sharing. I have two clarifications. After the change in the per capita income criterion for TTFS and allowing students with Malay as the first component race of a double-barrel race to be eligible, what was the total number of applications for TTFS that we

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received last year, and how many were approved?

My second clarification is: if there has been a higher number of successful applications, would it mean that less funds would be available for other programmes meant to help uplift the Malay community?

Madam, I thank the Member for his clarifications. Let me just answer the first question quickly. Ever since we revised the income criterion for TTFS, we have received a total of 6,205 applicants, higher than the 2,736 applicants in 2011. Out of the 6,205 applicants, 5,973 applicants were approved, which is 96% compared to 2011 which is only 80% or 2,168 in absolute numbers. What it means is that the new criterion has really reached out to those Malay families that we want to help. As the Member will recall, when we moved the changes, our long-term target is to be able to assist up to two-thirds of Malay/Muslim families with children going on to IHLs and tertiary institutions.

On the Member's second question, that is certainly something we have to manage because whatever savings that we have in the TTFS goes back into MENDAKI for other educational programmes. We have not seen the final figures yet for last year, whether it is up or down, but we will certainly manage this very carefully. The numbers are being scrubbed together with MOF and MCCY, and once the numbers are in, I will be happy to report as to whether the numbers have gone up or come down.

Madam, I am happy to hear from the Minister that there have been many developments at the various fronts and across a wide spectrum of the Malay community, among the young as well as the professionals. I have met many parents and also young people who feel that they have benefited from the growth of our nation as well as the efforts of the Government and Malay/Muslim organisations. They would like to see more and more young people as well as professionals coming forward to give back to the community so that we can ride on the wave of development. I would like to ask the Minister what more will MENDAKI, MUIS, and other Malay/Muslim organisations do to further engage this group of professionals and young people so that they can contribute back to our community to ride on the wave.

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Once again, thank you very much, Madam, for allowing me to clarify. It is a very good question. As I mentioned in my speech earlier, our next phase of development is really about building up many, many more peaks of excellence, but in return, we would expect or at least we hope that those who have succeeded will come back and serve the community.

I do not have the figures in front of me, but the data that I have seen a couple of months ago from both MENDAKI and MUIS is that the number of young Malay/Muslims who are volunteering within MENDAKI and MUIS is on the rise. That is a good sign. But I think the more important point is for us to continue to engage young Malay/Muslim students emerging from the IHLs to give them a sense of their role in society and the community, and we will continue to do so through various outreach efforts.

We will embark on a small pilot talent development programme within MENDAKI. We have to be very cautious. Ultimately, the desire to excel has to come from the individual. What we can do, such as MENDAKI and MUIS, and other Malay/Muslim organisations, is to build on the eco-system of excellence provided by the Government so that Malay/Muslim families whose children are doing better, see the desire to push them further, and work with them to assist in providing not only financial assistance, which I think is not that difficult, but really other forms of assistance in terms of overall planning for their career path and the choices that they have to make as they go forward.

We all know that there are many more opportunities created by the Government; but the world was not when I was growing up – we either go to Arts or Science. There are many more areas which sort of overlap. The example of Mr Nor Azman which I cited is a heartwarming example of an ordinary Malay boy from a good Secondary school in Singapore but going through the paths and being selected to join Lucasfilm, is indeed an achievement that we should be proud of.

These are signs to show that the community is able to reach many heights of excellence. But I agree with the Member that it has to be a concerted, collective effort, involving every key partner in our community.

Two points of clarification, Madam. I just wanted to ask further about the MTS. The MTS has gone through several changes and review, and upgrading. I would like to know what more can be done to the MTS to make it even better and more effective especially as

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MTS focuses on helping the kids to improve, what more can we do at the higher end? Is there any way for us to push the students further in line with the talent development programme that we have?

The other question is: does the Minister or MENDAKI or any of the Malay/Muslim organisations carry out regular longitudinal studies to ensure the kind of progress and development that we have gone through are properly monitored over the years to ensure that we understand what is happening?

Madam, on the second question, we do get data from the Government for every performance every year at each of the terminal exams – PSLE, "O" level, "A" level. This, of course, is disclosed by MOE every year but we work together with the Ministry to understand better the trends of the performance of the Malay/Muslim students.

Internally, MENDAKI also tracks our programme participants. For example, we have students who are participating in our Maths specialised programmes, such as ROPE. It is a specialised programme done in school. It is a school-based programme to help the Malay kids overcome the Maths challenge. We have been tracking and on average most of the students who are within the ROPE programme will move up two grade points. In other words, if they were failing, they will pass; if they are scoring Bs, they will be scoring As. So, it shows that the programme is working. I take the Member's point that we need to continue to do this more religiously because we need to be able to understand the effectiveness of the programme which MENDAKI is now putting in place across the board for all our other programmes.

On the first question about how MTS can do better in terms of reaching the high end, the bulk of the students that attend our MTS classes are really from the middle and the lower end, which is really our target. We want to reach to those who are actually at the bottom 30% or 40% to try and lift them up. For the students who are doing well, there are various other programmes. For example, there is a programme conducted by MENDAKI club for our top 10% students who have done well in the PSLE.

Ultimately, Madam, my own personal belief is not about MENDAKI or MUIS. If our kids were doing well, I would urge their parents to look into the children's performance and development because there are many new opportunities in Singapore. For example, our schools offer many opportunities for personal development, not only in terms of CIP hours but also other involvement including camps and overseas attachments. A good example that I might cite is

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the University Scholars Programme in NUS, in which many Malay/Muslim students from bright and talented, have been able to seize this opportunity and gone to Silicon Valley – Ibnur, whom I mentioned, earlier is one such talent – on their own, understanding what it needs to be part of the USP and seizing those opportunities.

End of clarification time. Mr David Ong.

The generation of our former Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew grew up singing "God Save the Queen" as British subjects, saluted the Japanese flag during the Japanese occupation, and when Singapore was part of the Federation of Malaya, they thought of themselves as Malayans.

When Singapore was suddenly separated from the Federation, our former Prime Minister and the rest of our people of that generation became Singaporeans.

For that generation, Singapore became a nation by accident; then becoming Singaporeans is a matter of choice. When our former Prime Minister Lee was asked, "What makes a Singaporean?" in the book Hard Truths, he replied, "Someone who accepts others into the nation, regardless of race, language and religion."

Indeed, embracing our diversity is our hallmark as Singaporeans at that moment we became independent.

Singapore's social fabric is increasingly diverse and cosmopolitan. Our own citizens are well heeled, globally exposed, with very different aspirations, causes and interests. We have over time embraced new immigrants as PRs and new citizens, bringing with them their diverse cultures, outlook and values. Hence for us to build a society that is multiracial, multicultural, just and equal, is ever so relevant and important today.

As a nation and some say nationhood takes a very, very long time to build, it starts with each and every one of us.

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Hence, more has to be done to build social capital that strengthens ties between individuals and communities.

We can all work towards the same Singapore heartbeat, not just for those who are born here but also those who have come from other shores and make this place their home. Not too long ago, like our forefathers, they left their motherland, set sail and arrived at a pre-dominantly Malay fishing island Singapura. Over time, this place became home for them and their future generations.

Our Singapore Soul should be forged not just by our birthplace but by our collective experience, togetherness, our shared pride, values, our diversity, trust and respect for one another, our sense of belonging and our resilience as one community.

Thus, I would like to know how MCCY can effectively engage people, communities, and stakeholders to foster cohesion in our multicultural society and to build the social capital leading to the formation of a Singapore Soul.

How will MCCY facilitate and make use of community building efforts in areas of the culture, arts, and sports to grow this social capital that makes for a strong and resilient community?

Mdm Chair, the National Heritage Board and Preservation of Monuments Board operate many museums and monuments that remind us of where we came from, how far we have come and that Singapore has to move forward.

Our history is a short yet rich one, born of the tapestry of peoples of many ancient cultures and religions that have come together to call Singapore home. It is not just found in museums and monuments but everywhere and anytime. I would like to encourage MCCY to not just present our heritage to Singaporeans in the form of exhibitions and monuments. This is important as a source of information and knowledge that every Singaporeans should know. But we can go further. MCCY can give Singaporeans a sense of ownership.

Madam, museums are great tourist traditions, but great museums in the great cities of the world often mean something more. New Yorkers, Parisians and Londoners take great pride in their museums because they have a great

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sense of pride in and ownership of the heritage that is embodied in their great museums.

I urge the National Heritage Board to work with Singaporeans in this direction, not just to increase the visitorship to our museums, but to develop and inculcate a sense of ownership of our heritage. Our heritage is really the Singapore Story narrative. This narrative is a living one, a continuing story of struggle against the odds, and a beautiful story of unity, progress and the pursuit of happiness.

But heritage cannot be just confined to museums and monuments.

Recently, I read in the newspapers that stall keepers at the Army Market in Beach Road are working to highlight the heritage of the place through the development of a virtual tour. This is part of our National Service heritage and many of our NSmen have visited the place. This initiative may not make it to the glamorous displays and exhibits that can be found in museums but their important efforts are also a part of our heritage.

In other words, heritage is not something that is detached and distant. Heritage is part of our everyday lives. It is not just history that we read or see, but it is in us and with us, evolving everyday and in the process, changing us as well.

Mdm Chair, there is much discussion and interest in defining the Singapore identity and the Singapore spirit, and I wholeheartedly agree that this engagement is a critical part of community and nation building. MND has shared its vision on how it intends to celebrate our built heritage; but heritage is far more than just being about buildings, like what Mr Sitoh Yih Pin has just mentioned, and constitutes a living and evolving journey, with visual and aural history being equally important.

A shared past, either experienced or encountered, improves the fabric of society and makes our lives richer, and guides us towards the future. As such, I hope the Minister will share with us its plans on how it intends to preserve Singapore's heritage, in all its various hues and forms.

I am particularly interested in the Heritage Town initiative. My constituency of Queenstown will be 60 years old this year, and as Singapore's first housing

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estate it would be quite appropriate to call her the Queen of Estates. The rich historical tapestry of districts like Queenstown and others like Tanglin Halt and Tiong Bahru can be recognised though programmes like the Heritage Town initiative, and bring the community together by getting residents to focus their efforts on celebrating a shared past. I hope that the Minister can provide updates on this and other initiatives, and share with us his thoughts on how else our heritage can be safeguarded.

The philosopher Cicero opined that, "To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child."

What is heritage? Is it a building? Is it an object? Is it culture? Does displaying or restoring old things mean preserving our heritage?

Madam, heritage to me is about inherited traditions, it is both the tangible and the intangible; heritage is about how we act, about who we are and about what we will be. We need to have our physical reminders to recall how far we have come. The late photographer Richard Nickel once said, "Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and short-sighted men."

Many of the fond memories of our past have given way to economic progress. Yes, there may be new sights to behold, but will the Sands last? Will Universal Studios be our future historic landmark? Will we then be remembered by future generations as worshippers of the ship in the sky, and devotees of an ogre and his donkey sidekick?

Perhaps as important as our historic buildings and sites, our social history is also important. It is woven intimately into the fabric of our nation. There in our language, our songs, our recipes, our culture. Many are working quietly behind the scenes to preserve it, but they face uphill tasks.

Mr Jeffrey Eng is a tireless cultural ambassador. He runs a small cultural shop which is a landmark on 皇家山脚 which is River Valley Road. He has been regaling visitors with stories of our history and heritage for many years, at no fee.

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Mr Henry Ng is also the last Lion King of Singapore. He started as a lion dancer at 13 and in 1995, became the youngest of 10 professional lion makers. Today, he is the last remaining. Like Mr Eng, cheap and low quality products from overseas have made business difficult. Yet, they stay the course. Because they believe that there is culture and heritage worth preserving.

Therefore, I ask the Ministry what else beyond the physical that the National Heritage Board and its related agencies will be working to preserve. How will the Ministry look at involving all Singaporeans, especially with our 50th anniversary of Independence round the corner?

I make a plea on behalf of those struggling on the sidelines to do their part to preserve our heritage and what can the Ministry do to support them. As we enter into our 50th year, it is opportune for us to reinforce our heritage. Heritage is essential for us, it is not just history, it is your story, my story, your future, my future.

Madam, over the past year, "culture" and "community" have become frequently used buzzwords. Up to $210 million was committed under the Community Engagement Masterplan, the new MCCY was set up and the "Living Arts, Loving Culture" programme was launched to bring arts and culture to everyone.

I welcome these developments. Culture is key to who we are, and community is the artist's bread and butter. I also believe that increasing and deepening Singaporeans' participation in the arts and in our cultural life is necessary to strengthening our cultural core. But now the hard work begins. There is no such thing as culture in general, or community in the abstract. Both involve the participation of many individuals in specific activities, often over long periods of time. There is no shortcut to a "feel-good" factor, and token participation just for the sake of it, has limited returns. So, what does this mean for the arts?

First, welcome as it is, we should not let the new enthusiasm for culture and community obscure the fact that many Singaporean artists have already been actively engaging audiences and communities for many years. Their talents should be tapped, and they should be encouraged to expand their audiences to an even larger pool.

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As such, rather than pushing all our arts groups to start community outreach initiatives, could the Ministry enhance financial support and resources in the area of audience development, publicity and marketing to these arts groups, and encourage them to not only increase the numbers of attendees, but also to broaden the range and diversity of their audiences?

Second, we should guard against a two-tier system that reserves high art for the elite and culture for the masses. Great art is not always easy, but it does not discriminate. It should be accessible and easily available to all.

We should find more ways to increase access to the wide range of work produced by our arts groups to all Singaporeans, especially those who are less able to participate. This may include those from lower income households, full-time caregivers or parents with young children who are unable to get away from family commitments. A night out at the theatre can be an expensive affair. Even with student discounts for children, accompanying adults often pay full price tickets to attend the shows with them. Could the Ministry consider strategies such as partnering with arts groups to offer free or special-priced tickets to families on public assistance and students on bursaries, or even providing free child-minding at the theatre venue on specific nights or weekends, so that busy parents have a window to enjoy the arts?

Could the Ministry also provide a sufficient level of funding to tour already existing productions or concerts by our local professional artists to performing spaces and galleries in community clubs and other venues around the island on a regular basis, so that Singaporeans have access to high quality productions and exhibitions in their neighbourhood?

Third, community participation should not be limited to just the consumption of arts events, but should go hand in hand with ownership and engagement. It is through direct involvement in art-making and creation, say, at a workshop or in a performance, that we receive the transformative benefits of the arts, including identity formation, empathy building and self-confidence.

For instance, community theatre and interactive performances, are designed to create safe environments for participants to re-enact real-life situations. Through role play, we are invited to clarify values and problem-solve creatively with other participants. This allows us to question our assumptions and promotes a sense of ownership in the change we want to see. Community arts should therefore not be limited to mass participation events. While such events can harness hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteer performers, and

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promote social bonding, they may not provide a sufficiently deep arts experience. Can we invest in more artist-led workshops and performances that interface with Singaporeans in a deeper way? An example of this would be the Forum Theatre presentations by Drama Box, where the "call-and-response" form is used to encourage audiences to reflect more deeply about social issues.

Finally, I would like to seek greater clarity on the roles and expectations of the different agencies involved in the community engagement initiative. While it may be a multi-agency effort, artists and arts groups feedback that the various agencies often have different agendas when it comes to funding and performing platforms. They also find it frustrating when cultural officers on the ground have little knowledge about how artists work. May I ask the Minister how the multiple stakeholders such as the PA, CDCs and CCs are working with statutory boards like NAC, NHB and NLB to support the artists in this engagement process?

Madam, I applaud the Government's effort in promoting arts and culture bringing it closer to Singaporeans and the Government had spent heavily on community engagement efforts under the Community Engagement Master Plan launched in April 2012.

In response to community engagement, an Arts and Culture Committee at the constituency level was formed to roll out arts and cultural activities for the community. These committees known as Community Arts and Culture Committee received grants from the Government to carry out and bring arts and cultural programmes to the people. As of the end of December 2012, a total of $19 million had been disbursed towards this programme.

Madam, there have been some inspiring results that had sprung forth as a result of the programme. For instance, I note a growing interest island-wide in people learning to play the ukulele. In my own constituency of Clementi, we have stirred an interest in folks coming together and forming live bands – a return to pop yay yay and perhaps a little bit of the American Bandstand in Clementi. I also note a growing interest and participation in ethnic cultural activities by different races. One such example is the growth of Malay and Indian boys learning and forming lion dance groups. I call this phenomenon a "community cross cultural experience".

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But the funding to the CACC suffer the same syndrome as many governmental departments' budgeting efforts, that is, use it or lose it the next year. When it comes the deadline for the closure of accounts, there is often a rush for programmes and activities. The Ministry may do well to be more even-handed in this respect.

Second, some sectors of the arts and culture groups are grumbling of limited support because of the CACCs. The inference is that the Ministry's focus is on the community. Can the Minister explain its focus on promoting arts and culture at the community level and if that has drawn resources and attention away from many other arts and culture groups?

I recently went to the Saint Magnus International Festival on the island of Orkney in Scotland. It is a prestigious arts festival renowned for its unique blend of world-class performance and community participation. The entire island was alive with the arts. Music, drama and poetry filled a variety of spaces – from homely pubs to holy cathedrals and the highland hotels.

It was a sensual and sublime experience. It is hard to describe the unfettered sense of joy as you give in to the magic of the moment and to the glory of perfection. The experience, which lifted me from the dreary confines of my busy mind, reminded me yet again of the transformative power of art. It is such personal experiences that give me the conviction about the value of the arts, and about the contribution that they make to the quality of life of the country and of its people.

In this regard, I welcome the initiatives to nurture our artists with a new grants framework, and to inspire our people with the Community Engagement Plan. Will MCCY be raising its support for artists and arts groups, and to what extent? How will the new framework be linked up to deliver artistic excellence and that will culminate in national and world-class events.

Madam, Singapore has big ambitions to become a global arts city. Our cultural scene has become more vibrant, with more events, arts groups and cultural facilities. But how are we faring in terms of arts excellence and funding when benchmarked to other leading art cities such as London, New York, Edinburgh and Hong Kong?

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To achieve international standing, not only do our artists need to be exposed to world-class work but our audiences as well. To provide a high standard of community arts, we need to engage professional artists in the community. How does the Community Engagement Masterplan advance artistic excellence within the community and reach out to new audiences.

Madam, a key aim of the arts is to communicate perceptions about the human condition that cannot be communicated in any other way. In his column, Kishore Mahbubani mulled over how surveys suggest that Singapore is an unhappy society. He wondered what forces have generated this unhappiness with the status quo. He added, "Normally it is the poets and novelists, the playwrights and artists who explain a society's soul to its people. Yet we all know that the great Singaporean novel has not been written."

Indeed, we are still waiting for the great Singapore novel. How have we been investing in our writers to ensure that they have the space, time and resources to produce this elusive tome?

Madam, the Renaissance City plan, launched in 2000, offered a vision not only of a global arts city but also of a Renaissance Singaporean – described as one who has "an adventurous spirit, an inquiring and creative mind and a strong passion for life." I appeal to the Minister to set our sights high – only then will our quest to become a global arts city bring about a deeper transformation in our society and in our people.

Madam, before I begin, I would like to declare my interest as an actor working in the arts scene and a Board member of the theatre company, Wild Rice.

Madam, our local performing arts scene has burgeoned and matured over the last five years, nurturing many Singaporean artists and performers who now rank up there with the best in the world, and the Government has played a significant role in helping it grow to what it is today. This vibrancy however belies some of the pressures our arts groups are facing, especially the ones in theatre. I have met with many of them in the last few months, including those from the commercial sector. Let me share three challenges they face.

First, high venue rentals and the rising cost of making productions have impacted the financial sustainability of these companies. Last year I raised a

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Parliamentary Question on the issue of venue rentals, explaining that, on average, the rental costs paid out by an arts group to rent spaces at School of the Arts (SOTA), the Esplanade or the Drama Centre can vary between 20% and 35% of their production budget. In response, Acting Minister Wong assured that the National Arts Council (NAC)'s new grant schemes would try to support arts groups with higher funding. While this is a welcome move, I would like to appeal to MCCY to do more for local arts groups at these venues run by public-funded institutions, which are not out to make a profit.

For instance, the mid- and large-sized theatres at Drama Centre, Esplanade and SOTA currently charge a flat rental fee or a percentage of the box office, whichever is higher. This concept of "whichever is higher" makes the profit margin highly unpredictable for arts groups, and penalises them for working harder to fill bums-on-seats. In fact, I do not see why venues for hire should be sharing box office receipts with arts groups at all, since they do not take any financial risks in the marketing nor share in the publicity costs for the show. Such receiving venues should simply charge a flat fee, or negotiate with the arts groups to go with one option or the other.

In a typical year, an arts group that regularly presents work in a mid-sized venue pays an average of $150,000 to $250,000 in rent, if not more. Groups have fed back that the contributing costs include having to pay for manpower even when labour support is not required, and paying equivalent rental rates on Dark Nights, even though the theatre is not in use. Also, additional surcharges are levied for peak periods, including on small black-box studios, which tend to be used by smaller, amateur groups. Could the Ministry review these charges that go towards high rentals? Also, could the Ministry consider providing special rates for groups who are premiering new Singapore works?

Second, our flagship companies need stable funding and a sense of financial security in order to plan for the future. The Necessary Stage, Wild Rice, Theatreworks, Singapore Lyric Opera, The Theatre Practice and The Finger Players count themselves as some of Singapore's most active, non-profit arts companies today. They have been in the scene a long time – some for over 20 years – enlivening our arts and cultural life with a spread of original, Singapore-made, as well as international plays, comedies, musicals and opera. But unlike our national companies, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), that together received about $13 million in Government grants alone in 2011, these groups receive substantially less Government funding as a proportion of their total operating budget.

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In fact, in 2011, 28 of our top funded arts groups received just over $5 million in total. Most of these groups are being funded at only 5% to 20% of their total operating costs. This puts a tremendous strain on them to rely on box office income and uncertain sponsorship revenue to cover the remaining 80% of their annual expenditure.

Not surprisingly, there was great concern when NAC announced last year that some groups would be "graduated" from major grant funding, and that they are being encouraged to move towards self-sustainability. With a limited funding pie, the argument is that major arts groups must make way for smaller, emerging ones.

Madam, this trade-off is a risky one. While I agree new groups need start-up assistance, it should not be at the expense of older, experienced companies who continue to pave the way in terms of artistic excellence, who play a leading role in providing mentorship and talent development, and who are here for the long term, providing employment for many Singaporean artists.

Madam, our major arts companies work extremely hard for every tax dollar they received. A snapshot of eight of these groups will show that in 2011, on average, for every dollar of Government grant received last year, they raised about $10 from alternative sources. Yet, few of them have any kind of financial reserves or endowment fund to tide them over a rainy day. For FY2011, at least five major groups recorded a deficit.

In light of this, I welcome NAC's New Grants Framework, which has raised the grant ceiling from 30% to up to 50% of total costs. However, even under the old grant framework, amounts were still way below the 30% ceiling. I therefore urge the Ministry to provide steady financial support to our flagship companies a lot more wholeheartedly, under this new 50% grant quantum.

Finally, Madam, artists and arts groups need the necessary space and the leeway to reflect society's concerns and issues on the ground through their art. Currently, arts groups feel straitjacketed by NAC's restrictive funding guidelines, which discourage them from exploring issues that might be vaguely challenging or provocative.

These curbs on expression – what one is allowed to say, think or express – limits the imagination and puts unnecessary constraints on creativity. It is the

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artist's role to look at contemporary issues that resonate and are relevant to their diverse audiences. To echo Ms Irene Ng, it needs to explain the Singapore saw to its people. Sometimes, their work raises questions about norms and values, but the arts provide us with a safe platform to reflect society's differences, and hold those up for reflection and debate. We need to trust that our arts groups will do so responsibly. I therefore echo Mr Baey Yam Keng's call yesterday for MCCY to be a champion for the freedom of artistic expression.

Madam, Singaporeans are clamouring for greater transparency, openness, and a plurality of views, and our arts policies should better reflect the aspirations and expectations of the people. I therefore urge the Ministry to abolish or update NAC's funding guidelines, and restore the Arts Council to its intended role, not as a regulator of arts content, which is already being done by the MDA, but as a champion of artists and a promoter of artistic excellence.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Most people are not familiar with or are interested in traditional arts. Awareness and the publicity on traditional arts is also limited. Traditional arts practitioners and supporters are generally people of the older generation. There is a risk that there is no succession. If so, we would be losing an important part of our cultural heritage. That would be a pity.

The Traditional Arts Plan launched two years ago is much welcomed. Would the Ministry share with us the progress of its various initiatives to promote our traditional arts? How have traditional arts groups and the practitioners benefited from the Plan? What else can the Government do?

Madam, during the proposal to build the Esplanade costing some $600 million, I raised doubts as to whether we would be able to fill the theatres there with enough programmes, much less world-class acts.

I am elated to say, however, that my doubts had been put to rest because not only are we able to fill the performing theatres in our "durian" many times to sell-out capacity, but also often with world-class artistes. I would even say that world-class artistes would not have reached their peak if they had not performed their repertoire at the Esplanade. It gives me even more joy to say that the arts and culture scene in Singapore is dynamic, vibrant, and growing

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from strength to strength.

The Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) Committee chaired had focused on a bottom-up approach to boost arts in the community. The intent is to be more people-oriented and include hobbyists as well as private arts and culture enthusiasts. I understand that more work is in progress in this direction.

The Government has certainly spent much prudent dollars to boost the arts and culture scene in Singapore. But Governmental support in the area of arts and culture is not enough. There must be a corresponding, if not equal, support from the ground.

Last year, on his 80th birthday, the celebrated pioneer architect, Mr William Lim, donated a six-figure sum to benefit six arts organisations and two artists. Mr Lim's cash donations and ardent support is one of the most significant private donations to the arts scene.

We have had corporate donations to the arts and culture segment of society. The Singapore Press Holdings, the Hong Leong Foundations, LIPPO Group, OCBC Bank, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank are just some of the generous corporate sponsors to the arts, and we need more.

We also need more private individuals, like Mr William Lim, to step forward and make selfless donations to the arts and culture sector. What can the Government do to encourage more private individuals giving to the arts and culture sector?

Mdm Chair, this Budget made particular mention of a significant investment to nurture the arts, through the new Cultural Donation Matching Fund, to provide dollar-for-dollar matching for donations to arts and culture.

Will the Ministry consider extending the grant to the upstream institutions that offer training and developing youths in the arts? The aim, of course, is for capacity building and for capability development.

What I mean is, I am referring to training facilities such as LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, as well as some of the clan associations. These places nurture our youth, develop local arts and encourage

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