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

The Chairman: Head Q, Ministry of Communications and Information. Mr Zaqy Mohamad.

4.05 pm

Helping SMEs in Digital Transformation

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): Madam, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100."

The Chairman: Please take your three cuts together, Mr Zaqy.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Madam, the way in which businesses operate globally is shifting as a result of digital disruption. Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are trying to find their way in trying to win over customers and compete against competitors who have mastered the digital realm. The impact of the current economic slowdown has not helped as most SMEs I have spoken to are more focused today on the issue of everyday survival to retain their current business and pay their employees.

With the recent Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) report highlighting the shift to a digital economy, I would like to seek the Ministry's update on its initiative to help SMEs in particular which face more constraints and have less resources to help themselves.

I believe, for instance, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) can play a driving role to energise the sectors in helping SMEs. So, I hope that both the Ministry and IMDA will look into how it can help with industry transformation. For one, it can address the feedback from industry about technology adoption and, secondly, it can also help SMEs better leverage the grants available to help them transform.

Specifically on industry transformation, I would like to find out if the Ministry has any game-changing initiatives and, if so, what would these be? I would also like to know what could possibly be done to catalyse a quicker adoption of technology, such as the Internet of Things and data analytics, among SMEs, which can consequentially provide better insights into their business, workforce and improved customer service.

I would like to suggest that we consider setting up Innovation Centres or Centres of Excellence for key sectors where transformation can make an impact. This goes beyond the current capability of SME Centres or industry associations because the largest impact will come from deep experts who can identify trends, intellectual property (IP) and research that can drive innovation at all levels − the businesses, across the value chains and the whole ecosystem. Given how technology is strategic to Singapore's future, I believe that expert access to our business and technology know-how will be crucial to the success of our SMEs.

I urge the Ministry to consider all of these questions so that our home-grown companies can maximise the opportunities presented to them by digital disruption.

Helping Citizens Prepare for Digitisation

Besides SMEs, it is also important that we help Singaporeans maximise the opportunities presented by the digital wave. I would like to know what the Ministry is doing to help workers who face difficulties in reskilling themselves, particularly those whose jobs have been displaced by technology?

Also, I would like to request the Ministry to provide an update on the information and communications technology (ICT) manpower initiatives that it announced at the Committee of Supply (COS) last year.

Given the disruptive and rapidly evolving nature of the digital economy, how can we ensure that we also retain our technical expertise to remain and provide projects and create an ecosystem that continually challenges them? Without opportunities to progress careers with technical depth, many ICT professionals switch to general management and into sales to further their careers. Thus, the industry may keep losing skilled resources and not grow deep skills as a whole.

In identifying the need to build a vibrant ecosystem, what steps can the Ministry take to reduce our over-reliance on foreign, migratory talent in this area and build genuine career opportunities for Singaporeans?

It is important that for us to have a healthy, sustainable and vibrant digital economy, that we have an ecosystem which must provide opportunities for exciting technical career paths. This will help us drive innovation and cutting-edge tech application and research. This is one of the reasons why ecosystems, such as those in San Francisco, thrive as hubs of innovation. I look forward to hearing the Ministry's plans on these initiatives.

Enhancing Cybersecurity Initiatives

Madam, as Singapore increases its digital capabilities and goes deeper into a digital economy, the impact of a cyberattack increases as it could be damaging to the economy. Therefore, with cybersecurity being of increasing importance in a digital economy, what is the Ministry doing to increase its cybersecurity capabilities, as well as to strengthen the cybersecurity industry in Singapore?

Last year, the Government announced that it will separate its networks from the Internet. What is the feedback from civil servants and public servants thus far? Has there been impact on customer service from the Government by those agencies that have been affected by this policy? Has the Ministry studied the impact on the productivity and effectiveness of knowledge workers in the agencies and their responsiveness to the public?

It is inevitable that the more exposed we become to the virtual world in a digital economy, we are exposed to more and more risks and trade-offs. We will need to study and assess these negative effects so that we would not be caught off-guard.

Question proposed.

Industry Partnership to Drive SME Digitisation

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng (Nominated Member) (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, the Government has announced that 10,000 civil servants will be trained up in digital capabilities to better support innovation and cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit. Taking this lead is an excellent initiative. Today, the topic I wish to discuss is how to drive SMEs' digitalisation.

Firstly, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) welcomes the "SMEs Go Digital Programme", and we shall be actively helping SMEs to adopt digital technology. Later this month, the Chamber's office will be relocating to the Trade Association (TA) Hub in Jurong East. More than 20 TAs will come on board with us. The TA Hub will be the base from which we shall be promoting the digitalisation of enterprises.

We have specially set up the TA Committee to help industry associations integrate resources, improve capabilities, promote collaboration amongst TAs, build up partnership relations and provide a platform to channel feedback to Government agencies. One of the important areas of the TA Committee's work is to help local enterprises go digital.

For many years now, the Chamber and IMDA have worked closely together to help SMEs adopt infocomm technology (IT) and promote the Increase SME Productivity with Infocomm Adoption and Transformation (iSPRINT) initiative. This has helped us to accumulate valuable experiences. This time, we hope to continue to work closely with IMDA to drive the "SMEs Go Digital Programme" in a big way.

Making digitalisation a reality involves two factors: one is system and the other is workers. SCCCI's subsidiary, the Singapore Chinese Chamber Institute of Business, will be doing its best to help TAs train their workers. But the other challenge of promoting digitalisation is how to apply a standardised system to improve the effectiveness of the whole industry.

In the interconnected Internet world, companies need to plug into a collaborative network. The effectiveness of digital technology could only be evident if the system is compatible with that of your customers, suppliers and partners. If not, the transfer of large masses of data could cause system errors. Such programming defects that occur willy-nilly could frustrate SMEs and make them lose faith.

Applying a standardised system for the industry is likened to learning a common language to facilitate communication. Recently, many food and beverage (F&B) establishments are using the electronic menu ordering system. Customers who frequent different restaurants first need to study how to use their systems. After being accustomed to Restaurant A's system, you need to start over again with Restaurant B. Starting from the menu selection, serving of food to paying the bill, the entire process is fully automated. Businesses could even use the data captured to analyse which dishes are the most popular and decide on the quantity of ingredients to purchase. These are all advantages.

But from a deeper perspective, if every restaurant uses its own system, we could never standardise the employee training curriculum. Moreover, whether customers can get used to the system would determine their continued patronage. If F&B players use a common system, the entire process of customer acceptance could be accelerated.

This simple example allows me to clarify that in the journey of digitalisation, TAs and industry associations must consider the big picture of the whole industry, including problems which may be encountered by related industries. They should not digitalise for the sake of doing so. The Budget has already announced certain sectors which will receive support first, including retail, food services, logistics and so on. Everyone must work together, relying on the capacity of the SME Technology Hub and leveraging the assistance of the "SMEs Go Digital Programme", so that they may discover the benefits of digitalisation.

The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi Supaat, please take your three cuts together.

Building Digital-ready Companies

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): How are the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI) and IMDA planning to help SMEs with the digital transformation? That is the question I have for the first cut. In particular, how is the use of consumers' data, such as their purchase habits and feedback, to be utilised more optimally by SMEs and companies so that they may evolve their products and services to better cater to current needs?

Will the Ministry also be looking at ensuring that the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) remains relevant? We are now in a climate where we are encouraging companies to use data innovatively and optimise business opportunities, yet the personal data in their possession needs to remain secure and protected, which makes it a bit more difficult for their businesses.

Building a Digital-ready Workforce

I am pleased to note from the Budget that the Government is helping businesses to go digital and encouraging the use of digital technologies. Indeed, this is a step in the right direction towards a more productive and technology-savvy workforce. I am keen to hear about MCI's detailed plans and strategies to build a digital-ready workforce. Last year, the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) was announced as an initiative to fill tech positions with Singaporean talents, through targeted training and job matching. Can MCI elaborate on how TeSA will be used to improve employability of IT staff, on top of the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) that have been announced in the Budget? Furthermore, how does IMDA plan to develop a future-ready media workforce?

Data Protection

It has been over two years since PDPA was implemented. With more companies taking their businesses onto different platforms, there is a greater exchange of customer information, particularly online and through social media. In the past, email addresses and phone numbers were among the main concerns of consumers who were receiving spam emails and messages. Now, with social media having a greater role in transactions and information exchange, data protection has become more complicated.

Furthermore, recent high-profile hacking incidents have led to the accidental compromise of customer and personal information, showing the vulnerability of online data systems. Can MCI share how it plans to further help businesses, especially SMEs, better comply with their data protection obligations under PDPA without any adverse effects?

Data Protection and Smart Nation

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Madam, I wish to seek clarifications from the Ministry on the following.

First, to provide an update on the implementation of PDPA. Second, what measures have been taken to ensure the protection of personal data of Singaporeans embarking on the Smart Nation initiatives?

Madam, in today's e-services and digitally-driven economy, many agencies or organisations in both the public and private sectors collect personal data of Singaporeans or customers respectively for various purposes. As a result, lots of personal data are vulnerable to abuse and cyberattacks.

Madam, the recent breach of the Internet system or the I-net of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and subsequent theft of several hundred MINDEF personnel's personal data on 28 February 2017 have raised concerns about personal data protection. Similar breaches had also previously happened in private firms, such as K- Box and PropNex Realty, in which the personal data of thousands of customers were leaked online.

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Madam, while the Government agencies may have more resources to build robust Internet systems to reduce cyberattacks or breaches, companies and organisations in the private sector will face immense challenges in getting resources to build such cyber defences. Thus, the personal data of Singaporeans are at risk of abuse.

Madam, as Singapore strives to develop a digital economy on its journey to becoming a Smart Nation, more personal data will be collected by service providers in various applications, such as smart payment systems, e-Government services and e-commerce activities. This will undoubtedly be a cause of concern for consumers.

"Live" Proceedings and Smart Nation

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mdm Chairman, since the launch of the Smart Nation initiative in 2014, much has been said about facilitating initiatives that allow easy access to information on state services. Smart Nation envisions a Singapore where citizens are empowered by technology to live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Such efforts will also include providing greater access to official statistics and information on official programmes under Public Service initiatives.

In raising this cut, I use the word "smart" in Smart Nation with a non-digital definition in mind. At a time when poor information, misunderstanding and even misinformation and fake news are becoming increasingly prevalent, efforts that assist and allow the public access to primary sources of information so as to have an informed fact-based public debate are especially needed. This allows a discerning active citizenry to participate in governance and have a direct stake in policy-based discussions with fact and reasoned opinion as the order of the day, as opposed to wild diatribe and unsubstantiated exaggerations. No doubt, the latter will not be easy to filter out, given the open nature of the Internet and the information age we are in today.

The Government has stated that it is looking at how it can reinforce its legal and regulatory hands against purveyors of falsehoods. But the long arm of the law alone is unlikely to engender a Smart Nation. Smart Nation must, at its core, understand where to find news that allow its citizenry to make informed decisions.

Parliament is an important if not central conduit for information dissemination and can make a seminal difference. For Singaporeans to be resistant to fake news, it must be sufficiently informed, and providing a "live" and open Parliamentary platform could serve as a key inoculant against fake news.

Educating the public about their rights and responsibilities as citizens and voters are equally important and useful next steps. Specifically, I would like to ask the Government if it would consider live video streaming and a searchable video archive of Parliamentary debates.

The digital revolution has opened many doors to provide such services competitively. In fact, it was noteworthy that the recent Budget speech delivered by Minister Heng was streamed "live" and available on The Straits Times' website. The absence of full Parliamentary question and answer clips and Second Readings of Bills appears contrary to the principles of open Government. No doubt, the delayed Channel NewsAsia (CNA) videos available online shortly after a Parliamentary session are a notable improvement from the past. I also note that the scope and length of coverage have increased progressively as well. However, current reports on Parliamentary proceedings by the mainstream media centre on snippets sometimes omit key statements, facts and context, and this depends on the liberty of editors. As a written record of speeches, there are also limitations as to what the Hansard can convey in a timely manner, given society's migration to video-based formats on our smart phones.

I hope the Ministry can review its position on this matter and consider bringing "live" Parliamentary proceedings in full to our smart devices, in step with our evolution as a Smart Nation. I believe it will improve citizen-state relations in a significant way and improve public discussions about policy trade-offs and the understanding of Singaporeans about Parliamentary affairs.

Greater Investment in Technology

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Madam, a few months ago, I met with Traffic Police to ask for more enforcement action against drivers who are racing or speeding in a dangerous manner along the East Coast Parkway.

I asked the Police whether they could install more portable speed cameras within the constituency so that the need for constant patrolling by the Traffic Police can be reduced. To my surprise, it seems that installing a speed camera is not so straightforward. Despite the fact that cameras are so common nowadays, to date, the portable speed camera is not yet installed.

This made me wonder whether the Government can do more to tap on technology to deliver its services to the public. For example, we currently already have closed circuit television (CCTVs) to monitor places where there is illegal parking. Can we use the latest wireless technology to install more such CCTVs at lower costs so as to deter illegal parking which obstructs other road users?

I also urge the Government to consider using the latest camera technology to curb high-rise littering and littering along areas like public parks or bus stops and other busy public places. The Government can use sensor technology to track whether roads and drains have been regularly cleaned by the cleaning companies.

Today, when my mobile data usage on my phone reaches 80% of my limit, Singtel automatically sends me a short message service (SMS) to alert me. Can the Government rely on such similar technology to alert residents when their household water usage exceeds 80% of the norm? This will remind residents to be more careful about their water usage.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) can also analyse commuter data from the bus transport operators to determine where there is peak demand for buses on normal days, so that the bus companies can despatch buses to places where there is high commuter ridership.

I urge the Government to consider investing more on digital and data technology so that it can continue to deliver essential services to the public and yet keep the costs of human capital low.

Elderly Access to Government Services

Mr Chen Show Mao (Aljunied): I would like to ask whether we could do more to help ensure that we do not leave groups of Singaporeans behind in the drive to digitise Government services and build a Smart Nation.

One recent example is the difficulties that some seniors still face in trying to use SingPass and activating two-factor authentication (2FA). Seniors without mobile phones need to apply for the OneKey token. In many cases, the only practical option for seniors who are unable to apply for the OneKey token online is to visit one of the two OneKey offices in Alexandra and Tanjong Pagar. This is the case, notwithstanding the onsite assistance available at the 25 Citizen Connect Centres in Singapore who can help with applying for SingPass but not OneKey tokens. The process may prove cumbersome particularly for several groups of people, such as seniors who are not tech-savvy, those with low levels of education, those who are not conversant in English, those who do not own mobile phones and those who may have difficulties getting around. This calls to mind the bigger issues of the growing risk of losing access to essential Government services for groups of Singaporeans in the face of digitalisation. Let us try to make our pioneering Smart Nation even more inclusive.

Libraries and E-services

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Madam, one of the core missions of the National Library Board (NLB) is to foster a reading culture and to provide free public access to knowledge through its collections of books and online databases. Other than to promote reading, the libraries can also double up as community hubs that support the adoption of IT and lifelong learning, as well as being the point of access to e-Government services.

As the Government continues to digitise more and more of its services, it is crucial that those who are unfamiliar with IT be provided with a public channel that they can use to transact with the Government.

Given that both NLB and the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) are under the purview of MCI, both agencies could work closely to ensure that dedicated and secure terminals are made available in public libraries to those who have no home access to the Internet so that they can access e-Government services.

Furthermore, NLB can value-add to this service by using it as a platform to enhance community engagement. Specifically, could NLB perhaps engage Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) students from relevant IT courses in the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) or polytechnics as volunteers to provide onsite assistance to residents who need help with their e-Government transactions? I hope that this is something that the Government can consider.

The Chairman: Ms Sun Xueling, please take your three cuts together.

SMEs and Digital Transformation

Ms Sun Xueling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Madam, digitalisation has been identified as one of the seven pillars in the CFE report. Digitalisation is a challenge as well as an opportunity for SMEs. While it significantly changes how business is being done, disintermediating the middleman and impacting companies that may be asset-heavy, it also offers an opportunity that SMEs can scale up and internationalise quickly.

SMEs form the bulk of our enterprises. If they are able to successfully leverage on digitalisation, there is a real chance of us being able to break out of the constraints of land and rental, manpower and small home markets, achieving higher revenue, higher productivity and lower manpower reliance. How do we encourage our SMEs to embark on digitalisation and what holds them back?

One of the reasons for the slow adoption of digitalisation could be a lack of familiarity with technology. One way of increasing awareness of digitalisation for SMEs could be to organise meet-the-firm sessions, akin to a Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), except that instead of meeting a Member of Parliament to seek assistance and introduce the various Government schemes, the firm and its management can meet an IMDA officer to be introduced to various digitalisation options. For it to be impactful, the outreach should look to touch base with as many firms as possible, but provide solutions targeted to each firm's technology capability level. This could help spur adoption. There is a tipping point for technology, where a critical mass of users starts using digital solutions, digitalisation could undergo an exponential adoption rate. Let us help to initiate a tipping point.

SMEs and Digital Transformation

Madam, in a world with great uncertainty, data can help make sense of things. Data can help power services to ensure seamless operability to the advantage of Government and local enterprises. GovTech is leading the Government's efforts to embrace digital transformation and innovate to enhance Public Service delivery. How has it done so far? How has it enabled the Government to better harness ICT and related engineering to drive transformation and innovation amongst other Government agencies?

While data is being provided to the public to engage in co-creation of applications, what is being done to systematically integrate new applications to existing Government services to provide users a one-stop user-friendly experience?

Lastly, as more Government services are migrating to e-services, how are we enabling our seniors to keep up with the changes? I would like to suggest that young Singaporeans be encouraged to come forward to volunteer to teach seniors how to use e-services and municipal apps at a retail level. This could be done in the form of simple workshops conducted by volunteers at void decks for seniors or at community hubs, such as town hubs and libraries. Such activities will greatly complement GovTech's efforts. Our seniors need a personal touch to encourage them to use e-services, and there should be more one-on-one opportunities for them to do so.

Updating the Broadcasting Act

Madam, the roof of Punggol Waterway Terraces had collapsed, screamed the headlines; a gigantic explosion at the Tuas Plant a few weeks ago; and the biggest problem is that these were all fake news. This is not a local phenomenon. Theories abound about how fake news and push-through reporting were alleged to have had a hand in shaping voter behaviour during Brexit and the recent United States (US) Presidential Elections. Countries, such as Germany, are looking at laws targeting fake news while Internet and the social media giants, Google and Facebook, are reviewing their policies to curb the spread of fake news.

Minister Yaacob Ibrahim had shared that the Ministry plans to amend both the Films Act and the Broadcasting Act this year to take into account changes in technology. Given media convergence, amendments to the Broadcasting Act is likely to be a dominant media legislation. I would like to ask the Minister whether the timing of his recent announcement is related to public interest on the rise of fake news and its impact on societies and how the Ministry intends to maintain a balance between regulations and a market-friendly approach, given the need to uphold and promote Singapore as a communications hub.

Media Legislation

Mr Ong Teng Koon (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Madam, technological convergence has been a key trend in media for a number of years, along with the continued growth of the Internet and Internet users. This poses a number of challenges for the regulation of content. For me, there are two components to this new challenge: firstly, that content creation is now global and, secondly, that most content is distributed via huge and powerful global platforms.

The distribution of content has become easier and anybody can create content and have it go viral. In "the good old days", content was stored in physical media, and copying and distributing it took much effort. This made it easy to identify perpetrators. The current situation is complicated by the fact that content is now global. Content providers do not need any sort of physical presence in Singapore to serve content to Singaporeans. They do not even need to have a formal website per se, as their content can be spread virally through Facebook or other social media.

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Unlike local content producers, who have to comply with our laws, Singapore will often have limited leverage over overseas producers, even if they are creating content that might harm religious or racial harmony in Singapore. How does the Ministry intend to create some form of parity between local and overseas content producers? What about foreign content creators using Singapore as a base to create and distribute content that may be sensitive to our neighbours?

The next challenge is that most consumers will discover that the content they receive will come through either Facebook or Google, or might be even sent through WhatsApp, which is also a subsidiary of Facebook. The very size and scope of these platforms give them significant power in discussions with any individual government. There is very little that a government can do to compel them to act, short of banning their services within the country. However, the loss of access would create a huge uproar.

Given the vast amount of content that is uploaded to these sites, it would be unreasonable to expect them to police them constantly. A more pertinent question is whether they are obligated to remove "objectionable" content once it is flagged to them. Again, this is a difficult task, for what is objectionable to one may not be to another. It sometimes seems that there are people on the Internet whose sole purpose is to get outraged by one thing or another. So, we cannot just pander to the lowest common denominator.

Germany has floated the idea of fining Facebook €500,000 for every single piece of "fake news" that it fails to take down. Or even if this law gets passed, this is not without challenges. What qualifies as "fake" news? The term originated to describe sites that manufactured stories out of thin air to drive clicks and profits. The term is now being used rather loosely, even by senior officials, to describe news and opinions that do not comply to their liking.

I think we can all agree that completely fabricated stories with no basis in reality should be clamped down with all the tools that we have. However, the world is a messy place and facts may not be easy to agree upon. Take one example − the prosecution and defence lawyers in a murder case will use the facts to spin completely different narratives. In effect, only one of those two narratives is real and the other is, by definition, "fake". Would news outlets presenting and supporting the case for the defence be denounced as fake news by the prosecution and vice versa? What if we load the stakes and say that the case involves the murder of a prominent religious leader, which has the potential to stoke religious tension? Would there be pressure to stop media outlets and social media sites carrying reports supporting the defence team's arguments, even though they may ultimately prove to be correct?

How does the Ministry intend to approach working with content distributors to protect Singapore's racial and religious harmony from the scourge of fake news? A totally draconian approach is unlikely to work. It would also harm our image as an open society and a great place to live and work, and contradict our long-standing light touch regulatory regime. Yet, we also cannot do nothing. As the furore over alleged fake news in the United States (US) shows, even a mature democracy can be rocked by such threats. For a young country like Singapore, the risk of fake news exploiting racial and religious sentiment is real. The situation is challenging but I look forward to hearing from the Ministry on this. This is a hot topic that governments around the world are starting to grapple with, and it is an exciting opportunity for Singapore to lead the world in creating a sound yet resilient regulatory regime.

The Chairman: Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

The Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Madam, I would like to thank Members for their kind comments.

Mdm Chairman, with your permission, I would like to show a short video summarising the work of my Ministry over the past year.

The Chairman: Yes, please. [A video was shown to hon Members.]

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Thank you, Madam. Madam, as you can see, MCI has been working hard to improve Singaporeans' lives. Ours continues to be an important role moving forward. This is an exciting time for Singapore. CFE laid out the opportunities and challenges in the next phase of our economic development, and the Budget detailed how we can thrive in this exciting future. One way is to harness technology to seize the opportunities in the digital economy.

Madam, this is not new to Singapore. We have always leveraged technology to overcome our constraints. For instance, several years ago, we decided to lay fibre optic cables and improve mobile speeds across the island. Our huge investments in infrastructure now give us vast connectivity across the nation and beyond. That connectivity has opened up a new space for Singaporeans, presenting many opportunities for businesses and work, research and learning, social interactions and self-expression. It enables us to leverage infocomm media (ICM) technologies to transform the way we live, work and play.

MCI, Madam, has also contributed to the use of technology in other sectors. Take public transport, for example. In the video, you saw a GovTech Technology Associate share how his team used data science to identify the cause of the Circle Line breakdowns last year. There are many more examples of how GovTech supports national objectives through technology, such as in developing smarter Government digital services or developing platforms, such as a National Digital ID system.

We thus have the building blocks for Singapore to thrive in a much more technologically-enabled world. Yet, for all their possibilities, these new spaces and technologies have also raised concerns about their impact on jobs and equality, and about their potential to dehumanise society and corrode our values. As a society, we need to apply a critical eye to the implementation and use of new technologies. Together, we need to define the rules by which this new space works so that it optimises opportunities, fosters innovation, ingenuity and creativity. But, most importantly, to do so in a way that will strengthen our communities and improve our lives.

Cognisant of these challenges and concerns, MCI undertook three key steps in 2016 to help Singapore better prepare for the digital economy. First, we restructured our Statutory Boards, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA), to form two new entities: IMDA and GovTech. This allows us to better utilise our resources and allowed convergence on changes necessary for our digital transformation.

Secondly, MCI has strengthened our standards of cybersecurity as a fundamental prerequisite for the digital economy. We cannot be a Smart Nation if we remain open and vulnerable to cyberattacks. Hence, in October, Prime Minister Lee launched the Singapore Cybersecurity Strategy to build a resilient and trusted cyber environment. The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) will also take steps to elucidate cybersecurity so that everyone understands the importance of cybersecurity and how they, too, can play a role in securing our IT systems from cyberattacks.

Thirdly, Madam, MCI is building and developing an ecosystem that enables our businesses and people to thrive in a digital economy. Last year, IMDA launched TeSA to help our workforce acquire new ICT skills, such as cybersecurity, so that they can secure better paying jobs and grow in their careers. In chairing the TeSA Governing Council, IMDA leads a diverse range of stakeholders to realise this vision, including companies, TAs and Government partners, such as SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore. In tandem with this focus on training, we also created physical spaces, like Pixel Labs, to help our young and startup community gain a foothold in the digital economy. And we will continue to consult and partner our TAs and businesses to help companies adopt ICM technologies.

Madam, these three steps have taken us further along our journey to be a Smart Nation. But this is a journey without end. We will build on these foundations in 2017 and beyond. In line with CFE to keep Singapore's economy competitive and position our country for the future, we plan to, first, help companies transform and build strong digital capabilities, second, deepen our workers' technical expertise and, finally, continue to digitalise the Government to better serve Singapore.

Madam, MCI will help our companies thrive in the digital economy, especially our SMEs. A number of Members have asked how we plan to help SMEs transform themselves digitally and prepare for the future. We strongly believe that digital technology can help companies across all sectors drive productivity, create growth, catalyse innovation and boost competitiveness.

So, let me elaborate on two examples that illustrate how companies have used digital solutions to improve their business under IMDA's iSPRINT programme.

Firstly, through the adoption of a School Management System, TwinkleKidz Academy reduced their preschool teachers' administrative duties by 70%. The system allows teachers to take attendance via iPad, instantly generate students' progress reports with an e-portfolio, and keeps parents updated on students' activities. This not only helped free up teachers to devote more time on their students' development and well-being but also improved communication between parents and the school.

Secondly, Old Tea Hut, a beverage takeaway shop, deployed a mobile ordering system for its customers to place advance orders and make payment through their smartphones. Due to the increased convenience that its customers experience, 25% of the company's daily sales are made via this system. This has allowed Old Tea Hut to increase its overall sales by 15% and more quickly open new outlets.

Madam, since its inception in 2010, iSPRINT has helped more than 8,000 SMEs improve their business through tech solutions. Thus, building on iSPRINT, IMDA and CSA will work with agencies, such as the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING), with an "SMEs Go Digital" programme. It will help raise SMEs' overall level of digital readiness by giving them step-by-step advice on the technologies to use at each stage of their digital journey.

Firstly, SMEs can approach SME Centres for basic advice on off-the-shelf digital solutions prequalified by IMDA. For those with more advanced needs, such as data analytics and cybersecurity, experts at a new SME Digital Tech Hub will provide dedicated assistance. Besides advice, the hub will also help connect SMEs to ICT vendors and consultants, as well as conduct workshops and seminars to help build SMEs' digital capabilities. And for any progressive SMEs interested in experimenting with emerging digital technologies, they can pilot co-creation projects with IMDA. IMDA can also connect SMEs to experts to help them in their innovation expertise, as suggested by Mr Zaqy Mohamad. Madam, at each stage, SMEs will continue benefiting from funding support to defray the cost of technology deployment.

Secondly, IMDA will work with sector leads to develop sector-specific Industry Digital Plans which are aligned to the respective ITMs. Playing the role of Chief Information Officer, IMDA will synergise these plans across different sectors, including ensuring interoperability, as suggested by Mr Thomas Chua. Hence, ICT companies can not only identify areas their solutions can potentially value-add, but also whether they can be deployed to other sectors with similar needs. Similarly, SMEs can be guided on how different solutions, such as cybersecurity, data analytics and e-payment, can be integrated together to meet their requirements.

Finally, to accelerate the pace of transformation, we are adopting a sectoral approach to help more SMEs adopt more impactful pioneer solutions so as to help pave the way for more of their peers. For a start, we will focus on sectors where technology can uplift productivity, such as retail, logistics, food services and cleaning.

Through SMEs Go Digital, IMDA will collaborate with big corporations who can play an influential role in helping to digitalise the SMEs they work with. These large companies are well-placed to help uplift the entire sectors, by pushing the mass adoption of impactful digital solutions to SMEs.

One example, Madam, is Robinson's, a big retailer which uses an e-procurement platform to transact electronically with their 200 SME suppliers. By integrating on the same system, Robinson's saved 85% of the time used to manually process their numerous transactions with suppliers, while each SME, on average, was able to redeploy two admin headcounts to other tasks. Furthermore, as Robinson's could provide suppliers with their daily sales data, the system allowed both parties to benefit from better planning and inventory management.

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Market leaders, such as telecommunications companies (telcos) and banks, can also work with ICT companies to expand their traditional services and provide more value-added solutions to their SME customers. Starhub will partner IMDA and various vendors to provide F&B and Retail SMEs with a comprehensive digital solution package. This includes bundling existing broadband and wi-fi connectivity with a suite of complementary solutions, such as digital ordering and payment, digital advertising, cybersecurity and retail analytics.

Madam, I understand Starhub is working with Tampines Merchants Association and ICT company Getz Group to offer mobile ordering and payment solutions to F&B merchants in the Tampines N2 cluster. Sandwich outlet Toasties has already adopted Getz' solution, while another four merchants, including the popular Al-Azhar Restaurant, are being engaged as well.

I appreciate Members' support for the programme, but note potential concerns about its implementation. I also agree with Mr Thomas Chua's point about Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs). Recognising the SMEs' digital needs vary widely across and within sectors, we will invite TACs, other key industry players and SMEs themselves to provide feedback, create awareness and help to improve SMEs Go Digital. Our main aim is to ensure it meets the needs of SMEs and remains "user-friendly".

Madam, on Mr Zaqy Mohamad's point about ecosystems, IMDA plans to continue building locally grown ICM enterprises that can break new grounds for Singapore. This means rolling out an integrated approach to groom local ICM companies by expanding Accreditation@IMDA and introducing other schemes to grow these companies and build an innovative ecosystem.

Accreditation@IMDA is a key initiative for promising local tech startups, as it provides resources and investments to help them build a track record and accelerate growth. As of end February, the programme has accredited 17 companies in areas like video and data analytics, robotics and energy management, helping them generate Government project opportunities worth over $60 million.

One such company is AeroLion Technologies. Accredited in December 2015, it is now working with agencies, such as the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Public Utilities Board (PUB) to explore using its unmanned aerial vehicles in maintenance and inspection work. In urbanised Singapore, AeroLion's technology assist agencies in navigating challenging environments to better detect problems like building cracks and debris. The results gathered from AeroLion's analytical data also helps staff devise potential preventive measures and run our main infrastructure systems more efficiently.

Accreditation@IMDA was initially launched to leverage Government demand to identify and establish the credentials of promising startups. Due to these accredited companies' success, IMDA will now be expanding the programme's focus beyond the public sector to the enterprise sectors, such as real estate and finance. It will also expand beyond accrediting startups to include small high-growth SMEs.

Madam, the CFE had recommended focusing help for high-growth SMEs, large local enterprises (LLEs) and multinational corporations (MNCs) to seize global opportunities. Thus, for larger high-growth ICM SMEs which require targeted intervention to scale overseas, we plan to help them partner LLEs and MNCs, such as CapitaLand, Mediacorp and Sentosa Development Corporation, for product innovation, capability building and export to overseas markets. For example, in the area of the Internet-of-Things, IMDA will work with CapitaLand to develop the smart building capabilities of these Singapore tech companies. CapitaLand's global network of over 500 properties offers these companies a living lab for ideas and prototypes to be field-tested and validated, supporting the co-development of globally competitive breakthrough technology solutions.

Madam, Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Mr Saktiandi Supaat observed that as we prepare companies for the digital economy, we also need to equip Singaporeans with the relevant skills. This applies to both the ICM sector and digital-related work across all industries. At last year's COS, I announced TeSA would pioneer new ways of enabling Singaporeans to acquire ICT expertise and skills. I am pleased to report the progress TeSA has made. As of mid-February 2017, TeSA has enabled over 10,000 professionals to benefit from upskilling and reskilling opportunities.

Hakim Ariffin, 26 years old whom you saw earlier came from a finance background and has since successfully converted to a programmer employed with American healthcare firm Merck, Sharpe & Dohme. Lim Yi-Min, 23 years old, is now a Data Scientist at National Computer Systems (NCS). Through the TeSA's company-led training (CLT) programme, she was able to better transition from school and a degree in engineering to a working environment and a new exciting world of data analytics.

Finally, I would like to speak about Alvin Koh, 54 years old. A seasoned veteran with 30 years' experience in systems administration and technical support, Alvin challenged himself to pursue a new career in cybersecurity after being laid off. Having completed his on-the-job training, Alvin is now enjoying his work as a Security Consultant with Singapore Technologies (ST) Electronics.

I am delighted to announce that TeSA's CLT programmes continue to have high placement rates and am pleased to add that our number of industry partners continues to grow. TeSA has partnered over 15 CLT companies, including Singtel, Accel, Quann and Optimum Solutions. Two new partners are SAS Institute and Deloitte and Touche Enterprise Risk Services, which will offer training in data analytics and cybersecurity respectively.

Going forward, Madam, we will continually expand TeSA's range of training partners and courses, as well as look at new initiatives to drive Singapore's ICT skills landscape. Beyond ICT professionals, it is important for the workforce of other sectors to start digitalising. The SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) aims to develop the next generation of business leaders, helping aspiring Singaporeans acquire leadership competencies and critical experiences.

TeSA will work with LDI and other partners to implement on-the-job training leadership programmes with a focus on developing tech management skills. This complements other programmes supported by TeSA, such as Squared Online for Singapore SMEs. A digital leadership and marketing course, it was developed in partnership with Google to help SME leaders and employees who are keen to digitalise their businesses and navigate the evolving digital landscape.

We will continue to develop a capable, future-ready workforce in other ways. IMDA has developed a Media Manpower Plan which Minister of State Chee Hong Tat will share later. We will also continue working closely with tertiary and pre-tertiary institutions to boost our pipeline of talent. One programme is Industry Preparation for Pre-graduates (iPREP) which equips pre-graduates with relevant industry-ready skillsets and work experience. About 800 students have enrolled since its launch last year.

One beneficiary is Jaren Lim, an undergraduate from the Singapore Management University's (SMU's) School of Information Systems. Jaren is passionate about IT and interested in how organisations function. Through iPREP, he now better understands how technical expertise marries with business acumen, before he enters the workforce.

Madam, we want Singapore to be the place to create and internationalise digital solutions and businesses. This means our businesses, people and Government must all play a part. Singapore has always embraced technology to serve our needs. I recall we formed the National Computer Board in the 1980s to computerise the Civil Service and improve public administration services through the use of ICT. In a similar vein, the Government will take the lead in Singapore's whole-of-nation initiative to develop into a Smart Nation, with GovTech helping to lead digital transformation within the public sector.

In the past year, GovTech has been developing national-level digital platforms and infrastructure to help catalyse the digital economy. GovTech has also partnered other agencies to use technology to enhance and transform the way Government services are delivered to our citizens. Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will elaborate more on their work.

Madam, Mr Zaqy Mohamad said that cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important, and I agree. Cybersecurity was identified as an emerging growth sector as it is projected to grow at 9.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to about $900 million and could potentially provide over 5,000 additional job openings by 2020. Also, as Singapore transitions into a digital economy, more and more aspects of our everyday life will be made digital.

In today's landscape, we recognise that cyber threats have been increasing in frequency, scale and sophistication as governments, businesses and consumers have become more reliant on information systems. No one is immune. The Government is aware that it is a potential target. Thus, as Singapore's Cybersecurity Strategy coordinates our efforts to build a resilient and trusted cyber environment, the Government has already taken the necessary steps within the Public Service to strengthen our systems.

To further reply Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Miss Cheng Li Hui, the Internet Surfing Separation policy is meant to protect Government systems and citizens' data by removing one avenue which cyberattackers can use to steal information.

Besides setting up the necessary infrastructure to ensure officers can still easily access the Internet for work, we are adjusting and adapting our work processes and introducing productivity solutions and tools to help maintain an efficient and productive Public Service. There has been no impact on our public service delivery. Members of the public are still able to send and receive emails from Government offices. Government digital services and transactions by the public and businesses have also been unaffected. We are working to ensure a smooth transition for public officers to meet our target May 2017 implementation date. This separation, Madam, is necessary and we will continue to review and calibrate our security measures to ensure our systems remain resilient and trusted.

Protecting Singapore's cyberspace and Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) remains a core mandate of CSA. Cyber defence is now part of Total Defence, so the National Service (NS) cyber vocation announcement by MINDEF is timely. It is an important part of the overall national strategy to build up a skilled workforce, with full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) being deployed to CSA to augment capacities in protecting our CIIs.

We are already growing our talent pipeline through upskilling and reskilling programmes under TeSA and the Cyber Security Associates and Technologists (CSAT) programme. Armed with their NS cybersecurity experience, some NSFs may choose to take up careers in Government agencies, such as CSA, MINDEF and GovTech, while others will enter the industry. They will not only strengthen the wider cybersecurity ecosystem but also become future cybersecurity entrepreneurs creating jobs and economic growth.

To complement these manpower development efforts, the Government will introduce a Cybersecurity Professional Scheme to attract, develop and retain cybersecurity practitioners in the public sector. Centrally managed by CSA, the scheme will develop a core of cybersecurity specialists to be deployed across agencies to support Singapore's cyber defences.

As part of the ongoing efforts to professionalise the wider cyber workforce, the scheme will also provide a framework to catalyse growth and uplift the overall industry. I am likewise pleased to see the industry playing its part in growing the industry. Singtel, for instance, is reaching out to students through an interactive online portal called the Cyber Security Experience (CSX). This portal will be launched soon and, hopefully, such efforts will interest students to explore cybersecurity further and eventually join this exciting field.

I would now like to reply to Ms Sun Xueling and Mr Ong Teng Koon on how we will be updating Singapore's media regulations to better keep pace with technology. I had previously spoken about our plans to update the Films Act, which was enacted back when screening a film required a physical copy on a reel. Today, films can be directly streamed from overseas. We will be updating the Films Act for this digital age. We have started consulting some key stakeholders and will do a wider public consultation very soon.

We will also update the Broadcasting Act (BA) this year. Singaporeans now have access to a wide variety of content on the Internet and are no longer limited to services offered by Mediacorp or our subscription TV operators. When overseas content providers are directly targeting Singaporeans, we need to ensure that their content is in line with our community values, including the need to uphold racial and religious harmony. We are studying this carefully to make sure that any changes we make will not add undue burden to our businesses. In reviewing our amendments to BA, we will rationalise some of the changes made in past years. One example is the 2013 online news licensing scheme for accountability and responsibility in news reporting.

Many Members have spoken about the increased dangers of fake news. The Internet is vast and open. But if an entity reports news about Singapore regularly to inform Singaporeans on matters of public interest, we expect them to do so responsibly.

So, I am heartened that industry giants like Facebook and Google have realised that some control is necessary in this environment where misinformation can spread so easily. Google has prohibited advertisements on sites with deliberate misinformation while Facebook is mobilising users to call out misinformation in their news feeds.

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Madam, more details about the BA amendments will be announced soon and we look forward to engaging businesses and the public on this. Amending the BA is the first step. For the longer term, we remain committed to harmonising our legislation for a converged infocomm and media environment.

Yet, even as we update our legislation and regulations, it is even more important that those who use, create and share content on the Internet do so safely and responsibly, while being discerning on any information they find online. To this end, we will continue to promote information and media literacy to all Singaporeans, particularly our young and those who may be vulnerable.

So, Madam, to summarise, the digital economy is coming. It will create growth, jobs and higher wages for Singaporeans, but will also require us to adapt and be open to many changes.

My colleagues will continue to share MCI's plans to help Singaporeans prepare for the future. Amongst others, Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will elaborate on how we will enable Singapore for the digital age, capitalising on data and technology, while Minister of State Chee Hong Tat will share on our initiatives to support the media sector.

However, Madam, it is our businesses and people who must be willing to take advantage of these opportunities, making the effort to relearn, upskill and keep pace with technology. The opportunities for economic success are here and waiting. We just need to have the initiative to seize it.

The Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Mdm Chairman, Singapore has been through change and uncertainty time and again. Each time, we bounced back stronger, more resilient. We must be equally adaptable in this time of disruptive technology and innovation.

Fortunately, we start from a position of strength. We have never been more highly skilled, more globally reputable and more digitally connected. How then will we deal with the very real anxieties expressed by Singaporeans and Members of this House in this time of disruption?

Firstly, GovTech will lead the charge towards a more integrated and technology-enabled Government. Secondly, we will support efforts by industry and research institutions to build deep technological capabilities. Thirdly, we will help our people seize opportunities in the digital age.

The Government will take the lead in Singapore's efforts to build a Smart Nation, and I thank Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Ms Sun Xueling for their questions. Indeed, we will innovate with technology and data to deliver better public services. The establishment of GovTech last year is key to giving these efforts a push, and GovTech will lead in several areas.

First, to develop national platforms which make it easier for individuals to access services, and also for the Government and businesses to deliver those services. One example is the Smart Nation Platform, which GovTech is working to enhance. This common sensor and communications platform facilitate the collection and sharing of data across the island by multiple agencies.

Through the Smart Nation Platform, large amounts of data will be generated by a variety of agencies through a wide mix of sensors. These can yield meaningful analysis and applications for the Government to better deliver key public services, such as transport, utilities and much, much more. Citizens can also be much better informed and make better decisions through the applications and the data analytics available, often through their personal mobile devices.

The next area that GovTech will play a leading role in is to build capabilities, such as data analytics. Ms Sun Xueling asked about how GovTech has led the Government's efforts to embrace innovation. One recent example was in solving the Circle Line breakdowns last year. Data scientists from GovTech solved the problem through a very innovative application of data science. The full details are available on their blog.

The value of data we hold is enormous, especially when correlations can be drawn between datasets, rather than just analysing a dataset on its own. This was so in the example of the Circle Line, where the specific rogue train was identified by correlating video footage of train movements to data on breakdowns. However, the video footage was originally collected for very different purposes. This is the case for much of data; sometimes we are not aware of the full utility possible at the time of collection. So, we want to enable data to be shared across domains and agencies so that we can harness the greater value of data and unlock a greater future potential from the data. As a result, GovTech is building an API Exchange (APEX) to facilitate such data sharing.

Third, GovTech will use technology to deliver anticipatory, integrated, data-driven, well-designed digital services, predictive services. Ms Sun asked also about what is being done to systematically integrate new applications to existing Government services. ''Ask Jamie'' is one example. It is a Virtual Assistant service that GovTech has developed in collaboration with various Government agencies, and is currently live on 32 Government websites, including the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH). The public can "Ask Jamie" questions using natural language. Essentially, it is a chatbot. You can ask questions and get answers instantly. Using algorithms, it searches through data and gets better over time as the public asks it more questions and refines the way in which it interacts with the public. I would encourage Members to try out the service.

GovTech is also looking at how messaging platforms, such as Facebook Messenger, can be used to perform transactions with "Ask Jamie", for example, to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for an overseas trip. It is possible that in the near future, engaging Government services will be as simple and as convenient as messaging a friend.

This digital transformation of Government will rest on the right expertise and talent. GovTech has and will continue to take the lead to build ICT and related engineering capability in the Government. GovTech will build up ICT capability centres in a variety of areas, focusing on data science, Government ICT infrastructure, software development and the Internet of Things. GovTech will put in place a series of talent development programmes, such as the Smart Nation Fellowship Programme, and use its national projects to provide on-the-job training to its officers.

I agree with Mr Zaqy Mohamad that an ecosystem must provide opportunities for cutting-edge tech application and research. To become a truly Smart Nation, the Government cannot be the only player. Industry and academia must come together to develop deep capabilities. We do not know what skills will be needed in 10 years' time. So, we must come together across these different domains − Government, industry, academia, private enterprise − and work together to ensure that we are resilient.

We have the infrastructure in place to support a digital economy, and an immense amount of digital activity is already happening here. This means that businesses have all the tools they need to participate effectively in the digital economy at the higher end of the value chain here in Singapore. However, many companies lack the awareness of the possibilities. In particular, with data science, companies cite a lack of good data, awareness, expertise and some concerns about regulatory clarity. Mr Zaqy Mohamad's question on how we can drive quicker adoption of technology, such as data analytics, is extremely relevant.

IMDA will establish a Data Innovation Programme Office (DIPO) to lead this effort. DIPO will address industry concerns by facilitating data-driven innovation projects and the development of the data ecosystem in Singapore. One of the ways DIPO will do this is to introduce a Data Sandbox, which will provide a neutral and trusted platform for companies to share data securely without threatening their individual interests. The Data Sandbox will also provide data analytics tools to help companies build expertise in data science.

To encourage co-creation of solutions using data by citizens and businesses, GovTech has been actively improving data.gov.sg, focusing on quality, instead of only quantity, of data. For example, a Developers' portal was introduced last year to provide data users and developers easier access to real-time data via application programming interfaces (APIs). DIPO will also work with Government agencies to release more economically-useful data through data.gov.sg. I encourage Members to investigate that uniform resource locator (URL) as well.

Central to this is the trust that citizens have about the use of their data. I thank Dr Teo Ho Pin and Mr Saktiandi Supaat for their questions on data protection. As companies innovate with data, we also want to make sure they know how they may use personal data, in accordance with regulations. This is increasingly important with the rising use of smartphone apps and e-commerce websites.

The PDPA has been implemented for over two years now and we have seen greater awareness among organisations of the need to protect the personal data in their possession. The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) will be actively reviewing the Act in light of the lessons learned over the past two years and the needs of the industry today. PDPC is also committed to improving the data protection ecosystem and will put in place additional measures to ensure businesses know how they may use personal data responsibly. PDPC will develop Data Protection starter kits to help SMEs kickstart their data protection practices within their companies, engage SMEs through the TACs and sector-specific forums, and provide more affirmative guidance to give certainty and clarity on what is permissible.

It is important, Madam, that everyone has a chance to participate in the digital age. I thank Ms Sun Xueling, Mr Chen Show Mao and Mr Darryl David for their comments and suggestions.

We are committed to making it easier to access Government digital services. Currently, we have trained staff at 27 Citizen Connect Centres island-wide to assist less tech-savvy users in accessing Government digital services. At these Citizen Connect Centres, you can perform many Government digital services, such as requesting for your Central Provident Fund (CPF) statement, applying or renewing Housing and Development Board (HDB)/Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) season parking tickets, online registration for SingPass and more.

It is important that we enable our seniors to keep up with these changes and, hopefully, become IT-independent. One way we are doing so is through the Intergen IT Bootcamps and the Silver IT Fest Mass IT workshops. Through these, IMDA has been collaborating with primary to tertiary-level schools to provide opportunities for the younger and older generations to come together and learn about IT. Seniors can also learn about IT at any of the 29 Silver Infocomm Junctions and People's Association's Senior Academy Centres available island-wide where affordable and customised IT classes are available. IMDA will continue collaborations with schools and organisations and regularly review the curriculum to ensure seniors are equipped with applicable skills, such as using social media apps and accessing Government digital services. Interested youths can sign up to be Friends of Silver Infocomm volunteers to help seniors at such events and participate in the Silver IT Fest classes as well. Given our libraries enjoy a wide reach among our citizens, they can also play a bigger role in the future in assisting citizens with Government digital services.

There are other ways to support more families in benefiting from connectivity. IMDA already has a variety of programmes in place. We are expanding the Home Access Programme, which provides low-income households with low-cost broadband connectivity at home and a tablet, to benefit a further 16,000 households, in addition to the existing 8,000 households on the current programme. We also partner private sector organisations in these efforts, such as the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) FairPrice Foundation and NetLink Trust.

I hope that among these types of outreach efforts and the examples provided by some of the members about volunteerism for our young, that more organisations and more youth volunteers will step forward and come on board to work with us to make sure that everybody in Singapore has an opportunity to participate in the digital age.

Mdm Chairman, we have talked about the transformations we need to make to respond to the rapid technological changes. But this is not something only for the future. Disruption is here and companies are already transforming to respond to it.

DC Frontiers is one such company. It has applied natural language processing and machine learning technology in an innovative way to analyse corporate financial data and unstructured text from public domains. Its programme fuses this data together with their clients' own database to provide strategic intelligence that their clients can use to make decisions about their strategic investments. And it can do so in a shorter amount of time and get better and sharper all the time.

But DC Frontiers itself has faced an internal disruption. The artificial intelligence (AI) programme that it has built has now taken over the jobs of their own analysts who were making the AI machine faster, sharper and better. DC Frontiers had seen this coming, embraced this change and now has a proactive, structured programme in place to reskill and redeploy its own workers and analysts and keep them within the company. This willingness to be reskilled and to keep learning has become part of the company's ethos. So, now, when they hire someone into their company − and they are still hiring, despite this disruption – they are looking at the skillsets of that person not just for the job they have been hired for, but considering whether two to three years from now, that this person is suitable and adaptable to being reskilled and redeployed into a new vocation and job.

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DC Frontiers is not brand new. It is about six years old and has gone international with offices overseas and clients across borders. It has done significant work. It is not a startup anymore, although it behaves like a startup through an attitude of bringing people in with a willingness to disrupt themselves, their business models and internal work processes, and redeploy both themselves and their workers going forward, and making that part of the company's ethos. DC Frontiers has retained the startup mentality even as they have scaled up and gone international. This is a very useful mental model, a frame of mind for us as a nation and as we deal with digital disruption and consider the possibilities ahead of us.

But it is not just about our national effort, it is not just about a single company's efforts to be disruptive and innovative. It goes all the way down to the individuals and the opportunities they have here in Singapore today, and not just the Singapore of tomorrow.

I would like to share about Mr Chua De Bao, whom I learnt about when I visited SG Enable. De Bao is hearing-impaired and has designed an app for the hearing-impaired which transcribes conversations in real-time. In order to use an app like this to transcribe natural language, you would need to hold the phone with a microphone close to your mouth so that your speech is captured clearly. As the text is transcribed, it comes out on the phone, the right way up for you, the speaker. As such, it is upside down for the person you are facing, the hearing-impaired person that you are trying to translate to. So, what you have to do is to pass the phone back and forth, which interrupts the flow of conversation and makes it not an enabler, but a disruptor to the conversation you are trying to have between a hearing-impaired person and someone who is not. So, De Bao designed his own app. Very simply, it is a natural language processing engine which flips the text upside down, so you can keep it there, by your mouth, and you can have a conversation back and forth.

It seems like a very simple design change, but it is very useful and has been used regularly. From there, he has now a portfolio of over 15 different applications and went on to become a software developer. He is now working at AutoDesk. With De Bao's experience, IMDA is looking at ways to better promote the use of technology amongst persons with disabilities.

The disruption, innovation and ideas are here today. We cannot be planning for something in the future. They are here right now and we need to be active and proactive about embracing the opportunities that are available.

Mdm Chairman, the path ahead in any time of change is uncertain. But we have never shied away from a challenge to seize opportunities and deliver results. Rather than see threats and disruption, we must continue to see the world through the eyes of a startup, full of promise and full of opportunity. Similarly, we need to be committed to keep learning, trying and striving. It is with that attitude, and with the Government, businesses and people coming together, that we will become the best place in the world to incubate the next big change, a Smart Nation at the leading edge of the digital technology revolution.

The Chairman: Order. I propose to take the break now.

Thereupon Mdm Speaker left the Chair of Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mdm Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 5.19 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 5.20 pm until 5.40 pm.

Sitting resumed at 5.40 pm

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

Debate in Committee of Supply resumed.

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

Head Q (cont) –

The Chairman: Mr Zaqy Mohamad, you have two cuts. Please take them together.

Public Service Broadcast (PSB) in the Digital Age

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Thank you, Madam. I would like to acknowledge that the Government has continued to invest in Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) and has increased funding in this area significantly in the past years.

It is important to note that our national broadcaster faces new challenges in competing for citizen attention, compared to new and emerging Internet content and service providers, such as Netflix and Amazon. While Mediacorp has started going digital on Toggle, how does the Ministry ensure that the increased funding delivers intended PSB outcomes and that PSB programmes continue to stay relevant and viable, especially with the younger audiences moving online to consume overseas content?

What outcomes have we seen and can expect to see with the increased funding?

Today, our younger generation are consuming children's programming from the Internet. Even on our national channels, many of the programmes for children are from western cartoons, which may not necessarily be aligned to our Asian values system. While we have done better in documentaries, current affairs shows and primetime local programmes, the Ministry can do more to develop high quality local children's programmes that can engage our children better, which will also bring about better learning outcomes of our local environment, cultures and values.

I would like to find out what has been the trend of actual spend on our Public Service Broadcasts (PSBs) on productions' overall and per-episode basis to enhance the quality of programmes to compete against international content. How different has the spending been among programmes from the vernacular languages − Mandarin, Malay and Tamil − especially to keep its relevance within the next generation of Singaporeans?

Overall, while we often speak about quality programming, quantity also matters, to ensure sufficient local content to provide more choices for different segments and tastes among our older and younger generations. I hope the Government will continue to find ways to expand our PSB space as new Internet-based media platforms continue to grow.

Future of National Mass Media

I would like to find out what are the Ministry's efforts to help our national broadcaster, Mediacorp, to position itself for the digital age to provide relevant and engaging PSB content? Can PSB stay relevant and continue to evolve and meet the changing consumption habits of Singaporeans?

On one hand, it is easy to blame the Internet for taking away audiences from our national television medium. It is worthwhile transforming our approach to engage and work with the mainstream and digital channels and review the ecosystem.

Take, for example, South Korea. Their locally produced content continues to maintain viewership ratings on the television medium. In fact, many have gone international, too. This is also attributed to the fact that they have quality content in look and feel but, more important, with storylines that connect with local and international audiences, too.

Moving on to newspapers, many news agencies globally have struggled for readership, competing with digital channels. Our newspapers have always played an important role to uphold quality journalism and reporting while also fulfilling the important role of an enabler for national communications.

We have seen some consolidation as readership declines, and this is more concerning for the minority language papers. How can the Ministry enable and support our print media to face the challenges of the era of digital news, to uphold professional journalism in the era of sensational news, flick baits and alternative facts, and help uplift their digital capabilities to better reach out to and engage the digital generation?

IMDA Grants for Media Works

Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mdm Chairperson, IMDA offers various grants for media works. I would like to ask what IMDA is doing to promote private investment in Singapore films. Globally, new film financing models are emerging. These include loans, private equity and crowdfunding, with film production completion bonds being used to help independent filmmakers secure funding from these kinds of sources.

What measure is IMDA taking to incentivise and promote private sector funding for the film industry, including novel funding sources? For example, are there tax incentives for private investors who fund movie productions? Would IMDA consider a co-investment scheme whereby the state can match private investors dollar-for-dollar, so as to kickstart the growth of movie private funding? Is IMDA supporting the development of a crowdfunding industry for films?

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Such efforts may not only help commercially oriented funding but also encourage private funders to step forward to finance films for which they have a passion. A better financial ecosystem for film production in Singapore would place the industry on a more sustainable footing. Unleashing private funding will also help the cause of artistically or nationally important films that may be less commercially viable.

I would also like to know how IMDA is supporting local filmmakers to offer content online, as this is a fastest growing platform for film consumption. All these are important for the quest to create more Singapore movies that can inspire us and help bring the light of Singapore to the world.

Interdependence − the Key for Growth

Mr Ganesh Rajaram (Nominated Member): Mdm Chairman, firstly, let me declare my interests as I run the Asian business of a multinational media company, Fremantlemedia International.

MCI has had a busy 2016. MCI tackled the impact of convergence head-on by realigning itself to face the challenges thrown up by disruption. IDA and MDA were restructured into GovTech and IMDA.

This restructure is critical in the evolution of our media landscape and our collective Smart Nation ambitions. Already, we have seen a slew of measures that include the creation of thousands of jobs in the ICT sector, the launch of the 2025 Design Masterplan, strengthening of our cybersecurity sector and the digitisation of Government services, just to name a few.

Mdm Chairman, at last year's COS debates, I spoke about the need for the freelance community to be more structured and regulated, given the increasing number of freelancers in the media sector. As such, I am very heartened and appreciative of MCI's various measures to support the freelance community.

These measures, which include the setting up of a portal to assist in job matching, will definitely help the sector, given the slowing economy. However, I do feel that the freelance community itself needs to be more proactive to take advantage of these initiatives. I urge the community to put aside their individual interests and come together as a community, so that the entire ecosystem can benefit from these measures.

IMDA has introduced talent assistance schemes for freelancers to deepen their expertise. But I feel more can be done to broaden the skillsets to fully benefit from the impressive infrastructure we have at Mediapolis @ one-north. In some sectors, there seems to be a disconnect between the talent available and industry needs. Let me cite one example.

The Government has invested millions into Mediapolis, which is Singapore's media hub. The centrepiece of this ecosystem is Infinite Studios, which houses Singapore's largest sound stages. The sound stages face stiff competition from the likes of Pinewood Studios in Iskandar, Johor. As such, the sound stages in Singapore have not seen the expected scale of projects. And to make viable use of the space, these state-of-the-art stages are now being leased out for alternative uses like Fashion Shows and Corporate events.

One big issue is the lack of skilled Singaporean manpower to operate these sound stages. Most Singapore film students and practitioners prefer to go down the art film route, the route which has unearthed world-class talent, such as Anthony Chen, Boo Junfeng, K Rajagopal and Kirsten Tan, just to name a few. And while we must encourage our filmmakers to pursue their dreams, there are also massive job opportunities in mass market, commercial projects. We need to help educate and incentivise Singaporeans to fill these jobs.

More and more film studios and television platforms are looking to produce their mega projects in this region. In fact, pan regional pay television networks and digital platforms are specifically looking to produce original content in this region, as this is becoming a requirement for the renewal of their carriage licences in many markets.

So, given the infrastructure available, there is a real opportunity for our talents to scale up to international industry standards and become familiar with production facilities like sound stages. Perhaps, IMDA can look into this and see how we can help with incentives and training schemes to fill this gap. Singapore can then be an attractive option for broadcasters and platforms, as we will not just have the hardware, but the software, too.

Mdm Chairman, I am also encouraged by the Ministry's efforts to strengthen PSB, thereby delivering quality programming to Singaporeans. Last year, I spoke about programmes like the daily drama series "Tanglin" on Channel 5, which seems to have struck a chord with Singaporeans. Another highlight for me was the documentary "Regardless of Race". Produced by CNA, the one-hour documentary aired in August last year. It made a very tough topic, perceptions of race in multicultural Singapore, accessible and entertaining. I congratulate the commissioning editors of the programme as it was curated beautifully. Of course, one of the key standouts of the programme was the presenter, Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary. Minister of State Janil was not just credible, but a natural in front of the camera.

Other Channel 5 programmes like "Renovaid" and "You Deserve a Break" are great examples of how impactful PSB programmes can be. However, while we have had a few successes, there is still a lack of consistency in the quality of programming, particularly on Channel 5. Dramas like "P.I." still suffer from loose plots, bad acting and inferior production quality. And while programmes like "OK Chope!" can be lauded for their innovativeness and daring, once you start watching, it is hard to continue. The commissioning process needs to be strengthened, particularly with increased funding for online content through the new content development fund that is being set up. The on-demand digital world is even more picky than the linear world. Commissioners have to know exactly what their audiences are after.

Mdm Chairman, this also brings me to an issue that I have raised before in this House: transparency in public service-funded initiatives. Mediacorp outsources 40% of public service-funded projects to independent production companies in the private sector. There have been calls from the industry for more transparency with regard to the quantum and projects. There is much expectation that with the establishment of IMDA, the agency can now make public the projects that are commissioned under the PSB Framework, as well as the contestable fund initiative. This list should include details, such as genres, durations and production budgets. This is a move in the right direction and will create more transparency and trust between broadcasters and production entities and build a more balanced and robust competitive environment that can only be good for the marketplace. This will also allow commissioners to be able to differentiate the strengths of the various production entities and deal with the best-in-class across different genres.

Mediacorp, just like every other free to air broadcaster in the world, is facing huge challenges to retain its audience share. Competition from the plethora of digital platforms as well as falling advertising revenues have made the broadcast landscape extremely challenging. But there are still opportunities.

One area that I had briefly alluded to earlier in my speech was in working with pan regional broadcasters and platforms, like Fox, AXN, Discovery, A&E, Netflix, Amazon and many more. Most, if not all of these platforms, are looking to produce local and regional content. However, unlike free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters, they do not have production resources and often rely on independent production companies.

Mediacorp has state-of-the-art facilities in its new premises at one-north, from studios to auditoriums and broadcast facilities. To me, it makes sense for Mediacorp to partner these pan regional networks to produce content that can be aired on both platforms. This will allow for bigger budgets and talent pool, thereby creating more quality content and more jobs. It also offers a bigger platform for our local talent to be exposed as a pan regional channel typically has a footprint of 20 to 40 countries. It can also be a source of revenue as Mediacorp can tap on years of production experience and technical knowledge to support these productions. Given the size of the Singapore market, it would be difficult to sustain growth without forging these relationships.

Mdm Chairman, given the plethora of platforms available to audiences, our pay-TV platforms should also take the cue and put customers first. Starhub's pay-TV business continues to lose subscribers as 7% of its subscribers, or 38,000 subscribers, have cut the cord over the last 15 months.

Customer service has not always been at the top of the agenda for our pay channels but, in today's world of cord cutters and content on demand, it should be. How many times have we been put on hold for hours when we desperately needed to speak to someone because of a technical issue? Or how many of us have suddenly realised that a channel that we were watching was suddenly taken off air or replaced by channels that are not really apple-for-apple replacements, or even programme guides that constantly give you the wrong information, and even the wrong synopses?

But for me personally, the biggest pet peeve is the football coverage. Last year, one of our pay platforms decided to license the English Premier League and other football content to a new channel. However, there is little evidence that the pay platform has exercised quality control over the licensee's programming, as the locally produced programming that surround the football matches is some of the worst we have seen in years. Shoddy production values and amateur presenters have tainted and continue to taint the enjoyment of watching these matches. It is frustrating as the pay platform actually has access to the world-class and professionally produced original pre-match and half-time shows.

Despite these issues, ever so often, subscribers are told of increases to rental rates of set-top boxes and channel packages. Pay-TV platforms in Singapore need to accept that their days of monopolistic dominance are gone. They need to take their customers seriously and that is the only way to stay relevant in an era of technological disruption.

Mdm Chairman, in closing I commend MCI for its efforts to strengthen our media ecosystem. However, the Government can only do so much. Ultimately, it is up to the industry and society at large to take advantage of the support and foster growth and success.

The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair, please take your two cuts together.

Mediacorp

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mdm Chairman, Mediacorp remains Singapore's main broadcaster. It was the successor of our old Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Over the years, Mediacorp has been innovating to keep up with the times, reaching across multiple platforms in creative ways.

With my various duties − I am sure many Members of this House have as well − I do not get the chance to watch television (TV) on a regular basis, but I do get to watch a lot of locally-produced content happily on Toggle. So, I do not have to catch a show at the exact same time, I do not have to be available at the same time, but I can still keep up with all the content that I am interested in. And many of these locally-produced shows on Toggle are supported by PSB funding. So, this allows our "Uniquely Singapore" content to have a platform and to be enjoyed.

I will make a short pitch since everyone else here is doing this as well. One of my favourite contents on Toggle is the telemovies, but the vernacular telemovies do not come with subtitles. As much as I would love to watch them all, I do not get a chance to. That is my little pitch for quality improvement. Having said that, Toggle is a wonderful platform because it allows us to access content not only on TV, but also on mobile devices, so that we can watch it anywhere, whenever it is available.

However, all of this requires financing, and the revolving media landscape of FTA TV is largely supported by advertising revenues, for which there is intense competition across a variety of platforms. In principle, I would like Mediacorp to be financially independent, but Mediacorp faces serious challenges in delivering good quality content in a financially self-sustainable way.

It was announced at COS 2016 that there would be a review of the operations of Mediacorp to see how it can better position itself for the future. What are the outcomes of this review conducted by Mediacorp of its operations? What changes can Singaporeans expect to see from this review?

Public Communications

In last year's COS debates, Minister of State Chee Hong Tat announced that the Government would be enhancing its communications to the public across three dimensions, namely, Content, Platforms and Language.

The Government rolls out a great many good policies every year, and yet, public awareness of these may be limited. I noticed a lot of creative approaches to bridge this gap in recent times, including helpful aids, such as kopi kaki books and videos in different languages. All these have been very helpful.

As a long-standing member of the Feedback Unit's Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (REACH) panel, I am also personally aware of how hard the Government tries to reach out and have dialogues with as many groups of Singaporeans as possible in a wide variety of forums, from face-to-face dialogues, outreach posts, Facebook livechats and radio shows.

In a more diversified society and changing media landscape, it is important that the Government further strengthen public communications to ensure that we can reach out effectively to different groups of Singaporeans. MCI is responsible for leading and coordinating this effort. I am interested to know what other initiatives it has in mind to improve its public communications for the whole of Government.

Empathetic Public Engagement

Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin (Nominated Member): There seems to be an occasional disconnect between the Government's genuine confidence that a full public consultation has been carried out and the ground's equally genuine consternation that they were not consulted.

6.00 pm

So, I asked people for views about whether they would turn out for a Government-organised engagement to share views or issues they said they cared for and, if not, why. I would only focus on the answers of those who currently feel less inspired to show up because I believe their specific feedback will help us design engagements that reach beyond the usual choir.

These are just two ad verbatim answers: "Yes, if there is real interest in engagement and opposing views"; "Yes, but only if it feels like there is a genuine interest in what we have to say, not just defending certain policies or positions that have already been decided on. It will be nice to have a session where whoever is conducting the session just ask questions and listens."

Mdm Chairman, these are subjective points of view, of course. But I do want to revisit a point I brought up in the Budget Debate on the role of facts and feelings when it comes to effective communication between the Government and the people. I said that we are missing a big point if we say people must deal with the facts as they are, not where they feel they should be. But most people make their choices according to their feelings about the facts.

So, if we care about making sure people hear us out on the hard facts about our country's situation, we must start all our communications with connecting with people where they are, which is how they feel, even if the feeling is disagreeable or irrational to us. If not, we have to accept that our words will never impact anyone outside our echo chambers.

Online strategies are really good for downloading facts and messages but only offline face-to-face engagement alone can do the most significant work of communication, which is communicating and building trust, not just between different groups of people but between the people and the Government.

I think there is a place for consultation sessions to be used by the Government to share with people the difficult trade-offs involved in policymaking. But if a session becomes more about a download, then the consultation is no longer perceived as a consultation but a presentation.

Once people feel they are being presented to rather than consulted, they will either choose not to show up anymore or, if they show up, they will stay silent or offer only surface answers that they may think you want to hear, rather than the deep views they really hold, which is precisely the kind of high-quality deep data that you need to formulate decisions that connect with the ground.

One example of a missed opportunity was with the private outdoor adventure education industry. Many were surprised by the announcement last year that the Government was going to provide outdoor adventure education to students. They were consulted but so late in the process that there was very little they could do to counter-propose a decision presented to them that would impact their businesses quite significantly. Many in the industry shared the Government's ambition to help young Singaporeans become more resilient and an earlier consultation could have allowed them to not just share their concerns but offer their combined years of expertise and pave the way for maybe a more win-win partnership. Though the industry still maintains good trusting relations with the public sector partners, many still wish that the process was done a little bit differently.

Both the people and the Government want each other to not just understand but empathise with the complexity of the issues they are dealing with and the trade-offs in decision-making. So, I have two suggestions to make community engagements better.

First, conduct consultations earlier before policies are set in stone. Give people a real chance to have their views shape policymaking. If their views have been taken into account, inform them or, better yet, celebrate them, because such trust-building goes a very long way.

Second, compose the dialogues and focus groups with more obvious diversity in viewpoints. Prof Tommy Koh said that including challengers who are subversive and who have alternative points of view make Singapore stronger. Member of Parliament Louis Ng suggested that public servants work more closely with civil society activists and not to be afraid of them, because these are people who speak up because they care. The people we engage less with may be precisely the people we need to engage more with.

My hope is for both the people and the Government to approach the consultation process as an exercise in compassion, a space to listen and share each other's passions, pains and interests. We often forget that compassion is not a fluffy word − passion means suffering, compassion means suffering together. Trying to do good work for our country involves plenty of suffering enough. I hope we do work towards finding new ways of solving our sufferings together rather than apart.

The Chairman: Mr Darryl David, please take your three cuts together.

Enhancing Government Communications

Mr Darryl David: Mdm Chairman, programmes featuring Chinese dialect like "Chiak Pah Buay" and "Hwan Hee Chio Hor" were conceptualised by the Government to raise awareness of Government policies and to promote key Government messages. Indeed, we saw a segment of "Hwan Hee Chio Hor" in the video shown by the Minister earlier.

Based on feedback shared by MCI and also the elderly residents that I spoke to, both series were not only well received as a form of infotainment, but there was definitely increased awareness of Government policies and there was also some retention of key messages as well.

I would like to ask if the Government has any plans to use more of these programmes to serve this purpose. Also are there plans to use similar programmes and strategies to target the same elderly demographic in other ethnic groups, such as the Malay and Tamil communities? Such programmes would also be able to raise issues that would be unique to those respective communities as well.

PSB

Madam, according to the annual Nielsen Media Index report released in November 2016, while FTA television continues to be the main platform for local audiences to consume media and entertainment, I think we all agree that pay-TV has a growing market share and the report says that its current weekly viewership stands at 51.7%.

Aside from pay-TV, other media channels, such as Netflix and online streaming websites like YouTube, have given local audiences many options to consume media content. What is the Ministry doing to ensure that PSB remains relevant and accessible in this modern age where media content exist across multiple formats and platforms, and consumers are no longer tied to one single medium? Would the Ministry explore and develop collaborations with non-mainstream providers of media content to support the dissemination of PSB?

Promoting a Reading Culture

Madam, an article in the online Guardian newspaper in 2014 confirmed the link between reading and intelligence by stating how "recent scientific studies have confirmed that reading and intelligence have a relationship so close as to be symbiotic."

I have also come across research that says that it is not so much what one reads, but how much one reads at a young age that is the main predictor of intelligence. And needless to say, my eight-year-old son and I have used this to justify to my wife why it is okay for him to read his football magazines as opposed to his textbooks.

My point is, Madam, I would like to enquire what the National Library Board (NLB) is doing to promote and encourage reading among young children. Also, could NLB share what it is doing to promote a reading culture among the other demographics and ethnic groups as well?

National Reading Movement

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Madam, I wish to seek clarifications from the Ministry on the following.

First, provide an update on the progress of the National Reading Movement. Second, what measures are taken to inspire Singaporeans to read?

Madam, I recently conducted a quick survey of 278 persons to find out how many of them have read at least one book of more than 100 pages last year. Only 25 persons or 9% of them have read at least one book of more than 100 pages. This finding is, indeed, not surprising as many Singaporeans, especially adult Singaporeans, are losing interest or face increasing difficulty in finding time to read books.

Madam, although the National Library has invested significant amounts of money to purchase books and provide a conducive library environment for reading, the active readership among adult Singaporeans remains low. Common barriers to reading books include a lack of time, interest and motivation, or a combination of all three factors.

Madam, we need to think of more innovative ways to inspire and motivate Singaporeans to read more. I wish to propose a few suggestions.

First, make eBooks easily available to Singaporeans and free of charge, if possible.

Second, broadcast book extracts and reviews through smart phone applications and provide book delivery services or book pick-up services at Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations or supermarkets.

Third, set up thematic book reading clubs at community clubs, such as Travel and Leisure, Health and Medicine, Investment and Wealth, Personal Skills and Improvement.

The Chairman: Ms Sun Xueling, please take your two cuts together.

Libraries and Lifelong Learning

Ms Sun Xueling: Madam, a sample of observations of the National Library on Trip Advisor provide rave reviews of their attractive facilities and the offerings of our public libraries. It is obviously a place that people want to go to. In traditional library spaces, visitors read or do research quietly while in new types of library spaces, visitors want to have the opportunity to explore, experience and collaborate with others while learning.

A library can be a fertile ground to inspire and inculcate the habits of lifelong learning. How can our libraries facilitate that? I would like to suggest that libraries, as in all places of interest, be designed with the target audience in mind. Preschoolers, young teens, young adults and mature adults have different approaches to learning and different interests. It is not quite sufficient just to segregate books by reading complexity and interest. The layout, interactivity that visitors can enjoy, should be catered to different age groups. I would like to suggest that libraries become more theme-based and to run programmes, such as role play, reading clubs and thematic forums, to promote a passion for lifelong learning.

NLB in Partnership with the Community

Madam, our libraries can partner the community to help different groups come together to learn together. For instance, students can be engaged to serve as active volunteers in the library. They can interact with seniors and bridge the digitalisation gap for seniors by showing them how to use the online tools available in the library. Seniors can then have personalised help in learning how to access learning online as well as e-Government services to make their lives more convenient.

Seniors and adults can also be encouraged to come together to organise reading programmes for preschoolers. Not all young children have the opportunity to grow up in an environment where books are readily available or have adults to read to them. If volunteers are able to read to them and encourage these preschoolers to take part in storytelling and role play, this would greatly enhance their confidence and readiness for school.

The Chairman: Minister of State Chee Hong Tat.

The Minister of State for Communications and Information (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mdm Chairman, MCI will develop the Infocomm and Media sectors to be key enablers and engines of growth to nurture competitive companies and create good jobs for Singaporeans.

I agree with Mr Ganesh Rajaram on the importance of partnerships in industry development. Our strategy to attract global media companies has provided opportunities for local media companies and Singaporeans to participate in flagship projects and international co-productions, which can then be enjoyed by consumers in Singapore and also around the world.

For example, a team of Singaporeans from Industry Light and Magic (ILM) − this is the visual effects studio arm of Lucasfilm − created ground-breaking animation and visual effects for the blockbuster film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair]

Our local production houses have also been working with international broadcasters, such as Discovery, National Geographic and Home Box Office (HBO) Asia, to produce original content for broadcast across Asia. HBO Asia's latest original comedy series called "Sent" is the first series where a local media company, Very Tay, has worked hand in hand with HBO Asia through the entire process from development, writing to production. When I visited HBO Asia and they showed me and told me about this collaboration, I was very encouraged because it has provided opportunities for Singaporeans and our companies to be able to work hand in hand with an international company to produce something that can be enjoyed in Singapore and also exported to other markets.

Sir, MCI will continue to develop a business-friendly and pro-growth environment for Singapore media companies to innovate and experiment with new ideas. One such useful initiative is Mediapreneur. This is an incubation programme by Mediacorp that supports media startups through seed funding, mentoring, networking and marketing opportunities through Mediacorp's platforms. Several of these startups are already partnering business units in Mediacorp to develop interesting concepts. What IMDA does is to support this initiative and also bring in what we call the Accreditation Scheme to complement Mediapreneur's efforts to provide tailored assistance to these startups in areas, such as product testing and financial modelling.

I met some of the startups and their founders when I visited Mediapreneur. These are passionate individuals. They feel strongly about their ideas and they appreciate the support from IMDA and Mediacorp. I look forward to seeing some of their ideas being adopted by our media companies, whether it is Mediacorp or other media companies, to produce entertaining content and to raise the level of enjoyment for our viewers.

6.15 pm

Mr Leon Perera asked if IMDA is exploring ways to promote private sector funding of local films. IMDA has been studying different ideas, including the ones mentioned by Mr Perera, and has been discussing with industry players to see which ideas are more feasible and more impactful to help them to grow their business and also to produce quality content. IMDA's Production Assistance Grant is one such scheme. It is a co-funding scheme which supports up to 40% of a project's qualifying expenses and this helps our media companies. It also encourages private sector funding. And because 100% of the equity goes to the media company, it is fully incentivised to commercialise the film, including taking it overseas. We will continue to study ways to boost the market for film investments, including tapping on new funding models and growing the demand for quality local content.

IMDA's support for the local film community through grants, scholarships, these efforts have produced some encouraging results. For example, IMDA has embarked on a partnership with a local online film platform, Vidsee, to create a Singapore film channel. Today, the channel showcases a collection of short films produced by promising local filmmakers like Kirsten Tan and K Rajagopal. These are some examples of the industry development initiatives by IMDA to help our local filmmakers create compelling Singapore stories and bring their films overseas to an even wider audience.

Sir, talent attraction and development are key success factors for all sectors but, in particular, for creative and knowledge-based sectors like infocomm and media. IMDA's Talent Assistance scheme has groomed media professionals and helped deepen their capabilities.

One example is Mr Billy Yong. He is a freelance animator who attended two overseas training courses with funding support from IMDA. The training has enabled Billy to enhance his proficiency in storytelling and animation and helped him to secure more projects.

Our growing media industry will create many jobs that require a diverse range of skills, including the use of media tools, to achieve business outcomes. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how we plan to develop a future-ready media workforce. Minister Yaacob had earlier announced a Media Manpower Plan with four key thrusts. Let me elaborate.

First, our media workforce must deepen core skills to remain competitive. We need to strengthen content creation and the ability to tell original, compelling stories. One initiative is IMDA's Story Lab, which brings people together to incubate ideas and explore innovative ways to tell interesting stories. We also want to equip media professionals with skills to benefit from the latest technologies and platforms, including the facilities at Pixel Studios, which has been purpose-built for online content creators.

Second, we will enhance the media industry's attractiveness by developing a skills framework for media professionals. IMDA and SkillsFuture Singapore will jointly develop this framework as a common reference for jobseekers, media professionals and employers. It will contain information on current and emerging skills for different occupational levels, as well as career progression pathways for different media-related jobs. Employers can use this framework to design talent development plans to attract and retain talent for their companies.

Sir, there are many freelancers in the media sector. Hence, our third focus is to provide better support for media freelancers, in line with the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) broader efforts to encourage fair and progressive workplaces. Let me briefly mention some of the ongoing initiatives.

First, IMDA and NTUC are developing a tripartite standard by this year for the procurement of services from media freelancers. This is done in consultation with media companies and freelancers and it will provide a list of good employment practices, such as having written contracts that clearly spell out payment terms, intellectual property rights and how to handle disputes, if they should arise.

In partnership with the Singapore Mediation Centre, IMDA will also provide subsidised mediation services to help resolve disputes between media companies and freelancers on contractual matters, including late payment and, sometimes, non-payment.

These moves aim to encourage better work relationships between media companies and freelancers, and I share Mr Ganesh Rajaram's hope that freelancers will proactively leverage on these available initiatives to help them. I also urge freelancers to focus on their career development and retirement adequacy, including contributing regularly to their CPF and MediSave accounts. These are important for their longer-term retirement adequacy.

The fourth thrust is to partner key industry players and industry associations to develop our media professionals and propagate good practices. This includes media companies which receive Government funding, as well as production houses which work with Mediacorp on PSB programmes.

We will start by requiring media companies to adopt the above-mentioned good industry practices if they want to qualify for Government grants and PSB funding. IMDA will take action against companies that wrongfully delay or withhold payment to their staff and freelancers. We will monitor the effectiveness of these measures and will consider introducing new measures, if necessary, to ensure that media sector employees and freelancers are fairly treated.

Sir, I will next touch on how we are producing quality local content for Singaporeans through PSB programmes.

I agree with Mr Zaqy Mohamad and Mr Darryl David that PSB is important for our national development, and it needs to stay relevant in the digital age.

Through PSB, we have supported media companies to produce local programmes that entertain and engage Singaporeans. Dramas, such as "Tanglin", which Mr Ganesh Rajaram mentioned. On Channel 8, we have this very popular Mandarin programme called "Yao yaoba", which means "118". We also have "Aduh! Bibikku!" and "Vetri" on Suria and Vasantham. These are very popular programmes that continue to drive primetime viewership on our FTA channels. Other genres, such as documentaries, current affairs programmes, have also been well-received. One example is the excellent documentary on nursing produced by Channel 8's Tuesday Report. I attended the preview and met the nurses and their families, and the viewers who have watched the episodes found them to be very meaningful and admirable.

As several Members have highlighted, the media landscape is becoming increasingly challenging. Changes are happening very quickly and we cannot stand still. Apart from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Viu, recently I read that YouTube will be launching a new streaming television service called YouTube TV. So, there is a lot of competition. The selection of over-the-top content is growing rapidly, but consumers' time and attention are limited. Even premium content on Pay TV channels no longer holds the same draw. This has caused TV advertising revenues to decline but at a time when more investments are actually needed to build capabilities in content production and online technology.

Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked about Mediacorp's plans to better position itself for the future. At last year's COS, I spoke about transforming PSB by focusing on 3Cs − Content, Channels and Capabilities. These remain our focus in bringing quality local programmes to all Singaporeans.

First, on content. I recently read a Straits Times interview of Mediacorp's award-winning scriptwriter, Mr Ang Eng Tee. He is a script writer for many of the popular Channel 8 dramas − "Hero", "Yao Yao Ba" that I have mentioned earlier, and previously "The Little Nonya". And what Mr Ang shared when he was interviewed by the Straits Times was that the challenge to get eyeballs for local TV will increase, but he said, "If we continue to tell Singaporean stories, there will be something here for Singaporeans to watch". I fully agree with Mr Ang. Locally-produced PSB programmes can best capture and convey our unique Singaporean flavour.

But we cannot match the budgets of Hollywood productions or Korean dramas, so we must compete differently by engaging our viewers through quality local content. To keep PSB content offerings relevant and fresh, IMDA and Mediacorp will establish a Content Development Fund to encourage more experimentation with new content formats, including the use of new technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

Next, on channels. We all know digital is the new frontier, especially so for younger viewers. Mediacorp has been moving towards a stronger digital focus over the past few years. It will invest in further improving Toggle as its online platform so that we can watch our favourite local programmes anytime, anywhere and on any device, from mobile phones to large-screen high-definition TVs (HDTVs).

Toggle has seen a three-fold increase in unique viewers since its relaunch in April 2015. I must say this is an encouraging improvement, considering the intense competition for eyeballs. This growth is helped by the first slate of Toggle Original series which was well-received. So, it goes back to what we discussed earlier, that content is, ultimately, the most important thing. Good-quality local content is what I think will help to drive viewership.

We will support Mediacorp to boost its Toggle offerings. This year, Mediacorp will roll out an even bigger slate of Toggle Originals. These will involve collaboration with independent producers and tertiary institutions and cover a diverse spectrum of genres to offer more content choices.

For better user experience, Toggle will also enhance its streaming reliability, navigation, content recommendation and personalisation features. I was glad to hear Mr Vikram Nair spoke earlier about watching his favourite shows on Toggle, and we will certainly look into his suggestion for Mediacorp to add subtitles so that the shows can be enjoyed by more people.

Even as Mediacorp strengthens its digital channels, FTA TV channels remain important for many viewers. FTA channels are collectively still the most popular destination for Singaporeans when it comes to media consumption. Good content developed for Toggle can then be re-telecast on FTA TV, so that TV audiences can also enjoy them.

I am pleased to inform Mr Zaqy Mohamad that Mediacorp will reposition Okto as a children and sports channel. Last month, our first local bilingual TV series for preschoolers "Junction Tree" was shown on Okto. This series is supported by IMDA and the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism. Mediacorp has also started featuring sports programmes, including programmes that encourage young Singaporeans to take an interest in sports and lead active lifestyles. One example is Okto Cup, a futsal tournament for kids. Sir, I remember at last year's COS, Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin also raised this point about children's programmes. I want to thank her and acknowledge her suggestion and we have discussed with Mediacorp how best we can focus on this area. Because I agree with her, it is very important to provide good-quality programmes for our children.

Sir, the third thing we would do is to continue to support Mediacorp's efforts to build its capabilities in producing good-quality programmes for both TV and digital channels. This includes enhancing training in core skills, such as commissioning, directing, storytelling and content production.

To invest for the future, IMDA will partner Mediacorp to build a pipeline of young creative talent for the media industry. Through new scholarship and apprenticeship programmes, as well as collaborations with schools, we want to discover our young talent and then groom them early in media and content production. This includes a programme to develop young producers to create content targeted at youths. So, content produced by young people for young people.

Mr Darryl David asked how the local media industry has benefited from increased Government support for PSB. Through PSB, Mediacorp outsources a portion of its programmes to independent production houses. Starting from this year, Mediacorp will enhance its collaboration with industry players by increasing the amount of outsourcing. It will also explore more co-production opportunities, a point mentioned by Mr Ganesh Rajaram. I will certainly discuss with Mediacorp to see how we can do this better − it is a win-win partnership − so that it benefits Mediacorp and it benefits our film industry, our media industry. Ultimately, what we want is to have a win-win arrangement to bring quality local content to our viewers.

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I also encourage all industry players to tap on the PSB Contestable Funds Scheme to create quality PSB content. The scheme is now in its fifth year, and our partnership with platforms like Starhub has produced good programmes, such as "Echoes of Time", a historical drama series by Ochre Pictures. It received a nomination for Best Production Design and Art Direction at the 2016 New York Festivals.

Another initiative is Singapore Press Holdings' (SPHs') partnership with IMDA to produce and distribute short-form digital video content. The aim is to connect younger Singaporeans with digital PSB content and encourage a greater appreciation for our local productions. I viewed the recent video produced by Zaobao on the world's languages and must say they did a good job. 继 续 加 油！

I agree with Mr Zaqy Mohamad that high-quality journalism is an important public good which we must continue to support and preserve in Singapore. Like Mediacorp, SPH is keenly aware of the need to engage the digital generation, and they are actively reinventing themselves to better serve their readers.

I met the online teams from The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao. They are doing good work in producing interesting digital content, trying out new ideas and fresh approaches.

Sir, I would like to share that based on IMDA's 2015 Media Consumer Experience Study, the newspapers' ranking has improved from sixth place in 2014 to first place in 2015 and 78.9% of respondents were satisfied with the newspapers' content, up from 74.8% in 2014. So, this is a good sign. We have to continue to work at it, but it is good sign, it is an encouraging sign that people find newspapers' content in Singapore to be satisfactory and their ranking has improved. From 2015 to 2016, SPH achieved a 2.8% increase in its average daily circulation for both print and digital editions combined. This result is commendable, especially in a challenging period when many overseas newspapers are seeing declining readership.

Sir, Mr Vikram Nair asked about how MCI is leading Government communications efforts to reach out to all Singaporeans. Measuring and analysing data give a better feel of the concerns and sentiments of Singaporeans. This helps us to address information gaps, respond more quickly and customise more impactful messages. MCI will enhance our data analytics and research capabilities, which will help to support whole-of-Government communications efforts.

I agree with Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin that the Government must engage widely and meaningfully. Progress has been made over the years, including use of face-to-face sessions, to engage in deep conversations and candid discussions with different groups of Singaporeans. MCI is a strong supporter of public engagement, an important area driven by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. For example, REACH has worked with other Government agencies and partners to increase its number of outreach sessions which include dialogues, focus group discussions and also listening points. We welcome suggestions on how we can further improve. Effective listening and engagement are an important part of effective communications.

We are also collaborating with partners to produce innovative content that can connect with Singaporeans, both intellectually and emotionally. For example, MCI has started a crowdsourcing initiative called Project Lapis Sagu, a film contest that invited the public to submit story ideas on fostering awareness and understanding on social integration.

With support from four well-known local film directors − Eric Khoo, Kelvin Tong, K Rajagopal and Sanif Olek − we received more than 1,200 entries. The winners come from different backgrounds but they share a common passion for filmmaking. Through this co-creation initiative, we hope to encourage greater involvement from the community and bring fresh perspectives on complex social issues. The four teams are currently developing their story ideas into short films, which will be ready next month.

Mr Darryl David asked if we plan to continue with our public communications efforts in vernacular languages, including the use of dialect, to communicate with seniors and help them understand Government policies and programmes.

We will do so. MCI has produced dialect programmes together with Mediacorp and industry partners like Jack Neo and Royston Tan. These programmes communicate useful information to seniors through an entertaining format and using a language which they are familiar with.

To reinforce the messages, we also engage our seniors through roadshows in our HDB heartlands and through key touchpoints like the Pioneer Generation Ambassador network. Many seniors, including my residents, have told me that they enjoyed these shows and found them informative and entertaining.

I am pleased to inform Mr Darryl David that we will continue with these programmes to enhance Government communications, and we are also developing similar content in Malay and Tamil.

Sir, Mr Pritam Singh asked about "live" streaming of Parliament proceedings. Over the years, MCI has worked with Mediacorp to enhance the coverage of Parliamentary proceedings. Today, key Parliament sessions, such as the Budget Statement and the Opening of Parliament, are broadcast "live" on both TV and online.

Footage of all Parliament speeches and Question and Answer sessions are already available online on CNA's Parliament microsite.

Parliamentary highlights are loaded onto this microsite within three hours of broadcast. Videos of all speeches and footage from Question Time are uploaded by the following morning.

If you go to the site, you will see that the videos are sorted by date and name of the Member of Parliament. The video clips are easily accessible by the public and are organised for convenient viewing. The online archival period for these videos has also been lengthened since 2013. It used to be one month; now it is six months.

In addition, the public has access to the full written record of Parliamentary proceedings via the online Hansard. Singaporeans who are interested in watching the proceedings can also attend any Parliamentary Sitting in person, watch the news on TV that evening, or view the complete set of video clips from the CNA microsite using their computers and mobile devices the next morning.

Based on data collected, the viewership of "live" broadcasts remains low. Even for a major speech like the Budget Statement, the number of people who watched it "live" is less than 10% of those who watched the Parliamentary highlights on the news that evening. And less than 1% of all viewers watched the Budget Statement "live" using web-streaming, and this is the Budget Statement − it is a major speech.

The experiences in other countries show that there are pros and cons to having "live" broadcasts of parliament proceedings. Observers have noted that one downside is the risk of members of parliament playing to the gallery in the presence of live cameras, which would affect the work of parliament.

Sir, we have many convenient channels by which the public can have access to Parliamentary proceedings. I believe these existing avenues have been useful in helping Singaporeans to understand what was discussed in this House and to inform their decisions on national policies and legislative changes.

Several Members have asked about our plans to promote a reading culture in Singapore. Please allow me to conclude my speech in Mandarin to talk about our efforts to promote reading in Chinese.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Government launched the National Reading Movement last year to encourage Singaporeans to read regularly, read widely and read together with the family. A key focus is to promote reading in mother tongue languages with the aim to strengthen the standard of bilingualism in Singapore.

Mr Stanley Chia, the founder of an educational startup Cialfo, is a businessman who benefited from being bilingual. He told me that his Mandarin was not fluent in the past but, with more exposure and frequent use, his standard of Chinese has improved. This is especially helpful for his business in China. In the beginning, Stanley had a more limited vocabulary in Chinese. However, with persistent hard work and practice, he can now use fluent Mandarin to make speeches and conduct meetings, thereby building very good relationships with his clients.

Good reading habit should start from young. NLB has rolled out Tiny Tots Reading Club to encourage young children to read in Chinese through many interesting activities. There are currently five such reading clubs for children. NLB will expand this to more libraries around Singapore.

I had the opportunity to participate in some of these reading sessions when I visited the library and was glad to see many parents showing keen interest in encouraging their children to read Chinese books, including books written by our local authors. I am very encouraged by this.

NLB will launch "Raise a Reader" workshops this year for parents to learn more about the resources available at our libraries and how to choose appropriate books for their children.

Besides children, NLB will also be expanding its collaboration with our media partners to encourage more adults to read in Chinese. Weekly news reading interest group attracted a good following since its launch in March 2016. This year, NLB and Lianhe Zaobao will launch a series of monthly talks. These sessions will cover a range of interesting topics from finance and health to local Chinese literature. Here, I would like to thank our media partners for supporting these initiatives, helping us to encourage more people to read widely.

Reading together in the community can cultivate a deeper appreciation of our culture and heritage. This requires support from our community partners and the general public. We would like to thank our volunteers for running the library at Chinatown.

We will also be building new libraries. Tampines Regional Library will reopen in August this year and Chou Sing Chu Foundation will be sponsoring the majority of the books in the Chinese Children's Collection. Mr Chou was the founder of Popular Holdings. As a passionate lover of Chinese culture, he had been a strong supporter. On behalf of NLB, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the late Mr Chou and his family for their generous donation.

Through the National Reading Movement, we will continue to encourage Singaporeans to read in mother tongue languages. This is a worthwhile effort to strengthen bilingualism and develop Singapore's competitive edge.

The Chairman: Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, thus far, we have heard how technology offers many possibilities. They also herald change − uncomfortable in many ways, but necessary. This is why learning to adapt, to keep on picking up new knowledge and competencies, has become so important for our people's future. The place to do so informally is at our libraries.

No matter what stage we are in life, our public libraries are places for learning at your own comfort level and pace, where you can pick up a book or attend a talk, for your hobby or career.

Technology also enables our people to read and learn more conveniently, wherever they are, whenever they want to. To support this, Dr Teo Ho Pin has suggested we make e-books freely available and broadcast book reviews via smart phones. Sir, I am pleased to say that NLB has offered free access to e-books online for over 10 years now. Every month, on average, over 100,000 digital books are borrowed from NLB's online collections. Compared to last year, we have seen an increase of 38%.

Take Samiksha, whom you saw in the video played earlier. She is a busy student who downloads NLB's digital books and journals to read on the go. Book summaries are also available via NLB's mobile app.

There is also Mr Foong Chow Weng, who uses the Pasir Ris Public Library often. He is 63 years old and has also made the switch to digital. He began reading the newspapers online from digital devices at the library, after seeing a queue of people waiting to read the physical copies. He enjoys reading the digital version, as he says he can "view all the newspapers at one place and zoom in to make the words bigger". Mr Foong is, indeed, an example of a lifelong learner, adapting to new technologies to serve his learning needs.

However, Sir, I also recognise that nothing can replace the feel of a book. Some people, like myself, are more comfortable with them, so our libraries will continue to cater to all modes of reading and learning. The key is to encourage everyone to use our libraries to read and learn.

Sir, let me now report on what we have achieved recently in helping our people read and learn new knowledge. Dr Teo Ho Pin has asked for a progress update on the National Reading Movement and what measures we have taken to inspire Singaporeans to read. Mr Darryl David has also asked what we are doing to promote a reading culture among all segments of society.

Last year, we embarked on the National Reading Movement, a five-year campaign to encourage adults and seniors to read and for citizens to read in their mother tongues. The first National Reading Day on 30 July was a rallying call for the public to pledge to read more, read widely and read together. Over 430,000 people so far have made this pledge. More than 380 organisations have also supported the reading campaign in various ways by encouraging their staff to Read@Work.

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For example, DP Architects spread regular reading recommendations to their staff and participated in library programmes. PropNex, KPMG and PhillipCapital Group respectively organised mass reading sessions, book exchanges and book review competitions.

NLB also launched a Curated Reads programme, which provides organisations a starter kit series of curated book excerpts, video clips and other smaller, bite-sized materials. The topics ranged from values for life to skills for work. Companies, such as Singtel, have disseminated them to their staff.

Meanwhile, NLB has also increased the number of mother tongue programme offerings last year. To encourage the young to read in their mother tongues, it set up 11 mother tongue language reading clubs for children as well.

Besides the mother tongue language reading clubs, NLB has run the national KidsREAD programme for over 10 years now. It aims to promote the love of reading and cultivate good reading habits among children from low-income families.

Last year, NLB refreshed the programme by introducing drama to KidsREAD. The librarians and volunteers partnered expert storytellers and theatre companies to provide more varied styles of storytelling and dramatic, interactive performances of the storybooks. They certainly enthralled beneficiaries like four-year-old Kai Yyi, who watched a dramatic retelling of a ninja story. It was so exciting that the usually shy boy started raising his hand eagerly to answer questions and to interact with actors.

Sir, let me now highlight more of our plans for 2017. Ms Sun Xueling has asked about how our libraries can inspire and inculcate the habit of lifelong learning. I have said earlier that our libraries are places for learning, no matter what stage we are in life. But libraries are also community places for our people to learn from one another, to come together and share their knowledge and experiences.

For example, Matthew is an avid user of the PixelLab makers' space at Jurong Regional Library. He uses the 3D printers to create, modify and improve the parts for his self-made drones. He has since founded a startup company making drones and happily shares his growing knowledge with other library users and the budding creative makers' community at Jurong library.

People like Matthew who want to share their knowledge with others are an inspiration for NLB. That is why we want to evolve our libraries to foster more face-to-face connections, while still employing technology to meet the learning needs of Singaporeans and their digital lifestyles.

We want our libraries to inspire people from all walks of life to come together as a community to learn together, learn from one another and embrace technology. To do so, we will redesign our library spaces and introduce programming that encourages collaborative learning and explore even more partnerships with the private and people sectors to promote reading.

Firstly, we are opening four new libraries this year in Sengkang, Bukit Panjang, Tampines and Bedok. They are designed to encourage collaboration and promote reading and learning as an attractive lifestyle. There are flexible seating and fixtures to enable discussion and creative expression, for example, at the Sengkang library's new Tween space. There are also interactive digital displays where you can browse recommended digital books and download them via the NLB mobile app.

At the much larger Bukit Panjang library, NLB will pilot a new immersive story-telling service for children aged four to 12. Kids can soon experience the stories they hear with sound effects, lights and interactive, visual projections. It will certainly be a new environment, which will complement the story-telling experience where librarians read aloud from picture books.

NLB will also partner more communities and volunteers to encourage space co-ownership and community bonding. For example, seniors can soon gather and plan their own programmes in the new Bedok public library and, with training, even service their own corner of the new library in Tampines.

There will also be a second makers' space and collaborative workspaces at the new Tampines Regional Library for budding entrepreneurs and creative makers to come to learn and experiment together. We had one in the West at Jurong, and now we will have another one in the East. Ultimately, we want these new library spaces and programmes to spur our people towards a shared community journey of lifelong learning.

Secondly, Sir, this year, we will explore more partnerships and collaborations to sustain a vibrant reading and learning culture in Singapore. To gain insights on our current reading culture and habits, NLB recently completed an inaugural, nationwide study. Sixty-nine percent of residents surveyed said they read at least one book in the past year. Eighty percent said they read more than once a week, be it books, magazines, news online or social media. Only 19% read books more than once a week and most did not find reading as stimulating as audio-visual content. Nonetheless, our libraries are one of the top sources for books. Fifty-six percent of those who read books borrow them from our libraries.

The study shows that we can do more. Dr Teo Ho Pin has also shared his views on how many Singaporeans are losing interest in reading books, especially among adults. While more must be done, NLB cannot do it alone. As shared by Ms Sun, we should work with the community to help different groups come together to learn together. Therefore, this year, for the National Reading Movement, NLB will seek more partnerships to encourage adults to read more and read widely. For example, NLB will work with an informal group of SME owners, called the Bosses Network, to run a business acumen series conducted in Chinese. Established business owners will share their knowledge and favourite reads.

We will also continue to build a love of reading in our young. KidsREAD children can look forward to a new reading curriculum with more customised activities for different reading levels, and home activity packs that parents and guardians can use to read together with their children. This will not only help in building bonds but also sustain their interest in reading.

Whether young or old, we must never stop learning. As the late Minister Mentor Lee once said, "One sign of an educated society is the number of books read by the people… one test of an educated man is his ability to continue reading and learning throughout his life". This was from Mr Lee's speech at the opening of the Queenstown library on 30 April 1970. Mr Lee was a living example of a lifelong learner who read widely throughout his life. Here, he is at the opening of the Nanyang University Library in 1966 and at a commemoration dinner in 2004, always reading, indeed.

I hope that through our efforts in 2017, more Singaporeans will remember never to stop reading and learning. Our NLB libraries will continue to play key roles in helping us do that.

Sir, my colleagues and I have outlined the tasks ahead for MCI and our agencies. The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) has highlighted the need for Singapore to build strong digital capabilities so that we can participate fully in tomorrow's digital economy.

Like it or not, the digital economy is here to stay. Companies, citizens and even the Government will all have to make this transition.

For businesses, the way markets are organised, the rise of the sharing and gig economy, and the global nature of competition on the Internet mean that companies must stay agile in order to adapt to the changing business environment. At the same time, companies have to accumulate and develop the expertise needed to manage and secure interconnected business systems and to extract insights from the massive amounts of data that they are gathering.

Individuals also need new skills to thrive in the digital economy. Whether you are a professional harnessing technology to transform your business, a hobbyist learning coding in your free time, a content creator figuring out how to engage your audiences online, or a casual user navigating the rich universe of online media, we all need to know more about what going digital really means.

My Ministry recognises this and has outlined our plans for IMDA to help Singaporeans gain new skills in ICM technologies through the TechSkills Accelerator programme to support media freelancers and to help businesses transform their operations and processes through digitalisation. At the same time, we have also highlighted our efforts to help companies protect and secure their valuable data and the steps we are taking to grow the cybersecurity profession in the process.

Change is never easy, but we can minimise the dislocation we experience by understanding and preparing for it as early as we can by "doing, learning and adapting", as the Minister for Finance said last week.

We can best do this through partnership between the Government and businesses. Businesses must be proactive in maximising the potential of ICM technologies to deliver new services and products and even in exploring new emerging markets. Hence, I share Mr Ganesh Rajaram's views that our businesses should explore partnering competitors beyond our shores. We have a highly connected, cutting-edge economy. But we also need highly connected cutting-edge companies prepared to grapple with the "innovator's dilemma'" head on in order to thrive in a digital economy.

The Government also needs to be highly connected and at the cutting edge of technology adoption in how it delivers public services. Citizens' expectations have increased and these make it incumbent on the Government to reach out to all Singaporeans and to build trust in new ways by leveraging technology.

GovTech will lead the way by creating more Government digital services that help make life easier for citizens on the go and that keep the citizen − the young, the old, the technology-savvy or not − at the centre of user experience. This means not only having the hardware and software in place but also the heartware. Officers at our Citizen Connect Centres and our libraries can serve as ambassadors and guides to help the less tech-savvy users discover and maximise the benefits of transacting with the Government digitally on the go and at their own convenience.

Within the Government, we will also be placing more emphasis on driving Government digital transformation and technology adoption in a more integrated manner, with GovTech at the centre of these efforts, and working in concert with 10,000 digital-ready officers across the public sector.

Sir, in conclusion, whether in our economy, our society or the Government, MCI and its agencies like IMDA and GovTech, in particular, are at the centre of the changes that the digital transformation will usher in. We cannot turn back the digital tide but we can ride it to a better destination.

Sir, I am confident in our ability to do this, just as we had ridden previous waves of change along our journey from Third World to First. In all our efforts, the Government will always be guided by the need to ensure that we help workers, businesses and citizens transition smoothly and benefit from technology. We will always be aware of the need to complement the hardware and software with heartware so that technology helps bring us together rather than drive us apart and so that technology serves us and not enslaves us.

So, let us, therefore, come together − the Government, businesses, citizens, workers and civil society − to shape the digital Singapore we want. Whether it is robotics, artificial intelligence or other new assistive technologies, which do we want to deploy and how? Only when we come together will we realise our Smart Nation vision and ensure that we harness technology to improve as many lives as possible. Only when we come together can we realise the benefits of a truly digital economy, a truly digital society and a truly digital Government without leaving anyone behind.

The Chairman: We have a few minutes for clarifications. Mr Zaqy Mohamad.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Thank you, Chairman. I have three supplementary questions. One, it is heartening to hear from the Minister the example of Mr Alvin Koh who is above 50 years old and who benefited from TeSA and is now a cybersecurity professional. Many of those above 50 that I see, often find that careers and jobs are hard to come by. How can the Ministry help seniors in this age group find career pathways and, especially for those outside the sector, can we bring them in and how can we help them through?

The second question is about the transformation in sectors, such as the preschool sector. I know this will help enhance experience of parents and children in this sector, but I just want to ask the Minister whether anchor operators and non-profit organisations will also be part of iSPRINT. Can they also benefit? Because while these are not SMEs per se, they cater to a large base of lower-income children and families, and the impact can be quite significant.

The third supplementary question is for Minister of State Chee Hong Tat. It is heartening to know that for SPH, we have seen increased readership. Part of my speech also covered the minority languages because we also want to make sure that there is sufficient coverage of that. How has that been? I know for The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, there are existing programmes. Are there also programmes for the Malay and Tamil newspapers as well to help enhance their reach and quality of journalism?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I thank Mr Zaqy for the two questions. First, on the transformation for our senior career professionals, as per the example of Mr Alvin Koh whom I mentioned in my speech, there are a lot of opportunities through TeSA, for example, under the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP). We can help people who are mid-career, who may have lost their jobs or want to have a change, preferably if they come from a sector which is related with the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector, it would be much easier. But IMDA is prepared, as I said earlier, working with TeSA to consider all professionals who may want to make that transition. We will assist them as much as possible.

The reason why we want to do so is very simple. There is, indeed, a shortage in the ICT sector. The opportunities are there, like in cybersecurity and data analytics, but this is something which the individuals would have to make their choices. What we will continue to do is to create more pathways by more partnerships with the companies and, through the partnerships, we hope that the companies can also see the value and the talent in some of the trainees so that they are willing to employ them after they have been trained.

On the second question as to whether or not other organisations which are non-profit can benefit from some of the support by IMDA, let me ask IMDA to study this. We want to help as many as possible within the sector. The preschool sector is a very large sector. IMDA is in conversation with the Early Childhood and Development Agency on how we can deploy some of these solutions across all members of that sector.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Sir, I will answer the third question from Mr Zaqy Mohamad. We have programmes that are in place to support programmes, such as TV programmes and PSP programmes, on Suria for the Malay community, and on Vasantham for the Tamil community. These additional resources that we have put in go into areas that include research, script development, content development, ultimately, to produce better quality local content that will resonate with the various groups of viewers. And what Suria and Vasantham do very well is also to follow up and bring the characters and shows from TV into real life.

So, they do roadshows, they go into the heartlands, they engage their viewers using not just TV and radio, but bringing the stories, the characters face to face and interacting with the viewers.

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This is something which I think can also extend to other channels. In fact, these are good practices that I hope we can do likewise for the other channels on Mediacorp.

For SPH, it is the same. I think the challenges are faced by all the newspapers. They need to continue to invest in producing good content and also the outreach, and moving in tandem with changing consumer preferences, which is why a lot of people are now viewing their news online using digital sources. We also need to move online to be able to engage different groups of viewers.

One key learning point that the online teams have shared with me is that you cannot do online by taking traditional content and formats and going digital. You have to think online and design it online to meet the digital group of viewers and readers. The way you present your articles, the format which you use, the content which you use, all these need to be thought through and designed for what is the online audience.

We will continue to work with our media companies, including SPH and Mediacorp, and across different languages and platforms.

The Chairman: Mr Vikram Nair.

Mr Vikram Nair: Mr Chairman, following up on the topic of languages, I wonder if the Minister of State has any update on the work of the National Translation Committee. I think Minister of State Chee Hong Tat discussed that in the last COS.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Vikram Nair for his question on translation. I did not have time to cover that in my speech during the earlier session.

Translation is a very important area because we live in a multilingual society and we have got four official languages. To communicate effectively, we need to develop capabilities in effective translation. One of the things that the National Translation Committee, which I chair, does is to work closely with our partners, in particular, the schools and the education institutions as well as our media partners because these are areas where you have got resources and also to reach out to our young people.

My belief is that we have got to start young to cultivate their interests, raise the awareness and also be able to develop the language skills. Let us take Malay translation. We have got strong collaboration with Berita Harian and also with MOE. We organised the workshop for the Malay language translation, competition and we got young people to participate, raise awareness and interest. From what I discussed with the young people, they want to see more of such activities and make it fun for them, to show translation not as a very technical subject, but something that is fun and relevant and they can see how it can be applied in their daily lives.

We are also working closely with other communities. I recently announced the review of the Tamil translation. I must thank our resource panel, chaired by Mr A Palaniappan. They helped us develop a set of recommendations to further enhance the way we do Tamil translation in the Government.

So, I think this is the approach that we will continue to take. Reaching out to the various communities, working with partners, raising standards, raising awareness. I believe that translation is something which will give us not just a better way of appreciating the different languages that we have, better way of understanding the different cultures that we have, but it is also an effective way to communicate with different groups of Singaporeans.

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Pritam Singh: Mr Chairman, I would like to thank Minister of State Chee for some add-on information that he gave with respect to my cut. Just two quick questions for Minister of State Chee. Can I seek confirmation from the Minister of State that the delayed broadcasts for Parliamentary Questions and Answers and Members' speeches will actually be reproduced in full and not edited when uploaded after Parliament has finished, so that there is no cut and nothing has been edited? I just want confirmation from the Minister of State on that point.

Secondly, can I request that the Ministry be minded to actually consider "live" Parliamentary broadcasts maybe for a short pilot period of three to six months to understand whether there are misgivings the Ministry may have − and I am not saying they are misplaced − whether they are genuine concerns of the Ministry? I say this because I do believe that public discussion on policy matters actually would be improved and would be more reasoned as a result of "live" Parliamentary broadcasts.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Pritam Singh for his questions. To the Member's first question, the answer is yes, there is no edit done to the video clips of speeches, except for those places where there are some pauses or when certain issues are very local issues. For the speeches, I think Mr Pritam Singh would probably know this, many of us would go to the site and use those videos for social media. It is something for everybody to see. The record is out there. As I said earlier in my speech, it is out there for up to six months of archival period.

On the second question, I thank Mr Singh for acknowledging that there are pros and cons to "live" broadcasts. We do recognise the upside as well; it is not that this is a straightforward thing. But we look at what we have now and our sense is that it is meeting the needs of what Mr Singh had spoken about in his speech. The provision of the information is out there, timely and comprehensive, and organised in a manner which is easy for viewing.

If you put up the whole "live" stream, someone who is viewing it has to sit from the beginning to the end. Whereas the way Mediacorp does it, they arrange it by date and then by the speakers. It is actually a lot easier for someone to find what he or she wants to look for in a convenient way.

We believe that this format will fulfil the objectives and the benefits that Mr Singh spoke about. It is something which I think we will look at whether there are further ways that we can improve. The archival period, for example, as I mentioned in the past, used to be one month, and it was lengthened to six months. So, we welcome feedback and suggestions.

The Chairman: Mr Kok Heng Leun.

Mr Kok Heng Leun (Nominated Member): It is about the Parliamentary "live" streaming. I support some of the Members who are asking for this streaming. It is not just about watching the archival. I think it is the whole process of how this Parliamentary debate is being done. This is very important in our political education, especially for the people. That is why I would like to advocate for it to be done.

Secondly, it is about the local content. I wonder whether the Government would actually consider multilingual productions, especially for the narrative kind of productions. What we have now is, a lot of time, what we see on TV, especially narrative stories, it looks as if they appear in a very weird world whereby the Chinese gather together and talk about their own stories, and Malay content. I think we need to have multilingual content so that we are used to serving different languages, so that it does not become a kind of a myth that we live in, whereby we all live in our own different language worlds.

Thirdly, I just want to ask the Minister of State if he can share with us the survey that was done where he said that the people are more satisfied with the content in the newspapers. When he said they were more satisfied, what does it mean? What is the comparative study that we are talking about, as in "more satisfied"?

Lastly, I just want to know, in terms of the reading habits, whether we are reading more literature − I am talking about narratives like prose, poems and novels − or are we reading more of those do-it-yourself (DIY) toolkits kind of books?

Mr Chee Hong Tat: I was checking with Minister Yaacob whether he wants me to answer all the questions. I will answer the first three questions and the Minister will answer the fourth one. If I may, I will start with the last question. Mr Kok asked about the survey. This is the Media and Consumers Experience Study that is done by IMDA. The numbers that I cited in my speech where I said the newspapers' ranking improved from sixth in 2014 to first in 2015, it is in the same study. So, they improved from sixth place to first place. Of the respondents in 2014, 74.8% said they were satisfied with newspapers' content and, in 2015, this number went up to 78.9%. I recognise this is just one dimension, one key performance indicator, one study, which is why we need to really look at what are the ways to further work with our media partners to help them to build capabilities and develop good content. That, ultimately, is what the people are looking for.

Mr Kok also asked about the use of multiple languages. That is a very interesting idea which we will certainly discuss. It is found already in different productions but it is whether we can help to develop the content further and for such shows to be more commonly found. I think that is where the Member is coming from because it is actually already available in some productions. But I think the Member's question is whether we think this can be done further. We will certainly discuss with Mediacorp and also what I had mentioned in my speech, the independent producers. Because not everything has to be done by Mediacorp. A lot of good productions can be done by Mediacorp, by independent producers or collaborations between Mediacorp and the independent producers.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: To answer the Member's question, there is no one genre which is dominant, based on the pattern that we observed, and primarily because the library users are basically from a wide cross section or our community. We have the elderly and the young, we have the families.

If Members notice carefully, in the last few years, we basically moved our library to be more thematic. If you want to read something on early childhood, for example, Jurong Library is the place to go.

We have also created spaces so that we can attract certain segments of the population. Pasir Ris Library was redesigned to attract younger people. In fact, now, they are coming in and they are not only reading, they are learning together, they are co-creating content.

In the Library that is about to open in Sengkang, we have a section called the "Tween" section. This is somewhere in between the teens and the young kids, where they come in, they want to read books of their choice, at the same time, they want to have a certain ambience.

So, we cater to all segments of the society. The other thing that we observed, for example, is that our e-books are becoming very popular. It is very difficult for us to decide which genre because it depends on the number of e-books that we can acquire. We have to acquire these books from the people that produce them. You can see, if you go down to the e-books section, some of the books that are extremely popular are, for example, some of the current non-friction books which are hitting the New York list of bestsellers.

There is no clear dominant genre, but we want to encourage reading, no matter what books that you like to read, and to read consistently and constantly.

The Chairman: Mr Leon Perera.

Mr Leon Perera: Mr Chairman, just a quick point of clarification to Minister of State Chee regarding the issue of "live" Parliamentary broadcasts. The Minister of State alluded to the fact that someone looking at a "live" broadcast may not know what exactly he or she is looking at, whereas if you look at the video clips that have been uploaded, then those can be clearly labelled and so on.

Does the Minister of State not recognise that that issue can be addressed by placing a single crawler on the screen to state who is speaking and what they are speaking about and what is the context. That is what we see on C-SPAN, for example, in the US.

Would the Minister of State also not recognise that such "live" broadcasts could be done via a web platform rather than through the TV, and that could be very cost-effective?

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Leon Perera for his questions. Maybe allow me to clarify. The Member may have misunderstood me. I did not mean to say that a person who is watching the "live" streaming or broadcast would not know what was going on. Because Mr Pritam Singh was talking about "live" streaming, and if you put "live" streaming on the Internet, somebody watching it would have to watch the whole proceedings.

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Whereas if you were to organise it in the way the CNA microsite currently does, which is, they separate it, sort it by date, and then by name of the Member of Parliament, it is easier from the point of view of the public who is going in to view the clips that he or she wants to view. The search is easier. You do not have to sift through the whole proceedings to look for what you are interested in and just play those few minutes of the clip that you want to watch. So, that was what I meant in terms of the convenience for the viewer.

To answer the Member's second point, we do recognise, as in my response to Mr Pritam Singh, that this issue has pros and cons. I think Mr Pritam Singh also agrees with me that there are pros and cons. Our assessment is that the current arrangement has sufficient avenues for the public to have access to the information, to the video clips, and these are put in a timely manner, that very night itself, the news highlights are up in three hours, all the videos are up by 8.00 am the next morning. Our sense is that, in terms of information availability and also convenience of viewing for the public, going in to look for what they are interested in, what they want to watch, the site is well-organised and well-sorted. The current data that we have collected, as I shared in my speech about the Budget Statement, showed that most people still prefer to view it through the TV during the news highlights. Not many want to view the Budget Statement "live" and even fewer view it "live" streaming.

The Chairman: Okay. Mr Kok, last one. Make it brief.

Mr Kok Heng Leun: I think the Minister of State has not addressed my concern about it being a whole of political as well as the political learning process, especially knowing how the legislative process is being done. As someone who actually comes into this Parliament fresh and new, I realised that it was a lot of things for me to learn in this process. I think it should start young. So, that is why watching it through the whole process will be very important.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Chairman, just now when we were having our debate, we see students coming in and that is actually part of the education process as well, to expose our young people to what is going on in Parliament. That is also available for any member of the public who wants to come in and watch, not just "live" broadcast but "live". The information on the debate is there. It is on the microsite.

I agree with Mr Kok that it is useful for people to understand what Parliament has discussed. It is a point which I also made in my speech. It is useful for people to understand the debate, the points that are being made, but this information is available on the online Hansard, the full set of information and all the videos, speeches, questions and answers are also available. So, I think it will fulfil the benefit that Mr Kok and Mr Pritam Singh mentioned, using the existing channels that we have.

The Chairman: Mr Zaqy Mohamed, would you like to withdraw the amendment?

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Mr Chairman, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all Members for their cuts and making the COS for MCI a meaningful one for Singapore and Singaporeans. I would like to thank Minister Yaacob Ibrahaim, the Ministers of State Dr Janil Puthucheary and Mr Chee Hong Tat, the Permanent Secretary and the teams from MCI and the various Statutory Boards for their extensive work to develop the programmes and initiatives in this Budget. I wish them every success in executing the Budget presented. Good luck! Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $1,084,323,200 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $236,391,400 for Head Q ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.