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

Head X (cont) –

Resumption of Debate on Question [13 April 2016],

"That the total sum to be allocated for Head X of the Estimates to be reduced by $100." – [Dr Lim Wee Kiak].

Question again proposed.

The Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mdm Chair, may I have your permission to display some slides on the LED screens, please?

The Chairman: Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, the Malay/Muslim community has always been integral to the Singapore story. Many are doing well in diverse fields, such as business, the arts and information technology (IT).

The General Household Survey 2015 highlighted commendable progress on the educational front, with more Malay students achieving higher educational qualifications. The Anugerah MENDAKI has also seen cohorts doing better, with the number of recipients rising from 346 in 2010 to 501 in 2015. More encouragingly, we see more students take on courses in high demand areas, such as food science, biological science and information and communications technology (ICT). More Malays are also getting married but there are fewer minor marriages and remarriages. Divorce rates have stayed stable, averaging at 1,600 a year over the last five years.

The Future of Us Exhibition and SGfuture conversations are important touchpoints where we can share our hopes, ideas and aspirations to co-create our future together. I am glad to see many of our youths participating in this endeavour.

We have 27-year-old Khairul Rusydi, co-founder of Reactor, an educational technology company. He aspires to illuminate alternative pathways to success for youths. Since participating in the inaugural SGfuture session, he worked with the National Youth Council to spearhead the SGfuture engagement on the Future Economy in March, which explored ways to ensure Singapore remains economically vibrant. This weekend, Rusydi, together with Reactor, will spearhead a session on the Future of Youth Entrepreneurship to encourage the exchange of innovative ideas and collaborations.

Our young will play a very important role and we have seen many young role models stepping forward and showcasing the best values of the community regardless of where they are. A group of young aspiring asatizahs studying in the University of Jordan distributed specially prepared packets of food to the poor, including street cleaners and the elderly. Back home, under the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation, our youths in mosques and madrasahs worked together to bring joy, care and blessings to elderly residents in Ren Ci Nursing Home.

The trends and examples are part of a larger story, the story of the hard work put in by so many Malay/Muslims who are determined to forge a brighter future for themselves and their families. We will continue to work together to lay the foundations to help bring out the best in everyone.

Madam, our community has benefited from many national schemes over the years. These include Edusave, ComCare subsidies, Workfare and Community Health Assistance Scheme. Apart from the Industry Transformation Programme, Budget 2016 also offered key educational and social support. These include the First Step Grant for the Child Development Account; KidSTART, which will help level up disadvantaged children; and the Fresh Start Housing scheme to help families in rental flats own their own homes.

The community is determined to progress and the foundations for its future are being laid with this Budget. In this speech, I would like to address two key issues for the community. First, to ensure that our community is ready to seize the opportunities of a rapidly changing economy. Second, to address a more diverse socio-religious landscape, for which we will need new strategies to counter extremist and exclusivist influences. I will also touch on ongoing efforts to build on the community's progress in education and its socio-religious life and to fine-tune efforts to strengthen families and better support the vulnerable.

Madam, let me elaborate on how we will prepare our young for the future economy. Against a backdrop of disruptive technologies, our industries need to transform and adapt. Skills upgrading will be more important than ever and ICT will be a key enabler.

Our young must recognise this and be ready for a job market where skills and experience will outweigh qualifications. Organisations like the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI) and other Malay/Muslim organisations (MMOs) can play a role to help our community understand the changing economic landscape. It was exactly with a view to the needs of the future economy that MENDAKI recently established the Future Ready Unit to promote SkillsFuture to the community.

Mr Zainal Sapari asked about the Unit's plans. First, building on the Government's SGfuture engagement efforts, MENDAKI will reach out to the community through a series of Future Ready Conversations and NextStop engagements. The Conversations will help MENDAKI to better understand the hopes and aspirations of our community and how it can provide more targeted and effective support. "NextStop" is more targeted. MENDAKI will engage students from secondary schools, the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) and polytechnics so that they have a better appreciation of the growth sectors in our economy and, relatedly, the range of academic and career pathways under SkillsFuture.

Second, the Unit will introduce Future Ready Mentoring for secondary level and ITE students. Some of our students may not be well-informed of the available opportunities or may lack the confidence to pursue their aspirations. Mentors will help broaden the perspectives of mentees and advise them on their choice of education and career pathways.

Third, students, adult learners and workers will have opportunities through MENDAKI Social Enterprise Network Singapore (SENSE) to better understand SkillsFuture and access a range of programmes, such as skills development, for "in-demand" job sectors. One key initiative would be the "Making SENSE of SkillsFuture" fairs.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat was concerned about how we can better support our workforce facing short- to mid-term challenges. MENDAKI SENSE has been offering a variety of courses and job matching services to those who need help. This year, in addition to these, SENSE will also offer a number of free courses that support lifelong learning, career readiness and skills upgrading.

Madam, the ICT sector will play a big part in our future. We already have a number of talented individuals in our community who have blazed a trail in this field.

Take, for example, Muhammad Danish bin Muhammad Imran. This dynamic 21-year-old Ngee Ann Polytechnic graduate was the top student in his specialisation. As a child, his parents had exposed Danish to IT, and it has been his passion ever since. In primary school, Danish built websites and, in secondary school, he worked on an app to help students learn better. It was in polytechnic where his passion and strength converged. There, Danish's participation in Microsoft's YouthSpark programme prompted him to develop an app called "Taxi Split". Based on his experience with sharing taxi fares with his friends who alight at different destinations, this app helped to calculate the exact taxi fare using game theory. He later shared his knowledge on creating computational thinking programmes with students and social enterprises, as part of his work as a YouthSpark coordinator for Microsoft Asia Pacific.

We want to spark the interest of more students who are like Danish. Later this month, MENDAKI will launch the CM-Tech@Heartlands, a coding and robotics programme targeted at our younger students. This will complement the efforts of schools in nurturing the interest and skills of students through technology-related learning activities.

Madam, the second key issue that our community will have to address is the more diverse socio-religious landscape. Our socio-religious life has always been guided by principles of moderation, inclusiveness and respect for differences. Our Pioneers, such as the late President Yusof Ishak, Allahyarham Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji Mohamed, Allahyarham Pak Ridzwan Dzafir and Allahyarham Ustaz Ibrahim Kassim, exemplified these principles and worked hard to strengthen the social fabric of a multicultural and multi-religious Singapore. Our Pioneers have showed us how we can remain rooted to our traditions, values and principles and participate actively in our nation-building efforts. It is up to us, therefore, to build upon their past efforts and nurture a cohesive and progressive Malay/Muslim community.

Madam, diversity is not new. And our Malay/Muslim community has been long used to diversity. We have been traditionally open and welcoming of diversity. Yes, it will be increasingly difficult to try and balance the competing views and interests. But let us instead instil, especially in our young, a sense of curiosity and appreciation of diversity.

Everyone has a part to play. Parents, teachers, professionals, community and religious leaders, and our young must continue to stand together and guard against any threat that seeks to divide us. We have Shahrany Hassan who led a SGfuture session in February to engage youths from all backgrounds in a discussion on topics for social cohesion.

We also have a National University of Singapore (NUS) Engineering undergraduate, Muzakkir Samat, who co-edited a book, "From Walden to Woodlands", an inter-faith anthology of poetry about nature in Singapore. The book showcases a wide range of writings for anyone interested in faith, nature and the environment. We have netizens who speak up with moral clarity against injustice and stereotypes, without anger or judgement. Madam, it takes the whole community to foster an environment of mutual respect, trust and understanding, so that we can achieve a cohesive society and a resilient nation.

Madam, to me, being progressive is the ability to understand the modern world with an open mind and heart. It is our duty to not only seek knowledge, read widely and beyond religious texts, but also learn about other cultures, other religions and other societies so that we better appreciate what we have with us. Taking part in candid but respectful discussions with people of different backgrounds will help us learn about one another. We need to be well-read and respectful as we balance differences in ideas, concerns and interests and to gain a consensus to find the best possible solution. This is what we need in our people, and to build on this legacy for our future generations.

Madam, since its establishment, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) has played a key role in guiding our community on this journey. In 2018, MUIS will be commemorating its 50th anniversary. We want to document this journey on how we have worked together to overcome our challenges and the philosophy and rationale under-girding key policies, so that this will guide future leaders.

One area that shows our community's journey in adapting to changes affecting our religious life is the development of our fatwas or religious advice. MUIS has issued more than 500 fatwas since 1968 to guide our community on various aspects of religious life within the context of a multicultural and multi-religious society.

Later this year, MUIS will hold the inaugural Conference on Fatwa in Contemporary Societies, bringing together community leaders and religious scholars. This conference will highlight how we practise Islam in Singapore, and how religious guidance and social policies are shaped within the context they are in. We hope to build this conference into a platform for the discussion and dissemination of progressive religious thinking for minority Muslim communities living in a multiracial society.

Madam, the building of a cohesive and progressive Malay/Muslim community is everyone's responsibility. One important group is our religious leaders, as pointed out by Mr Zainal Sapari. Our asatizahs play an important role in guiding the community in the values of integrity, respect for human dignity and compassion.

We have many young and upcoming asatizahs in our community. One example is Ustaz Muslim bin Amad a 25-year-old imam at Al-Muttaqin mosque in Ang Mo Kio. Apart from discharging his duties diligently as a religious teacher, Ustaz Muslim is a keen advocate of inter-faith work and regularly organises inter-faith initiatives, together with other youth leaders of other faiths. He enjoys being involved in inter-faith work and his key message is: "Listen more, talk less. Be good to all, regardless of race, language or religion".

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To nurture all our asatizahs, we are looking at ways to build up their capabilities. We also want to ensure that our asatizahs have the confidence of the community. I am happy that about 80% of our asatizahs are part of the Asatizah Recognition Scheme and we will study how to enhance it further and encourage the remaining 20% to come on board. We will engage the asatizah fraternity to discuss this later this year.

Madam, let me now turn to some of the specific queries by hon Members on education, socio-religious life, family development and support for the vulnerable. We have been doing well in these areas and will continue to do better.

Mr Amrin Amin asked about our educational efforts in the coming year. A key recommendation of the MENDAKI Education Review Committee was to strengthen support for children at the younger ages, especially those from vulnerable families. Hence, MENDAKI will collaborate with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to better support vulnerable Malay families on KidSTART. Meanwhile, MENDAKI will continue to resource parents of low-income families with skills to help impart the joy of reading to their kids and parenting toolkits to help their children to be school-ready.

Secondly, Madam, MENDAKI will enhance the accessibility of its flagship programme, the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme (MTS). We will expand the MTS@Mosques programme to include Al-Muttaqin Mosque and Al-Mawaddah Mosque. And six more community partners will host MENDAKI Homework Cafes to help students with their school work, bringing the total number to 18 centres for 300 students.

Thirdly, Madam, MENDAKI will improve the learning experience of our MTS students by training our tutors based on a better understanding of the motivational profiles of our students. This is done in conjunction with the National Institute of Education via two research projects.

Madam, last month, I announced the revision in the contribution rates of the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund (MBMF). This was necessary to meet the critical needs of our community. Since 2009, we have built two mosques and upgraded 17, providing more prayer spaces for Muslim congregants.

Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim sought an update on what the community can look forward to. When all the current projects are completed by 2018, we can look forward to an increase of 24,700 prayer spaces since 2009. I thank the community for their support.

The increase in prayer spaces will come from the upgrading of five mosques under the Mosque Upgrading Programme Phase 2, the redevelopment of Darul Ghufran Mosque, the completion of the Maarof Mosque in Jurong West later this year, and the Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands in early 2017.

In the interim, the prayer space crunch at Al-Istighfar Mosque will be relieved by a temporary covered prayer space opposite the mosque later this year to cater to about 500 congregants. But for the longer term, MUIS will upgrade Al-Istighfar.

Last year, Madam, I shared our long-term plans to build a new mosque in Tampines North. Over the past year, we have been working with Government agencies to identify a suitable location for the mosque, bearing in mind the needs of the future neighbourhood town. I am happy to announce that we have safeguarded a site along Avenue 10, in the heart of the future Tampines North town. The mosque will serve residents and workers there and will also be accessible to those staying in Pasir Ris and Punggol.

Let me now give an update on religious education, Madam. Madrasah Arabiah is currently sited at the old Poi Ching School in Toa Payoh, on a Temporary Occupation Licence. I am happy to share that we have secured a 30-year lease for Madrasah Arabiah at a new site adjacent to the current building. We will start the redevelopment from early next year. More importantly, Madam, let us focus our minds on providing the best possible education for our kids.

This is the point raised by Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar on how we encourage the use of ICT in teaching and learning for our madrasah students. Let me share two examples. Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah collaborated with the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) to set up a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) laboratory to expose madrasah students to game designing and educational robotics programming. Madrasah Aljunied is piloting the teaching of Arabic Language using iBooks to make learning more interactive.

Our preparations to implement the enhanced Joint Madrasah System (JMS) curriculum and syllabi for the secondary level are progressing well. Arabic, Islamic law and theology subjects for Madrasah Aljunied, and the Islamic Studies subject for Madrasah Arabiah will be rolled out. In tandem, our teachers are being equipped with the skills and resources to implement the curriculum effectively.

Madam, MUIS also helps madrasah students from lower-income families. In 2010, MUIS started the Progress Fund Madrasah Assistance Scheme (PROMAS) and has since disbursed about $2.66 million. We want to help all madrasah students to do the best that they can.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about our efforts to strengthen part-time Islamic education. To meet growing demand for Adult Islamic Learning (ADIL), MUIS has added two more ADIL centres, bringing the number of centres to 15. MUIS will introduce intermediate modules that focus on the theme of Singaporean Muslims and Contemporary Challenges. The Office of Mufti has also partnered mosques to offer free ADIL modules, and close to 2,400 participants have benefited from ADIL programmes. MUIS will also continue to work with the Private Islamic Education Network to offer quality Islamic education.

Meanwhile, Madam, our aLIVE programme for students aged five to 20 has grown in enrolment from 14,000 in 2014 to 18,750 in January this year. This includes the Kids aLIVE Home edition that we started last year. For the older youths, the Youth aLIVE classes and seminars discuss issues and challenges relevant to them.

We will step up efforts against extremist influences online. The curricula of both aLIVE and ADIL include lessons that help inoculate our youths against online radicalisation. We are actively engaging parents on cyber safety for their children so that they are more critical with what they read online. In so doing, our young are better protected against radical teachings. For the wider community, the Office of Mufti and the Religious Rehabilitation Group are working together to develop both print and online materials to provide guidance in countering extremist ideologies.

Madam, we also plan to do more for our students studying overseas. So, I am pleased to inform Mr Zaqy Mohamad that we will enhance the Student Resource Development Secretariat in MUIS into the Student Welfare and Careers Office to better cater to those seeking Islamic religious education overseas. This office will provide education and career guidance, so that the students and their parents can make informed choices.

Madam, our strength as a community depends on strong families and how we look after those in need.

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked about the support for vulnerable families. We are able to help more families because of the generosity of our community. The community's support in zakat collection has been robust, rising from $22.7 million in 2010 to about $35.3 million, unaudited, in 2015. MUIS disburses zakat to an average of 5,300 beneficiaries annually. With the revision of the eligibility criteria of the per capita income and an increase in the disbursement quantum in 2014, MUIS was able to increase assistance to the poor and needy from $13.8 million in 2014 to $17.2 million last year, constituting almost 50% of the total zakat collected.

To help families on assistance programmes to get back on their feet more quickly, MUIS also runs the Empowerment Partnership Scheme (EPS). EPS helps families through services, such as skills upgrading, family management and children's enrichment support.

Meanwhile, MENDAKI continues to complement national efforts to offer various programmes and services that equip low-income families with relevant skills, such as Program Bijak Belanja, which teaches financial management skills. MENDAKI also helps families by extending Education Trust Fund subsidies to help their young children access more educational support and, through Family Excellence Circles, provide a safe platform for low-income families to support one another.

MENDAKI also started the MENDAKI@Heartlands initiative in 2013. Two centres opened in Woodlands and Pasir Ris. Together with MUIS, MENDAKI set up four additional centres at the mosques. These six centres, located islandwide, enable MENDAKI to connect the less advantaged to social assistance offered by the Social Service Offices (SSOs). In the past year, the six centres reached out to more than 14,000 individuals through various outreach platforms. Over 400 referrals, including individuals and families, were made to mosques and SSOs for social assistance, while another 600 were matched to educational programmes, job placement and skills upgrading.

Mr Muhammad Faisal Abdul Manap asked about the Malay/Muslim Community Development Fund (MMCDF). Nearly $10 million was disbursed through MMCDF between 2013 and 2015, benefiting on average, 55 partner organisations per year. The funding criteria is based on ground-up initiatives that are in line with MENDAKI's mission to support the community in areas, such as education, youth, family and employability. Developing and delivering programmes in these areas are not core to the objectives of the mosque. The core objective of the mosque is to facilitate the community's religious life. Our mosques, nevertheless, can play a supporting role by providing their premises to MMOs who deliver such programmes. Mosques can tap on zakat funds to run programmes for families and the young which are religious in nature or which involve values and character development.

Madam, the Dissolution of Marriages among Marriage Cohorts Report 2015 published by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) found a lower divorce rate before the 5th anniversary among recent Muslim marriage cohorts. However, the divorce rate for Muslim couples with younger grooms aged 20 to 24, was 1.5 times higher than those of older grooms. We will, hence, provide a stronger focus on strengthening the marriages of young couples in addition to those of minor couples.

From the second half of this year, our INSPIRASI Hubs will extend their services to couples with grooms aged 21 to 24. Our dedicated counsellors are at the forefront of supporting these couples. Mdm Habibah Mohamad Saleh, a Senior Counsellor at INSPIRASI@AMP, believes that every young couple has the potential to build a strong family. Some couples may also need more guidance to transit to family life while balancing their careers. Over her eight years at the Hub, Mdm Habibah has guided many couples and she goes the extra mile to ensure that those under her care receive the best support in addressing their marital challenges.

Meanwhile, on the query by Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef on the number of Muslim marriages involving minors, this number has been on a steady decline. In 2014, 1.3% of Muslim grooms and 4% of brides marrying were below 21 years of age. These proportions had declined significantly from 3.9% of Muslim grooms and 13.8% of brides in 2004.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked about differentiated approaches to strengthen marriages. For first marriages, the "Cinta Abadi Marriage of a Lifetime" marriage preparation programme has seen an encouraging increase in participation in 2015. Later this year, couples in the first 10 years of marriage can benefit from the pilot roll-out of the Cinta Abadi marriage enrichment programme. This programme includes marriage "health checks" and experiential learning, through which couples can build resilience in their marriage, as well as renegotiate their multiple roles, including their roles as parents.

For remarriages and stepfamilies, Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS) Vista Sakinah offers counselling and therapeutic services to those seeking support for issues related to step family adjustment and child management. There are also workshops for children to help them adapt to step family life.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked about plans to enhance capabilities of our practitioners. The Syariah Court will work with MUIS Academy to develop a new certification programme on the practice of Muslim law in Singapore. The programme will help practitioners understand marriages, divorces and inheritance as practised in Singapore. The Syariah Court will also be producing the next set of the Singapore Syariah Appeals Reports (SSARs) in the second half of this year. The SSAR provides a source of reference on Muslim family law which is vital to the development and advancement of Islamic jurisprudence.

Since 2004, the Syariah Court's Marriage Counselling Programme has helped more than 30,000 couples, of whom 45% have reconciled. Divorcing couples who have children aged 14 or below are highly encouraged to discuss their post-divorce parenting plans. This includes plans on their children's welfare, with the guidance of a marriage counsellor outside the Court system for a less adversarial discussion. In 2015, more than 600 couples attended the parenting plan discussion, benefiting close to 1,500 children up to 14 years old.

The Syariah Court will also work with As-Salaam Family Support Centre, an MSF-appointed Divorce Support Specialist Agency to equip divorced couples with co-parenting skills and to help them in guiding their children on post-divorce issues under the Parenting Parents and Children Together programme.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam also asked about reviewing the Syariah Court's Court processes. The Syariah Court established a Quality Service Unit in February 2015 to coordinate timely responses to queries and provide a more positive experience for divorcing couples. The Syariah Court has also improved Court processes, such as providing a differentiated case management process for cases that have a high risk of domestic violence. In tandem with the Syariah Court's efforts, we are looking to amend the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA). This will aim to strengthen our Muslim institutions better manage our community's assets and improve existing measures with respect to Muslim marriages and families. Madam, may I continue my speech in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] : Mdm Chair, Budget 2016 aims to further enhance the socio-economic support for our nation's progress and prosperity. Our community should seize the opportunities available and upgrade our skills so that we can be prepared for the challenges ahead. There are two main challenges that we should think about. Firstly, the uncertain modern economy. Second, the different types of thinking and the diversity present within our community. Although these challenges are complex, I am sure that we can overcome them, just as our Pioneers were able to overcome the tough times over the last 50 years. The key to this is our perseverance and the close cooperation that exists between the Malay/Muslim community and the Government.

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One of the challenges in the new economy is the changes brought about by technological advances. This has forced our industries to restructure and transform to adapt to the global economic climate. This means that continuous skills upgrading will be crucial while ICT will become the catalyst for progress. Our young people have to be aware of this reality. They must be prepared to enter a job market that will increasingly place emphasis on expertise and experience rather than paper qualifications.

In order to help the community become aware of this development, the SMCCI and other MMOs must lead the efforts so that more Malay/Muslim workers and companies can bring value-add in their respective fields. Yayasan MENDAKI, as an important partner to the Government, will complement national efforts in order to bring the Malay/Muslim community closer to the SkillsFuture movement.

MENDAKI will launch several new initiatives, including "Future Ready Mentoring" to guide students from the secondary schools, ITEs and polytechnics in choosing their careers, to match the future job landscape. The CM-Tech@Heartlands programme that will be launched soon, will be brought to the heartlands to generate interest among our young people in the field of technology.

The second challenge is managing the diversity in our socio-religious life. Fundamentally, our lives are very much guided by universal values like moderation, inclusivity and respecting differences. This was depicted by our pioneers like President Yusof Ishak, Ustaz Ahmad Sondhaji Mohamed, Pak Ridzwan Dzafir and Ustaz Ibrahim Kassim. In essence, the Malay/Muslim community made important contributions towards the harmony and wellbeing of Singapore's plural society, in addition to being confident in practising our religious life.

Diversity has existed all along. The fact is that Malay/Muslims are used to diversity. Even from early on, we are known to be a community that is open and able to accept diversity. I admit that, with challenges becoming even more complex today, it has become increasingly difficult for us to balance all the different interests and views. Nonetheless, as a mature community, we must continue to instil the value of being able to appreciate diversity. Every group – including parents, teachers, professionals as well as community and religious leaders – must play a part in rejecting elements that can harm our solidarity.

Madam, on this issue, MUIS will enhance its efforts to reinforce a progressive religious leadership. In fact, since 1968, more than 500 Islamic legal rulings, or fatwas, were issued to guide the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore. In order to share its experience, for the first time, MUIS will organise a conference titled "Fatwa within Contemporary Society" which will discuss, among others, the issuance of fatwas that takes into account Singapore's context. This conference will be a platform to discuss and encourage progressive thinking, especially for a minority Muslim community living in a multiracial and multireligious society.

Several Members of Parliament have also asked about the efforts to further enhance support towards education, socio-religious needs, family development and assistance to the less fortunate. We have achieved much progress in these areas, and a lot more can be achieved in the future.

We are thankful that we are able to establish, and in fact, able to enhance our institutions so that we can fulfil our community's religious needs. On this basis, we have amended the rate of contribution for the MBMF which I announced last month. Thanks to the community's strong support, by next year, two new mosques, the Maarof Mosque and Yusof Ishak Mosque, will be completed while redevelopment works at the Darul Ghufran Mosque will be carried out this year. In addition, I am happy to announce that a site has been identified to build a mosque in Tampines North and the prayer space at the Al-Istighfar Mosque will also be expanded. Overall, the Mosque Upgrading Programme which began in 2009 has created 24,700 additional prayer spaces. More will be done under this programme.

For the madrasah sector, Madrasah Al-Arabiah will move to a new location with a new 30-year lease. In line with a technology-based economy, MUIS is also supporting efforts to infuse technology and info-communications in teaching and studying at Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri and Madrasah Aljunied.

Strong families form the backbone of a strong community. Hence, the partnership between the community, MMOs and the Government becomes more critical. The spirit of giving amongst our Malay/Muslim community has allowed the zakat collection to increase year after year. From $22.7 million in 2010, it has increased to about $35.3 million last year. Every year, MUIS distributes the zakat to some 5,300 beneficiaries. Yayasan MENDAKI is also working to enhance efforts to refer the needy to social service centres at the national level. Over the last six years, more than 14,000 individuals have received assistance.

In order to further strengthen families, we must focus on efforts to provide our children with the best possible start, especially those who come from low-income families. Hence, Yayasan MENDAKI will work with ECDA so that vulnerable Malay/Muslim families will benefit from the KidSTART initiative. This initiative will provide support in various aspects, including health, education and the development of children under six years old.

Mdm Chair, the future will undeniably be full of challenges, but we are confident that we can go through it together as one community and one nation. We are hopeful that our young people can continue this struggle, by moving forward resolutely, having faith during our journey and taking actions that have been carefully considered.

Clearly, a bright future requires a concerted effort from everyone in the community. Let us work together and spark the partnership further between the Malay/Muslim community and the Government in order to create a brighter future for all of us.

As the saying goes, "Good manners are emulated; good people are valued; good citizens are admired."

Madam, allow me to conclude in English.

(In English): Madam, the story of the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore is not about the achievements that we have made over the past 50 years. Rather, it is about the journey itself. It is about our struggles to find our place in a new nation. It is about the choices we made that changed the course of our community. It is about choosing for ourselves to be a part of this work in progress we call Singapore. That journey, Madam, has shaped us to become more confident, more assured and, most importantly, more grateful for what life has given us.

We should be proud of what we have achieved. Indeed, we are in a better position than we were 50 years ago and cannot afford to be reckless or assume we have arrived. But we must remain humble, for the journey is never over. What lies ahead is uncertain. Just as our Pioneers struggled to make a nation out of disparate communities, struggle hard we must, as we move into the future. So, let us not wait for others to find the solutions to the challenges that trouble and pain us.

That we have so many Singaporeans today stepping forward to right a wrong and create a kinder, more inclusive nation should inspire us to nurture that spirit of doing good among all Singaporeans. Let us learn to forgive, work together, counsel and support one another and work towards the good of Singapore.

As a community, let us help our young to believe that they, too, can make a difference to the lives of others and inspire them in their journey with conviction and moral courage to do what is right for Singapore. Together with our young, let us step forward to take ownership in charting the next chapter of Singapore.

Madam, we all yearn for a future where we can build our families, where we can find happiness and success, and where we can see our children and grandchildren grow up and make us proud. United in partnership within our community and with the rest of Singapore, and with the Government's continued support, we shall overcome whatever challenges may come our way. Our hearts, our hopes, and our dreams are one with our fellow Singaporeans, because Singapore is our home. [Applause.]

The Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Mr Chan Chun Sing): Mdm Chair, there are three essential pillars to Singapore's continued success: our ability to defend ourselves, our ability to make a living for ourselves and our ability to stay together through thick and thin.

The People's Association's (PA's) mission is to strengthen the social fabric of our nation. We do this in three ways.

First, we strengthen the people-to-people connections. For an increasingly diverse population and increasingly sophisticated population, PA has our challenges cut out for us. Long gone were the days when we just needed to put one black and white television at the basketball court and it would bring out the whole kampung for everyone to bond together. The range of programmes that PA has to undertake now for an increasingly diverse and sophisticated population is very different from what it used to be in the past.

The second way that we do to strengthen the social fabric of our nation is to make sure that we work with the Ministries to provide timely feedback to the Government of the day on our people's concerns and aspirations, so that the Government of the day can make better policies to serve our people.

The third way that PA seeks to strengthen the social fabric of our nation is to work with our Ministries to explain and execute the policy intent of the government of the day. This includes explaining the recent Budget measures, explaining and reaching out to our Pioneer Generation about the Pioneer Generation Package, explaining and reaching out to every Singaporean on the MediShield Life plans. So, the breadth and depth of PA's work has increased, in tandem with the needs of our country.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked how has the Budget changed for PA. For financial year (FY) 2016, PA's Budget is about 5% lower than FY2015, about 5% lower in aggregate. The Operating Budget dropped 3.7% compared to the last FY2015, and the Development Budget dropped 6.6%. So, on aggregate, the decline for the overall budget is about 5%. This is despite the following changes.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked whether this increase in the last two years is a result of the SG50 celebrations. The answer is: not exactly. As stated in the Budget Book, the SG50 expenditure only increased the PA's budget by about $4 million. Most of the SG50 activities ride on existing programmes that have already been planned by the community. So, where is the significant increase?

The first significant increase in FY2015 is the start-up of the Pioneer Generation Office. We started up the office to reach out to all the Pioneer Generation elders, so that we can explain to them, mobilise the volunteers to reach out to them, not only for them to understand the policies but, more importantly, for us to reach out to them to see if they are well taken care of by their families. So, that accounts for the bulk of the increase in our Operating Expenditure.

The bigger bulk of the increase is the Capital Expenditure and there are two projects that are parked under the PA's budget which contributed to this significant increase. One is the building of Our Tampines Hub. Second, is the building of Wisma Geylang Serai Civic Centre.

At the same time, for this year's Budget, we are embarking on a programme to upgrade 24 Community Clubs. Ms Sylvia Lim might ask, "Is this the correct time to upgrade the Community Clubs?" Yes and no; it all depends. We have a schedule to upgrade our Community Clubs progressively. Within the margins, we try to find the best time to do it, taking into consideration the following: one, do we have the budget available from the macro national perspective? Two, are we able to get bang for the buck? Are we able to stretch those dollars that we spend?

So, during the current economic slowdown, if there are opportunities for us to lock in good prices for us to do our routine projects, I think we should do it. But on the whole, PA adopts a consistent approach to stretch every dollar that we spend. It does not do us any good to have a feast-and-famine strategy in our capital expenditures.

Ms Sylvia Lim, in her remarks yesterday, seems to allege that PA is partisan. Let me state that the PA's participants are average Singaporeans from all walks of life, like you and me. PA does not check on the political allegiance of the participants of our activities. Nor do I or anyone know their voting preferences. It is not relevant to our work.

Personally, I have seen participants of PA activities supporting both the incumbent and the Opposition during the elections. When I see my own residents, participants of my PA activities supporting the Opposition, I can only ask myself how I can work harder to win them over.

PA is a Statutory Board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day as per any Statutory Board. PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities, and we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party. If Ms Sylvia Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, she can let me know and I guarantee her I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow PA to be politicised.

Ms Sylvia Lim talked about working with the Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC). I do not have the details of the incident that she raised. On how the Ministry of National Development works with the Town Council and the CCC to upgrade the various estates, I think Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki has already replied to that on record last year.

I have heard from both sides on the ground accusing each other of being uncooperative. All I can say is that I urge both sides, be it the Town Council or CCC, to always remember to put the interests of the residents first. In life, when things get done, there is never a shortage of people who will claim credit. When things are not done, there is always a shortage of people who will claim responsibility. This is not the way we want to go. This is bad politics and this is not leadership.

So, I would urge all parties on the ground to work together to put the interests of the residents first and foremost. Residents are wise enough to know who have worked hard for them and who have served them well. And residents will also be wise enough to know who have not worked hard and who have not served them well.

For PA, our Mission remains to make sure that we strengthen the bonds in our community. We have never taken it for granted that this country of ours will naturally bond together as one because of our diverse backgrounds and diverse aspirations. The social fabric of our nation is a work-in-progress. It is a work that we all want to embark on and we all want to succeed together. So, let us work on that basis.

The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Chair, I thank Members for their keen interest in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's (MCCY's) work. With your permission, I would like to display some slides on the screens.

The Chairman: Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: SG50 was a very special year, with many defining moments. We celebrated and rallied together as one nation. Across the island, we witnessed spontaneous expressions of pride in being Singaporean. From a migrant society 50 years ago with no national roots or history, we have become a people capable of cohesive action.

We have come far as a people. But we cannot take our progress for granted. As we plan for Singapore's next 50 years, there will be new challenges to overcome and fresh opportunities to seize. We are a small and vulnerable country in a more turbulent world. In a globalised world, the aftershocks of economic crises, disease and terrorism ripple out to affect all of us.

Internally, new fault lines have emerged that cut across the traditional ones of race and religion. There are divides between foreigners and locals, between the haves and have-nots, and between different values and ideologies.

Advances in technology are altering the socioeconomic landscape. Information is disseminated instantaneously at an unprecedented scale, yet giving recipients little time for deep reflection. Technology-enabled social networks have created a new kind of citizen activism.

All these developments have the potential to either bring us together or pull us apart. Dr Lim Wee Kiak spoke about the need to rally Singaporeans to co-create our future together. In the face of these challenges, our ability to forge a brighter future for all Singaporeans will depend on two things.

The first is national identity and pride. If we are confident and proud of who we are as Singaporeans, we will be able to stand fast and resolute in the face of adversity. Our sense of who we are is shaped at three levels.

On an individual level, we have our own personal beliefs, experiences and interests. Each of us is special and unique. But we are also members of a community or communities. Our ethnicity, religion, politics, interests, schools that we attended, companies that we worked for, give us common identities despite our unique individuality. They enrich our sense of self and help define our place in society.

The challenge of every nation and particularly, for a young multiracial country like Singapore, is how to foster solidarity when society is made up of diverse groups; how to avoid polarisation and exclusivity when groups project their position. For Singaporeans to stand united, we must share a strong sense of national identity that will bind us across income, social and racial divides. We have to embrace a common purpose that is bigger than our differences.

It starts with shared experiences and shared memories. Every Primary 5 kid participates in the National Day Parade National Education show. The men would all have gone through National Service. We know our char kway teow, roti prata and nasi lemak and we can all speak some Singlish. These things might not seem like much, but they add up to a common way of seeing the world. When Singaporeans talk to one another, we share a common reference and vocabulary that need no explanation.

Being Singaporean is also about sharing the values that our country stands for. Meritocracy, incorruptibility, multiracialism and personal responsibility are values that determine how Singapore society is ordered. They have been imperative to our success and security.

Justice, equality and progress are not just words, but active ingredients in how our country works. In all the important spheres of life, such as access to good education, medical care, housing and justice, every citizen stands on equal footing, irrespective of wealth, race or religion. Every Singaporean can build a better future for their children through hard work and discipline.

Being Singaporean is also about knowing our history and heritage. The story of Singapore is the story of us, where we came from and how we got here. As a country with no natural resources, Singapore had to be built on the back of human endeavour. Singapore is a triumph of will and the sacrifices of our parents and grandparents.

Finally, what makes us Singaporean is that we know our country's future is our future. Singapore is our home and our children's home. We all have a part in building the future, by working together, by doing our best and by making the most of the opportunities before us. We can all lay claim to Singapore's future because it is for us to shape.

If we understand what defines us as Singaporeans, then national pride will grow over time. And there is much to be proud of. As a country, we made a virtue out of having no resources. Through tenacity and sacrifice, we became a modern, vibrant and dynamic city state.

We are also a country that nurtures its own, helps its citizens to realise their potential and gives them the opportunity to do well and excel.

In the sporting and cultural fields, Singaporeans are making their mark in the regional and international arena. We are proud of them because they wear our flag on their sleeves and over their hearts. We cheered on our sporting heroes when they represented Team Singapore at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games and will continue to do so at the Olympics and Paralympics later this year.

Many of us follow closely the artistic achievements of our artists, musicians and film directors and appreciate what they tell us about Singapore society and character. We feel a sense of pride when we look up to our sporting and cultural heroes, not just because of the awards and accolades they win, but also because they represent the best of the human spirit and exemplify the values that we aspire to as Singaporeans – hard work, determination, passion, teamwork. They make us proud of who we are as a people.

Madam, when we identify with one another as Singaporeans, we start to care about and feel connected to one another. We feel that no one should be left to struggle on their own because we are all in this together. We want to look out for one another because we know we are only as strong as the most vulnerable among us.

This came out strongly during Our Singapore Conversation. Singaporeans wanted to see a society that takes care of the disadvantaged, a society with a greater sense of togetherness and a society where the Government and the people have a more collaborative relationship. Singaporeans aspire to be a kinder, more gracious people. This is important because being a caring and cohesive society is the second thing that will determine whether Singapore continues to thrive in the next 50 years.

During the Budget debate, Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin spoke about how we need to overcome a mindset based on scarcity. Such a mindset reduces everything to a zero-sum game. It causes people to think that others gain at their expense.

I think the best way to overcome this is by cultivating a sense of empathy and care. This means recognising the worth and dignity of our fellowmen, that we are part of one another's lives. When we care, it might be helping only one person or improving just a corner of our neighbourhood. But these efforts matter. They make a difference, not just for the beneficiary, but for the giver. That is how we discover our strengths and weaknesses and the depths of our compassion. That is how we grow as individuals and grow closer to the ones we serve. That is how we grow community.

We start to measure success not by how far we are ahead of the next person, but by how many of our fellow Singaporeans we bring along. We are not just bystanders, but invest ourselves, our energy and our purpose to make Singapore a better place. In this way, when we feel responsible for one another, we also erase the lines that divide us. Service binds us to our fellow citizens, to our communities and to our country. It is the social glue that makes us a cohesive society.

Madam, our role in MCCY is to strengthen the bonds of mutual responsibility and common purpose that unite our nation and keep us rooted. They ensure that Singapore will always be home, not just for those of us who live here, but also for Singaporeans who live and work abroad. These bonds transcend time and space.

We will strengthen national identity and pride by fostering a sense of shared endeavour. We will promote national cohesion by expanding shared experiences. And we will foster a caring society by encouraging shared responsibility.

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We will be building on firm foundations. Let me share some findings from our various surveys to illustrate. With your permission, Madam, may I ask the Clerks to distribute the handout, please?

The Chairman: Yes, please. [Handouts were distributed to hon Members.]

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: In terms of national identity and pride, we enjoy a vibrant sports and cultural landscape that reflects our increasing confidence as a nation: (a) 76% are satisfied with the Government's efforts in creating a vibrant sports scene; (b) 64% agree that the arts scene in Singapore has become more vibrant in the past five years; (c) 65% feel proud of Singapore's heritage and culture; and (d) 90% feel a strong sense of identity as Singaporeans.

In terms of building a caring and cohesive community, we have done well so far in preserving racial and religious harmony, and also in uniting Singaporeans to contribute for the greater good: (a) 95% are satisfied with race relations; (b) 92% of youths consider helping the less fortunate to be an important life goal; and (c) 94% hope to play a part in developing Singapore so that future generations of Singaporeans can enjoy the benefits of their efforts.

Let me share how my Ministry intends to build on these positive outcomes through its programmes and resources in the sports, cultural, community and youth sectors.

First, Shared Endeavour – National Identity. Arts, Heritage and Sports play an important role in nourishing national identity and pride. Sports is a great way to rally the nation and has the potential to build national pride. Many Members have spoken about how Singaporeans rallied behind our athletes every step of the way at the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games. Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng will elaborate further on sports excellence.

But I would like to emphasise that sports excellence means far more when Team Singapore athletes give back to the community. Take para swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, for example. Pin Xiu is a role model for all of us, not just for overcoming formidable odds to break the world record in the 50-metre backstroke S2 event, but also for taking the time to reach out and inspire others.

During the Budget debate, Mr Kok Heng Leun said that our literature, music, painting and theatre remind us we are living in one place. I could not have put it better. I also agree with him on "the importance of having arts around us and be part of us", and thank him for acknowledging the Government's effort in developing the arts.

Local arts and culture are important touchstones for what it means to be Singaporean. In a very visceral way, through what we see, touch and hear, the arts hold up a mirror that shows us who we are.

Mr Kok Heng Leun also talked about how sustaining artistic and cultural excellence requires long-term investment and effort. I thank him for sharing with us his three-prong strategy for arts development. We have an increasingly vibrant arts and culture scene, with direct assistance by the National Arts Council (NAC) to our local artists and arts groups doubling from $26 million in 2011 to almost $50 million last year, on top of the $200 million Cultural Matching Fund that arts groups can apply to.

Total attendances for ticketed and non-ticketed events came close to five million last year, which is very high for a small country such as ours.

The numbers do not tell the whole story. An increasing number of seed grant recipients have graduated into the major grant programmes, potentially providing them a longer runway for development. We have also committed more funding to enable our artists to perform on the international stage and further cultural diplomacy. Last year, we returned to the Venice Biennale even as the SingFrance Festival brought a major showcase of Singapore artists to France. We also opened the National Gallery, which is a long-term effort to build a new cultural institution which tells the Singapore Story through the best of Singapore arts.

Later, Parliamentary Secretary Baey will also speak specifically about how we are developing the traditional arts.

Our funding has enlarged the space for our artists and arts groups to create more original Singapore works across music, visual, performing and literary arts. These works reflect our Southeast Asian context, our multicultural diversity and our Singaporean identity.

For example, in December last year, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) staged "Titian Budaya Night: Crossing Cultures in Malaysia", which commemorated 50 years of bilateral relations between Singapore and Malaysia. Playing to a full house, the multi-cultural event saw SCO artfully weaving traditional Chinese, Malay and Indian music with Singaporean jazz and even wayang kulit.

In the field of literature, NAC commissioned "Singathology: 50 New Works" from Singapore's award-winning writers. In the performing arts, the Singapore International Festival of the Arts commissioned several new Singapore works, including the dance production "Returning", which drew from Chinese, Malay and Indian dance traditions and involved different generations of dance-makers.

Young Singaporeans growing up learning about our rich local cultural scene. Our students know their Shakespeare, but they also read playwrights like Haresh Sharma and Jean Tay who have been part of our GCE "O" level English literature texts, along with collections like "Here and Beyond: 12 Stories" that is commissioned by the Ministry of Education (MOE), supported by NAC. This includes stories by Singapore writers like Claire Tham, Simon Tay and Suchen Christine Lim. The NAC Arts Education programme exposes our students to our leading artists, like award-winning film maker Royston Tan and Cultural Medallion recipients Mdm Som Said for Malay Dance and Jeremy Monteiro, a jazz musician. Students also attend performances by groups like the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and SCO.

When we read these stories, listen to the music, watch the dances, we know they are our own. We relate to them. They are expressions of our Singaporean identity.

Chingay is another good example of how culture reflects and enriches our sense of identity. Every country has its own festival processions, but Chingay is one that is uniquely Singaporean. Here, you can see that the religious leaders on the top of the float, singing "一人一半", which translates loosely into "sharing is a virtue". I was there and was totally impressed by the fact that religious leaders could get together and sing in their respective vernacular languages.

So, from the first street parade in 1973, Chingay has evolved from a festivity of the Chinese community to a truly multiracial celebration with performers from diverse backgrounds. I think the important thing here is that the performers themselves are diverse. In some other contexts, we could see multicultural items, but performed by a single group. Here, we are seeing performers of different backgrounds coming together for each and every one of the items. So, the performers are foreign and local, young and old, from different races and, by definition, probably have different religions as well.

It opens a window into the different cultures of Singapore. It represents a country where race, language and creed do not divide, but instead drive a dynamic, multicultural society.

Members talked about the relationship between people and places and the role public spaces have in building a sense of community. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked what we can learn from other cities to make our works more accessible and pleasurable for Singaporeans.

A strong sense of place and local artistic content feature prominently in culturally vibrant places. We will be doing more to enliven the Civic District and Bras Basah-Bugis precinct and deepen the distinctive character of places which make Singapore attractive and unique. Three million dollars will be channelled over the next three years to ramp up place-making efforts in the Civic District.

The funds will be used to expand programming and publicity and build social and civic connections. NAC and the National Heritage Board (NHB) will work with different stakeholders in the community, including arts and heritage groups, to create places that people want to visit and where they can enjoy outdoor and indoor experiences across sports, culture, food and entertainment.

We have also started to bring art to local communities and engage them in arts activities that reflect their local identity, through initiatives like PAssionArts. Parliamentary Secretary Baey will share more about these efforts.

Mr Chen Show Mao asked about Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA). Our shared heritage is an important marker of national identity. But at the same time, identity is not a fixed thing. There must be space for Singapore to evolve with new developments that meet the needs of future generations.

NHB adopts a calibrated and sensitive approach, involving relevant stakeholders, to balance heritage preservation and development needs. There are inevitable trade-offs and differing stakeholder demands in this process. We have studied the HIA frameworks of several countries and have found that these are not fully applicable to Singapore's context. We have decided not to adopt such frameworks wholesale at this point in time, but to evolve an approach suited to our local context.

To guide its HIA efforts, NHB has the Heritage Advisory Panel, which includes experts, academics and industry practitioners. The panel evaluates the significance of sites, buildings and structures and advises on mitigation measures if they are affected by development works.

We agree with Mr Chen Show Mao's point to have closer coordination with Government agencies. NHB works with planning agencies, such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Land Transport Authority and Housing and Development Board, to incorporate heritage considerations into long-term and nearer-term land use and development plans.

NHB is conducting a nationwide survey on Singapore's tangible heritage comprising sites, buildings and structures. When the survey is completed in mid-2017, we will have a comprehensive database that maps out Singapore's heritage assets. NHB will be able to identify Singapore's heritage assets and better advise on their historical significance to facilitate better decision-making by planning agencies.

Mr Low Thia Khiang spoke about allowing different interpretations of Singapore history and setting up an independent commission to oversee NHB grants.

NHB already taps on the expertise of independent external panels to evaluate its grants. The panels comprise representatives from different sectors, including academics and civic society groups, such as the Singapore Heritage Society, to ensure a wide range of opinions and views. To date, NHB grants have funded about 180 projects, ranging from publications, to documentaries, exhibitions, workshops and commissioned research. As NHB does not dictate content, we have seen many different topics and perspectives represented.

NHB also draws widely on local and international experts in curating exhibitions. NHB has consulted such experts on the revamp of our Heritage Institutions and the Singapore history galleries at the National Museum of Singapore. In particular, on Singapore history, the National Museum is advised by senior historians from our universities who are acknowledged in their fields.

The same applies to the recent exhibition at the Old Parliament House, which Mr Low Thia Khiang mentioned. Besides Pioneer leaders, various groups, such as opposition party members, minority members and women members are also featured in the visuals and texts of the exhibition.

For example, Mr Chiam See Tong's quote capturing his perspective on being an opposition party Member of Parliament (MP) is prominently highlighted. As in other exhibitions, NHB and the Arts House would welcome views and additional information which can further enrich our understanding of history.

Overall, NHB's approach is an open and consultative one. It takes an objective approach in its curation of history and invites visitors to examine different perspectives and engage in critical thinking, rather than impose a "standard" or "official" account of history, as Mr Low Thia Khiang says.

Let me give Members an example. The Singapore History Gallery has a showcase displaying published political material leading up to the 1962 Referendum on Merger. The showcase presents the Chinese, English and Malay versions of "The Battle for Merger" by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. This series of radio talks aimed to expose the goals, methods and organisation of the Communist movement. But the showcase also presents two alternative political perspectives published at the time.

One was a booklet entitled "The Truth Behind Merger?" written by Felice Leon-Soh, who was then-Secretary General of the Liberal Socialist Party. In the booklet, she urged the people to question the People's Action Party's (PAP's) campaign for Merger and make an informed decision when casting their votes during the referendum. The other was "合并, 假合并与邦联" or "Merger, Phony Merger and Confederation", a booklet published by the Barisan Sosialis in which the party disagreed with the Merger terms set out by the PAP and instead championed full and complete Merger.

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The above example illustrates how NHB seeks to present curatorial viewpoints based on facts and comprehensive research from multiple available sources. At the same time, NHB welcomes new sources of information and viewpoints that enrich our understanding of our past through different perspectives.

Madam, I will go to the next topic, which is shared experiences for social cohesion. The fabric of a society is delicately woven, strand by strand, from the small daily interactions we have with our neighbours, friends and family.

Research tells us that the experiences we share and the everyday exchanges we have are the building blocks of social cohesion. This is why we see public spaces like our museums, galleries, sports facilities as important common spaces where everyone of us from different walks of life can meet one another, experience the same things together and build trust, consideration and understanding on a daily basis.

Our museums and galleries have a special place in the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. Visitorship reached a high of almost four million last year. The National Gallery alone saw almost 700,000 go through its doors since it opened late last year.

We will ensure our collections and facilities are meaningful to Singaporeans from all walks of life, through programming and place-making. We will design our programmes to enable everyone to participate, whether young or old, rich or poor, able-bodied or not.

During the Budget debate, Mr Kok Heng Leun spoke about the lack of space for discourse and for art to ask difficult questions. He also quoted Lu Xun to explain that the nature of art is to examine change, to pursue truth. However, as the nature of politics is to maintain the status quo, according to Lu Xun, art and politics will diverge.

I agree with him, but only partially. Politics in Singapore does not seek to maintain the status quo. Neither do Government policies. Good politics and good policies are forward-looking. So, we have made changes and adjustments along the way. Norms of what are acceptable or not, evolve. Compared to a generation ago, there is more space for expression and experimentation, while still preserving peaceful social relations. But there is, ultimately, a need for rules of engagement to safeguard the social harmony that we cherish, which then creates the safe space for citizens to pursue their aspirations and for art to do its work. To quote Henry Kissinger:

"Any system of world order, to be sustainable, must be accepted as just – not only by leaders but also by citizens. It must reflect two truths: order without freedom, even if sustained by momentary exaltation, eventually creates its own counterpoise; yet freedom cannot be secured or sustained without a framework of order to keep the peace. Order and freedom, sometimes described as opposite poles on the spectrum of experience, should instead be understood as interdependent."

While Kissinger wrote these words in the context of world order, I think it appropriately describes the Singapore context as well, a recognition that the Government has to balance order and freedom; and that our role is to drive progress while remaining in step with the populace and maintaining societal order. It is only with social harmony that we can enjoy the peace and, ultimately, the freedom that comes with it.

Sports. Sport is a great way to bring diverse communities together. ActiveSG, which was launched two years ago as our national movement for sport, contributes to this. ActiveSG has over a million members now and offers a wide range of programmes catering to different ages and interests.

Mr Henry Kwek asked about sustaining sports participation across life stages. ActiveSG will launch sports academies and clubs across Singapore. The academies will offer structured programmes in selected sports for youths to develop their skills. The clubs will organise events to enable all Singaporeans to enjoy sports. They will host interest groups, community and corporate leagues with varying levels of competitiveness for participants of all ages and skill levels to stay active and grow their social networks through sports. So, perhaps, we should revive our MP Football Club and participate in one of these corporate leagues. These leagues and community clubs will complement and supplement the schools and address concerns, such as inability to get into a school team, and provide opportunities to play even when a sport is not covered by a particular school.

Mdm Chair, next, shared responsibility, a caring society. A caring society is one enriched by service and responsibility to one another. It is a society where we give back our time, talent and treasure freely. It involves active citizenship, which matters because, in a more turbulent future, the challenges we face will require action that exceeds the limits of the Government. The Government will build strong partnerships with the people, the theme of this Budget. For many years, the Government has consulted citizens on policies and to gather feedback. The Ministries conduct surveys and consult stakeholders in our policy-making process.

To build a common future together, MCCY will create more avenues for citizens to step forward, lend a hand and be part of the solutions to the problems we face. The public can contribute by giving views on policies, organising local activities or volunteering a service to the needy.

Members Ms Joan Pereira, Dr Lily Neo, Mr Melvin Yong spoke on the importance of volunteerism. SG50 saw many examples of Singaporeans contributing time and effort to various causes, offering help during the mourning period for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, volunteering for Team Nila during the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games and donating generously to Care&Share@SG50.

We want to grow this culture of caring and giving. MCCY will encourage more citizen participation and create more volunteering opportunities. Take this as an example. Students at the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU's) Welfare Services Club created a novel water sports programme called the SEA Lions. It teaches under-privileged youth how to swim first and then, when they can swim, they will go on to sailing and windsurfing. The students raised $50,000 for the project by themselves and Sport Singapore is matching them dollar for dollar. You can see the results of their good work at Jurong West Swimming Complex, where the first batch of youngsters began learning to swim in February. This is volunteerism at its best and we want to enable more of such efforts.

We see companies as key partners in growing a culture of giving. Working adults often do not have time to organise something on their own. So, companies play an important role in creating the opportunities for employees to volunteer for a worthy cause. Corporate giving also builds relationships between businesses and the communities they serve. For the employees and beneficiaries involved, corporate social responsibility (CSR) or volunteerism projects are opportunities to make new friends beyond their usual circles. It is a natural setting for employees from different nationalities and ethnicities to get to know one another better. Mr Thomas Chua, Mr Henry Kwek and Ms Joan Pereira spoke on encouraging corporate giving. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will share more about our efforts to support corporates' CSR efforts.

For citizens with good ideas on making Singapore a better home, we will support them with resources to realise their ideas. During his Budget speech, the Minister for Finance announced Our Singapore Fund to support meaningful projects by passionate citizens who wish to help others, meet community needs as well as support ground-up initiatives to celebrate and exemplify our Singapore spirit. Up to $25 million will be allocated to Our Singapore Fund, including grants by MSF, Tote Board and MCCY.

Through Our Singapore Fund, MCCY will encourage citizens to take ownership of the future of Singapore and keep the momentum of SG50 going. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked what lessons we have learnt from the SG50 Celebration Fund. From the many meaningful projects that surfaced during SG50 that brought our community together, we know there is a rich store of enthusiasm and public spirit. We want to unlock it with a little support to translate these ideas into reality.

Next, active and engaged citizens. Mdm Chair, I would like to highlight three major initiatives in our nation-building effort.

First, Team Nila. I do not think you could miss them in their purple shirts during SEA Games and the ASEAN Para Games. At its peak, Team Nila had 23,000 members. These volunteers were deployed in a wide spectrum of roles from ushers, anti-doping officers to safety officers. They are not athletes and do not compete in the Games, but Team Nila allowed them to participate fully in the Games. It was a movement and an inclusive community. Volunteers with disabilities worked alongside those without; volunteers in their teens alongside those in their 70s; children alongside their parents; expatriates alongside locals. Team Nila was a mirror of Singapore's diversity, coming together as one to make the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games successful.

Rain or shine, our volunteers turned up in full force. When Maximillian Tan, a para equestrian athlete, found out that his event was not staged in the ASEAN Para Games, he volunteered himself with Team Nila. Together with his father, he helped train our volunteers in disability etiquette. Doreen Cady cancelled her holiday plan and went out of her way to take care of the Myanmar delegation.

Budi, a new citizen, volunteered with Team Nila multiple times and proudly hosted our Indonesian guests at the Games. Some volunteer leaders like Ms Dawn Lim went the extra mile to cover shifts for fellow volunteers who had to call in sick. She even treated her volunteer group to a barbecue to thank everyone for their work. The volunteers whom I have met personally were unanimously motivated to leave a good impression with the foreign guests and do Singapore proud. Our foreign guests were able to feel the dedication and sincerity in them and were full of praise for our volunteers. I would like to say a big thank you to our Team Nila volunteers.

Team Nila made the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games much more than events for winning medals. They made them a precious opportunity for volunteerism and the building of social bonds and national identity. Creating platforms for Team Nila and growing the group of volunteers not just in sports but also in the arts, heritage and the community are important tasks for my colleagues.

Next, the Outward Bound School (OBS) @ Coney. Members Ms Denise Phua and Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar spoke in favour of outdoor adventure education, and Mr Darryl David, Ms Sun Xueling, Miss Cheng Li Hui asked about our plans for the OBS Campus on Coney Island. For any individual, the OBS experience can be transformational.

During the Budget debate, Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin spoke about the need to overcome the habit of fear. Mr Darryl David spoke as a loving father about how his young son overcame fear and gained confidence through outdoor adventure learning. Indeed, the physical challenges at OBS make you confront your fears and overcome them. When before, fear was a limiting factor, by the time you complete the course, having conquered your fears, you realise there are endless new possibilities. You are ready for the fears that life might throw at you. Whether it is the inverse tower or kayak expedition, our youths will be presented with obstacles, challenges and unfamiliar situations. They will learn to work with one another. They will venture out of their comfort zone. They will have a chance to experiment, fail and learn from that failure. As Seow Bei Yi noted in her recent article in The Straits Times, students are allowed to push their limits, fail and recover from it. She said, and I quote, "If the OBS experience has taught me anything, it is to face fears head-on, or at least try."

Beyond individual development, OBS @ Coney will enable all youths from all backgrounds to benefit from a common OBS experience. When it is completed in 2020, OBS will be able to serve 45,000 youths per year, triple the capacity today. Every young person, not just the student leaders, will have an opportunity to go through a five-day OBS camp at least once in their schooling years.

It is a major step in social levelling of opportunities. Unlike today, when the majority who go through OBS go with their classmates, we will mix students from different schools. They will make new friends and journey together throughout the five-day OBS camp. We hope this experience will form life-long bonds for many.

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As we proceed on this project, Parliamentary Secretary Baey will take the lead in engaging our stakeholders and the public. We are open to Members' ideas on how we can build this campus together to provide a safe and meaningful experience of a lifetime for our children. I wish to assure Miss Cheng Li Hui that the general public will continue to enjoy full access to the spaces and facilities of Coney Island Park, which will retain its rustic nature.

Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin asked how we were helping youths to find their place in the future economy. OBS @ Coney is one of many efforts to prepare our youths for the future. OBS will inspire a sense of adventure, resilience and teamwork in our youths. These are the skill sets that they will need later on in life. The Committee on the Future Economy is engaging Singaporeans, including young Singaporeans, whose views will factor into the bespoke plans for the economic sectors that the Government is developing.

MOE is shifting away from a prior emphasis on grades to lifelong learning and skills which will prepare our children and youths for the future. Through SkillsFuture, we are building a movement for lifelong learning, skills mastery and re-skilling to keep up with evolving industry needs. In our polytechnics and ITEs, education and career guidance will be structured into the curriculum and developed through industry immersion programmes, talks and workshops. Student internships will be enhanced to provide more time for on-the-job learning to cover key skills critical to the job, as well as structured mentoring.

Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin also suggested having bespoke plans for youths. The National Youth Council (NYC) today offers a plethora of programmes that engage and develop youths of diverse backgrounds and aspirations. For example, Youth Corps Singapore provides youths with opportunities to be developed as community service leaders. OBS also offers a flagship 21-day programme to develop leaders through outdoor adventure. Many young Singaporeans can pursue their aspirations through *SCAPE, music, media, dance and personal development programmes. Last year, the *SCAPE media hub was launched to provide creative space for young media enthusiasts who lack space to work on projects after they leave school. At the same time, NYC continues to encourage and support ground-up initiatives through our National Youth Fund. We want to better support youths as they transit from schools to work. MCCY will coordinate efforts across the Government to engage youths on their need and aspirations at their different life stages.

Let me end with SGfuture. We embarked on SGfuture in November last year.

SGfuture asks Singaporeans to share their ideas on building a better future for Singapore and act on their projects to help realise this future. It explores with Singaporeans how we can foster a caring community, build a sustainable home, create opportunities for learning and strengthen community and national resilience. It calls on Singaporeans to play their part and partner the Government and one another to realise a shared vision.

So far, we have organised around a hundred sessions, involving around 6,000 Singaporeans. Many ground-up projects have surfaced during these engagements. One project is being developed by a young social entrepreneur, Cheryl Lim, who wants to encourage intergenerational interaction between the elderly and young children, by training active agers to be facilitators and mentors. Intergenerational activities are incorporated to promote education and health issues among the active agers and the young children. Cheryl did her own research to develop an intergenerational curriculum and shared her ideas at a recent Ministry of Health (MOH) SGfuture dialogue session in February. MOH is linking her up with National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Health and My First Skool to explore how her ideas can be tried at childcare and senior activity centres.

And we are seeing Singaporeans coming forward to partner the Government to build a better home together.

These are exciting new developments and mark a new approach to governance. Through SGfuture, we are defining our future together and how every Singaporean can play a part in realising it. As we transit from the highs of celebrating SG50 to the next 50 years, engaging citizens will take on a new urgency for the Government to grow a strong society and a robust social compact.

The series of SGfuture engagements represents a major step towards promoting citizen engagement across all of Government. We hope it will jumpstart the building of the whole-of-Government capacity in citizen engagement, extending and expanding citizen engagement efforts in the years to come.

With SGfuture, my Ministry is taking the lead in co-ordinating with agencies across the Government to co-create solutions and co-deliver services with citizens. There will be areas of disagreement and issues of complexity that are not easy to navigate. But we can overcome them in the spirit of partnership. Engagement is not a one-off endeavour. It has to be an ongoing interaction to build durable partnerships among the people, private and public sectors. This will require new skills on the part of the Public Service and taking some risks. But by working together, we can build an even better Singapore in the next 50 years.

In the end, every one of us is going to have to share the future. The question is what kind of future and whether we can create a future of shared responsibility and shared prosperity. The road ahead will not be without challenges. But we can achieve our common vision of a harmonious society, a caring people and a confident nation if every individual, family and community play their part together. My Ministry will partner Singaporeans to build a stronger Singapore and a better home for all of us. In this way, we will secure the best future for Singapore. [Applause.]

The Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Sim Ann): Madam, I will first address Members' remarks on efforts to strengthen racial and religious understanding.

Racial and religious harmony is a fundamental value of our society. The Community Engagement Programme (CEP) was launched in 2006 to establish national and local platforms to strengthen relationships between our ethnic and faith groups.

At the national level, the National Steering Committee (NSC) on Racial and Religious Harmony is a platform for apex leaders of the major ethnic and religious groups to engage each other and with the Government.

At the local level, MCCY supports the activities of Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs), which comprises representatives from ethnic and religious organisations. IRCCs organise more than 400 activities each year, including dialogues, celebrations of one another's festival and joint volunteer programmes, at different places of worship. They also train community leaders to respond to crises in order to ensure that our communities are resilient to incidents with religious and racial overtones.

I agree with Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin that our harmony depends on Singaporeans having respect for one another's beliefs as well as a sense of shared responsibility. And it is important that these values are passed down to our youths.

So, I thank Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin, as well as Ms Rahayu Mahzam, for their thoughtful comments on the need to engender open conversations among our youths. This is necessary if we are to develop a deeper understanding of the need for common spaces, give-and-take and a rich appreciation of one another's beliefs.

Schools are natural places to develop our students' sensitivity to different beliefs and practices. In Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) and Social Studies, students discuss the need for mutual respect, common space and the consequences of perpetuating stereotypes and prejudices.

Beyond the classroom, MCCY supports additional programmes that bring youths together to make friends from different cultures and backgrounds, share common experiences and appreciate one another's beliefs. One such programme is CampTeen, which will have its 10th edition this year. It is a four-day residential programme that brings together more than 200 students from schools, international schools and madrasahs, during which they engage with sensitive topics, including race and religion.

We also support the HarmonyWorks! Conference, which reaches out to some 700 youths each year. This provides a safe space for our youths to converse honestly. For example, some participants share their personal experiences of racism. Volunteer facilitators lead small-group discussions about the challenges faced by our increasingly diverse society and the personal steps we can take to address them.

We want more groups to help make such conversations possible. MCCY launched the Harmony Fund in 2013 and this has already seeded 78 projects that draw participants from a wide range of ethnic and faith groups. Almost half of these are targeted at youths. NYC is also working with IRCCs and various religious and ethnic groups to launch more platforms where youths can have candid and constructive exchanges.

I also share Mr Alex Yam's concern that our young may be exposed to online disinformation. Minister Yaacob Ibrahim earlier highlighted initiatives undertaken by the Malay/Muslim community against radicalisation. More generally, parents play a key role in shaping their children's Internet exposure. MOE and the Media Literacy Council have developed cyber wellness resources to help parents guide their children's digital media consumption. MOE's cyber wellness curriculum in schools also reinforces positive values so that our students can navigate cyberspace safely. Madam, in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As a multiracial and multireligious society, Singapore has always viewed racial and religious harmony as one of the fundamental tenets in nation-building. Many places in the world still see conflicts along racial and religious lines. Extremist and violent messages have also become easily broadcast due to the widespread use of the Internet. In this environment, it is difficult to maintain peace and unity. One can even say that it is like swimming against the tide and you will be swept away if you do not keep up.

To maintain Singapore's racial and religious harmony, the Government has set up several initiatives and platforms to strengthen mutual understanding, trust and resilience among community groups. These include CEP in 2006; NSC, which includes the apex leaders of ethnic and religious groups; and IRCCs. This has resulted in a strong and deeply-rooted network of community groups. MCCY, through the Harmony Fund and NYC, also supports activities like dialogues and learning camps that enhance our youths' appreciation and support of racial and religious harmony.

(In English): Let me now elaborate on how we will grow our giving culture. MCCY works with partners like the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) to encourage Singaporeans to give. Last year, NVPC launched their online giving platform, giving.sg, to match citizens with causes and charities and enable them to track their giving activities.

I agree with Dr Lily Neo that we must find more ways to recognise and support our volunteers. We will consider her suggestions as we and our partners refine these programmes. Minister Grace Fu spoke earlier about how we are supporting ground-up initiatives through Our Singapore Fund and how we will support youth volunteers through the Youth Corps.

Ms Joan Pereira wanted to know more about how we are supporting our senior volunteers. As part of the Action Plan for Successful Ageing, we want to create opportunities for seniors to be enriched with productive and meaningful lives. Last year, a Silver Volunteer Fund of up to $40 million was set up and it is championed by the President's Challenge. From this year, the fund will be implemented by the Council for Third Age, with support from NVPC. It will support the establishment of volunteer management systems, volunteer training and programmes that offer volunteering opportunities to seniors.

Another key group of volunteers is our working adults. We regularly speak of corporate transformation in terms of productivity and innovation. It is just as important that businesses in our future economy are civic-minded and play active roles in our communities.

CapitaLand is a fine example. Ten years ago, it set up its CapitaLand Hope Foundation to donate a portion of its annual profits to support underprivileged children. In addition, CapitaLand staff are given three days of Volunteer Service Leave each year. And when a staff member takes all three days, CapitaLand donates $500 to a charity of their choice. And it is not just large companies that benefit from corporate giving programmes.

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GreenPac is a small and medium enterprise which provides well-designed and environmentally-friendly packaging solutions. GreenPac's founder and chief executive officer, Ms Susan Chong, believes in doing well by doing good and she has built this belief into her company's structure. GreenPac sets itself key performance indicators (KPIs) for giving and appraises its employees on how they give. The company has donated hydroponic systems to schools and estates in the Jurong neighbourhood, and its staff regularly visit to train students and residents to care for the plants. Having made corporate giving a part of its core principles, GreenPac's employees consistently report workplace satisfaction levels above 90%.

We will do more to encourage businesses to be more civic-minded, meet the aspirations of their employees and be enterprises of which Singaporeans can be proud.

In his Budget speech, the Minister for Finance spoke about the Business and Institutions of Public Character (IPC) Partnership Scheme. The Minister for Social and Family Development, in his Committee of Supply speech, spoke about how he is enhancing the ComChest SHARE programme.

Beyond these incentives, Ms Joan Pereira and Mr Henry Kwek asked how MCCY and NVPC are building up corporate giving capabilities in our businesses.

I am pleased to share that NVPC has partnered the Singapore Business Federation Foundation to develop a new Company of Good Programme. The programme is open to all businesses in Singapore and will empower them to give better.

The programme will offer customised levels of support to meet the different needs of businesses. All participating businesses will have access to advice, resources and networks where they can share and learn best practices. As Mr Thomas Chua suggested, this will help them improve their giving practices. Participating businesses can also choose to display a Company of Good logo on their materials. For businesses that are starting giving programmes without prior experience, NVPC will provide basic training. NVPC will give more details on the Company of Good programme in May.

Mr Melvin Yong asked about how we can use sports, arts and heritage to encourage more Singaporeans to volunteer. Minister Grace Fu spoke of the commitment of Singaporeans who volunteered during the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games last year. To continue supporting the thousands of these Team Nila volunteers, SportSG will establish domains of expertise for volunteers to use their skills through sports events. These include sports photography, sports safety and leadership functions. SportSG will also enhance the Sports Volunteer Framework to better engage and recognise volunteers and expand volunteering opportunities. SportSG will also expand its SportCares volunteer movement.

In the arts, the National Arts Council (NAC) has a programme called ArtReach to raise the capability of artists, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and rehabilitation centres to use the arts to achieve social outcomes. For example, NAC partners the Agency for Integrated Care to incorporate the arts into the community care framework. Today, one-fifth of our Community Care organisations run arts programmes.

Last month, NHB also launched a volunteer programme for the heritage sector. HeritageCares will have programmes at NHB museums and other heritage institutions to bond families and communities. It will also offer volunteer programmes for the public. HeritageCares will reach 4,000 beneficiaries each year.

Let me now address Ms Foo Mee Har's query about harmonising requirements for foreign and local charitable purpose trusts. Foreign charitable purpose trusts are set up by foreigners with foreign sources of funds. They are granted tax exemptions to encourage them to locate their trust management and administration activities in Singapore. To get this exemption, they must administer their trust through a Singapore-licensed trust company.

Local charitable purpose trusts, whose sources of funds are local and which advance charitable purposes substantially in Singapore, must register for charity status under the Charities Act in order to enjoy tax exemption. This is to safeguard the interest of donors and recipients.

To promote charitable giving, we have made our regulations for these trusts easy to comply with. Under the lighter-touch regulatory regime, qualifying grant-makers, including local charitable trusts that do not solicit funds from the public, only need to comply with the basic requirements of filing annual reports and financial accounts. So, they have a significantly lower regulatory burden than other charities.

We will study the point raised by Ms Foo and review with partner agencies if necessary.

I will now address Mr Alex Yam's query about how we are making our arts and heritage spaces more accessible to those with disabilities. MCCY will extend concessions to persons with disabilities at our NHB museums as well as the Singapore Art Museum and the National Gallery of Singapore. Those with disabilities will be charged the lowest concession price for permanent and special exhibitions, and we will grant free access to one accompanying caregiver. NHB will continue to consult on how it can further improve the visitor experience for persons with disabilities.

Mr Melvin Yong asked about how we can help more people with disabilities benefit from sports. Last year, MCCY set up the Committee for Disability Sports and MCCY has accepted the recommendations proposed by the Committee.

There are three thrusts under the Disability Sports Master Plan.

First, expand access and opportunities for participation. SportSG will pilot the launch of Centres of Expertise, which will have disability sports programmes and facilities like inclusive gyms that are more accessible to persons with disabilities. Within the next five years, we will introduce these in at least five ActiveSG sports centres island-wide, starting with centres in Queenstown, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Jurong West. SportSG will also work with MOE to develop relevant sports programmes for schools with students with disabilities.

Second, we will develop the necessary organisational and professional capabilities. SportSG and the Singapore Disability Sports Council will work with sports associations and healthcare institutions to introduce sports for rehabilitation.

Third, we will build awareness of disability sports. SportSG will work with NVPC to develop a support network for disability sports through volunteerism and corporate philanthropy. We will also continue to showcase our inspirational para-athletes.

Together with stakeholders, SportSG will develop and implement these initiatives over the next five years. MCCY will continue to work with our people to make Singapore an inclusive society with a culture of contribution.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mdm Chair, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann spoke earlier about the importance of strengthening our social glue and building a more cohesive society. At the same time, we also want to create common spaces and shared experiences through sports, heritage and arts, for us to come together, build stronger bonds and develop to our fullest potential. Mdm Chair, with your permission, I would like to display some slides on the screen.

The Chairman: Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Thank you. At last year's SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, we saw the power of sports in bringing together Singaporeans from all walks of life, as we celebrated our athletes' achievements as One Team Singapore.

We will continue to build a stronger community and inspire the Singapore spirit through sports. Mr Henry Kwek asked how we will continue to provide quality opportunities so that we can make sports a lifestyle for Singaporeans. As Minister Grace Fu shared, ActiveSG, our national movement for sports, has attracted more than one million members since its launch in April 2014. Working adults currently make up more than half of the membership. Almost two-thirds of members have started to utilise their $100 ActiveSG credits. Last year, our public sports facilities had more than 15 million visitors. Going beyond facilities, we continued to offer innovative programmes at our sports centres, such as Piloxing, which is a fusion of pilates, boxing and dance, or Stand Up Paddling, a mix of canoeing and surfing.

It is heartening to see so many Singaporeans onboard ActiveSG, but what is more important is for members to continue participating in sports, even as they transit across different life stages. That is why we are stepping up efforts for sports to score four "As" − Available, Accessible, Anytime, Anywhere.

We will expand ActiveSG programmes and grow the sporting capabilities in a number of sports domains to encourage broad-based participation and for people to stay engaged in the sport. Through the ActiveSG Sports Academies and Clubs, there will be a variety of opportunities and structured programmes for Singaporeans to keep an active lifestyle. For example, we recently launched the ActiveSG Football Academy under the leadership of former national player Aleksandar Duric. The Academy will benefit many youths, including nine-year-old Ong Kai Le from Canberra Primary School, who was not selected for his school's football team, but has a strong passion for football. Through the Academy, he will now have more opportunities not only to play football, but also to learn and improve in the sport.

In the upcoming months, we will roll out Basketball and Tennis Academies as well as Athletics Club, giving more opportunities for the public to pick up a new sport, develop both sporting and life skills, and possibly go on to pursue the sport competitively.

Besides providing events and programmes for members, we also want to enhance the gotong-royong spirit through the ActiveSG movement, by allowing members and community partners to take on more active roles in designing and implementing programmes at our sports centres. To rejuvenate our shared sporting spaces, we partnered the students of Fernvale Primary School to liven up the walls of Sengkang Sports Centre with their murals, and we hope to expand this to other sports centres as well.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about improving our sporting facilities, which we aim to achieve under the Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP). As Members are aware, we are continuing to work on several major projects in Bedok, Punggol, Sembawang and Tampines as part of SFMP. Due to the phasing of public sector infrastructure projects at the national level to manage constraints, such as construction manpower, upcoming developments in the pipeline will have to be phased out over the longer term, probably after 2020.

But not to worry, Er Dr Lee. In the interim, we will continue to step up programming efforts under ActiveSG in Yishun, as well as other areas. For example, at Yishun Sports Centre, as part of the popular ActiveSG School Holiday Sports Programmes, we recently conducted camps for basketball and flippa ball, which is modified water polo in shallow pools. We have also conducted mini-tennis programmes in schools, including Naval Base Primary School in Nee Soon South. With the launch of the ActiveSG Tennis Academy later this year, mini-tennis programmes will also be offered to the wider public at our sports centres and indoor sports halls under the Dual-Use Scheme in Yishun as well as other areas.

I would like to assure Members that we remain committed to providing more accessible common spaces for the community to play sports and bond through sports. As part of SFMP, we have worked with MOE to open up 15 new indoor sports halls in 2015. Over the last year, we have had more than 200,000 bookings for facilities under the Dual-Use Scheme. So, we now have almost 80 indoor sports halls and close to 140 school fields across the island available for public use after school hours. We aim to open up all the remaining indoor sports halls and fenced fields in Government primary and secondary schools under the Dual-Use Scheme by around 2020.

As we provide sporting opportunities and spaces for all Singaporeans, we remain committed to sports excellence. Members like Mr Ganesh Rajaram, Mr Darryl David and Mr Alex Yam highlighted the importance of supporting our athletes. We are now providing our athletes with a wide range of support. We have more than 70 elite athletes from 16 different sports under the spexScholarship.

At the recent SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, our spexScholars contributed about one-third of Team Singapore's medal haul. Several of them have also qualified for Rio 2016. Other carded athletes receive training allowances, coaching and sports medicine and sports science services under the various spexSchemes.

Team Singapore athletes who have qualified or are on track to qualify for the Games are supported under the spexScholarship and Race to Rio programmes, where they are provided with enhanced support that they need to prepare for the Games.

Even as they excel on the international stage, many of our athletes, like Yip Pin Xiu, give back to the wider community. Ex-national footballers have joined ActiveSG Football Academy as Sport Ambassadors to groom the next generation of football lovers. Our national badminton players conduct clinics for aspiring shuttlers at our sports centres. Micky Lin, our national netball team captain, shared with young Singaporeans at a recent forum about her life growing up and how she managed to balance studies with her sporting pursuits. Beyond excelling in the field, our athletes are developing a following, spreading a sporting culture and making a positive difference to the lives of other Singaporeans.

I agree with Mr Ganesh Rajaram that it takes a village to raise a champion. In fact, I am very heartened by Mr and Mrs Ganesh's unwavering support for their son's aspiration to pursue a professional career in football. He told me that his son has already represented his football club in the Under-16 World Club Championships in Sweden last July. So, that is a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to him!

We hope to hear more of such stories and we need to work with parents, schools and corporates to build an environment conducive to the pursuit of sports excellence from young. That is why we have the Sports School, the spexEducation Scheme and the spexBusiness Network to help athletes cope with the demands of studies or career through flexible academic and work arrangements.

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The spexBusiness Network has tripled in size to 30 partners over the past two years and includes the likes of Deloitte and NTUC FairPrice, which were also sponsors of the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games. To date, we have 72 athletes emplaced with these companies, so thank you for the support.

Let me elaborate on how we are developing a pipeline of new talents. Just last year, students and alumni from the Singapore Sports School contributed 70 out of 259 medals at the SEA Games.

Building on the success of the Singapore Sports School (SSP), we recently set up the National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI) to support our youth athletes in their pursuit of sporting excellence. This dedicated support for youth training and development will extend beyond SSP to other mainstream schools, starting with selected sports.

For a start, in 2016, we expect about 200 non-SSP youth athletes, starting with nine identified sports, to benefit from the support by NYSI and its partners, including sport science and athlete life management services. At steady state, NYSI will support up to 400 carded youth national athletes from mainstream schools. It will do so by working with National Sports Associations (NSAs) to develop their systems for youth coaching and youth athlete development as well as long-term development plans for promising youth athletes.

Mr Alex Yam will be happy to note that table tennis is one of the nine identified sports, and NYSI is working closely with the Singapore Table Tennis Association to provide targeted sports science support for national youth team paddlers from SSP as well as from other mainstream schools. In time, NYSI's partnership with NSAs could expand beyond these nine sports.

In addition, the institute has started working with various partners including MOE, the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) and NSAs to build more pathways for sporting talents to emerge and to provide more opportunities for these junior athletes to grow and develop their potential in sports and, more importantly, in life.

Mr Alex Yam asked how NYSI will complement the existing SSI which is under SportSG. NYSI is aimed at supporting our high-performing student athletes from age 12 to 18, while SSI supports older elite athletes who are competing at the senior level.

The training design, strength and conditioning programme and recovery for young adolescent athlete are quite different from an adult athlete. For instance, when do you start with weight training? How intense and for how long? These are important questions which our team of specialists can now provide answers to.

Nonetheless, NYSI and SSI will work closely together to strengthen the national athlete pipeline and build a seamless progression pathway for current and future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen.

We hope to show through these programmes that more talented athletes will pursue their dreams of representing Singapore. We hope that, over time, mindsets will change and more parents will support their children's aspirations to go into sports and more schools are willing to exercise greater flexibility for student athletes to pursue their sporting goals. So, quoting Mr Ganesh, "Let's be sporting about our children's choice in sports".

Mdm Chair, I would like now to speak about how we are reaching out to the community through the arts and heritage. Dr Teo Ho Pin spoke about promoting community arts. Our community arts programmes and initiatives have been specially designed to make the arts more accessible to all Singaporeans.

The Arts in your Neighbourhood series reached out to almost 90,000 attendees in 2015. This year, we will be making the series more attractive with interactive projects that the community can participate in. So, we welcome Dr Teo Ho Pin to offer Bukit Panjang Art Street to play host to future editions of Arts in our Neighbourhood.

We will also continue to develop more Arts and Culture Community Nodes to dedicate more community spaces for the arts. Through the PAssionArts programme and the annual PAssionArts Festival, we have been boosting exposure, interest and participation in community arts by residents and grassroots enthusiasts. This adds buzz and builds attachment to community spaces.

A great example of this is the beautifully painted Kolam Ayer Bridge. Named "Rainbow", this work of art was designed by local Visual Artist Shah Rizzal and painted by more than 200 residents of Kolam Ayer. Under the PAssionArts Hotspots programme, residents can also showcase their other artworks right in the heart of the neighbourhood, in spaces like hawker centres, parks and playgrounds. By partnering citizens to co-create artworks, we can involve residents who are new to art, enliven conventional community spaces and bring these enriching experiences closer to home.

In fact, last year's PAssionArts partnered the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) to bring the arts experience into the homes of residents in the heartlands. Artist-mentors were engaged to work with 25 homeowners to transform their living rooms into theatres. So, even ordinary Singaporeans had the opportunity to work with artist-mentors to co-create art works for a prominent festival like SIFA.

As Mr Kok Heng Leun highlighted, the Arts and Culture Strategic Review has seen significant investment to increase the accessibility of community arts and we agree that efforts to promote community arts should go beyond one-off projects to bring opportunities to experience and participate in art-making to the community. It should look at how the arts can be made a more integral part of our lives. That is why initiatives like PAssionArts and the Arts in your Neighbourhood series are ongoing efforts. We will continue to broaden access and the reach of the arts and enhance the quality and diversity of programmes to deepen engagement within the community.

For instance, we have, under the New Grants Framework, supported arts practitioners and organisations to engage and collaborate with communities. Mr Kok mentioned the ArtsWok Collective, which NAC's Seed Grant proudly founded. The group, together with Drama Box, worked closely with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital to produce a series of artworks, inviting the public to reflect on and share their thoughts on the culturally-sensitive issues of death and dying.

I agree with Mr Kok Heng Leun on the importance of intermediaries for the growth of community arts. Examples of such intermediaries include ArtsWok, the Singapore Drama Educators Association, Art Outreach and National Book Development Council Singapore and these are already being funded by NAC's Major and Seed Grants. These grants allow them to focus on their professional development and to produce high quality programmes that can better reach out to their various beneficiaries and target audiences.

Mr Kok Heng Leun also spoke about setting appropriate targets for arts groups. We can assure him that the objectives for Major and Seed Grant companies are customised to reflect the companies' vision, target audience and programmes. For example, a performing arts company's KPIs could include audience outreach at their performances and training workshops for practitioners, while an intermediary's KPIs would also consider the quality of the experience rather than just outreach numbers alone. In fact, NAC will be conducting a review of the Major Grant framework and we welcome ideas on how to improve the schemes, including KPIs.

Mr Kok Heng Leun also pointed out that a space does not simply become a place without support from the local community and we recognise the importance of creative place-making being relational and ground-up. Minister Grace Fu shared our plans to continue investing in programming and marketing efforts to revitalise the Bras Basah-Bugis precinct and the Civic District. And this needs to go hand in hand with community ownership and strong support from the arts and heritage groups within the areas.

For instance, the recent Armenian Street Party 2016 was organised and supported by stakeholders in the Bras Basah-Bugis Precinct, not just institutions like the Peranakan Museum and Singapore Management University, but also cultural groups like Dance Ensemble Singapore, the Peranakan community and shops in the vicinity.

We are just starting out on this journey to involve local communities in our place-making efforts and we encourage both artists and arts groups and intermediaries, as well as residents and community stakeholders to step forward, collaborate with one another to build and develop the character of local precincts around the island.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked how we are stepping up efforts to support traditional arts, facilitate cross-cultural understanding and help Singapore better appreciate our roots.

We are, indeed, looking at ways to uplift the traditional arts sector and keep traditional arts relevant and accessible to Singaporeans. We will continue to professionalise and nurture the next generation of traditional arts talent. NAC's funding to traditional arts groups has almost doubled in the last five years from $1.26 million in FY2011 to $2.51 million in FY2015. Many of the arts organisations supported by NAC's Major Grant Scheme have a strong focus on developing quality traditional arts programmes and are also actively reaching out to the community. In fact, in the recently announced list of NAC Major Grant recipients, more than one third are traditional arts groups.

An example is Apsaras Arts, a former recipient of NAC's Seed Grant and now Major Grant. Besides creating works and staging performances, Apsaras Arts also started DEVATA – Friends of Apsaras Arts. It is a tiered membership programme to reach out to the community and corporates so that it can grow sustainably and consolidate a fan base. Apsaras also established Dance India Asia Pacific, an intensive programme where students develop their techniques in Indian classical dance, taught by renowned international practitioners.

Another example is NADI Singapura, a traditional Malay drums and percussion company that was also supported by NAC's Seed and now Major Grant. NADI was founded by 31-year-old Riduan Zalani, who seeks to push the boundaries of traditional music by infusing modern elements in his works. More importantly, Riduan, also a recipient of last year's National Young Artist Award, hopes to spread the love of traditional arts to other young musicians and audiences.

To identify and encourage potential musical talents in the traditional arts sector, NAC organises the triennial National Indian Music Competition and biennial National Chinese Music Competition. These competitions enable musicians in Singapore to develop their performing skills and raise their musical standards and provide opportunities for musicians to perform in a competitive environment. NAC also has a Malay music enrichment course that was developed for Malay practitioners who do not have the benefit of formal music training.

Mdm Chair, allow me to speak in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] To reach out to a broader audience, we want to raise the visibility of traditional arts through key community and artistic platforms. For example, at last year's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at Gardens by the Bay, traditional arts groups like Dicapella Dizi Ensemble and Nam Hwa Opera put up nightly cultural shows for 10 days. About 50,000 audience members enjoyed their performances. NAC will continue to work with Gardens by the Bay to showcase traditional arts performances at this year's festival. If you dropped by River Hongbao this year, you may also remember the lively 乖小丑 performance by the young students of Sheng Hong Arts Institute. They are adorable and full of energy, so it is no wonder why the performance was so well-received. I think we can and should find more platforms for traditional arts performers to showcase their talents to an even wider audience. That is why we are also working with companies, such as Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Dance Theatre, Era Dance Theatre and Ding Yi Music Company, to bring their signature traditional arts programmes to the heartlands and closer to residents.

To reach out to younger audiences, we will be commissioning traditional arts groups to produce traditional arts programmes with interactive elements to be staged in schools. NAC is currently working with Traditional Arts Centre to develop an original and age-appropriate Chinese opera production to perform at different schools. We are also piloting a series of bite-sized programmes by local and regional arts companies customised for pre-schools and primary schools to deepen our young Singaporeans' understanding of our multicultural society during Racial Harmony Day in July. As a start, we will introduce these taster programmes at five schools in 2016. We hope that through these initiatives, we can help our younger ones better enjoy and appreciate traditional arts.

(In English): Mdm Chair, besides major festivals and programmes in schools, NAC is also partnering the National Museum of Singapore to establish a dedicated space within the museum where digital media will be used to provide an immersive environment for visitors to engage with traditional arts.

We will continue to find new ways to engage Singaporeans, especially our digital-savvy youths, whether in sports, arts or heritage. The digital space is one that cuts across boundaries. During the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games last year, we saw how a simple hashtag like #OneTeamSG could connect Singaporeans separated physically, but united in their support for and pride of our athletes. And we will continue to tap on digital spaces and social media platforms to encourage live participation and interaction, whether you are at a sports centre, gallery or museum.

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To complement visits to our museums and reach out to a wider audience, NHB will be launching its new Heritage Portal, Roots.sg. Besides providing access to our entire national collection online, Roots.sg presents heritage resources in a much more dynamic manner. So, if you are a teacher preparing to bring your students on a heritage trail in Kampong Glam, check out Roots.sg. You can view the sites and monuments on the trail, click on links to find out more about the history and download worksheets for your students. Your students, too, can watch videos of traditional trades in Kampong Glam and do further research after the excursion. So, whether you are a serious researcher or just a curious young student, Roots.sg will provide a new dimension for you to explore and learn more about our history and heritage.

Ms Alex Yam and Ms Rahayu Mahzam spoke about making arts and culture accessible to young children, especially those from lower-income families. The Senior Minister of State spoke about the ArtReach programme, which aims to build a more inclusive community through arts. As part of ArtReach, NAC and the Community Development Councils (CDCs) launched the WeCare Arts Fund in 2014, comprising $1.5 million over three years, to support artist-led projects which promote arts to the less-privileged. To date, we have supported a total of 115 VWOs; reaching out to 4,300 beneficiaries and conducting over 160 arts programmes.

I agree that we should expose children to arts and culture early so that we can better help them develop creativity and confidence. NAC and ECDA also signed a two-year memorandum of understanding in April 2015 to implement new initiatives to promote and integrate arts education in preschools. In 2016, the preschool Arts Education Programme will be expanded to 55 centres to bring even more arts programmes by professional artists and arts instructors to preschools.

Soka Kindergarten, for instance, worked with Kavanagh Dance on an Artist-in-School Scheme project to help teachers integrate dance and movement into the school's curriculum. This was a rare but enriching experience for the Soka Kindergarten teachers to collaborate with artists like Ms Gloria Soh in the classroom and to help their students gain confidence through music and dance.

Expanding from these programmes, NAC will also pilot a whole-centre arts-based approach with anchor operator NTUC My First Skool (MFS). We will start with its new MFS Edgefield Plains centre in Punggol which is opening this June. This is a partnership between artists and teachers as they seek to incorporate the arts more holistically in a preschool environment.

The arts experience in schools will continue to be supplemented with children- and family-friendly programming at our arts institutions. In July last year, for instance, the Aliwal Arts Centre organised the third edition of its Aliwal Arts Night Crawl, a family- and youth-centric festival. One of the popular activities was Uncle Rajah's Flying Carpet Tales, a mesmerising Singaporean folk tale story-telling session by Chris Mooney-Singh of Word Forward, otherwise known as Uncle Rajah.

While existing arts centres like The Esplanade and Aliwal Arts Centre will continue to feature family-friendly and children's programmes in their regular line-up of activities, NAC will dedicate a space within Goodman Arts Centre specifically for children's arts activities to give even more options to families and schools. Parents can look forward to spending quality time together with their kids through a variety of multi-disciplinary arts programmes, including dance, music and theatre performances and story-telling sessions.

Mdm Chair, in conclusion, MCCY will continue to provide platforms to help citizens lead active and engaged lives and build shared experiences with fellow Singaporeans. Through arts, heritage and sports, there are plenty of opportunities for all of us to be involved even in the heartlands. We will continue to nurture and develop talents in arts and sports, even from a very young age.

Following the SG50 Celebrations, as we take stock and look ahead to SG100, we are committed to partnering citizens to realise our shared vision and to build a better future for all Singaporeans. This is a nation of resilient communities, a cohesive and caring society of engaged citizens and, most importantly, a Singapore that Singaporeans are proud to call home.

The Chairman: We have a bit of time for clarifications. Dr Lim Wee Kiak.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Thank you, Mdm Chair. I have two clarifications for the Minister. First, on Our Singapore Fund, the $25 million that was set aside for ground-up initiatives, is there a duration to the sum? When will it end? I hope that the Ministry can roll out more publicity materials as well as how to encourage more people from a more diverse walk of life to apply for Our Singapore Fund.

The second clarification is on our art scene in terms of National Gallery and museum visits. The Minister mentioned that there are four million visits to our museums and 700,000 visits now to the National Gallery. I would like to know, out of this four million and 700,000, how many are locals and how many are foreigners? Is there going to be a programme in place, like what we are going to do with OBS? Are we going to have a programme with MOE to get all students to have a chance to visit our museums and galleries somewhere within the 12 years of their formal education?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Madam, our Singapore Fund is a $25 million fund for five years. We are very keen to see it extended beyond that and will work very hard to justify the Fund. To us, to have enthusiastic participation from as many wide-ranging groups as possible is our objective. So, I would like to assure the Member that we are totally in line with his recommendation to have greater publicity so that all sectors of the community know about it and will come forward to tap on the Fund.

For museum numbers, I am not able to give the Member the numbers in terms of breakdown of foreigners and locals. But if my memory serves me right, for the National Gallery and museum, we have a sizeable number that is made up of foreigners, probably about one-third foreigners, two-thirds locals. But the local numbers are the ones that have been growing quite encouragingly. As Members would remember, we extended free admission to our museums and that has been quite well-received.

My direction to colleagues in NHB and the art institutions is make our world-class facilities and collections speak to the population. I totally agree with Members who said if it is just hardware, it will remain hardware. We need programming to make it work.

To me, the success will be decided as to whether our collections can speak to two segments of the population. First, the young; and second, the old. Why do I say that? Because I think the elder generation requires, sometimes, a vernacular interpretation, requires some more thoughtful guidance of the exhibition. So, if we are able to attract more of them to return, I think we would have made the museum experience meaningful for them.

Recently, I accompanied a group of residents to the National Art Gallery. They spent 45 minutes in the museum. But I think many of them were quite daunted by the steps that they had to navigate. As you know, it is quite a big structure over quite a large extensive area. So, I have asked my museum colleagues to see how we can tailor a programme that brings them to as many noteworthy artworks with as economic use of steps as possible.

The other segment is the children because, to me, that is the generation that we need to reach out to. It is developing the next generation of audience. The earlier we can reach out to them, the earlier we can build up a pipeline of people who appreciate art, people who see art as part of their lives. Again, we need to have a different language. We need to present art in a different way that will make it appealing to them. Given their limited life experience and the context that they are in, we need to bring art education to a different level.

So, that is the priority given to my colleagues. I would like to assure the Member that developing local audienceship, visitorship is top of my priority.

The Chairman: Ms Joan Pereira.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): I would like to ask the Ministry whether they are able to conduct OBS courses for our seniors also. Many years ago, I organised a team building activity at OBS in Pulau Ubin. And, like the youths, they had fun experimenting with the high elements. They bonded well as a team and also learnt to overcome their fear. This is for the Ministry's consideration.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: I realise that OBS is very popular but I did not realise it is that popular. I can fully understand where Ms Joan Pereira is coming from because I, too, joined a group of my grassroots leaders on an OBS trip. This was a visit to the OBS facility and we spent one day doing team-building in the OBS facility. I remember one of my group mates was 74 years old. She made the climb up to the highest rock-climbing facility. So, that impressed every one of us. Obviously, to her, it is really an experience of her lifetime. It is a life-changing moment. I am not sure what she has gone on to. Maybe she is going to try some sky-diving. I do not know. But I think it has given her a new sense of life and also a new sense of confidence.

Having said that, our priority right now is to build OBS @ Coney so that it can have the capacity to allow us to reach out extensively to the Secondary 3 cohorts of our students. That is our priority.

We do see the opportunity for the adventure learning type of team-building activities. Perhaps, some of our private adventure learning service providers who could now be operating in some of the facilities – I know outside Science Centre on Jurong Road, there is one; also in Kallang Wave, there is another one which is just outside NTUC. These are all possibilities where the private providers could also actively participate in giving our elderly a sense of what outdoor adventure could bring.

The Chairman: Dr Intan Mokhtar.

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): I have two clarifications for the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. Minister, MOE has recently made announcements about the changes to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system. How will this affect our full-time madrasah students and asatizahs? And how can they be better prepared for it?

My second clarification is about the Future Ready Mentoring by MENDAKI that reaches out to the polytechnic, ITE and secondary school students. Will there be similar initiatives for those who are rank-and-file workers, lower-wage workers or those without proper qualifications? And who will be doing that?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, to the second question, this is something which MENDAKI SENSE will pay attention to. We have our trade fairs and we are trying to encourage as many of the low-wage workers as possible to attend so that we can explain to them the SkillsFuture movement and how they can take advantage of it. We will also step up our outreach effort.

To the first question, these are changes which have just been announced. We are glad to hear that MOE is moving away from grades and looking at different types of scoring. What impact it will have on how we prepare madrasah kids and our teachers is something which we will study closely with MOE. We will take guidance from MOE but, certainly, we will make sure that our system is ready to accommodate and adapt to the new system that MOE will put in place.

The Chairman: Mr Zainal Sapari.

Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Madam, my clarification is for Minister Yaacob. I am heartened that 80% of our asatizahs are registered under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS). My two clarifications are: first, will all teachers teaching Islamic education be required to register under this scheme? Second, what is the basic qualification required to be registered and assessed to be having the knowledge and competency to teach Islamic education?

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, we have an Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) which is supported by a secretariat with Persatuan Ulama dan Guru-Guru Agama Islam Singapura (PERGAS) and MUIS, comprising learned asatizahs to make an assessment. I do not have the details of the assessment criteria, but we look at their qualifications and experience. There are those who may not have formal qualifications but have taught the religion for many, many years. They could have just a GCE "O" or "A" level pass from the local madrasahs and they have done well. So, they will make a certain assessment. I have left it to the ARB and, thus far, the number of appeal cases is very limited.

To the first question, it is almost whether we should make the ARS mandatory. I mean, it is 80% now. And as I mentioned in my reply, we want to encourage the 20% to come onboard. We have to study this very, very carefully. Certainly, it is in our interest and the interest of the community to get as many as possible onto the registration system because it gives our community, both parents and institutions, a wide selection of asatizahs whom we feel will understand the local context and who can teach Islam to our students. It is good for our students not only to have a good grasp of the knowledge but also be a part of modern Singapore.

The Chairman: Mr Kok Heng Leun.

2.00 pm

Mr Kok Heng Leun (Nominated Member): The Minister talked about using art for the purposes of unity, harmony and comments. Any society is not just based on that; it is also about discord, dissensus as well as, a lot of times, disagreement. So, what does the Minister think about providing that safe space so that we can have diversity? I just want to remind the House that John F Kennedy did say, "If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity".

Secondly, I want to thank the Ministry for starting on place-making. Based on what I hear, most of the engagements for place-making tend to be top-down. Can the Minister talk about how we can start democratising the whole engagement process and, especially, it is important to give time for a place to happen. Can we talk more about that?

Thirdly, I would like to address this point about traditional arts, in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Quite often, traditional arts is about trying new things. During this process, training becomes especially important. It will require time and expertise. I would like to ask whether NAC has a framework to allow these traditional artists to have time to immerse and learn.

Second, traditional arts also need innovation. Li Yu in his book "Sketches of Idle Pleasure" (闲情偶寄) talked about "thinking out of the box" in length, in other words, only by creating new things can we communicate with the audience. The process of "thinking out of the box" also takes time. May I ask whether the Traditional Arts Master Plan has taken this into consideration?

The Chairman: Members, I would really like to be democratic and today is the last day. But please do not make speeches during clarification time. Please, Minister.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you, Mdm Chair. I do agree that in art, we look for opportunities where we can have discourse. I think art has that potential of allowing the expression of opinions. But we also need to recognise that art has this ability to evoke emotions. I think artists want to see that their work has that ability to influence and to affect. Having these considerations in mind, I think discourse, dissent, disagreements can take place and have their place in Singapore, and we do that by classification, by giving advisories. Creating a space where certain segments, perhaps the more mature, perhaps those able to deal with the issue, can be engaged in that discourse.

I would like to reiterate the point that if you look at the art scene, over time, we have actually moved. Artworks that were not shown in the past, now have been shown regularly, including some of the forum theatre work that Mr Kok himself is so closely associated with. In terms of diversity, too, topics that were perhaps uncomfortable in the past, whether they deal with specific lifestyles or values, or deal with issues, such as conservation of an environment – I think Mr Kok recently also did a work on Bukit Brown – issues that arouse disagreement and dissent in the society get a hearing, get their place in the arts, including works like "Gemuk Girls" which has criticised parts of the political system. We have, over time, allowed more variety, greater diversity in artworks. I hope that the arts community will give the regulator acknowledgement that it has happened.

Having said that, as I have explained earlier on, we do need regulations in order to maintain a common space that is as wide as possible, so that people, the audience and the artists can engage in art making and art appreciation in a safe environment.

On the second question about place-making, some parts of it may seem to be top-down initially, but it has evolved. Let me give an example. I think PA PAssionArts, when it first started, was top-down. We needed to have some organised activities; we needed to provide some training; we needed to decide what was the theme and so on, because it was something new. But without a push from the agencies, probably we may not have been able to develop it as quickly as we would have liked.

But over time, you have seen certain local communities embracing a project and making it their own. They are putting in their themes; they are staking their claim; they are deciding what to be depicted, what to be portrayed. That should be the way to go. With the local community stepping forward, agencies like PA would gladly step back and let the locals have greater decision-making.

Also in some projects, we have deliberately assigned the job to a theatre production professional. Let me give Members the example of (SIFA). SIFA is actually undertaken by Mr Ong Keng Sen who is not part of the agency. That is a way for an art practitioner to take a leading role in curating and in assisting the Government in producing works for the public to enjoy.

Although it is top-down in the sense that the Government is coming up with the funding, but the actual production, organisation, commissioning work are actually done by someone from the private sector. I will leave Parliamentary Secretary Baey to address the question on traditional arts.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Kok is right. Since traditional arts have a long history, the technical skills required can take a long time to train, for example, in the case of dance and Chinese opera. Hence, NAC is providing more support to traditional arts groups. The Traditional Arts Master Plan will provide more resources to these arts groups, not only in production and training, but also helping them develop their audiences.

This is because the arts, especially traditional arts, need to be supported and enjoyed by the audience. So, in this aspect, I hope traditional arts groups can put more thought into cultivating their audiences.

Not long ago, I attended a performance by Sheng Hong Arts Institute and got to know their artistic director. She is a young lady whose mother is a traditional Chinese dance practitioner. She is an NAC scholarship recipient and went overseas to study. After coming back, she became Sheng Hong's artistic director. I noticed that their students are of different age groups, including some very adorable children who are keen to learn traditional Chinese dance. It is truly encouraging to see so many young people and children who like traditional arts.

NAC will continue to support the development of traditional arts. I hope that Singapore audiences will also support our traditional arts practitioners.

The Chairman: Ms Rahayu Mahzam.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Mdm Chair, my question is directed to the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.

In recent weeks, we have seen certain incidents affecting the Malay/Muslim communities, such as the attacks on the madrasah students as well as the incident with the management of a mall, Tampines One. I have read with concern the comments online following these events. Some from the Malay/Muslim community have also shared their concerns about discrimination against the community. I would like to know what is the Minister's take on this and what we can do to address the concerns.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, we all realise that these are things which we do not want to happen in Singapore. They have happened unfortunately. There will always be pockets of people who, either through no fault of theirs or a mistake in terms of miscommunication, or, as in the case of the madrasah student, we have read reports that the person is a bit mentally challenged.

While these events can never be prevented 100%, the most important thing is to see the reaction. What heartens me most was that a lot of Singaporeans came onboard and condemned those acts and they are from all races and all backgrounds. We know that multiracialism, respect for differences in Singapore, the ability to stay united for the last 50 years, are an important part of our existence as a small nation. We cherish it and we have to work hard at it.

My take on it is that it is something which we should never condone. We should try and work together to prevent it from happening. The responses were very good to show a maturity that sometimes you cannot find in other societies. In the case of both incidents, you also find Singaporean Chinese coming forward condemning the act. So, it goes to show that we understand what is right and what is wrong.

To the second question on what it is that we can do to tackle this problem, it is about integration, about coming together. Since 9/11, we have been working very hard, especially for the Malay/Muslim community, to reach out. Recently, Minister Shanmugam also asked for non-Malay Singaporeans to reach out. We know that integration is a two-way process. You can see the various efforts, not just by the Inter-Religious Organisation, but the bottom-up movement in the community, in the constituencies, for people who want to reach out to one another.

Earlier in my speech, I have responded that I think it is something we should have to inculcate from a very young age – a curiosity for others, to know who the people are around us, who are our neighbours, who are our friends.

We should press on. If there is another incident, we are all responsible to condemn it and work together at it. Will we ever eradicate it? Well, look at the history of America, 200 years old and they still have problems. This is a work-in-progress but the most important thing is that everyone must see that this is their responsibility to prevent it from happening.

On the part of the Malay/Muslim community, I would like to assure the House that our various institutions, MUIS, mosques, madrasahs, will continue to do our best to find ways and means to integrate with the wider community.

The Chairman: Ms Sylvia Lim.

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Madam, I have a clarification for Minister Chan on PA. First, I welcome this unequivocal public statement that the PA should never be politicised. It is a timely reminder to those who may think otherwise.

My clarification concerns his confirmation that PA is a Statutory Board. I would like to ask whether as a Government agency, PA also adopts the Government standard operating procedure that it will reply to MPs' letters written on behalf of their constituents.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mdm Chair, the answer is yes.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Chair, I am very disappointed with the reply from Parliamentary Secretary Baey. If I heard and understood the Parliamentary Secretary correctly, residents in Yishun will have to wait beyond 2020 for the sporting facilities because of the constraint on the contractors' capacity.

My question is: if I can find the contractor to do the upgrading of the swimming complex, will the Ministry give us the funding? Because a lot of contractors out there, they are hungry for jobs. So, there is capacity. What we are looking for is whether the Ministry will fund the upgrading of the swimming complex. I am only asking for swimming complex.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: I thank Er Dr Lee for the clarification. On a national level, I am sure Er Dr Lee is aware that it is not just construction; it is the workers, engineers where there is a shortage, given the different projects around the island. On a national level, we have to take a phased approach so that there is not a sudden spike in demand for construction manpower, expertise that cannot be met and also to ensure that the quality of works is up to standard.

But be assured, Er Dr Lee, in Nee Soon, I know you are very concerned. You are very concerned about the swimming pool. We have instructed SportSG to specially look at the swimming pool in Yishun, whether there are any repairs that are needed to be done. We would do it to make sure that her residents are able to enjoy the facilities at Yishun swimming pool. We also boost the programming to attract residents to enjoy the facilities there.

But for information, besides Yishun, we also have other sports centres in the vicinity. In fact, in the coming years, there will be new developments in Ang Mo Kio, the Ang Mo Kio Wet Play Field, as well as in Sembawang. These are not in Yishun, but are in quite close proximity where the residents can venture to.

The Chairman: Mr Faisal Manap.

2.15 pm

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Madam, I have two clarifications for Minister Yaacob. The first one is on my MMCDF cut. I agree that the mosques' core focus is on spiritual development. However, there are also mosque programmes, such as youth programmes run by the Mosques Youth Development Unit, which focus on developing the spirit of teamwork and resilience. Maybe, in future, they may want to conduct a trip to OBS @ Coney Island. Hence, I would like to reiterate my call for MMCDF to be extended selectively for mosque programmes which focus on social and personal development.

My second point is on JMS. I would like to, firstly, declare that I have a child who is a student of a madrasah which is not under the system. Since the Minister had mentioned just now that Madrasah Aljunied and Arabiah, which are under JMS, in collaboration with MUIS, are rolling out new programmes, I commend these collaborative efforts in making madrasahs a more progressive institution. My question is whether MUIS has any plans in collaborating with madrasahs which are not part of JMS to roll out such similar programmes.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Madam, on the second question, JMS is a specially arranged programme between three madrasahs and MUIS, and we remain open for other madrasahs to join us. Having said that, MUIS has always extended assistance to all the six madrasahs. Madrasahs which are out of JMS have their own programmes. They want to do things on their own. We provide funding for them, especially because the children are also facing PSLE requirements. So, we will never deny them that.

In fact, what we have also done is to ensure that the teacher training which we extend to JMS teachers is also extended to the non-JMS madrasahs. I do not remember the figures, but close to over 90% of all of our madrasah teachers have gone for the training. If there is a special request from a particular madrasah which is not in JMS, we will evaluate it, based on the requirements of the madrasah and the funds available. So, that is the assurance I give to the Member and the House.

On MMCDF, I come back to my reply again on it earlier. Certainly, it is not the core objective of the mosques, but I also mentioned in my reply they can always work in partnership with other organisations. The point to be made is that there is no shortage of funds for the mosques to tap on. They have zakat funds and they have donations that they receive every Friday and every day of the week. I know for a fact that mosques do have a lot of resources. The partnership is also very good for the MMOs because it gives them a way to extend their programme into the mosques, especially for the use of the facilities and greater outreach. So, I will leave it to the mosques to find their own way to work together with the organisations.

Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): I had asked about the $250 million cost for OBS. Can the Ministry provide a breakdown of the costs? What are the plans for the existing OBS and Adventure Camp Sites? Finally, in view of the rare flora and fauna that are found on Coney Island, will we be conducting an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you, Mdm Chair, for the opportunity to clarify. Of that $250 million that we have spoken about, half of it has to do with being the first-mover onto Coney Island and having the need to lay down infrastructure, power, electricity, boats and so on. That is the reason why the overall figure for the funds needed seemed high. The amount needed to build the facilities per se is about half of the amount.

On the second point about whether we will be conducting an EIA, the answer is yes. In fact, we have already started consultations and focus group discussions with stakeholders who are interested in the flora and fauna on the island. So, please be assured that OBS itself wants to be part of the nature. That is the spirit of OBS. It is about being in nature and having adventure in nature. So, it is in the OBS' mission to protect the environment as much as it can. In fact, we have started discussions with some groups about incorporating some knowledge about the flora and fauna on Coney Island into the OBS curriculum. We can work hand in hand and have a win-win outcome on the environmental front. It is not in the opposite direction.

Was there another question that I have missed out?

Miss Cheng Li Hui: Yes, plans for the existing Adventure Camp Sites.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Yes, the reason why OBS @ Coney is such an important location for us is because for us to ramp up the capacity by three times on an island that is only connected by ferry would have cost a tremendous strain on logistics. You can imagine having to do that high volume of students, plus food, supplies, coaches, instructors, it would have been really quite unsustainable when it is not part of the mainland.

Nevertheless, there are still some programmes that would require the use of the OBS in Ubin. We talked about how, with Coney and Ubin together, we can look at some programmes that probably require the crossing of the straits on canoes, kayaks. We also talked about how we intend to continue with 21-day programmes for some of the student leaders. So, there are still programmes that we can do and probably make full use of OBS at Ubin. But like in Coney, it is occupying a small part of the island. There is no intention to expand OBS at Ubin at this point in time and we will find ways to coexist with the other facilities on Ubin Island.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Can the Minister clarify whether the EIA will be made available to the public and if local biologists and non-government organisations will be involved in doing the EIA surveys?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: This is a project that Parliamentary Secretary Baey has been assigned to look into, so I will leave the work to him.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): First, a question for the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs on the mosque building planning, I am heartened by the new mosque that has been announced. But Minister, in terms of mosque planning, do we consider foreign workers who may also be using the mosques as well? Today, that contributes to quite a bit of mosque capacity issues.

For Minister Grace Fu, just a quick answer to her question earlier, the MP football team is still in place. There is a match coming up on 21 May 2016.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: No, we do not. We cater for the permanent population because the foreign worker population is transient. Having said that, MUIS, over the years, has been working with some of the foreign worker dormitories to see how we can accommodate, especially during Friday prayers and Eid prayers.

We do have some mosques where the mosque committee has been very enlightened and have allowed the foreign workers to do a second shift in terms of the prayers. I think it is not possible for us to accommodate the foreign workers in our planning because, if we do so, we will have to build a lot more. Certainly, I think we want to try our very best to make sure that the foreign workers who are Muslims and who want to fulfil their religious obligations, we will try our very best.

Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, a brief clarification for the Minister. Will the Ministry consider removing the restriction on, say, any funding to artists and for art projects that hold that the recipient should not be critical of national leaders and national institutions, as was discussed in this House a few months ago?

Madam, artists, by their nature, throughout history across the world, they criticise the way things are and they posit alternative ways for the way things are. So, I think that restriction on NAC funding is holding back all that Singapore art could be.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mdm Chair, I do not think this point was specifically brought up. Neither did the Member file a cut on this. Nevertheless, I will attempt to clarify.

As I explained earlier on, there have been works that showed dissent, including what I have just mentioned, this play about "Gemuk Girls" that has been put up by one of the groups that has received funding. And that play was critical about the political system. So, I think we have gone quite far already about allowing dissenting voices and different voices to be voiced out in the arts sector.

Let me just put it this way. If we agree that there should be rules and regulations to protect and maintain social harmony, then I think we can talk about how this is calibrated and whether the calibration is the right one. There will always be differences at the boundary because it is in the nature of art to want to break away. As Mr Kok Heng Leun so appropriately said in his Budget speech, artists want to − if I paraphrase him correctly − tear down the pieces and improvise. That is the nature of artwork. They always want to challenge themselves. They challenge the boundaries and the regulator would want to maintain the space for the majority in the middle.

So, there will be tension always but, as an art promoter, we will work as much as we can to facilitate respectful discussions among the artists, the arts industry, as well as the regulator.

So, I do not agree with what the Member has said that we have withheld funding from arts groups that have been critical of the Government. Far from it. Many of the arts groups that have put up plays, that have been critical of the Government, continue to be funded. In fact, some have had their funding increased over the years.

Mdm Chair, allow me to just clarify on the earlier point to Miss Cheng Li Hui. I said that half the cost of the $250 million relates to the campus per se. That is correct, but the remaining half − I have just been alerted − not all of it is first-mover cost. Forty-five million dollars is needed to link the OBS campus to basic facilities, such as water and sewage, and $75 million has to do with increased staff, equipment and programming costs, to ensure safety as we triple the capacity of OBS.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Mdm Chair, I just would like to respond to Mr Louis Ng. I think the EIA has to be done promptly and professionally. Any player who has the right expertise and experience would be considered favourably. I am sure local players might have an advantage because they know the flora and fauna of Coney Island much better.

The Chairman: Last clarification. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah. Please keep it short.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: Thank you, Mdm Chair. I think the Parliamentary Secretary misunderstood my request. What I am asking for is a modern swimming complex. So, I do not understand how by asking SportSG to make repairs will give us that outcome. As for the quality of the workmanship, everything, I can assure you that I will supervise it myself. That will be assured.

Mr Baey Yam Keng: Mdm Chair, I think the Yishun Swimming Complex will be upgraded or rebuilt in time to come. And when it is done, it will be the most modern, the latest and most exciting swimming pool for the Member's residents.

Just to clarify on the constraints we have, it is not just engineering contractors but also foreign workers. I think this is something that the Government is managing in terms of managing the sentiments out there and also the influx of foreign workers that we have in Singapore. So, I hope for the Member's understanding.

The Chairman: Parliamentary Secretary, you are setting very high standards. All the Members are now looking at you. [Laughter.]

Dr Lim Wee Kiak, do you wish to withdraw your amendment, please?

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Yes, Mdm Chair. We have 47 cuts for MCCY and we have 31 Members who spoke passionately. Let me, on behalf of my Government Parliamentary Committee as well as the Members who spoke, thank Minister Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, as well as Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng for all their replies, as well as to thank all the men and women in MCCY and all the Statutory Boards for working hard to build a national identity. May I beg leave to withdraw my amendment?

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $1,448,570,300 for Head X ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $563,424,000 for Head X ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.