Publication of Results of Public Opinion Surveys by Government Agencies or Statutory Boards
Ministry of Digital Development and InformationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the publication conditions and statistics of public opinion surveys conducted by Government agencies and Statutory Boards between 2010 and 2015, as raised by Mr Chen Show Mao. Minister Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim explained that such surveys are used to gauge public sentiment and assess awareness of Government policies to improve service delivery. He stated that the Government does not centrally compile statistics on the number of surveys conducted or which among them are published. However, the feedback unit REACH periodically releases data on its website regarding topics like the Budget, public transport, and financial assistance schemes. These findings help agencies determine if specific population segments require better policy communication or if adjustments to Government programmes are necessary.
Transcript
19 Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Communications and Information regarding surveys of public opinion undertaken by Government agencies or Statutory Boards (a) under what conditions are the results of such surveys not published; and (b) how many instances of such opinion surveys have been published in 2010-2015 versus those that have not been published.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Many agencies in the Government conduct surveys to gather feedback on public perception of policies and issues. Such surveys enable our agencies to understand public sentiment on issues and to assess public awareness of, and response to, specific Government policies and programmes. Survey data has been used to evaluate if there are segments of the population who might benefit from a better understanding of a policy or programme. In some cases, such data allows us to adjust the way we deliver Government services to better meet the needs of citizens.
The Government does not compile statistics on the surveys conducted by various agencies, or which among them are published. In the Ministry of Communications and Information, the feedback unit Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (REACH) periodically releases survey data on a range of issues. In recent years, REACH has released surveys of public perceptions on the annual Budget and the National Day Rally Speech, Central Provident Fund changes, public transport and the public's awareness of financial assistance schemes, among other subjects. These survey findings may also be found on REACH's website.