A shared endeavour to strengthen national pride and identity

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14 April 2016

Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth at the 2016 Committee of Supply debate

SG50 – a nation united

Mdm Chair, I thank Members for their keen interest in MCCY’s work. With your permission, I would like to display some slides on the screens. 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.

SG100 – looking forward

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 rippled 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 social and economic 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 for 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.

National identity and pride

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 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 multi-racial 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 P5 kid participates in the NE/NDP show. The men would all have gone through National Service. We know our char kway teow and roti prata and nasi lemak. We all can 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 each other, we share a common reference and vocabulary that needs 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 on 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 SEA Games and 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 because they represent the best of the human spirit and exemplify the values that we aspire to as Singaporeans – hard work, determination and passion, teamwork – they make us proud of who we are as a people.

A caring and cohesive community

Mdm, when we identify with each other as Singaporeans, we start to care about each other, and feel connected to each other.
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 each other 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 government and the people have a more collaborative relationship. Singaporeans aspire to become 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 fellow man, and that we are part of one another’s lives.
When we care, it might only be helping 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’s how we discover our strengths and weaknesses, and the depths of our compassion. That’s how we grow as individuals, and grow closer to the ones we serve. That’s 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 each other, we also erase the lines that divide us. Service binds us to our fellow citizens, and to our communities and to our country. It is the social glue that makes us a cohesive society.

MCCY’s priorities

Mdm, 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.
We will be building on firm foundations. Let me share some findings from our various surveys to illustrate. With your permission Mdm, may I ask the clerk to distribute the handouts please.
In terms of national identity and pride, we enjoy a vibrant sport and cultural landscape that reflects our increasing confidence as a nation.
1. 76% are satisfied with Government’s efforts in creating a vibrant sports scene
2. 64% agree that the arts scene has become more vibrant in the past 5 years
3. 65% feel proud of Singapore’s heritage and culture
4. 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:
1. 95% are satisfied with the race relations
2. 92% of youths consider helping the less fortunate to be an important life goal.
3. 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.

Shared endeavour – national identity

First, Shared Endeavour – National Identity. Arts, Heritage and Sports play an important role in nourishing National Identity and Pride.

Our sporting heroes
Sport 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 their athletes every step of the way at the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games. Parl Sec 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 50m backstroke S2 event, but also for taking the time to reach out and inspire others.

Our cultural identity
During the budget debate, Mr Kok Heng Leun said that our literature, our music, our painting, our 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, what we touch and what we hear, the arts hold up a mirror, that show us who we are.
Mr Kok 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 art development. We have an increasingly vibrant art and culture scene, with direct assistance by NAC to our local artists and arts groups doubling from $26m in 2011 to almost $50m last year, on top of the $200m Cultural Matching Fund that arts groups can apply to. Total attendances for ticketed and non-ticketed events came close to 5 million last year, which is high for a small country such as ours.
Numbers don’t 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 that tells the Singapore story through the best of Singapore art.
Later, Parl Sec 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 works across music, visual, performing and literary arts. These works reflect our Southeast Asian context, our multi-cultural diversity, and our Singaporean identity.
For example, in Dec last year, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra 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 the 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 Sharma¹ and Jean Tay² who have been part of “O” level English literature texts, along with collections like “Here and Beyond: 12 Stories” that is commissioned by 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 (Malay Dance) and Jeremy Monteiro (a jazz musician). Students also attend performances by groups like the 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 Ji Lang Ji Pua, which actually stands, translates loosely into Sharing is a Virtue. And I was there and I 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 multi-racial celebration with performers from diverse backgrounds. I think the important thing here is that performers themselves are diverse. In some other context we could see multi-cultural items but performed by a single group. Here we are actually seeing performers of different background coming together for each and one of the items. So the performers are foreign and local, they’re young and old. 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, multi-cultural society.

Our sense of place
Members talked about the relationship people places, and the role public spaces have in building a sense of community. Dr Lim also asked what we can learn from other cities to make our work 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. $3m 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 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 art activities that reflect their local identity, through initiatives like PAssionArts. Parl Sec will share more about these efforts.
Mr Chen Show Mao asked about Heritage Impact Assessment. 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 of time, but to evolve an approach suited to our local context.
To guide its heritage impact assessment 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 URA, LTA and HDB 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.

Our history
Mr Low Thia Kiang spoke on 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 contain 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 revamps of our Heritage Institutions and the Singapore history galleries at the National Museum of Singapore. In particular, our 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 mentioned.
Besides pioneer leaders, various groups such as opposition party members, minority members and women members are also featured in the visuals and text of the exhibition. For example, Mr Chiam See Tong’s quote capturing his perspective on being an opposition party member in Parliament is prominently highlighted. As in other exhibitions, NHB and the Arts House would welcome views and additional information which can 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 says.
Let me give you 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. Can see that it is on the second line, second row there.
1. 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 PAP’s campaign for Merger, and make an informed decision when casting their votes during the referendum;
2. The other was Hébìng, jiǎ hébìng yǔ bānglián (Merger, Phony Merger and Confederation / 合并, 假合并与邦联), 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.
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.

Shared experiences – social cohesion

Mdm, I will go into the next topic which is Shared Experiences for Social Cohesion. The fabric of a society is a delicately woven one, 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.

Arts and Heritage
Our museums and galleries have a special place in the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. Visitorship reached a high of almost 4 million last year. The National Gallery alone saw almost 700,000 come 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 worl. 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 1 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.

Shared responsibility – a caring society

Mdm Chair, next – ‘Shared responsibility, a caring society’. A caring society is one enriched by service and responsibility for each other. 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 government.
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. 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, to 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 (Joan Pereira, Lily Neo, Melvin Yong) spoke on the importance of volunteerism. SG50 saw many examples of Singaporeans contributing time and effort for various causes – offering help during the mourning period for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, volunteering for Team Nila during 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 one next as an example. Students at the NTU’s Welfare Services Club created a novel water sports programme called the SEA Lions. It teaches underprivileged youth how to swim first, then when they can swim, they’ll 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 relationship between businesses and the communities they serve. For the employees and beneficiaries involved, 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 ethnicity to get to know each other better. Mr Thomas Chua, Mr Henry Kwek and Ms Joan Pereira spoke on encouraging corporate giving. SMS 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, 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 $25m will be allocated to Our Singapore Fund, including grants³ 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 asked what lessons we learned 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.

Active and engaged citizens

Mdm Chair, I would like to highlight three major initiatives in our nation building effort.

Team Nila
I don’t think you will miss them. They are always around in their purple shirts during SEA Games and APG. 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 don’t 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; expats alongside locals. Team Nila was a mirror of Singapore’s diversity, coming together as one to make the SEA Games and APG 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 APG, 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 barbeque to thank them for their hard 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 APG 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.

OBS@Coney
Members spoke in favour of outdoor adventure education (Ms Denise Phua, Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar) and some (Mr Darryl David, Ms Sun Xueling, Ms 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 spoke on the need to overcome the habit of fear. Mr Darryl David spoke as a loving father about his young son overcoming fear and gaining 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 zones. They will have a chance to experiment, to fail, and to learn from that failure. As Seow Bei Yi noted in her recent Straits Times article – students are allowed to push their limits, fail and recover from it. She said, “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 5-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 schoolmates, we will mix students from different schools. They will make new friends and journey together throughout the 5-day OBS camp. We hope this experience will form life-long bonds for many.
As we proceed on this project, Parl Sec will take the lead in engaging our stakeholders and the public. We are open to your 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 are 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 youth 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 ITE, education and career guidance will be structured into the curriculum, and delivered 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 also suggested having bespoke plans for youths. The 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’s music, media, dance and personal development programmes. Last year, the SCAPEmedia 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, the 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 needs and aspirations at their different life stages.
- SGfuture
Let me end with SGfuture. We embarked on SGfuture in Nov 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 with government and each other 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.
1. One project is being developed by a young social entrepreneur Cheryl Lim, who wants to encourage inter-generational interaction between the elderly and young children, by training active agers to be facilitators and mentors. Inter-generational 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 inter-generational curriculum, and shared her ideas at a recent MOH SGfuture dialogue session in Feb. MOH is linking her up with 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 Government to build a better home together.

Conclusion

These are exciting new developments and mark a new approach to governance. Through SGfuture, we are defining our future together and how every Singaporean we 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 new urgency for 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 whole-of-government capacity in citizen engagement, extending and expanding citizen engagement efforts in years to come.
With SGfuture, my ministry is taking the lead in coordinating with agencies across 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 between 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 plays 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. Thank you.

Notes:

¹ Off Centre by Haresh Sharma

² Boom and Everything But the Brain by Jean Tay

³raiSE’s VentureforGood Youth grant and Tote Board’s Social Service Fund (New Programmes) will be included under the Our Singapore Fund.

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