Building a cultural city and sporting nation

Introduction

1. Mr Chair, I thank Members for their interest in our work at MCCY. With your permission, I would like to display some slides on the screens. 
   50 years of independence
   

2. Next year, we celebrate fifty years of independence. That we are able to do so at all is not to be taken for granted. 

3. Our pioneer generation, they would know this best. They fought for Singapore to survive. They met slim odds with great conviction. And so here we are nearly fifty years later, a nation strong and free – because of that early grit and determination to succeed.
   

4. Members have debated the way forward for the next fifty years and beyond. Some suggested a break from the narrative of scarcity and vulnerability, toward trust and possibility. Others highlighted that it would be foolish and dishonest to ignore the harsh realities that confront us. 
   

5. For our pioneer generation, perhaps these seemingly opposing views were two sides of a coin. They knew what it was to be at the mercy of international forces beyond their control. They knew what it was to be uncertain and afraid. But where they were uncertain, they were also determined; where they were afraid, they also had a quality of optimism. Not blind faith – but conviction, and a keen eye for possibilities.  
   

6. Our pioneers were neither larger than life, nor anointed with powers beyond the ordinary. They did not chase glory or seek danger. But together, they saw possibilities for Singapore – for our way of life, and the nation we could be. They were heroes when it counted. They were extraordinary when we needed them to be. 
   

7. So I’m glad that Budget 2014 honours our pioneers. And as our Jubilee approaches, we need to look in both directions. To our past, and the example of our pioneers; and to the future – to the sort of pioneers this generation wants to be.

Our heritage, our home

8. I thank Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr David Ong and Mr Arthur Fong for their strong support of our museums. I agree fully with them on their importance in building awareness of our past.

9. That’s why I decided on free museum entry last year, for all Singaporeans. Members asked what has been the impact. In the six months since the policy was introduced – i.e. from June to December last year – visitorship increased by more than twenty-five percent. And so, I’m glad to announce that 2013 was a record year for museum visitorship: for the first time ever, we had more than 3 million visitors to our museums.

10. And it’s more than just the numbers, because many are visiting for the first time. Like Mr Sani. You see him in the slide here. Last month, he brought a friend from Australia to the National Museum of Singapore. Mr Sani works in the sales industry. And he says that his favourite exhibits at the National Museum are the ones on Food and Film. He says that they remind him of the old days – vendors who sold kueh tutu, and tok tok mee, and the films of the late P Ramlee.

11. Another example is Ms Lee, who brought her two daughters to see the Total Defence exhibits at the National Museum. Now that admission is free, they tell us that they do not have to rush to see all the exhibits within a day. So Ms Lee is planning to visit the museums more often in the future with her family.

12. Overall, our free admission policy has made an impact. But we can’t stop there. As several members said just now, it’s not just about the numbers for the visitorship. We also want Singaporeans to have a meaningful time at our museums, so that they will return. And as Mr Arthur Fong said just now, we want our museums to be a must-see stop, for visitors as well. So I agree with members that we must invest in quality and content. That’s why we are setting aside more resources for conservation, for acquiring of new collections; and that’s why, we are also embarking on two major projects, on the occasion of our 50th anniversary.

13. First, the National Museum. The Museum serves an important civic function in engaging Singaporeans on our national history. So it must resonate with the people. We find that stories tend to work best. Mr Alex Yam spoke earnestly about this earlier in the Budget Debate. He urged us to help these stories live on: “simple, heart-felt stories of ordinary men and women” that embody the pioneering spirit.

14. I agree with Mr Yam. That’s why we aim to design a new experience in the Museum that will capture more of what we call “everyday heritage” – heritage taken not only from the grand pages of history, but from the lives of “ordinary” citizens. In particular, the Singapore Memory Project has collected stories from Singaporeans from all walks of life. We will showcase a selection of these memories in the Museum.

15. Stories are told not just in words, but in seemingly simple objects, too. We will feature more of these in the Museum.  This year, the Museum has been collaborating with MediaCorp on a TV programme called “Treasure Hunt”, where we invite Singaporeans to contribute their own artefacts that are part of our national heritage. We’ve received many interesting collections, including old campaign posters, football medals from the 1977 Malaysia Cup, and personal items from the early days of National Service. These are objects which many of us can relate to, and they tell a very personal history of Singapore. 

16. Most of the memories that Singaporeans have shared hark back to the post-independence era, when we were finding our feet as a young nation. So the new Museum experience will provide more glimpses into Singapore’s history post-1965. This is a natural and significant step in our telling of the Singapore story. It is a story that must expand over time, and that all Singaporeans must know.

17. Central to this is to make the Museum a place young Singaporeans remember growing up with and would want to go to. So we are introducing a new Wing at the National Museum called Play@NMS, dedicated to children and young families. Play@NMS is opening in May this year and this will put us on a good start for the broader museum revamp, which will be ready by next year.

18. Next: the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). As Singaporeans, we ought to know what has shaped us; how the confluence of Asian cultures in the region has driven the way Singapore interacts with the world. So the Museum plays a different, but also important role in understanding our national context.

19. ACM will undergo quite a transformation. For a start, we are re-designing the lobby, introducing new shops and dining options, and expanding the permanent galleries. This will give us more exhibition space for important artefacts. For instance, we will bring in the Tang Cargo– a selection of over 50,000 objects, salvaged from the Java Sea, that testify to our past as a centre of trade in Asia.

20. One of the expanded spaces is the China Gallery, which should be completed next year. I’m glad that the private sector has stepped forward to help fund this. The building will inject a fresh and modern element into the otherwise classical architecture of the Museum.

21. Meanwhile, we are exploring a new entrance for the Museum that opens onto the Singapore River. We may combine this with a new gallery space that will breathe more light into the Museum. This needs a bit more study, but it’s a potential game-changer for the Museum. It would open the Museum to many more visitors, and convert it into a vibrant offering along the waterfront. Not to mention, this would connect the Museum to the historic heart of Singapore.

22. These are some of our Ministry’s efforts leading up to our 50th anniversary. But this celebration is not just about what MCCY wants to do. It is for all Singaporeans to decide the true spirit of SG50, and what it means to be a Singaporean in this important phase of our nation’s journey.

23. We have received many ideas from citizens on how to celebrate SG50. I have enjoyed reading the suggestions submitted through our website. One bright idea came from Claire, who suggested that the whole nation wear red to support Team Singapore at the 28th SEA Games next year – a “sea of red”, she said. Mindy suggested a “Kallang Roar” at the new National Stadium. Yok Lian suggested holding a quiz competition between housing estates on Singapore’s history and future plans.

24. These are all very good ideas. We have set up an SG50 Celebration Fund to resource these initiatives driven by the community. I encourage Singaporeans to tap on the Fund, and to implement their ideas.

25. It has never been for the government to define a Singaporean culture, or a Singaporean way of life. As then-Minister of Law Mr E. W. Barker said as early as 1969: “The evolution of a common culture is not the monopoly of the Government [...] Culture must evolve spontaneously from the social milieu.”

26. Indeed, culture and heritage are not contained in the walls of our Museums, as several members like Mr David Ong and Mr Arthur Fong spoke about. They spill into, and emerge from the community; from ordinary lives, from everyday places. So it is the community we look to engage.

27. Our strategy has been to create spaces for heritage to flourish. We now have thirteen heritage trails all over Singapore. We also have community museums, galleries and heritage corners. We will continue to work with residents to bring these to life. We hear their stories and we record them for the future.

28. Several members spoke about creating spaces in the city that will allow us to feel an emotional connection to place. Ms Janice Koh mentioned this in the Budget Debate earlier Mr Baey Yam Keng said it just now in his speech. I share her sentiments, but I also acknowledge the practical challenges and constraints we face. We will always have to tread that careful line between attachment to physical sites, and Singapore’s development needs. We are doing more to preserve these physical sites – to document and research them, and in cases, to protect. But we are also sowing the seeds for new “spaces”: spaces for sharing, for reflection, and for communities to remember.

29. Take Madam Helen Chua – a resident from Taman Jurong. This is a photo of her daughter in the 1970s. Madam Chua shared this with us for an exhibition at the community museum in Taman Jurong. She recalled how her family would catch large, black tiger prawns near Jurong Lake. They would bring them back in a pail, and the whole family would share them for dinner.

30. It’s a simple story, a personal memory. But in the act of sharing, it became more – about family and community, about the shared experiences that many growing up in the Jurong area could identify with.  So we thank Madam Chua for sharing because stories like these remind us that as we move ahead, some things will always be with us; and these are the memories that we must preserve and remember.

City of the arts

31. I have spoken on the importance of our past. Let me move to the future of our cultural scene, in both the arts and sports. I will start with the arts.

32. For many years we have talked about being a global city for the arts. Perhaps to the point that some have forgotten what a precious dream this was to members of our pioneer generation. Becoming a cultural city was not merely a pipe dream or a good-to-have: it came from pride in our emerging identity, and the desire for the world to know about Singapore.

33. Pioneer artists like poet Edwin Thumboo were deeply invested in a cultural vision for Singapore. I quote from a recent conversation he had with an officer at MCCY: “Everything Singapore has earned, we have had to build up; we have had to create. And right from the beginning, the Pioneer Generation writers knew we had to create our own national literature. The sense of forming an identity was very strong. And with that, to create a multi-racial society, that taps the strengths of all the cultures.”

34. Besides building a national identity, our pioneers also engaged with the regional and global context. Take our pioneer artist, Liu Kang. He was passionate about Singapore and Southeast Asian art. In a 1963 essay – and I translate from Mandarin – he wrote: “Southeast Asia needs an arts centre to be the leader of the pack. Where, then, is this arts centre? I say it is Singapore!”

35. Madam Chair, I believe that Singapore can be, as Liu Kang and our pioneer artists believed: the leading arts centre in Southeast Asia.

36. Singapore is an increasingly important destination for the arts. We are seeing more articles on this in regional and international media. Our arts calendar is more vibrant than ever. Earlier this year, we had a very successful Singapore Art Week, as well as the Singapore Biennale. As I speak, the Mosaic Music Festival is running at the Esplanade. Later this year, we can look forward to the inaugural Singapore International Festival of the Arts, the Heritage Festival, the Night Festival and the Writers Festival.

37. We need to maintain and expand our reputation as a top-notch destination for arts and culture. Updating our capabilities and museums is part of that picture. And of course, we have to do more than that, and the crown jewel of our performing arts landscape: the Esplanade. Incidentally, CNN just ranked it as one of the top 15 most beautiful concert halls in the world, so it’s something that we can be very proud of. After more than ten years of operations, we want to refresh this national icon. We will refit the Esplanade to upgrade its existing spaces, and set up a theatre mainly for children. Altogether, we will invest more than  $65 million into our museums and cultural institutions. This does not include several major projects which we are already undertaking, for example, we are looking forward to the re-opening of Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall in August this year. And of course, we have the National Art Gallery which will be opening in late 2015.

38. As Mr Arthur Fong rightly said, we need to look at the entire ecosystem of arts and culture. There are two main groups we are committed to developing: artists and audiences. These are not mutually exclusive. Singaporean artists will benefit from a larger audience of art-lovers. In turn, more local talents will emerge from a strong culture of arts appreciation. So this is a virtuous cycle.

39. Let me speak first on supporting local artists. Since the launch of NAC’s New Grants Framework, we have committed over $14 million in funding for our local artists and arts groups. This is thirty percent over what was committed in the same period last year.

40. Rather than wait for artists to apply, NAC works with them pro-actively to discuss their development. We fund programmes like structured training and apprenticeships. We also provide holistic support for our arts groups. We recognise the challenge of rising costs, and we see their long-term potential for growth. So we provide grants for organisation development.

41. We are also working hard to profile our artists on the international stage. Singaporean artists already participate in many overseas arts fairs, artist residencies and more. The Singapour Festivarts in France, the London Book Fair and the Venice Biennale are just some examples. But more can still be done.

42. So MCCY will provide $20 million over the next five years to give our artists more opportunities to perform and showcase their works overseas. When our artists perform overseas, they are also flying the Singapore flag. They represent an important part of our efforts in cultural diplomacy.  So I believe this additional investment will do more to profile our creative and cultural assets abroad, and enhance Singapore’s reputation as an arts centre.  It will also be helpful for our artists as they gain more exposure through international exchanges, and seek to broaden their audiences overseas.

43. And this something Mr Baey Yam Keng has highlighted in his speech earlier about the limits of small market, and I believe by giving support to our artists, they can broaden their audiences, and reach out to more people. Mr Baey also spoke earlier about creating art with an authentic Singaporean voice and he spoke about Ilo Ilo as a very good example.

44. If you ask Singaporeans and artists now to list what it feels to be Singaporean art, I think it is not so easy to do so, but when you look at an art performance, listen to music, watch a film, see an art piece, you can see something distinctively Singaporean about its character and spirit. We want to strengthen this process of creating Singaporean art, and having more international exchanges will help our artists to grow mature and develop their own distinctive styles that reflects our Singaporean identity.

45. As these artists do well and gain recognition abroad, I’m sure Singaporeans will also take pride in their achievements, and this will in turn motivate our artists to create more authentic and exciting work that will not only resonates with local audiences and have universal appeal.

46. Besides supporting our local artists overseas, another key approach is to have our public spaces filled with art. We want art to be a part of our cityscape.

47. Good public art opens a window into the character of a city. It transforms the spaces around us, and the way we engage with the environment. We want the streets of Singapore to stand out not only for their skyscrapers, but also for their beauty and creativity.

48. I am glad to share that more spaces are opening up for street art in Singapore. This has already started to happen at the Aliwal Arts Centre in the heart of Kampong Glam, and in sections of the Rail Corridor, which holds many precious memories for Singaporeans. We are studying the possibility of more spaces to follow in neighbourhoods around Singapore.

49. We are also investing in other forms of public art, like murals and sculptures around Singapore. This is not new – the government has administered different schemes over the years to encourage this. One example is URA’s Art Incentive Scheme, which ran from 2005 to 2012, and has helped to introduce public artworks in the downtown area.

50. We want to do even more for public art, in different spaces including those outside the central region. So I have decided to set up a Public Art Trust, to commission, display, promote and maintain public artworks. The Trust will receive donations from patrons of the arts. And we will match these donations dollar for dollar, through the Cultural Matching Fund.

51. The Trust will give more opportunities for artists, especially Singaporean artists, to integrate their work into the built environment. With the Trust, I hope we can see more artwork in public spaces – in our housing estates, in our parks, and even in Changi Airport to welcome both residents and visitors. To start things off, MCCY will provide the Trust with $10 million in seed funding. NAC will consult the public on its features before finalising the scheme by the end of the year.

52. Ms Janice Koh was rightly concerned about maintenance. I would like to assure her that the Trust will fund the maintenance of the artwork it commissions. Likewise as she mentioned, detailed plans and budgets for maintenance will have to be submitted during the application process.

53. She also suggested a list of public art in Singapore. We are looking into making the information public for artworks which have been commissioned under past and current incentive schemes. We will certainly do so for the public art trust and NHB will post information relating to its public art tax incentive scheme on its website by the end of this month.

54. For the community to embrace the arts, they must not only look, but participate. That’s why MCCY is committed to helping the arts flourish in neighbourhoods all across the island. We do this through community-friendly spaces, like libraries and community centres, which we call “community nodes for arts and culture”. These are places where all can gather to enjoy performances, workshops and more.

55. Community nodes already exist in Siglap South CC, the Woodlands Regional Library and the Kallang CC. This year, NAC will be rolling out new nodes at the Jurong and Tampines Regional Libraries. NAC will continue to work with different partners, both public and private, to identify more nodes around Singapore. By 2025, we aim to have 25 community nodes distributed across the island. This will take the arts within easy reach of Singaporean households.

56. There is one demographic in particular that we are doing more to engage, and that is our youth. Earlier I mentioned new spaces for children at the National Museum and the Esplanade. The upcoming National Art Gallery will also house the Keppel Centre for Art Education, to provide special programmes designed for children. These include immersive artworks that will encourage children to touch, play and create art together.

57. We are also doing more in schools. Earlier this year, the lower secondary history syllabus was integrated with the content of our National Museum. We hope all 30,000 Secondary One students will go through our doors this year. Meanwhile, our museums run workshops and provide field-based learning resources for educators in subjects like social studies and history. We have also provided teaching resources for local music and literature.

A sporting nation

58. Sir, I move now to talk about sports, which is an integral component of our cultural vision for Singapore.

59. I think it is fitting to start by highlighting one of our pioneer sportsmen, Mr C Kunalan. He is one of the most respected athletes of his generation. He participated in the 1964 and the 1968 Olympics. He has won many medals for Singapore at the Asian Games, and what we now know as the SEA Games. So we spoke to him recently and I quote from what he told us. He said “When I think back – yes, we were some kind of pioneers. But mostly, I felt humbled and small. I thought: Wow. I can represent Singapore. But of course, there were many others before me.”

60. And I think what he said reminds us that this is not a sprint, but a marathon relay that all Singaporeans are a part of. So I will agree with Mr Nicholas Fang that there needs to be a long-term, national effort to build a deep and sustainable sporting culture. And we can’t do this in a short time. It has to be built up over the long time. I share his aspirations and the aspirations which many members have also articulated for Singapore to be a sporting nation.

61. The Government will continue to invest in infrastructure and programmes that help talented and committed Singaporeans meet their sporting aspirations. But we can’t do it alone. The Government can’t do it alone. That is something which Er Dr Lee Bee Wah also mentioned too. We need the support of our National Sports Associations, (NSAs); our corporate partners; and most importantly, our fellow Singaporeans.

62. All the sports facilities and programmes that we are working toward won’t count for much if Singaporeans are not convinced to participate. Nor can our Team Singapore athletes truly shine without Singaporeans to believe in them, and to cheer them on. Ultimately, Singaporeans make the difference in whether we can become a sporting nation.

63. I spoke earlier on the significance of 2015 as our nation’s Jubilee. 2015 is also a major sporting year, and a chance for all Singaporeans to pitch in. As Members have mentioned we are hosting the SEA Games in June and the ASEAN Para Games in December.

64. Our theme for these Games is to “Celebrate the Extraordinary”: to show how ordinary people with extraordinary dreams can achieve excellence, and demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit. You see the tagline in the logo on the screen and I think it’s a theme that fits well with the spirit of our Jubilee, and that of our pioneer generation.

65. Several members asked about our preparation for the SEA Games and the ASEAN Para Games and I would like to assure them that we have the resources, we are already in deeper phase of preparations and in the coming months, Singaporeans can look forward to more events to build momentum towards 2015. We hope to see many Singaporeans involved. We all have a role to play – as athletes, volunteers, spectators and gracious hosts. Together, we can make this a defining experience for all Singaporeans.

66. Next year’s Games will be particularly memorable for our Team Singapore athletes. It’s a chance to compete and win on our home ground, in front of a home crowd. I know many are already motivated by this challenge and this possibility of doing so and they are already training very hard for the Games, and many are striving to improve on their personal bests. I agree with members including Dr Lee Bee Wah and a few others who said this and that we should give them our full support.

67. Today, our Team Singapore athletes are supported through the High Performance Sports (HPS) system which includes the Singapore Sports School and the NSAs. 

68. In terms of direct government funding, our national athletes will receive $60 million over 5 years. This includes grants for training and loss of wages, and the Sports Excellence (SpEx) Scholarship which we announced last year. The scholarships support our most promising athletes and enable them to pursue full-time training. Through the HPS system, our national athletes also receive support in sports medicine and sports science.

69. For the sportsmen in National Service, upon which Er Dr Lee Bee Wah mentioned, we will work with MINDEF to find ways for them to train and compete for Singapore, while still meeting their National Service obligations. And we will certainly do so for athletes who have been selected to participate in the SEA Games next year. For exceptional sportsmen who demonstrate the ability to compete successfully at high-level international competitions like the Olympic Games and bring pride to the country, MCCY will also continue to work with MINDEF to assess their requests for deferment – as we have done recently in the case of swimmer Joseph Schooling. 

70. Besides the Sports Excellence Scholarship which we launched last year, we are also looking at ways to help our athletes balance their pursuit of high performance sports with their longer-term careers. The average length of a career in professional sports is limited. Our athletes are naturally concerned about their longer-term career prospects, after their retirement from sports.   

71. So we have started a Career Scheme to bring in companies that are prepared to recruit athletes, provide flexible workplace arrangements for their training, and then allow these athletes to transit into successful post-sports careers. I think Mr Nicholas Fang earlier spoke about the need for companies to do more in the area of sponsorship. I would say this is another important area that we hope that our companies in Singapore would also step forward to support our Team Singapore athletes. And I’ve spoken to a number of employers and I know that they  recognise the benefits of the athletes as potential employees, because of their attributes and the virtues  they carry – for example their resilience, discipline, drive for excellence, and team spirit. These companies also see the broader corporate benefits of being associated with sports, and having the athletes as their “brand ambassadors”. So we want to push this area of work, I’ve asked MOS Teo Ser Luck to help me drive this, because of his own personal interest in sports, and also because his work portfolio now has enterprise development and SMEs in it, so I think he is more suited to do this. So far, we’ve had a diverse range of companies, like Resorts World Sentosa and Starhub, agreeing to be part of this Career Scheme and I hope that even more companies will step forward.

72. For the SEA Games and Para Games next year, we are working closely with the NSAs to better understand their training plans and to identify what additional support might benefit our athletes in their preparations. We are taking an inclusive approach and will support both able-bodied and para sports, our para athletes was something that Ms Penny Low mentioned, we will are committed to supporting para sports and SPS Sam Tan will elaborate further in his speech. We are prepared to provide additional funding to enable more athletes to train full-time in preparation for the 2015 Games.

73. We are not just focused on the current Team Singapore athletes. We are also committed to building the best possible environment for our young student athletes to pursue their aspirations, so that more will follow in the footsteps of our sporting pioneers and sporting heroes.

74. I have faith in our young athletes to make the best of their potential. On our end, we will continue to build up the support system, especially through the Singapore Sports School. As members are aware, MCCY has announced a strategic review, to see how the School can become a national sports academy of excellence, and provide talented student-athletes with the best environment for their potential. I share Dr Lee Bee Wah’s sentiments that we need to look at their training, at their academic curriculum, how we optimise their training, academic and competition schedules, and funding, and we need to benchmark with the best in the world. And that is the reason why we are embarking on this review and we hope that through this review, we can provide a better platform to groom and nurture our student-athletes. And at the same time, give them a sound academic education so that they can progress to Institutes of Higher Learning.

75. Er Dr Lee has asked if we will be reviewing the criteria for Direct-Schools Admission. I think she asked this just a few weeks ago in the PQ and I’ve explained previously in response in the PQ that this is really under the purview of MOE. But if the Strategic Review of the Singapore Sports School shows there is a need for adjustments, especially in the context of sports talents, we will take this up with MOE.

76. I spoke earlier about how arts and culture are for everyone and everywhere; the same holds true for sports.

77. The Sports Facilities Master Plan which we announced last year aims to give a majority of Singaporeans access to sports and recreational facilities within a ten-minute walk of their homes. We want to meet sporting needs at all levels – national, regional, town and community.

78. The biggest project in the Master Plan is the Sports Hub. Dr Lam Pin Min asked about the status of the Sports Hub, and also the Public-Private Partnership framework.  I would say that the PPP has enabled the Government to tap on private sector expertise not just in building but also operating the Sports Hub. So the risks of the project are shared with the private sector. The private sector will design, build, and run the Sports Hub, and ensure that the facilities are top-notch, both for community use and the hosting of quality events. The private consortium that is operating the Sports Hub, Sports Hub Private Limited has assured us that the stadium will be ready to host events from June this year.

79. Members also for asked for an update on the progress of the Sports Facilities Masterplan and also on community-based facilities in particular. We are ready to embark on the first phase of the Master Plan and we estimate that it will require an investment of $1.5 billion to implement this first phase.

80. Phase One will include a mix of new facilities as well as rejuvenation of existing ones, with innovative new features. So let me share some of the facilities we have in mind for Phase One. These are just some examples. First, the existing Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex. We hope to redevelop this into a Ang Mo Kio Wet Play Field like you see here in this slide. We are studying the possibility of introducing modern wet features, such as an adventure sports pool, with a floating playground. This is an existing facility which we hope to rejuvenate.

81. There are also new facilities and we have several in the pipeline. I will share some examples. One is the Punggol Regional Sports Centre. There’s a picture of how the Punggol Regional Sports Centre would look like. It will be integrated with Punggol’s waterways, and co-located with the SAFRA clubhouse. You can’t see the clubhouse in this picture. It is to the right of the swimming pool. So it is adjacent to the swimming pool and will share some facilities and it will be integrated with the waterway so that there should a lot of scope for water sports and this Centre will host sports activities and events for the community of Punggol.

82. At the Town level, one upcoming project is the Sports and Recreation Centre in Sembawang, which will be part of a future one-stop community hub. And here again you can see the visuals of how the Sports and Recreation Centre will look like. The site is located on a hilly area so we are making use of it – the designers are looking at making best use of site to provide sporting and community facilities and also to create a vibrant social space that will offer greater convenience and many possibilities for residents.

83. At the community level, we will be working with HDB through its Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, or NRP, to create new sporting spaces for residents. We call this the Sports-in-Precinct programme, and it will feature sheltered playing areas, multi-use courts and new materials. We are starting to pilot this in different neighbourhoods and one of this is in Jurong Spring, and you see a picture of what has been done or is being done, and this is integrated with the NRP project within Jurong Spring itself. These are just examples of what we have in Phase One of the Masterplan and we will work out the plans for the other towns.

84. We will not stop at Phase One. We will work out the plans for the other towns, including for Yishun which Dr Lee has asked for.

85. Finally, we will continue working with MOE to make more sporting facilities in schools available for community use. Mr David Ong, I believe, asked for an update – under the Dual-Use Scheme today, 155 schools have already opened their sporting facilities to the community in the form of school fields and indoor sports halls and we are continuing to work with MOE to expand the scope of these Dual-Use facilities.

86. So overall we are building these sporting facilities all over Singapore, for all Singaporeans to enjoy. And as we know, we have a diverse community in Singapore, and so are our sporting needs are different. We will do our best to balance these different needs, and across the various sports.

87. For example, Mr Faisal Manap asked about football – on how to revive Singaporeans’ interest in the S.League.  The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) oversees the S.League and this is an issue which they are very concerned about and they are aware of what’s at stake. It’s not easy, as the Member mentioned, there are now several leagues for football, like the Malaysia Super League (MSL) featuring the Lions XII and soon there will be the new ASEAN Super League (ASL) which will be hosted in the Sports Hub. So there are alternatives available yet there remains a need for a vibrant domestic league that will serve as a broader development platform for our own footballers. So the FAS and the Sports Council have set up a joint taskforce to study how we can raise the standard of Singapore football, and build more interest in the sport Including in the S.League. And indeed one of their initial ideas is to see how the S.League clubs can be better integrated with the community. One of the issues today is that the S.League clubs do not play in where they are located – Tampines Rovers doesn’t play in Tampines but they play in Clementi. But it is also partly a consequence of our facilities and as we build up more facilities, have more stadiums, then we can look at locating these clubs where they are relevant and also building up the community following in these clubs. So these are ideas that FAS and the Sports Council are looking at through the joint taskforce.

88. Ms Irene Ng asked about cycling – whether we might build a cycling centre with an indoor velodrome. This is something we will study seriously and  I should qualify though that it is very difficult to find a site for a cycling centre with an indoor velodrome given our land constraints. But we have to try and I understand the concerns the Member has made so we must do our best to support our cyclists in their training, whether locally or in the region because there are velodromes around us- Malaysia and Indonesia have velodromes – and in fact we are also supporting our cyclist Dinah Chan in her training at the velodrome in Perth. So we will look at different options at supporting our cyclists to train in a safe environment.

89. In the meantime, the Sports Council is in discussions with other public agencies on potential replacement sites for the BMX track at the Tampines Bike Park, something which Ms Ng raised. We aim to provide a replacement site by the end of the year.

90. Even as we invest in sports capacity, we also need to build broad-based interest in sports among Singaporeans. This is something several members emphasised. You can’t just have the infrastructure alone, you also need better programmes.

91. Over the past year, the Sports Council has piloted the Super Sports Club Concept in the Western region. We gained many insights from our partnerships with schools, sports clubs and more. And we are continuing to beef up sports programming in the community to promote and sustain Singaporeans’ interest in sports. More than that: we aim to start a new national movement for sports, which we will call ActiveSG, so that Singaporeans of all ages, all walks of life, and different levels of ability can participate.

92. ActiveSG will complement the “hardware” – the infrastructure - provided under the Master Plan, to extend compelling sports programming to all Singaporeans. So the vision for what SSC’s sports facilities will be in the future is that they will be not just the venues for hire. But when you go to a sports centre, there will be programmes that you can sign up for, you can learn to play a new sport, you can improve your skill in the sport you already know, you can join a community league so that you can play with friends and make new friends. And to make this happen, we will work with NSAs, corporate groups and other partners to create these sporting programmes together. I believe ActiveSG will strengthen ties within and between communities. It will gather neighbours, loved ones and perhaps even rivals to train and compete in a variety of sports.

93. These initiatives all build toward stronger partnerships for mass participation in sports. There is one important group in particular that we want to forge closer ties with. And these are our NSAs. I’ve talked about how we are partnering them better for broad-based initiatives, like ActiveSG; as well as specific sports, like football. In fact, the Sports Council has started working with NSAs to develop a shared vision for their multi-year sports plans, to promote their respective sports. We are also working with them to build up professional capabilities to better serve our constituents.

94. And as Dr Lam Pin Min and Dr Lee Bee Wah suggested, we will give our NSAs more resources and support. It is not just a question of how much funding, but also how we provide it. We want greater stability and certainty for our NSAs, to carry out long-term programmes. So MCCY will now provide NSAs with multi-year baseline grants, there will be certainties for multi years, with annual increases each year pegged to the overall budget growth rate. And I hope this will give them greater funding certainty to our NSAs.

95. On top of that, MCCY will provide them with additional funding of $25 million over the next five years. This will support innovative ideas to bring their sport to the next level, for the community and for Singapore. 

Concluding remarks

96. Mr Chairman, moving into our 50th year of independence, I am excited about the possibilities in store for Singapore – as a city of the arts, a sporting nation, and at the end of the day, an endearing home. We want Singapore to have strong emotional anchors that will make this place special for all Singaporeans. I have sketched our broad vision for culture, arts and sports.  SPS Sam Tan will elaborate in his speech later on other segments, including traditional arts and how we can reach out to the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in the community through the arts and sports. And later as we wrap up, Dr Amy Khor and I will talk about what we hope to achieve and what we hope to achieve in strengthening our community bonds.

97. For now I will say this much: We have come a long way since 1965. Life has not been perfect; we have stumbled and struggled, here and there. But all things told, we can be proud of what we have today. Our pioneers had a dream, an idea of what Singapore can be; they fought and worked hard to achieve it.  We must now continue in this same pioneering spirit – to fight, and dream, for what our home can be.

COS 2014 Our Heritage, Our Home Video ↗ (opens in new tab)

COS 2014 City of the Arts Video ↗ (opens in new tab)

COS 2014 A Sporting Nation Video ↗ (opens in new tab)