<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Not efficient to engage Singaporeans on many online platforms
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to last Monday's online letter by Mr Tan Kee Lin, 'Disturbed by Govt's response to new media proposals'.
The Government has adopted an evolutionary approach towards e-engagement because it is not realistic or efficient to engage Singaporeans on a multitude of online platforms, which would require extensive resources. Because it is a relatively new medium, it would take time for government agencies to build up and develop the necessary capabilities to e-engage widely. We thus decided on the approach of engaging through Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (Reach) in the first instance, as well as other non-government platforms such as the online portals of the local media. Over time, as we enhance our capability and experience, we will explore other objective and accountable online platforms.
On the query of why the Government would not give a reason for banning political films, we would like to clarify that party political films will not be prohibited under Section 35 of the Films Act. While the Government is not required to provide the reason for a ban, it had nonetheless explained the prohibition of the film Zahari's 17 Years in 2007 - the only film prohibited under the Act.
Julia Hang (Mrs)
Director, Corporate Communications Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to last Monday's online letter by Mr Tan Kee Lin, 'Disturbed by Govt's response to new media proposals'.
The Government has adopted an evolutionary approach towards e-engagement because it is not realistic or efficient to engage Singaporeans on a multitude of online platforms, which would require extensive resources. Because it is a relatively new medium, it would take time for government agencies to build up and develop the necessary capabilities to e-engage widely. We thus decided on the approach of engaging through Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (Reach) in the first instance, as well as other non-government platforms such as the online portals of the local media. Over time, as we enhance our capability and experience, we will explore other objective and accountable online platforms.
On the query of why the Government would not give a reason for banning political films, we would like to clarify that party political films will not be prohibited under Section 35 of the Films Act. While the Government is not required to provide the reason for a ban, it had nonetheless explained the prohibition of the film Zahari's 17 Years in 2007 - the only film prohibited under the Act.
Julia Hang (Mrs)
Director, Corporate Communications Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
