Channel NewsAsia 2 Jul 08;
SINGAPORE : Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan has said the Internet will change the way politics is conducted, and the challenge now is how to engage with what he called the "YouTube generation".
Dr Balakrishnan was speaking at the 7th RI Lecture on National Issues organised by Raffles Institution (RI) on Wednesday.
He said politics in the future will be marked by a diversity of views, but a diversity of ideas will not necessarily lead to the discovery of truths. Instead, it can also connect people with wrong, radical or violent ideas.
Responding to questions from the floor, Dr Balakrishnan said political commentary will always be welcomed, so long as it does not spark racial or religious tension.
He added that the Internet age will also affect how Singapore's leaders communicate with the people.
He said, "I think we will get into the 'YouTube' style of politics, which means it's multimedia. It's no longer enough to just talk, you must have moving images, you must have sound, you must have music.
"And if it makes an impact, you will get millions of hits. And if it's true but boring, without multimedia, then no one's going to watch it." - CNA/ms
That ‘YouTubestyle of politics’
Nazry Bahrawi, Today Online 2 Jul 08;
FIRST came websites and forums; then Facebook became another way for the Government to engage citizens online. Now, “we will get into the YouTube style of politics”, says Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
Citing how radio and television transformed politics in their time, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports said the Internet too would change how politics is conducted. The “YouTube generation”, specifically, will need to be captivated with multimedia online, he indicated.
“It’s no longer enough to just talk, you must have moving images, sound, music.”
Is this a hint that some significant changes might be considered — such as the ban on party political films or strict laws on online campaigning :— come the next General Election due by 2011?
It was not an area Dr Balakrishnan touched on specifically, in his speech at the annual Raffles Institution Lecture.
He warned of the pitfalls of the proliferation of views and information online. “Determining what is true or false is going to be extremely difficult ... I have no easy answer except to ask you to be sceptical, and to think and be careful.’
On how the new media was changing the way governments communicate with citizens, he cited how its feedback arm, Reach, recently set up a Facebook account.
Dr Balakrishnan himself maintains a profile on the social networking website, as does Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for MCYS and Transport.
One sign of how the Government’s view on the Internet is evolving, is the group of post-65 Members of Parliament (MPs) who maintain a joint blog, and of which Mr Teo is a part. He told :Today: “We have an understanding what the Internet can do :— or not do :— for us, and we have to take it seriously. We can’t ignore it.”
Differentiating between the types ofInternet tools, Mr Teo sees forums as a gauge of ground sentiments, blogs as a platform for leaders to express political views, and Facebook as a way to engage others on a personal rather than official basis.
But when it comes to multimedia and videos, the rules are strict on anything with political content. While it is more likely the Government will use multimedia to engage netizens on policies, would it go further?
Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, any political party or individuals not registered with the Media Development Authority cannot indulge in online campaigning during elections. This has included streaming of videos of rallies.
MP Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) thinks the rules could be relaxed by 2011. “We don’t want to be caught in a situation where, after the election, we say that we should have used the Internet more.”
But post-65 MP Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC) thinks such changes will take a while. “Over time, I believe things will move that way. We used to talk about a light touch for Internet regulations and today, about an even lighter touch. Maybe in the next 10 years, no touch,” he said.
Still, “if the rules were to be relaxed by the next General Election, then the People’s Action Party would not be a follower but take the lead on party political films online.”
Sift truth from 'virtual shouting', Vivian tells students
Lynn Kan, Business Times 3 Jul 08;
IT was a refreshing first for Raffles Institution (RI) students to hear Vivian Balakrishnan answer their most burning questions about how the Singaporean political landscape would change with the free-for-all expression on the Internet.
The numerous questions volleyed at the minister for community development, youth and sports, at RI's 7th Lecture on National Issues echoed calls for a lighter touch by the authorities and freer expression in mainstream channels.
Dr Balakrishnan in turn urged his audience to 'dare to be different' and publish critiques on the Web without fear of persecution.
To 16-year-old Jarrett Huang's reservations about the repercussions of publishing online, he said: 'This paranoia that there is a thought police and that there are things that you cannot say is (just) paranoia.'
However, should one's political expression be laced with 'falsehood, malice and the intention to inflame religious and racial tensions', there would be consequences in the public realm. Dr Balakrishnan then stressed the need for sharper and more discerning minds to deal with the proliferation of opinions and half-truths.
Addressing a crowd of 2,000 students, he identified the burden of their generation as separating 'virtual shouting' where 'style takes precedence over substance' from truth.
Said Dr Balakrishnan: 'Think carefully about the Western axiom that multiple points of view would automatically lead to the truth. Be sceptical and check for accuracy and context.' Students emerged from the talk with their own points of view.
Nigel Fong, 16, found Dr Balakrishnan's talk with the students highly enriching.
'The government is a lot more responsive, and more willing to engage. They are trying to get a sense of the youth and the issues brought up were no longer dealing with the past generation.'
On the other hand, his schoolmate Jarrett was less optimistic.
'The government is more willing to talk to students and solicit our views, but whether they act on it is another matter.'
