SINGAPORE, Sept 4 — The government "agrees in principle” to live-stream parliamentary debates and will be working through the mechanics of how this can be implemented, Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran announced today.

Speaking during a five-day debate on the President’s address at the reopening of Parliament, Iswaran told the House: "In this important ongoing effort to strike a balance between staying open and being inclusive, and build a better future for our people, I believe Parliament can play a significant role in three ways.”

These are to be the voice of the people, of reason and of hope, he said.

"Now more than ever, as we deal with unprecedented challenges and seek solutions, we must work with Singaporeans to draw confidence from what we have built up over the past five and a half decades, the challenges we have faced and overcome, have deep conviction in our strengths and capabilities, and look to the future with belief,” he said.

The government’s agreement to provide live-streamed proceedings is due to the spirit of the role that Parliament plays, despite its reluctance to do so in the past, he added.

The announcement comes after repeated calls from Members of Parliament and the public for the government to provide a live, publicly accessible feed of parliamentary proceedings. 

Such a feed has been provided only on selected occasions so far. For example, on Wednesday, a parliamentary speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his subsequent exchange with Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh was broadcast live online and on national television.

The issue of providing a parliamentary live feed to the public has been a topic of debate in Parliament itself since 1994. In 2017, Singh led the call for such proceedings to be livestreamed.

The issue was revisited during the debate on the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill earlier this year, with WP’s Leon Perera, who is now MP for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, as well as former Nominated MP Anthea Ong, calling for the same.

But over the years, the government has stood firm in rejecting the proposal, saying that there was insufficient viewership demand for the live feed, based on data collected. 

Then-Leader of the House Grace Fu also responded to the debate this year that the public already has access to the proceedings, reiterating past arguments such as the availability of parliamentary records, known as the Hansard, on the Parliament’s website, as well as selected clips on the CNA website.

In May, Fu’s press secretary, Dr Michele Khoo, said in response to a TODAY reader that there were no plans to provide such a service, as there is a risk of turning Parliament into a "form of theatre”.

On Friday, Iswaran said the government still holds these reservations that Parliament should remain a forum for serious debate, and that live broadcasts risk compromising it.

"Nevertheless, we also note the global and technological trends, which have made online streaming commonplace, and seen legislatures live streaming their proceedings in many countries.  The Government therefore agrees in principle to the live streaming of Parliamentary proceedings.” 

The MCI is studying the technical and implementation details, which will be announced soon, he added.

Iswaran said: "Our aim, as always, will be to achieve transparency, accountability and accessibility while preserving the integrity and dignity of Parliamentary proceedings.” — TODAY