Food, energy, and supply chains were disrupted. These have impacted energy markets, food security, and supply chains, with households and businesses feeling the strain. We cannot control global events, but we can cushion the impact.
The government launched a relief package for households and businesses in April. Middle continued to push up prices and costs. To further alleviate the burden on SMEs and households, the government rolled out another round of support last month. If the situation worsens, we are prepared to do more to help everyone overcome the difficulties.
Whatever lies ahead, the government will stand with you to brave the storm together, and we will overcome the difficulties.
Apart from the immediate challenges, Singapore also cares about long-term issues. Our Singaporeans care about the conditions for our children to thrive, artificial intelligence, and Singapore's prospects. I will touch on these in my English speech later in greater detail.
Now, I would like to discuss something close to the hearts of our Chinese community: language, culture, and identity. Over the decades, Singapore's language landscape has evolved constantly. The survey showed that most Chinese speak mainly English at home, while those who use mainly Mandarin comprise only about one third.
In the face of such developments, it is inevitable that the Chinese community will be concerned about whether we may gradually lose our cultural foundation and our bilingual edge. These concerns are understandable. The government is also watching these trends closely. We must preserve the essence of our Asian society and must not become a monolingual society.
Two years ago, I spoke at the National Day Rally about our mother tongue education. I said that we needed both English and Chinese language talents. I announced that we would ease the criteria for secondary school students to study higher Chinese so that more students who are strong in Chinese can do so. This measure took effect this year and brought about good news. Those eligible to study higher Chinese have increased significantly in numbers. In total, over 1,000 students have benefited.
Broadly speaking, among Secondary 1 students studying Chinese language this year, one in four is taking it at the higher Chinese level. In addition, more schools are also offering higher Chinese. Recently, I read in Lianhe Zaobao that even some traditionally English-medium schools are responding to parental demand for higher Chinese classes. Clearly, our society, parents and students, understand the importance of studying the Chinese language. This is really encouraging.
Beyond schools, the home environment is critical for mother tongue learning. For me, since young, I have not had much exposure to Mandarin. But every evening, my family watched Channel 8 dramas together. From the army series to the Flying Fish to The Awakening, I did not miss any of them.
My parents were not proficient in Mandarin, but they read the subtitles and equally enjoyed the dramas. My Mandarin also gradually improved. Nowadays, many parents go the extra mile to help their children learn Mandarin. Recently, Straits Times journalist Alyssa Woo wrote an article about her experience. She wanted to help her children learn Mandarin, but felt that her Mandarin was limited. So, she decided to engage with Mandarin in a light-hearted way. Every day, she just watched Mandarin programs and listened to Mandarin songs, songs from Jay Chou, and followed the popular drama Pursuit of Justice. I'm sure many of you have watched it. As a result, after three months of hard work, Alyssa's Mandarin has become more fluent. Her two children became more interested in Mandarin, too. It looks like watching Mandarin dramas and listening to Mandarin songs can indeed help one learn the Chinese language. We should all give it a try.
But relying on families alone to learn Mandarin is insufficient. To learn Mandarin well, there must be a supportive social environment where one can put what is learned into practice. Other tongues can then remain living languages. Actually, young people today have more opportunities to be exposed to Mandarin. In Singapore, Chinese media, cultural groups, and artists are actively creating engaging Mandarin content. Many young Singaporeans also have access to a variety of Mandarin content from abroad, such as films, dramas, music, and e-games.
Singapore is an open society that has consistently embraced diverse cultures. We treasure and protect our own local culture. At the same time, we engage in cultural exchanges to take in the richness of cultures around the world. For example, later this year, Singapore and China's National Libraries will jointly stage a special exhibition on the four great classical novels: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margin, and Journey to the West. Many Singaporeans know these stories from young and have learned many positive values from them. This is the first time that China is exhibiting treasured artifacts in relation to these novels beyond its shores. It is a rare opportunity, and I believe that we all look forward to the exhibition.
Lately, the film Dear You sparked lively discussions in Singapore. I believe that it's because the film reminded us of our pioneers, showed us the hardships they endured, as well as made us reflect on the values they have left behind. I watched the film in its Teochew version. The Teochew spoken in the film was apparently a form that many local Teochews could not fully understand and relied on subtitles. I could only understand a little, but there was a phrase I understood. The grandmother in the film said, 'Be a person of compassion and loyalty.'
This phrase, spoken in dialect, just feels different, more endearing. Many see dialects as an invaluable cultural heritage, worth treasuring and passing on to the next generation. I agree. That said, the Speak Mandarin Campaign has also secured hard-won gains that we must also treasure and protect. Close to half a century ago, Chinese Singaporeans spoke many dialects. Even within the same dialect group, people from different locations spoke with different accents. This is similar to how the Teochew spoken by the grandmother in the film sounds quite different from the Teochew spoken by most Singaporeans. After decades of effort, Mandarin has become the common language amongst Chinese Singaporeans and laid a strong foundation for bilingual policy. Mandarin also allows us to communicate with Chinese communities worldwide. Therefore, our bilingual policy and efforts to promote Mandarin are moving in the right direction and must continue.
Back then, the Speak Mandarin campaign used the slogan, 'Speak more Mandarin and less dialects.' The situation today is different. Dialect-speaking families are in the tiny minority. Most Chinese Singaporeans can speak Mandarin but use English more often. The challenge now is to encourage those who usually speak English to speak more Mandarin in their daily lives. Actually, if you're willing to speak more Mandarin, our Mandarin will naturally improve. Speak more Mandarin. Yes, I can, so can you.
While we promote the use of Mandarin, we can also make more room for dialects. For free-to-air broadcasts, we will continue with Mandarin primarily. However, for paid television and movies, we can ease existing restrictions. Currently, for dialect films, the number of screenings in movie theaters is capped. We will relax this rule. So long as a Mandarin dubbed version is available at the same time, the number of dialect screenings will no longer be capped.
As for paid television, we will announce further details soon. Actually, our clan associations have been organizing dialect classes and cultural activities. The government will continue to support their efforts. I hope they will give Singaporeans more opportunities to learn about dialects, find out more about their cultural roots, and develop our local Chinese culture.
In reality, our language, food, festivals, art, and way of life have distinct Singaporean characteristics. For example, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra blends traditional Chinese music with Nanyang influences to create uniquely Singaporean Chinese music. We also have many unique Singaporean delicacies. Last time I mentioned Hainanese curry rice. Today, I'm going to talk about Hainanese chicken rice. During my recent visit to Hainan, I tried the local chicken rice. It was delicious, but very different from our own Hainanese chicken rice. Our chicken rice cannot go without chili and Nanyang spices. This unique taste is for me the taste of home. Today, we have prepared Hainanese chicken rice for everyone to enjoy.
The most valuable part of Singapore Chinese culture is not only what we can see and taste. Most importantly, it is the practical wisdom that our pioneers left behind for us. Starting from over they have built their lives and careers in Singapore and learned how to live harmoniously with people of different races. Accumulated over time, the wisdom of our pioneers underpins our peace and prosperity today. To record the development journey of the Singapore Chinese community and honor the contributions of our Chinese pioneers who established the Singapore Chinese Heritage, the gallery will trace how our pioneers put down roots and built lives here. It will also introduce the Chinese Clan Associations, Trade Associations, and Community Organizations, especially the contributions to building our multi-racial society.
The gallery was proposed by and will be managed by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre with the support of the government and Chinese community leaders. It will be housed in the Singapore Conference Hall next to the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre.
We must also keep injecting new energy and color to our distinctive Singapore Chinese culture. A few months ago, I attended the premiere of a documentary on Xinyao, Mandarin songs written by Singaporean youth. Xinyao pioneer Dr. Liang Wern Fook was present and said something that left a deep impression on me. He said Xinyao should not be regarded as cultural heritage, but a cultural asset. I fully agree. Our Xinyao pioneers used songs to write their dreams and aspirations. Today, we look forward to our next generation telling their own stories.
Our young people have no shortage of talent and passion. Every year, the National Singing and Songwriting Competition attracts many student contestants. One of them was rising singer-songwriter Elton Lee. Elton started listening to xinyao in his childhood. As a student, he took part in the competition and won an award. He then studied music at university and went on to become a professional musician. Elton has worked with xinyao pioneers to create music that belongs to Singapore. I watched his performance and listened to his rendition of 'Everything's Alright' by The Young. A young man putting his own spin on an old classic. The pop appeal was the same, but it sang with a fresh appeal. Today, he is here with us today. All the best.
It is heartening to see young Singaporeans with their own style and vision. They give us greater confidence in our future. Whether through songwriting or building a better society, each generation must continue to inspire and lead the next. Our pioneers secured Singapore's survival. Our parents built a thriving nation. What legacy will our generation leave behind? I believe the answer is in our hands. As long as we face the future with courage, innovation, and unity, we can surely build a Singapore with greater vibrancy and hope. Thank you.
Mhm.
