After ‘no time to watch movies’ remark, David Neo watches Dear You with Tampines seniors, Singapore News

Watching it with the seniors of Tampines also reminded him of the hard work put in by the earlier generation, and their contributions to Singapore’s culture and heritage.

“This is exactly why Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and our heritage organisations have been encouraging our young to get to know our dialect heritage while promoting Mandarin,” he said, emphasising that there is no need to choose one over the other.

“They each have a place in telling the Singapore story.”

‘Ministers have no time to watch movies’

Neo recently sparked heated debate after the Parliament sitting on July 7 when he quipped that “ministers have no time to watch movies”.

He was responding to Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong, who asked whether ministers had watched either the Teochew or Mandarin-dubbed version of the hit movie Dear You. The movie, which became a box-office hit in mainland China, is a drama that follows a man who travels to Thailand to search for his lost-long grandfather.

While Neo’s quip drew laughs in the House, the exchange came amid a wider, more serious discussion involving Singapore’s decades-old restrictions on dialect content, with multiple MPs voicing their opinions on Singapore’s bilingual policy.

Neo also said that the Government often works with clan associations, and that they are keen in promoting their dialects and respective cultures.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com