2024年3月6日，新加坡国会辩论环节，波东巴西议员司徒宇斌建议新加坡多多举办大型活动，打造更有活力的体育中心，并为低收入家庭提供享受这些活动的机会。
以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：
司徒宇斌：主席，我想跟大家分享一下我最近的经历。就在今年一月底，我去了国家体育场看了酷玩乐队（Coldplay）的演唱会。在演出过程中，主唱克里斯.马丁（Chris Martin）说了类似这样的话，虽然可能不是原文，但大致是这个意思：”今晚在新加坡是特别的，我们有来自不同国家、不同宗教的粉丝聚集在一起，快乐、和平、安全地享受音乐。“他说完后，我旁边的一个澳大利亚人立刻大声喊道：“李光耀”！
是的，主席，这就是李光耀和他的团队为我们创造的多种族、多文化和多宗教的新加坡。我相信，这也是我们人民行动党政府将继续为多代新加坡人建设的新加坡。
主席先生，在过去的一年里，政府收回体育中心的控制权后，新加坡文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）旗下的全资实体活力加冷体育管理私人有限公司（KASM）一直在努力在努力打造更有活力的体育中心。除了泰勒.斯威夫特（Taylor Swift）目前正在新加坡演出外，去年和今年还有许多国际和区域知名表演者的演唱会，如韩国人气女团（Black Pink）、英国另类摇滚乐团酷玩乐队（Coldplay） 和 英国创作歌手艾德.希兰（Ed Sheeran）等。主席先生，我不是一个音乐迷，但我听说酷玩乐队是目前世界上最受欢迎的乐队组合。我还得到可靠消息，泰勒.斯威夫特是目前世界上最受欢迎的独唱艺人。今年年初，酷玩乐队在新加坡演出了6场，而泰勒.斯威夫特本周也将在新加坡演出6场，应该是从上周六(3月2日）开始。
我不知道其他城市能否在短短两个月内成功举办如此多的世界级活动。我们必须赞扬文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）及其众多合作伙伴，有能力、有实力、灵活地抓住机会。对我来说，这就是新加坡团队难以言喻的特质（X-factor）。
除了音乐会，体育中心还举办了许多国际和区域体育赛事，以及超过140场全国学校运动会和学校体育活动。现在，新加坡人也可以方便地使用体育中心的许多设施。
这些重大活动对新加坡经济做出了巨大贡献，为旅游业带来了重要推动，特别是在酒店、零售、旅游和餐饮等方面。
主席先生，我还记得2022年末的一个议会问答环节，当时的高级政务部长徐芳达告诉我们，2018年和2019年，在新加坡的游客和外国人支付的消费税约占家庭和个人支付的消费税净额的一半。因此，随着新加坡举办更多的世界级活动，我认为这也意味着将从游客身上收取更多9%的消费税，这最终将转化为更多的好处、更多的基础设施，为所有新加坡人带来更多的好消息。
新加坡为何能够成功举办此类大型活动？一些评论家指出，新加坡可能以提供政府资助换取独家举办权。我认为远不止于此。新加坡之所以能够成为一个极具吸引力的娱乐和体育赛事中心，是因为我们拥有优越的地理位置、优质的基础设施、安全、高效和丰富多彩的文化产品，这些都使我们能够以完整的配套来举办此类大型赛事。
展望未来，我们应该利用这一重要的势头，在继续努力的同时，也着眼于更新体育中心的老旧基础设施，如新加坡室内体育馆，这个体育馆多年来给新加坡人留下了许多美好的回忆。或许，我们可以建造一个同样令人兴奋的新室内场馆来取代室内体育馆。
与此同时，虽然许多新加坡人和游客可以在新加坡欣赏到众多精彩的活动，但我认为我们还可以做得更多，为低收入家庭提供更便宜甚至免费的门票。例如，每当铃木杯比赛在新加坡举行时，我都会找赞助商购买大量门票，然后分发给波东巴西的低收入家庭。我们的居民可以家庭为单位前往观看，他们非常享受足球比赛。
主席先生，新加坡文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）是一个非常优秀的团队，他们总是能够看到推动新加坡利益的机会，而不是被限制住。我认为，我们目前最大的优势就是目标坚定，团结一致，为所有新加坡人创造更美好的生活。因此，我恳请部长向我们介绍体育中心的更新计划，并与我们分享文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）打算采取的战略，以巩固新加坡作为娱乐和体育活动中心的地位，同时让我们的低收入家庭也能享受这些活动。
以下是英文质询内容：
Hosting Major Events in Singapore
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mr Chairman, I would like to start by sharing with this House a recent experience I had. In late January this year, I was at our National Stadium to watch the Coldplay concert. Sometime during the show, the lead singer, Chris Martin, said something along the following lines. Maybe not exactly in those words, but something along the following lines. He said, "Tonight is a special night in Singapore. We have so many fans from different countries with different religions, all coming together to watch a concert in Singapore happily, peacefully and safely." After he said this, the Australian guy next to me instantaneously shouted, "Lee Kuan Yew".
And yes, Mr Chairman, this is the multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious Singapore that Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team has created for us. And I am very confident this is also the Singapore that our PAP Government will continue to build for many more generations of Singaporeans.
Sir, over the course of the past year, after the Government took back control of the Sports Hub, the Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), a wholly owned entity under MCCY, has been working hard to make the Sports Hub more vibrant for all Singaporeans. Besides Taylor Swift, who is currently in Singapore, there have been many popular concerts last year and this year by international and regional renowned performers, such as Black Pink, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. Sir, I am not much of a music fan, but I am told that Coldplay is currently the most popular band group in the world. And I am also reliably informed that Taylor Swift is currently the most popular solo artist in the world. Coldplay performed six shows in Singapore at the beginning of this year and Taylor Swift is due to do the same, six this week, starting I think from last Saturday.
I do not know of any other city in the world that has managed to host such most popular world-class events within two months of each other. For this, we must recognise and compliment MCCY and its many partners for having the ability, capacity and mobility to seize opportunities that come our way. Sir, to me, this is the X-factor that differentiates Team Singapore.
Apart from concerts, the Sports Hub also hosted several major international and regional sporting events, and more than 140 National School games and School Sport events. Singaporeans can also now use many facilities at the Sports Hub which are open to the public. This has made the Sports Hub more accessible to Singaporeans.
Importantly, hosting these major events make significant contributions to the Singapore economy. They give a big boost to our tourism sector, especially in areas, such as hospitality, retail, travel and dining.
Mr Chairman, I recall a Parliamentary Question in late 2022 and the then-Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat informed this House that tourists and foreigners in Singapore accounted for about half of the net GST paid by households and individuals in 2018 and 2019. Therefore, as a natural consequence, with so many more world-class major events in Singapore, I think it would also mean that more 9% GST will be collected from our tourists and this would ultimately translate to more goodies and more infrastructure and more good news for all Singaporeans.
And why has Singapore been able to host such major events successfully? Some commentators point to the possible grants given in return for exclusivity. I think it is much more than that. Singapore projects as an attractive entertainment and sports events hub because we have a strategic location, quality infrastructure, safety, efficiency and diverse cultural offerings that allow us to present a complete package in pitches to host such major events.
Moving forward, we should leverage on this important momentum and, while we continue to do so, also look towards renewing older infrastructures at the Sports Hub, such as the Singapore Indoor Stadium, which has hosted Singaporeans to many fond memories over the years. Maybe, just maybe, a new equally exciting indoor venue could be built to replace the Indoor Stadium.
At the same time, whilst many Singaporeans and tourists can enjoy the many spectacular events in Singapore, I think we can also do more by providing cheaper or maybe free tickets to our lower-income families. As an example, whenever the Suzuki Cup matches are played in Singapore, I would get a sponsor to purchase bulk tickets and these are distributed to our lower-income families in Potong Pasir. Our residents go as a family and they enjoyed the football matches.
Sir, MCCY is a very good team that always sees opportunities, never limitations, when promoting Singapore's interests. I think our greatest strength right now is our forged sense of purpose and unity to give the best life to all Singaporeans. I, therefore, invite the Minister to update us on plans for the Sports Hub and share with us the strategy that MCCY intends to employ to cement Singapore's position as an entertainment and sports hub, and also to let our lower-income families enjoy these events in Singapore.
新加坡国会丨来源
新加坡国会丨图源
