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Today, 17 Nov 04

The maturity test
by Tor Ching Li chingli@newstoday.com.sg

Debate on society's ability to cope with casino holds the key: Minister

AFTER months of heated public debate over the possibility of a casino as part of Singapore's plans for a world-class resort on the Southern Islands — first mooted by the Government in March — Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Vivian Balakrishnan now wants to set the discussion in a proper perspective.

"I think you can't have a debate trying to balance money on the one hand versus values on the other. The two cannot be put on the same weighing scales," said Dr Balakrishnan, also Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, at the sidelines of an event held at the Istana yesterday. "The fundamental question is: Are we ready as a society to let people make choices of their own, to take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences? If we are indeed ready, then we can consider taking more risk, in a sense, with new and innovative radical plans."

In this light, a consultation portal on this Integrated Resort proposal has been put up on the Feedback Unit's website since yesterday for the public to post their opinions. A summary of the some 700 opinions collated so far by the unit has also been made available on the website. According to a survey of 903 Singaporeans commissioned by the unit in September, most of the respondents agreed that operating a casino would contribute to Singapore's economic and tourism development. Indeed, Dr Balakrishnan cited the $1.3 billion a year — or $3.5 million a day — that the Ministry of Finance collects on gaming duties.

However, respondents' opinion was divided over whether the benefits of setting up a casino will outweigh the social costs. Dr Balakrishnan, however, feels that most Singaporeans have no problems with having a casino here. "We have to move on, we have to be prepared to be open-minded, to be flexible and to take some risk if we are to survive, going forward," he added. Dr Balakrishnan stressed that the idea of having a casino in Singapore is not "a move of desperation", and that the Government had already decided to set aside up to $2 billion in a tourism development fund to be used over the next 10 years to invest in world-class infrastructure and tourism products for Singapore. "So it's not as if the integrated resort is the be all and end all of our tourism strategy. It is just one option," said Dr Balakrishnan.

Over the next few weeks, the Government will be engaging "between six to 12" potential investors to explore Singapore's plans for the "world's most glamourous, safest and most wonderful place to entertain yourself" — with clear limitations set by the Government. Only investors with "interesting" and "compelling" concepts will be asked to submit a formal proposal in the next few months. "Whatever additional entertainment facilities we provide must not be allowed to erode our position as a trusted financial centre in the world," said Dr Balakrishnan. . He also stated that the casino and gaming facilities will be just "a very small component of a much larger whole" — that is, of a world-class, iconic integrated resort comprising fine dining, themed entertainment, international shows, high-end retail and convention facilities. "We are not interested in a gambling hall or in a little, pokey gambling den," he said, adding that plans for the resort would be dropped if the proposals are not deemed of "sufficient economic benefit" or if Singapore society is not deemed mature enough.

Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged that while the Government has "no ideological opposition" to gambling, there is a "very, very small segment" of Singapore society for whom gambling is an addiction. Gamblers must be prepared to spend money to entertain themselves, not treat gambling as a "means of earning money or making a living", he said.

Regardless of the outcome of the feedback exercise, Dr Balakrishnan said such public debate is "useful because it helps us learn as a society how to deal with difficult and potentially divisive issues in a mature way". "This issue of an integrated resort with a casino is just one such example, but there are many more challenges and issues which we have to face in the future for which there will be no easy answer and no consensus answer," said Dr Balakrishnan.

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