News

Internet And Media Advisory Committee Will Advise On Media Literacy Programmes And Related Policies 
Posted on Friday, March 30, 2007 - 10:00 PM

The National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC) and its related committee, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), will be re-constituted into the Internet and Media Advisory Committee, with effect from 2 April 2007.

2. The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) has appointed the Internet and Media Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Media Development Authority (MDA) and MICA on public education programmes and initiatives to promote media literacy and responsible usage of the Internet and the media. The Committee will also facilitate greater industry co-regulation and give feedback on MDA’s new media regulatory framework. Mr Stephen Yeo, vice-president, Strategic Initiatives, EDS Asia, will chair the Committee.

3. Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts said “We recognise that the work of the NIAC is not over. The NIAC’s efforts in media literacy and public education must continue. Hence, we have reconstituted the NIAC and its related committees into this new committee. ”

4. Dr Lee also thanked members of the NIAC and the CAC for their commitment and dedication in providing invaluable counsel to the Singapore government on issues related to the Internet and new media. He said that “They have made significant contributions to develop programmes to encourage industry and civic groups to play a bigger role in addressing the social impact of the Internet for the past 10 years. I would like to thank Professor Bernard Tan for his able and dedicated stewardship of the NIAC for the past 10 years.”

5. The chairman of the Internet and Media Advisory Committee, Mr Stephen Yeo has more than 24 years of IT and Internet-related experience. Under Mr Yeo’s leadership and guidance, the Committee will build on the foundation laid by the NIAC and the CAC to champion media literacy skills and prepare Singaporeans to use media responsibly for work, learn and play.

6. Mr Yeo is an ex-board member of MDA. Currently vice-president, Strategic Initiatives, EDS Asia, Mr Yeo was president, EDS Southeast Asia and India, and responsible for leading the growth and development of the business in that region. Mr Yeo had also served as president and CEO, Singapore Computer Systems Ltd (SCS). He played an instrumental role in the development of Singapore’s IT services sector as previous CEO of the National Computer Board, from 1995 to 1999. In this role, Mr Yeo made significant contributions to IT policy in Singapore, from driving implementation of the IT2000 Masterplan, to the development of Singapore ONE and the Civil Service Computerisation and National IT literacy promotion programmes.

7. Earlier this week, MICA appointed the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS) which will study and advise the Government on the long-term social, ethical, legal and regulatory implications of the new media. On other hand, the role of the Internet and Media Advisory Committee is to advise MICA and MDA in the areas of media literacy, industry co-regulation policies, and regulatory or operational issues. Both the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society, and the Internet and Media Advisory Committee will support MICA and MDA as Singapore continues to exploit the opportunities and meet the challenges of the new media landscape.

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS
30 MARCH 07