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Kolette Lim

A Singapore minister’s quip in parliament that top officials had no time to go to the cinema has drawn heated public discussion, with some in the local arts scene saying the comment risked downplaying the importance of the cultural sector.
Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo was responding to questions in parliament on Tuesday about the administration’s stance on Chinese dialects in films, when he joked in Mandarin: “First of all, ministers don’t have time to watch movies.”
Workers’ Party member Kenneth Tiong had earlier asked officials if they caught the Teochew or Mandarin-dubbed version of Chinese blockbuster Dear You.
The opposition MP had also asked if the government’s objective was to promote Mandarin or restrict dialects, and if restrictions on the use of dialects – including those regarding films – would be removed. He also asked if the government would expand the reach of dialect classes conducted by clan associations.
In Singapore, dialect films are allowed on a case-by-case basis, and Chinese productions meant for theatrical release should generally be in Mandarin. These rules are in line with the Speak Mandarin Campaign, launched in 1979, and have restricted the use of dialects such as Hokkien and Cantonese in films, television and radio.

Neo followed up on his remark – which drew brief laughter in parliament – by saying that Singapore regularly worked with dialect clan associations.
“They contribute very distinctively towards our Singapore Chinese culture, and if there’s a demand, I think they’ll be more than happy to extend [dialect] classes to more people.”
‘Out of touch’
Singaporean filmmaker Daniel Yun said on his social media platform that he “took offence” with Neo’s remark. The industry veteran, who co-produced local movies such as I Not Stupid, said while Neo’s comment might be “true to some extent”, it was also dismissive and “definitely an implication that the arts, the media, entertainment are lower priority and hence less important”.
Crystal Lim-Lange, chief executive of leadership consultancy Forest Wolf, said Neo’s “throwaway joke” made it seem like he was trivialising the matter.
Dialect and cultural heritage isn’t just a policy thing, it’s an identity thing
Crystal Lim-Lange, Forest Wolf chief executive
“Dialect and cultural heritage isn’t just a policy thing, it’s an identity thing. It touches how Singaporeans connect to their own roots and this makes it one of the most emotionally loaded things you can talk about in parliament,” she wrote on social media, noting that dialects, culture and heritage fell under Neo’s ministerial portfolio.
Some social media users also criticised Neo’s offhand remark as inappropriate and “out of touch”. Others, though, were more sympathetic and acknowledged it was not unusual for politicians to be too busy to go to the cinema.
This Week in Asia has contacted Neo for comment.


Nydia Ngiow, managing director at strategic advisory firm BowerGroupAsia, said the parliamentary discussion was an opportune moment for Neo, as culture minister, to signal the importance of dialect heritage and cultural identity, but his response “read as the opposite”.
The heated reaction from the public reflected a broader sensitivity about the value the arts sector holds to the government, she added. “Industry players and heritage advocates have long felt that cultural policy gets the rhetoric without the resources, and Neo’s remarks may have subliminally confirmed that anxiety.”
Acting transport minister Jeffrey Siow drew similar criticism and was accused of being defensive and unempathetic when he suggested last year that zero train breakdowns were an unrealistic expectation, she said. “These highlight how the bar for ministerial communication has risen considerably in the era of social media scrutiny.”
Independent political observer Felix Tan said Neo’s remark could be perceived as “rather condescending” and, while unlikely to negatively affect his political career, it might cast doubt on political leaders’ ability to show empathy.
“Policy-making is not hard science and sometimes it needs the heart and emotional bandwidth to connect with the larger issues at hand,” he added.
Culture push
Singapore’s choice to commercially screen a Mandarin-dubbed version of Dear You has led to intense debate on loss of authenticity and heritage and discussion on the relevance of the city state’s language policies amid waning dialect usage.
An additional 100 screenings of the Teochew version of the hit film had been approved, bringing the number of original screenings allowed to 272, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How told parliament on Tuesday.
Singapore was also reviewing its film classification framework with regard to dialect films, he added. “We will take some time to do so, because it’s an evolution, it’s a thoughtful approach – speaking to people, making adjustments, not abrupt changes – like all good policies are.”
The government in recent years has rolled out measures to increase citizens’ exposure to arts and culture. Last year, it set aside about S$300 million (US$232 million) for the SG Culture Pass, which gave Singaporeans S$100 in credits to attend arts and heritage activities such as performances or museum exhibitions.

Neo has previously received backlash online over other colourful quips. In November, he apologised after being caught on video calling Hong Kong football fans and players “idiots” after Singapore defeated Hong Kong 2-1 in an Asian Cup qualifier match.
A video which circulated online showed him congratulating the team in their locker room in Hong Kong, and saying: “It was fantastic … you kena [Malay for hit] pressured by them, all the fans were bloody idiots, end up players also played like idiots [sic] … But you all played like lions.”
He later conceded that he “should have been more respectful”, and privately apologised to the Hong Kong government.


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Singapore

Do Singapore ministers watch films? Parliament joke raises hackles amid dialect debate

Women take a photo with “Dear You” posters during its premiere in Singapore on June 17. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese director Lan Hongchun (fourth from left) and the cast of “Dear You” speak at the film’s premiere in Singapore on June 17. Photo: Xinhua

David Neo addresses Singaporean football players on November 18, 2025, in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Will Dear You’s smash success push Singapore to ease dialect film policies?

A woman takes photos during the special screening of “Dear You” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 18. Photo: Xinhua


People pose in front of a billboard of “Dear You” during the film’s premiere in Singapore on June 17. Photo: Xinhua


People take photos of the billboards of “Dear You” in Singapore. Photo: Xinhua

People attend the special screening of “Dear You” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 18. Photo: Xinhua

A fan gets emotional while watching “Dear You” in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Singapore will run Dear You film mostly in Mandarin, not Teochew. What’s lost in translation?

A still from “Dear You”, the hit Chinese film shot in southern Teochew dialect. Photo: Handout

Kristen Chng said watching “Dear You” reminded him of his grandfather’s journey of hardship after leaving his ancestral village in Guangdong province. Photo: Handout

A still from “Dear You”. The Chinese film, shot in southern Teochew dialect, follows a grandson uncovering his family’s past by tracing “qiaopi” – or family letters and remittances – sent home decades ago. Photo: Handout

A still from “The Last Dance”. The Hong Kong film was released in Mandarin instead of Cantonese during its Singapore run in 2024. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures

A still from “Dear You”. The film has raked in more than US$236 million in China since its April 30 release. Photo: Handout

Sean Tan, who visited his ancestral village in Shantou in April, said hearing Teochew spoken in its original form was “quite inspiring”. Photo: Handout

For many outside China, Dear You reflects family history, not politics

A woman attends a screening of Dear You in Kuala Lumpur on June 15. Photo: Xinhua

People take photos at the premiere of Dear You in Singapore on June 17. Photo: Xinhua

Photos of Teochew migrant jobs – stevedore, boatman, miner, timber raftsman, railroad builder – and a remittance letter at the Qiaopi Museum in Shantou, Guangdong province. Photo: Mabel Lui

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The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats


The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats.


Do Singapore ministers watch films? Parliament joke raises hackles amid dialect debate

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats

The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats