Speech by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister For Finance, at the Opening Ceremony Of The 14th ASEAN Ministers Responsible For Information Meeting, 10 May 2018, Thursday, 9.15am at the Shangri-La Hotel

INTRODUCTION

1. Good morning, and a very warm welcome to Singapore. Thank you for joining us for the 14^th Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information, or AMRI.
   
   The Growth of ASEAN

2. This year, our AMRI chairmanship coincides with our ASEAN chairmanship. It is an opportune moment for us to reflect on how far ASEAN has come as a regional community.
   
    

3. Our progress owes much to ASEAN’s combined efforts to keep our markets open, to deepen economic integration and to restructure our economy.

4. We must continue to stay open and connected, and prepare to ride the next wave of growth. This next wave will be driven by technology and the digital economy. With our growing middle class and young population, ASEAN is well-placed to seize these opportunities.
   
   Inclusive and Informed Digital ASEAN

5. AMRI will play a pivotal role in leading ASEAN into the new digital age.

6. The theme of the 14^th AMRI is an “Inclusive and Informed Digital ASEAN”. To catalyse discussion, allow me to suggest three goals.
   
    
   
   Digital Economy

7. The first goal, of growing the digital economy, is urgent, as technology is transforming the global economy. It is heartening that many ASEAN member states have unveiled plans to build up their digital capabilities.

8. Building on these national initiatives, we must harness our strength as a region to develop a vibrant digital economy. There are many areas for cooperation. For example, we can facilitate the free flow of data across borders, introduce mutual recognition of each other’s national digital identities, or integrate customs clearance.
   
    

9. AMRI has laid the foundations for stronger and more accessible digital infrastructure.

10. This coordinated shift to Digital TV is an excellent illustration of how we have managed to agree on shared goals, raise capabilities all around, and benefit our peoples as a united ASEAN.
    
    Inclusive Digital Society

11. Let me now move on to our second goal of nurturing an inclusive digital society. As ASEAN goes digital, we must ensure that our peoples progress together, and we leave no one behind. ASEAN has demonstrated this sense of inclusiveness in other areas, through technical assistance schemes, capacity-building programmes and other programmes.

12. Many ASEAN member states have taken steps to narrow the digital divide and equip their people with the necessary skills to enter the digital age.
    
     

13. Here in Singapore, we have a high Internet penetration rate, with 91% of our households having Internet access and 84% of Singaporean individuals being Internet users. But, there is still much work to be done.

14. While ASEAN member states have implemented national programmes to facilitate learning and participation in their own digital spaces, we can also come together to build on each other’s ideas and initiatives. This will help us build an inclusive and informed regional community as well.
    
     
    
     
    
    Trusted Digital Ecosystem

15. Finally, our third goal is to build a trusted digital ecosystem.

16. Access to quality information and media has traditionally been the bread and butter of AMRI.
    
     

17. One such challenge is fake news. The speed and scale of information sharing over social media has facilitated the sharing and cross-pollination of worthy ideas, but has also resulted in a trend of online falsehoods, especially deliberate ones.

18. Several ASEAN member states have taken great strides towards curbing or containing the negative effects of fake news.

19. These national efforts are necessary in order address the challenges of online falsehoods and deliberate misinformation. However, given the transnational nature of trends and threats in the digital world, by themselves they are not adequate. We must also work together to cultivate a resilient, trusted digital ecosystem across ASEAN.
    
    Conclusion

20. I would like to conclude by thanking all of the attendees today for your efforts in building up the information and media sector in ASEAN and to thank Minister Iswaran for inviting me to speak at this event, where so many of our ASEAN colleagues and friends from the region are gathered here in Singapore. In fact, Minister Iswaran did not mention that besides me being the chair of the Committee of Future Economy, he is my co-chair. So we are together in this.

^[1] ASEANStatistics 1967-2017 ASEAN Economic Progress, 2017

^[2] US-ASEAN Business Council https://www.usasean.org/why-asean/growth. Updated on 16 May 2017.

^[3] OECD Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2018: Fostering Growth through Digitalisation

^[4] e-conomy SEA: Unlocking the $200 billion digital opportunity in Southeast Asia, Temasek Holdings and Google, 2016.

^[5] e-Conomy SEA Spotlight 2017: Unprecendented Growth for Southeast Asia’s $50b internet economy

^[6] Brunei Darussalam Digital Government Strategy 2015 – 2020.

^[7] Realising Digital Myanmar: Leapfrogging to an inclusive digital economy, Telenor, 2016.

^[8] Cambodia targets digital economy by 2023: Minister, Xinhua, 2017.

^[9] Digital Literacy in the Philippines: a pilot project, Good Things Foundation, 2016.

^[10] Ministry will send digital trainers to villages. Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C., 2017.

^[11] Igniting the potential of Lao youth by empowering them through training and technology, Microsoft, 2016.

^[12] 68% of APAC residents believe there is a problem with fake news on digital platforms, YouGov, 2017.

^[13] MCMC to release app for fact-checking portal, The Malaysian Insight, 2016.

^[14] Money, politics behind spread of falsehoods in Indonesia: Founder of anti-hoax community. Channel NewsAsia, 2018.