PUBLISHED ONJuly 07, 2026 6:21 AMBYKhoo Yi-Hang"Ministers have no time to watch movies."
That was Acting Culture, Community and Youth Minister David Neo's quip in Parliament on July 7, after Workers' Party MP Kenneth Tiong asked whether ministers had watched either the Teochew or Mandarin-dubbed version of Chinese hit film Dear You.
While Neo's quip drew laughs in the House, the exchange came amid a wider, more serious discussion involving Singapore's decades-old restrictions on dialect content.
In the latest Parliament sitting on July 7, the government's bilingual policy was one of the key topics that MPs raised questions about.
Dear You, which became a box-office hit in mainland China, is a drama that follows a man who travels to Thailand to search for his lost-long grandfather. The film's limited Teochew-language screenings have sparked public pushback for the film to be screened in its original dialect for its commercial release, instead of its Mandarin-dubbed version, on account of the Government's bilingual policy.
Tiong and Neo were among 11 members of the House who voiced their opinions on Dear You.
Those who spoke up shared their perspectives on the use of dialect in film, with NMP Dr Neo Kok Beng extrapolating the situation to the broader digital media.
In response to strong interest in the film, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said the Government has approved another 100 screenings of Dear You.
This brings the total number of screenings to 272.
"As part of this conversation, we are reviewing our current film classification framework with respect to use of dialect in films and we will take some time to do so because it's an evolution," SMS Tan added.
In his remarks, MP Kenneth Tiong said that the Teochew-speaking residents in his constituency had asked him in the dialect why they were not allowed to watch Teochew movies.
Tiong then asked the House three questions. Apart from wondering which version of Dear You ministers watched, he also asked in Mandarin for the minister to clarify the objective behind the Speak Mandarin Campaign.
"Is the Government's goal to promote Mandarin, or to restrict dialects?" he asked.
"If the goal is simply to promote Mandarin... will the Government review all measures that exist purely to restrict dialects - including those relating to films and broadcasting - and remove restrictions that are no longer necessary?"
These two objectives are "different", according to Tiong.
Responding to Tiong's questions, Acting Minister Neo said: "Firstly, ministers have no time to watch movies."
He then added that the Government often works with clan associations, and that they are keen in promoting their dialects and respective cultures.
"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 their classes to more people."
In his earlier remarks in Parliament, Acting Minister Neo also said that dialect artistic materials are increasingly viewed as part of Singapore's cultural heritage rather than being in competition with Mandarin.
Emphasising that Singapore's linguistic diversity is a distinctive feature of its Chinese culture, he added that the Government welcomes ideas on preserving dialect cultures, while continuing to uphold the importance of Mandarin.
Acting Minister Neo said the authorities will continue to engage the community and consider further steps towards supporting and promoting Singapore's Chinese cultural heritage.
