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Synopsis :

Recording contains five speeches at four separate functions.

1) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Dr Goh Keng Swee opens the 9th Festival of Books and Book Fair at Hyatt Hotel on 26/08/1977. In his speech before he opens the festival he admits he is 'a compulsive reader' but he believes Singaporeans would not read if they could help it. TV viewing, he finds, is such an 'ingrained part of modern life' poses problems. Touching on the book trade and the publishing trade which are flourishing but he suspects that comes from the export market.  (Duration: 00:07:03)

2) Minister for Labour Ong Pang Boon at the 40th Anniversary Dinner of the Master Printers Association at Shangri-La Hotel on 27/08/1977. Speaking in English, Chinese, he says the printing industry, one of the oldest esatblished industries in Singapore, is still 'oriented largely to the domestic market'. He stresses that the future for the industry is to produce for export targetting regional and international markets. That means the industry will be exposed to international competition and to survive in this competitive environment, the industry must upgrade and modernise. One opporuntity for the industry's shift to export comes from Singapore's membership to the UNESCO Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific & Cultural Marketing.  (Duration: 00:23:00)

3) MP for River Valley Dr Tan Eng Liang opens the Chemistry Symposium at Shangri-La Hotel on 27/08/1977. He says the government's policy is to integrate science and technology with the national development plans and to provide an 'effective linkage' between science and technology and the pursuit of national, social and economic goals. He briefly traces the development of programmes undertaken to give a clearer picture of the direction Singapore should take to tap science and technology to make serve the community. The symposium is organised by the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry. (Duration: 00:15:46)

4) Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education Chai Chong Yii at the presentation of the Prime Minister's Book Prize 1977 at RELC on 29/08/1977. He says the award first instituted by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1973 is one of the most prestigious awards a pupil in Singapore could receive. But the 'true reward' is more the way students have successfully added new dimension to their life, something that remains with them forever. He touches on the government's bilingual policy, stressing that language learning, especially learning one's mother tongue has avery important impact on the qualify of life. Speaking before Mr Chai is the Director of Education Chan Kai Yau. In his welcome speech, he stresses the aim of the awards is to 'stimulate and promote the learning of languages' and to produce bi-lingual citizens in Singapore.  (Duration: 00:07:54)