Singapore’s government said on Friday it agreed “in principle” to live-stream parliamentary proceedings, a move that would mark a major U-turn in policy after officials for years argued that doing so would encourage grandstanding among politicians. The government’s announcement came amid renewed calls for the policy change from the opposition Workers’ Party, which unexpectedly made significant headway in July’s general election . The new parliament session’s first major debate this week – over the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) agenda for the electoral term – took place amid heightened interest from citizens over the legislative proceedings. Singapore opposition leader vows scrutiny of PAP, cites Hong Kong S. Iswaran, the Minister for Communications and Information, told parliament on Friday that the mooted change was in line with global and technological trends that had made online streaming commonplace, and amid more legislatures beaming their proceedings to citizens. While the administration continued to have its previous reservations, it now “agrees in principle to the live-streaming of parliamentary proceedings”, Iswaran said, adding that his ministry would now study the technical and implementation details of the policy change. “Our aim, as always, will be to achieve transparency, accountability and accessibility while preserving the integrity and dignity of parliamentary proceedings,” he said. “An element of cut and thrust is unavoidable, even necessary, because members want to show Singaporeans that their concerns are being expressed, and questions asked and answered in parliament,” the minister said. “However, it is equally important that members come to grips with the issues and their complexities and not simply play to the gallery. Live broadcasts risk compromising this ... We still hold these reservations.” The PAP in the past forcefully dismissed calls to live-stream parliamentary proceedings, a practice that has become commonplace in neighbours such as Malaysia and Indonesia . In May, for example, a senior official responded to a forum letter writer by suggesting that live-streaming parliament would “create a risk that parliament is turned into a form of theatre”. Michele Khoo, press secretary to Grace Fu – then the PAP minister designated as Leader of the House – said unlike the sporting arena, the legislature was “a forum for serious debate on legislation, government policies and issues of the day that matter to our citizens, and must remain so”. “We therefore have no plans to broadcast parliament sittings live and risk changing the tone of proceedings in parliament,” Khoo wrote at the time. At present, MPs’ speeches are made available on the national broadcaster CNA’s website within hours of their delivery, while transcripts are published on the Hansard – available online – seven working days after each sitting. Certain key speeches, such as the budget statement and major addresses by the prime minister are telecast live online and on CNA. It will help MPs to get noticed [and] their speeches and parliamentary questions can potentially reach a wider audience Eugene Tan, law professor Local political observer Eugene Tan said the planned change in policy could have to do with growing public desire to “follow parliamentary proceedings in real time and remotely”. The Singapore Management University law professor, a former nominated lawmaker, said he believed a live-stream of parliamentary proceedings could “keep MPs on their toes” given their participation will be “even more so in the public eye”. “It will help MPs to get noticed [and] their speeches and parliamentary questions can potentially reach a wider audience,” he said. With 12 opposition lawmakers in parliament in the legislature – the most in five decades – citizens this week bore witness to a more vigorous than usual debate among MPs. Singapore PM concedes Covid-19 missteps, warns of ‘Garden of Eden’ exit Among the highlights of this week’s debate was an exchange between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh on Wednesday. Lee and Singh sparred over the prime minister’s speech in the debate, in which he cast doubt on the effect an enlarged opposition would have on the country’s politics. With the WP’s historic gains in the July vote, Prime Minister Lee moved to recognise Singh as the country’s first ever official opposition leader , a position that grants privileges to the WP chief, including an increase in salary, additional budget for staff and added speaking time in parliament. How will Singapore’s opposition leader shape alternative policies? The PAP, in power since 1959, currently has 83 seats in the 93-seat legislature. The WP has 10 seats – an increase from its six seats in the last parliament. Two representatives from another opposition party, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), also sit in the legislature as part of the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) scheme, which is meant to ensure that there are at least 12 alternative voices in the house. Tan, the law professor, said he believed the live broadcasts would work in the PAP’s advantage. He cited how the opposition MPs in his view were “kept on a tighter leash” by their party leadership compared to the ruling party. “There is a greater diversity of views expressed by the PAP MPs, much of which does not get reported,” Tan said. “Workers’ Party toe the party line more religiously, in part as a united front approach to the dominant view from the [government] front bench”.