The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI; Kementerian Penerangan dan Pembangunan Digital; 数码发展及新闻部; தகவல், மின்னிலக்க மேம்பாட்டு அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for overseeing the development of the infocomm technology, media and design sectors, as well as the government's information and public communication policies. It is also responsible for maintaining the national library, national archives and public libraries.
History[]
The Old Hill Street Police Station is currently the headquarters of the Ministry of Digital Development and Information
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Former logo of MCI until 2024
On 5 June 1959, the Ministry of Culture came into being with the swearing-in and appointments of ministers of the new Government of Singapore. On 1 February 1980, the Broadcasting Division of the Ministry of Culture became a statutory board, the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation.
1985 saw the dissolution of the Ministry of Culture. Its Information Division came under the new Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). Its arts promotion component was assimilated into the Ministry of Community Development (MCD) as the Cultural Affairs Division.
Five years later, on 28 November 1990, the Information Division of the MCI and the Cultural Affairs Division of MCD, together with other associated departments and statutory boards, reunited to form the Ministry of Information and the Arts (MITA).
On 1 September 1991, the Festival of Arts Secretariat, Singapore Cultural Foundation, the Arts Division of MITA, and the National Theatre Trust merged to form the National Arts Council (NAC).
On 1 October 1994, the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) was formed as a statutory board under MITA to oversee and promote the broadcasting industry in Singapore.[1]
On 23 November 2001, the information and communications technology (ICT) functions under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology came under MITA. The expanded Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, but retained the acronym MITA. In that year, Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) became one of MITA's statutory boards.
On 1 January 2003, the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, Singapore Films Commission and Films and Publications Department (previously under the MITA headquarters) merged to form the Media Development Authority (MDA). On 13 August 2004, the Ministry's acronym was changed from "MITA" to "MICA".
On 1 November 2012, MICA was renamed the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). The move followed the restructuring of two previous ministries – MICA and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) – into MCI, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). REACH (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home) was assimilated into MCI while the resilience, arts and heritage portfolios became part of MCCY. MCI oversees the development of the information and communications technology, media and design sectors, public libraries, and the Government's information and public communication policies.[2]
On 18 January 2016, MCI announced that the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA) will be restructured into two new entities: The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Government Technology Organisation (GTO) (now Government Technology Agency; GovTech), in the second half of 2016.[3] The new statutory boards were formed on 1 October 2016.
On 8 July 2024, MCI was renamed the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI). It aims to recognise a landscape where digital solutions will become more common.[4]
Organisational structure[]
MDDI has two statutory boards, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the National Library Board (NLB).
MDDI also manages the Cyber Security Agency, a national agency overseeing cybersecurity strategy, operations, education, outreach, and ecosystem development and the Personal Data Protection Commission, Singapore's primary data protection authority.
Ministers[]
The Ministry is headed by the Minister for Digital Development and Information, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore. The incumbent minister is MP for Jalan Besar GRC Josephine Teo from the People's Action Party.
| Portrait | Name Template:Small |
Took office | Left office | Party | Cabinet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Culture (1959–1985) | ||||||
| File:S Rajaratnam c. 1940s.jpg | S. Rajaratnam MP for Kampong Glam (1915–2006) |
5 June 1959 |
12 August 1965 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee K. I |
| Lee K. II | ||||||
| Othman Wok MP for Pasir Panjang (1924–2017) |
12 August 1965 |
15 April 1968 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Jek Yeun Thong MP for Queenstown (1930–2018) |
16 April 1968 |
25 September 1977 |
rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee K. III | |
| Lee K. IV | ||||||
| Lee K. V | ||||||
| File:Ong Teng Cheong.jpg | Ong Teng Cheong MP for Kim Keat (1936–2002) Interim |
26 September 1977 |
6 January 1981 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | |
| S. Dhanabalan MP for Kallang (born 1937) |
6 January 1981 |
1 January 1985 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee K. VI | |
| Minister for Social Affairs (1963–1985) | ||||||
| Othman Wok MP for Pasir Panjang (1924–2017) |
19 October 1963 |
30 June 1977 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee K. V | |
| Toh Chin Chye MP for Rochore (1921–2012) Interim |
1 July 1977 |
4 September 1977 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Ahmad Mattar MP for Brickworks (born 1940) Interim until 31 May 1984 |
5 September 1977 |
1 January 1985 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Lee K. VI | ||||||
| Minister for Communications (1968–1985) | ||||||
| File:Yong Nyuk Lin (1965).jpg | Yong Nyuk Lin MP for Geylang West (1918–2012) |
16 April 1968 |
31 July 1975 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee K. III |
| Lee K. IV | ||||||
| File:Lim Kim San in the 1940s.jpg | Lim Kim San MP for Cairnhill (1916–2006) |
1 August 1975 |
30 June 1978 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | |
| Lee K. V | ||||||
| File:Ong Teng Cheong.jpg | Ong Teng Cheong MP for Kim Keat (1936–2002) |
1 July 1978 |
8 May 1983 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | |
| Lee K. VI | ||||||
| Ong Pang Boon MP for Telok Ayer (born 1929) |
9 May 1983 |
6 September 1983 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Yeo Ning Hong MP for Kim Seng (born 1943) Interim until 31 May 1984 |
7 September 1983 |
1 January 1985 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Minister for Communications and Information (1985–1990) | ||||||
| Yeo Ning Hong MP for Kim Seng SMC (born 1943) |
2 January 1985 |
27 November 1990 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee K. VII | |
| Lee K. VIII | ||||||
| Minister for Information and the Arts (1990–2001) | ||||||
| File:George Yeo by Michael Wuertenberg.jpg | George Yeo MP for Aljunied GRC (born 1954) Interim until 30 June 1991 |
28 November 1990 |
2 June 1999 |
rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Goh I |
| Goh II | ||||||
| Goh III | ||||||
| Lee Yock Suan MP for Cheng San GRC (born 1946) |
3 June 1999 |
22 November 2001 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (2001–2012) | ||||||
| David Lim MP for Aljunied GRC Interim |
23 November 2001 |
11 May 2003 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Goh IV | |
| Lee Boon Yang MP for Jalan Besar GRC (born 1947) |
12 May 2003 |
31 March 2009 |
rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | ||
| Lee H. I | ||||||
| Lee H. II | ||||||
| File:Lui Tuck Yew giving the Partner of the Year award to Paul Daff of Jetstar Asia at the Changi Airline Awards, Singapore - 20120510 (version 2).jpg | Lui Tuck Yew MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC (born 1961) Interim until 31 October 2010 |
1 April 2009 |
20 May 2011 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | |
| File:Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore - 20060722.jpg | Yaacob Ibrahim MP for Moulmein–Kallang GRC (born 1955) |
21 May 2011 |
31 October 2012 |
style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee H. III |
| Minister for Communications and Information (2012–2024) | ||||||
| File:Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore - 20060722.jpg | Yaacob Ibrahim MP for Moulmein–Kallang GRC & Jalan Besar GRC (born 1955) |
1 November 2012 |
30 April 2018 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Lee H. III |
| Lee H. IV | ||||||
| File:The Trade Minister of Singapore, Shri S. Iswaran meeting the Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, in New Delhi on October 03, 2016 (cropped).jpg | S. Iswaran MP for West Coast GRC (born 1962) |
1 May 2018 |
14 May 2021 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | |
| Lee H. V | ||||||
| File:Josephine Teo at AsiaTech X Artificial Intelligence (ATxAI), Capella Singapore, 31 May 2024 - cropped.jpg | Josephine Teo MP for Jalan Besar GRC (born 1968) |
15 May 2021 |
7 July 2024 |
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | |
| Wong L. I | ||||||
| Minister for Digital Development and Information (from 2024) | ||||||
| File:Josephine Teo at AsiaTech X Artificial Intelligence (ATxAI), Capella Singapore, 31 May 2024 - cropped.jpg | Josephine Teo MP for Jalan Besar GRC (born 1968) |
8 July 2024 |
Incumbent | style="background:Template:Party color;" | | PAP | Wong L. I |
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