DPM Heng Swee Keat at the 21st NYAA Gold Award Ceremony

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Members of the NYAA Advisory Board and Council

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Good afternoon! I am delighted to be here with all of you for the 21st NYAA Gold Award Ceremony. 

I would like to extend a warm welcome and our appreciation to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, for gracing this afternoon’s ceremony. 

President Tharman has a longstanding interest in youth and social issues, and I am certain that our youth will draw inspiration from his passion and experience. 

The NYAA programme began more than 30 years ago, with the mission of developing and maximising the potential of our young people, and encouraging them to contribute meaningfully to society and our nation. 

Indeed this mission has grown even more important as we face a world that is changing more rapidly, and growing more uncertain. 

In many societies, these pressures have led to tensions and fractures, which limit the capacity to make meaningful progress.  

So now more than ever, we need to draw on the energies of our citizens, especially our youth, to strengthen our spirit of togetherness, and build a caring, cohesive, and vibrant Singapore. 

This requires a bias for action, underpinned by the commitment to care and contribute for causes larger than ourselves. 

Since its inception more than three decades ago, the NYAA has empowered more than 700,000 youth to grow, stretch, and serve.

Through a programme of Service Learning, Outdoor Appreciation and Healthy Living, our youth are given the opportunity to develop themselves holistically, building good habits and skills that can last them a lifetime. 

For the pinnacle Gold Award, participants also have to take on leadership roles in community service projects, partnering stakeholders from different backgrounds to make positive contributions. 

So to the 299 Gold Award recipients of the 2024 cohort, my heartiest congratulations for your perseverance, commitment, and dedication!

Like those before them, the 2024 Gold Award recipients have initiated projects to serve different groups and address a range of issues. 

From migrant workers to isolated seniors and persons with disability, our award recipients dedicated time and effort to design meaningful support, and serve with heart. 

Others rallied around environment and sustainability causes, initiating activities like beach clean ups. 

Through these service learning and community leadership opportunities, our youth grew their capacity for empathy, fostered meaningful connections, and most importantly, put values into action. 

Ms Kashful Ilahi has a passion for serving children, especially those facing difficult circumstances as she herself did. 

Kashful organised a flea market to raise funds for the Singapore Children’s Society. From marketing to soliciting donations and executing the event, Kashful was glad that she could translate her passion into tangible contribution. 

For Ng Woon Xiang, the NYAA journey was an opportunity to build confidence through creating positive social impact. 

Woon Xiang is an individual with disability, and was spurred by his own circumstances to initiate community inclusion projects for seniors, low-income children, and persons with disabilities. 

Like Kashful and Woon Xiang, I am certain that every recipient here carries your own story of hard work, personal growth, and creating positive impact. You should be very proud of your achievement! 

Do also take the time to thank and appreciate the different parties who have cheered you on and provided guidance throughout your NYAA journey – such as your families, teachers, lecturers and mentors. 

Their encouragement and support would have given you the confidence to step out of your comfort zone and exceed your limits. 

This is the power of community – our award recipients anchored by the support of their peers. teachers and families, then paying it forward and making a difference to other communities. 

This is how we build and sustain a caring and inclusive society. 

Today’s award ceremony marks the end of your Gold Award Programme, and the beginning of your journey to become the changemakers of tomorrow. 

With the experience you have gained and the skills that you have built, I hope that you will venture forth to explore the path ahead with confidence, curiosity and empathy. 

The world has become more volatile and uncertain. We are facing significant challenges like climate change and ageing demographics. 

But when we dissect these issues and bring them down to the community and societal level, there is always something that we can do to make a meaningful difference. 

With this NYAA experience under your belt, I hope that you will keep this spirit of service and contribution alive, and continue to inspire and rally others to do good. 

The NYAA takes pride not just in successful completion of programmes by our participants, but the impact that they continue to make years after they graduate. 

Some NYAA Gold Award alumni serve as NYAA Council Members, working with the NYAA Secretariat to develop and deliver meaningful programmes for the junior batches. 

For others, the NYAA journey sparked a deeper commitment to causes close to their hearts.

Take Cassandra Yip, a 2018 NYAA Gold Award recipient, for example. Cassandra is passionate about sustainability, and founded Earth School Singapore, to nurture and inspire young environmentalists, including primary school students. 

Cassandra received an academic fellowship through the US State Department’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, and represented Singapore as a delegate to the APEC Multistakeholder Forum in San Francisco last November. 

As you join the ranks of the Gold Award Holders alumni, I hope that you will take inspiration from Cassandra and the many other alumni, and build on what you have learned during your NYAA journey. 

Uphold the spirit of “Service beyond Gold” and strive to make an even bigger impact in the years to come. 

Let me conclude by once again extending my heartiest congratulations to the 2024 batch of NYAA Gold Award recipients for your outstanding achievements. 

We are also very appreciative of President Tharman, for gracing this ceremony. 

Thank you and I wish everyone an enjoyable afternoon. 

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