Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the launch of "PAYM Loves Red" movement

“Youth Can Make A Difference”

Friends and residents of Teck Ghee, young men and women

Happy Youth Day! Very happy to see everybody wearing the same t-shirt today, “PAYM Loves Red”. It is a new idea to bring young people together to celebrate Singapore’s 48th Birthday. With 6,000 youth volunteers – I think we have a few hundred here today – 27,000 residents, and doing projects all over Singapore. Like the Fashion Showcase that you just saw just now, courtesy of ITE College Central which we are very very proud of. Well done! Or another project - “Bread Run” by students of SMU, freshmen who distribute free bread to the homeless. So I would like to thank the Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC Youth Executive Committees who organised this event and all of you volunteers and residents who are taking part in this with us.

We have a lot to celebrate for National Day because in the 48 years since independence, we have come a long way. We built a vibrant, endearing home for all of us, a more caring and compassionate society and we have created opportunities for many many Singaporeans, including and especially for our young ones. And what we have done here is especially significant and noteworthy if you compare it to the experience of other countries. You look at the difficulties which Europeans have taking care of their young people. One quarter of the young people in Europe are unemployed. And in some countries like Spain or Greece, half the young people are unemployed. So when they graduate from school or university, maybe for ten years, they cannot find work, they cannot start work, they cannot start their family. And I think their lives will be affected forever. And there are millions of such young people; they are called “NEET” people - not in Employment, Education or Training. No employment, no education, training – NEET. And this is a very big challenge for the Europeans and so the young people are restless, they demonstrate, they want to change.

Fortunately in Singapore, we are not in that position. People graduate, whether it is from ITE, or from polytechnic or university, the jobs are there. Many jobs are there. But our challenge is to make Singapore tomorrow even better than Singapore today. And to see where we are today not as the summit of where we can be, but as a new base from which we can scale new heights, climb more mountains together. And this is also not just for each one of us, but for us as a community, collectively, and that means we have to work together, with the successful Singaporeans, contributing back to society, with the government doing its part to help less fortunate Singaporeans, to help give every Singaporean a leg up. And with all of us joining hands, to improve the lives of one another. And that is what the red we wear and the red in the Singapore flag means - universal brotherhood and equality of man.

So I am very happy that our young people have been taking the lead to build a better Singapore. And you read and see many of them, even on stage just now, the T-Net Club, putting up a musical. One of the young people was Nasharudin Zam Zam, only 12 years old and he helped the young man in the wheelchair, during the musical practices, and now they are best friends. And so you learn to take care of others, who are not abled, who are less privileged but who are also Singaporeans, and our brothers and sisters. Or we have students like in the Nan Chiau High School Service-Learning Club, where are you? You are all there. You did a project, started Go M.A.D. Donation. M.A.D. means Make A Difference. And it raised funds for elderly needy residents in Fernvale Lodge down in Jalan Kayu. Thank you very much, thank you all of you. And after raising money, they put a little bit aside to hold a mini-concert and to give free stationery to orphans at Darul Ishan Orphanage. And they are proudly winners of the Silver Project Accolade Award 2013. So well done to all the young people who are doing these things.

This is a way to build a softer and more compassionate society, and we hope many more young people will step forward and serve the community. You can make a difference, regardless of your race, your education or your background. If you care, if you want to do something about it, you can do something about it. So I thank the PAYM for organising today’s activity, this celebration. It is not just a party, but it is a good way to do some good, and to engage in the heartlands. So I hope that PAYM will continue to do this and work with other young groups to pool resources and maximise your impact and launch new efforts, like the RC Youth Chapters, to reach more people.

So do your best, the future is yours. We are building Singapore for the new generation, for the young. Take advantage of what you have, build on it, and take it higher, stronger, brighter, for many years to come. Thank you very much and an early Happy National Day to all of you. Thank you.