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    PM Lee: S'pore youths need to contribute more to society

    By Ewen Boey | Yahoo! Newsroom – Sat, Oct 22, 2011

    Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasized the importance for youths in Singapore to continually give back to the local community in order to create a more gracious and tight-knit society.

    Addressing about 1,000 youths from Nanyang Polytechnic at the launch of a People's Association Youth Movement (PAYM) initiative at Teck Ghee Community Club on Saturday, Mr Lee said, "You are our future, we are building Singapore together with you and what we want is for this Singapore to be yours when you grow up. We want it to be better than what it is today. The way to do that is not to wait for others to make a first move, but to do it yourselves, to contribute back to society.

    "Through volunteerism, I hope you will gain something. Through contributing, you will make friends, appreciate what's happening in real life... and these are lessons that will be of great value to you," added PM Lee, who is also chairman of the People's Association (PA).

    He praised the youths in Singapore, who through the PAYM, are willing to sacrifice their weekends to volunteer in various activities such as mural drawing, wall painting and foot reflexology.

    "It's how we like our society to be, a gracious society where we care for one another, where we look after the less fortunate, and working together, we can get closer to be a happier, more tight-knit family," said PM Lee.

    He also highlighted the importance of working with youths to mould a bright future for them to do well in their studies and jobs, and to create opportunities for them to contribute more towards Singapore's growth to improve society.

    He stressed the importance for the PAYM to continue to stay relevant in reaching out to youths through evolving times, mentioning that the PAYM is connected to the youths through various social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

    "I think as our young people come along, new generation, new interests, so our PAYM activities must include what the young people are interested in, and we must get you enthusiastic doing things which you enjoy.

    "In other parts of the world, young people are not always so happy. In a lot of places, people are demonstrating... they're unhappy because unemployment is high, they see the problems in their country, they don't see any hope for themselves or any optimism for the future," he added.

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    363 comments

    • Jean
      Jean  •  7 months ago
      Where the H is our pay review??!!! work so much pay so little, still expect us to cotribute more, u gotta be kidding me
      • Observer Tan
        Observer Tan 7 months ago
        He is asking you to contribute time, not money
      • GTeo
        GTeo 7 months ago
        Contribute time to them while they earn money....
      • John Lim
        John Lim 7 months ago
        Ya lor. While we become poorer. They make money
    • T.M.
      T.M.  •  7 months ago
      Remember? You are the world's highest paid Prime Minister...and the rest of your party mates are not far behind. So lead by example - take a pay cut and use the money to do more for society. I'm sure the amount goes a long (very long) way...
      • Can
        Can 7 months ago
        r we still on that topic?
      • Purple_Monster
        Purple_Monster 7 months ago
        Can - for as long as no results are out, we are. :-)
      • Ku Pa
        Ku Pa 7 months ago
        When Citi group profit down, the CEO take only 1 dollar annually. is Singapore Pte Ltd CEO and the rest of them willing to do that or stick to their Millions?
    • KO
      KO  •  7 months ago
      Lee HL,did you and your Ministers daughter and son contributed on society work? I don't think so right? Your rich people childrens should come out and do the society work.We the poor people work like a cow everyday just for 3 meal,not even got a good time to rest.How to CONTRIBUTE??????
      • teo
        teo 7 months ago
        Well said Mr. or ms Jw.
      • steve w
        steve w 7 months ago
        Amen to that
      • E
        E 7 months ago
        all their children are hiding in other countries. i remember reading one malay mp who married an ang moh wife and all his family are hiding in the US...and even the peanut women and her children are also hiding elsewhere la?
    • Singaporean
      Singaporean  •  7 months ago
      PM Lee, youths need to make sure they have a stable job first (With all that foreign trash coming in) BEFORE they even think about helping other people. How to help other people when you cannot even help yourself first?
      • teo
        teo 7 months ago
        Sell bodies also foreign talent? Sell fishballs' noodle also foreign talent? Give injections to people and caused pain and suffering foreign talent? Fake engineers also foreign talent? Then where got hope for Local Poly grads?
      • got milk or not
        got milk or not 7 months ago
        ABC is just another cocky FT !!!!!
    • Goh
      Goh  •  7 months ago
      I know my friend's dad who has been a volunteer for more than 40 years. As a volunteer, he did not expect any return and contribute to the society. Such contribution is valueless. However, after his death, my friend told me that there is no top management people, minister except his volunteer friends. Very sad to say that such a noble volunteer is worth nothing in this society.
      • chia
        chia 7 months ago
        sorry to hear that, he is good man.

        there is saying ... good man die early, bad man lives longer
      • neutrino123
        neutrino123 7 months ago
        You friend dad did all those work for the people, his kindness is immortalized by the people, that's what matters. The recognition from ministers or management is secondary. Let's hope his seed of kindness can blossom from people he have help, we need a more caring society.
      • Ku Pa
        Ku Pa 7 months ago
        If we need a more caring society, then we need to throw out the money monger PAP.
    • Chew
      Chew  •  7 months ago
      First thing first. The PA should be non-partisan and not the PAPAYA propaganda machine. Don't hang the sheep head and selling the dog meat. That is where more people can really contribute freely. I had very serious doubt over PA as a whole.
    • Cheers
      Cheers  •  7 months ago
      LETs START WITH "PATRICK THE SISSY" 12 of his youthful years deferred. Have you seen their KIDS contributing. FTrash and their kids get the scholarship & and our kids pick up the trash.....and they say our kids cant make it LOL WINK WINK
    • gila babi
      gila babi  •  7 months ago
      Yes the young S'poreans could contribute to S'pore by voting in more oppositions parties, particularly those by the Workers Party. We have had enough of this communist government and we're asking for a change, a reform! Singapore is not Singapore anymore and we need to stand and oust the present government!
    • Rise of the far-right
      Rise of the far-right  •  7 months ago
      Oh yes, Singapore youths must definitely contribute more by casting more oppostion votes.
    • PikaBoo
      PikaBoo  •  7 months ago
      Encouraging free labour (voluntarism) while he and his ministers are getting millions of dollars? Mr Lee, why don't u volunteer as a PM for FREE since u are already so rich?!
    • NormalGuy
      NormalGuy  •  7 months ago
      Let starts from the men in white to lead by example.. how about give back 30% of your pay to the society?
    • Why
      Why  •  7 months ago
      YOU & your PAPIEs Need to contribute more and not the people, thats why we put you as the ruling party, to look after us and not the other way round, dont spin , twist and turn it around.
    • righteous Xie
      righteous Xie  •  7 months ago
      Can you PM guarantee our young generation future for Singapore ??? I doubt so...just look around us now, do we have future in future in Singapore ??? We contribute to our nation of Singapore and the governments takes the credits and give it to the foreigners. So where is our future lies now !
    • A.H.
      A.H.  •  7 months ago
      If Singapore youth should contribute more to the society, then what is PAP doing? PAP wants the citizens to do more for the society; PAP wants us to contribute ideas to our Sports scene; PAP wants us to do this, do that... But WTH is PAP doing now? Stuffing money into their own pockets?
    • lim kopi
      lim kopi  •  7 months ago
      "You are our future, we are building Singapore together with you and what we want is for this Singapore to be yours when you grow up.

      what a nice song ... what is the title ?
      contribute what ? NS for me and jobs and scholarship for foreigners ?
      our forefather built up this place and look how many foreigners nowaday ?
      worse still , someone told our aging parent to go JB if they can't afford the home nursing !
      where is our future when living cost , house , car and healthcare are so expensive ?
      where is our future when there are million of cheap labours to surppress our wage ?
      how can spore to be mine when my house and CPF saving not rightfully belong to me ?

      ah looong , you can never fool all the ppl all the time
      we fail in 2011 but we'll success in 2016 !
    • The Unwanted
      The Unwanted  •  7 months ago
      Don't take our youth as fools.
    • Anthony
      Anthony  •  7 months ago
      LHL, ask your sons to contribute b4 asking others to do,
    • GEN Y VOTE POWER
      GEN Y VOTE POWER  •  7 months ago
      WE GENERATION - Y, WILL NOT TRUST AND VOTE FOR PAP...A PARTY OF NO SUBSTANCE.
      GET LOST !
    • COI
      COI  •  7 months ago
      You start first, Mr PM - contribute 3/4 of your generous salary which is over 4 times higher than your next competitor. Contribute your bonus. After you retire, contribute a good part of your pension. It will do a lot of good. Set an example of giving back.
    • Si Beh Ho
      Si Beh Ho  •  7 months ago
      Youths are the future of out country, to contribute to society. Talk cock sing song.
      Look at many of our Polytechnic graduates, cannot find after many interviews, have to compete with foreigners . Even if they can find jobs, their pay are low, told to either take it or leave it.
      LHL How do you expect youths to contribute to society when society has been unfair to them. Please do some soul-searchng ou your part and see what your Government can contribute to them before you expect them to pay back to society.
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