Members of Parliament from the People’s Action Party advocated for building a ‘We-First’ society through empowering youths, promoting sports, arts and culture, and strengthening national identity.
During the Mar 5 debate on the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s (MCCY)spending plans, Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) and Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast GRC) called for better youth engagement and support.
Mr Yam, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Culture, Community and Youth, asked: “How can youth be more actively involved in shaping local initiatives, volunteering networks or national conversations that affect their future? Ultimately, the goal is not simply to encourage participation, but to cultivate ownership.”
“Singapore’s young must believe they have a place and a future here in Singapore,” Ms Hazlina said. “We should ensure that the SG Youth Action Plan is accessible by design, so youth with special needs or from minority communities are not excluded from leadership development, community engagement and civic participation.”
In response, Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, outlined the SG Youth Plan’s key focus areas that support young people through different life phases.
As part of these efforts, Ms Goh revealed the Government’s plan to expand the MOE–Outward Bound Singapore Challenge (MOC) Programme to encompass the entire Secondary 3 cohort by 2030.
“Through these shared experiences, they will learn life skills in tackling the unknown, gain confidence, and make lasting friendships,” she said.
Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) asked about extending OBS to all ages and expanding OBS overseas programmes.
Mr David explained that OBS’ ethos of resilience and teamwork can be translated into accessible, intergenerational experiences that foster connections across age, ethnic, and social groups.
“Exploring these possibilities would broaden OBS’ role beyond youth development, strengthening our social fabric and reinforcing a shared Singaporean identity,” he said.
Ms Lee believed that “exposing youths to different terrains and cultures” stretches them in ways that domestic environments cannot.
Creating spaces for youths to improve sense of belonging: PAP MPs
Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) and Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) asked about creating additional spaces for youths.
“Young people do not only need facilities. They need places where they feel ownership,” Dr Chen emphasised. “If loneliness is rising, the response is…better design. Design spaces that are easy to access.”
She proposed to allow youths to use under-utilised rooms for activities during certain timings, pilot simplified youth-friendly booking systems, and incorporate small acoustically treated multi-use rooms in future precinct upgrades.
Ms Elysa Chen suggested transforming void decks and community facilities into free, youth-friendly spaces conducive to social interaction.
“Will the Government pilot third space hubs in our heartlands, co-locating informal hangout areas with access to mental health, mentoring, and work-study support?” she asked.
Ms Goh announced that a new Somerset Belt Youth CoLab will be set up to let the youth take the lead in developing and running programmes in the Somerset Belt and *SCAPE.
This aims to build confidence and a sense of ownership among the youth through responsibilities like managing these spaces, budgets and activities.
Fifteen young people were selected for this task, said Ms Goh. The government will provide CoLab with a dedicated space and a $300,000 annual budget to lead and manage activities in the district.
“We will create more welcoming, open spaces across Singapore, where you can gather freely and form friendships,” Ms Goh said.
Broaden access to sports in school; rollout new sports facilities in neighbourhoods: PAP MPs
PAP MPs like Mr Yam, Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten SMC), Ms Lee and Jackson Lam (Nee Soon GRC) spoke passionately about promoting sports in Singapore.
Mr Yam proposed broadening access to sports in school so that participation serves not only competitive excellence but also youth development.
“Many students today find it difficult to join sports CCAs unless they already demonstrate a certain level of aptitude,” he said, noting that this approach risks narrowing participation to those who are already skilled.
“When students train and play together, they learn cooperation, perseverance and mutual respect,” he explained. “In building a ‘we first’ society, such shared experiences matter.”
Mr Neo echoed Mr Yam’s concerns and said the ministry will create more platforms where children can “play to nurture their love of the game”. These platforms will give every child more opportunities to experience what sport can teach them about themselves and others.
The government introduced a new $10 million grant to encourage Multi-School Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) teams that will train and play sports together beyond traditional school teams, Mr Neo announced.
Each team will receive $200,000 over four years to be distributed among partner schools. Schools can use these funds to partially cover facility, transportation or coaching costs.
“CCAs are where many of us made our closest friends, forged through hours hours…spent laughing and crying together in training. This sustained interaction and tight bonds are precisely what we want to nurture, the minister said.
SportSG will also partner MOE schools to organise more School Sports Fiesta events, doubling the number to 32 schools by next year,said Mr Neo.
The initiative, which, was launched in October last year, saw participation from more than 2,000 students across 16 schools.
50 multipurpose courts to be built over next 5 years for badminton, pickleball
Ms Gho raised concerns about growing community sports participation and rising demand for neighbourhood and precinct-level facilities, noting that noise can easily become a source of discord.
She asked for an update on the rollout of new sports facilities in neighbourhoods to meet increasing community demand.”Is MCCY addressing facilities demand in a way that anticipates and addresses such friction?”
Mr Neo said that the government will build 50 multipurpose courts for badminton and pickleball over the next five years, with the first ones already opened.
“As more Singaporeans embrace active lifestyles, there is also a rise in demand for public facilities during peak hours, particularly for popular sports like badminton and pickleball,” he said.
He added that the authorities will be mindful of managing noise levels at residential estates.
Turning the focus to arts and culture, Ms Goh asked how the government will better support self-employed arts practitioners.
Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng said that the National Arts Council will enhance the Arts Resource Hub, which was launched in 2019, to better address the challenges Arts self-Employed Persons face. The Hub will partner the Pro Bono SG this year to provide legal guidance for SEPs.
Foo Cexiang (Tanjong Pagar GRC) noted that while Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru is rich in heritage and culture, many young residents, new families and international communities may not know the stories of earlier generations.
He asked if MCCY plans to support more community-led initiatives that bring together seniors, youths, and new residents to rediscover those stories;through heritage trails, intergenerational storytelling programmes, and collaborations with schools and civic institutions.
“Where heritage is lived and shared, it will become a bridge between the past and present and the future generations. And together, we will achieve my vision for Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru to be a living community where every generation finds its place in the Singapore Story.”
Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling said two new Heritage Activation Nodes (HAN) will be launched in 2026, in Telok Blangah and Tiong Bahru, to boost heritage activities and visitorship in the areas.
Responding to Mr Yam’s call for a “We-First” national identity, Mr Neo outlined three ways the ministry will achieve this goal.
First, they will expand the common space that Singaporeans share.
Second, they will encourage people to care for one another and contribute to building Singapore together.
Third, they will rally the nation to build an inclusive society where everyone can realise their full potential, regardless of their starting point.
“Our national identity reflects our core values, principles, and beliefs. It will anchor us in a changed world,” Mr Neo said. “Only when we are strongly anchored in our collective identity as Singaporeans can we withstand the tests that will come.”
