308 recipients of National Youth Achievement gold award urged to lead by example
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Mr Luke Quek, 20, and Ms Ayuni Nur Izyanti Md Zuraimi, 19, are recipients of the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) gold award.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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SINGAPORE – Despite having juvenile idiopathic arthritis, an autoimmune disease that makes his joints inflamed, stiff and swollen, Mr Luke Quek pushed on to complete an 18-month programme to help young people with special needs.
On Oct 6, he was one of 308 people who received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) in the gold category from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in a ceremony at the Singapore Polytechnic Convention Centre.
“Volunteering isn’t just about the act. It’s about giving your time and energy intentionally,” said Mr Quek, 20, who hopes to help others find the same purpose and meaning he discovered during his NYAA journey at ITE College Central.
Launched in 1992, the NYAA is a self-development programme for people between the ages of 13 and 30. The gold award is given to those who are at least 16 years old and have chalked up at least 144 hours in service learning, outdoor appreciation and healthy living, as well as completed a community leadership initiative over 18 months.
The NYAA also has silver and bronze categories.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Education Minister Desmond Lee, who is also Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, encouraged the NYAA gold award holders “to lead by example and help shape our society for the better”.
He added: “As PM (Lawrence Wong) said during the National Day Rally, when we all collectively look out for one another, we will build a cohesive society where each of us can thrive individually as well. And that is what we want Singapore to be, not a place where everyone individually chases their goals at the expense of others, but a home where we all collectively lift each other up.
Minister for Education Desmond Lee delivering a speech at the NYAA Gold Award Presentation Ceremony on Oct 6.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
“But achieving this is not what the Government can do on its own. It requires a collective effort from across our whole society.”
Another recipient of the NYAA gold was Temasek Polytechnic student Ayuni Nur Izyanti Md Zuraimi, 19.
She participated in Project Chey, a volunteer-led educational initiative in Cambodia under the polytechnic, to develop science teaching materials for more than 70 primary school pupils, adjusting the content to suit students with limited English proficiency.
“(We had to) really look through the materials, (and) come up with more meaningful and fun activities that really catch their attention,” she said.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Education Minister Desmond Lee, who is also Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, at the NYAA Gold Award Presentation Ceremony on Oct 6.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
The Oct 6 event also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the NYAA Gold Award Holders’ Alumni. A book celebrating the contributions of 60 distinguished alumni, such as Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Lim En and Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, was launched in digital format, with a limited number of physical copies.
The e-book can be accessed online at /
Correction note: This story has been updated for clarity.
