From ground-up ideas to Parliament House: How the Youth Panels have evolved over a year-long journey

When Ms Alicia Xian Yi Dusadidecho began her HDB flat purchase journey this year, she found herself having to navigate multiple portals, including one for grants and another on loan matters. 

That experience inspired the 29-year-old to propose a single guide for financial matters to 30 other young Singaporeans who are part of the #LifeHacks panel. 

Having joined the panel earlier that year, Ms Dusadidecho found that her fellow panellists shared similar struggles with adulting decisions. The group came up with the proposed Financial Literacy Excellence (FLEX) Guide, a platform to help young Singaporeans navigate key financial decisions.

Apart from her home purchase experience, Ms Dusadidecho also drew lessons from her volunteering experience. Having grown up in a rental flat, she now delivers meals to low-income households and invited her panel to join her. 

“Sharing that experience was meaningful because we got to meet the people who could benefit directly from our recommendations and understand their struggles,” she said at a Youth Panels event hosted by the Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry Alvin Tan. 

That learning journey acquainted some panellists with a segment of the population they had not previously considered, helping them fine-tune their FLEX Guide accordingly. 

Lesson #1: Power of lived experiences

Over the past year, Ms Dusadidecho has been part of the

Youth Panels initiative

to give young Singaporeans a stake in shaping policies on a range of issues, namely financial resilience, environment and sustainability, careers and lifelong learning, and digital well-being.

The 120 panellists, grouped into four Youth Panels, learned the complexities of policymaking, grappled with the trade-offs and more importantly, came to understand that lived experiences, both personal and shared, are central to policymaking. 

They also gained insights into stakeholder management, the complexities of policy implementation and the importance of validating assumptions in policymaking.

For example, sustainability-focused #GreenHacks proposed compartmentalised Bloobins to improve household recycling rates. While initial consultations with waste collectors showed promise, the panel eventually realised that the implementation would require a significant infrastructure overhaul. 

Rather than being discouraged, the panel adapted their proposal, explained panellist Ms Ng Lee Kiang. “We are planning a longer-term roadmap that gradually introduces segregated waste bins while keeping existing systems operational during the transition.”

Lesson #2: Reality check

While the panellists were driven by their passion for change, they learned another important lesson: What matters to them might not resonate as strongly with others.

A month-long public feedback exercise that was held in September showed strong support for #GreenHack’s recommendation, as well as for the FLEX Guide proposed by #LifeHacks.

The response to the other panels’ proposals, however, was mixed. While #TechHacks made headway with their promotion of responsible social media use and digital literacy among youth, #JobHacks realised they needed to first raise awareness of existing programmes like the Asia-Ready Exposure Programme and connect local youths with Singaporeans who are working in neighbouring countries.

The #JobHacks panellists revised their proposal to include organising outreach sessions and awareness campaigns to dispel misconceptions about working in South-east Asia. 

Following this process, the four Youth Panels’ recommendations will be submitted to government agencies for consideration and a public response will follow.

Mr Yeo Eng Way, a #JobHacks panellist and former civil servant and policy officer, said that even if his team’s recommendations do not come to fruition in the next few years, they hoped their ideas would help policymakers come up with better solutions.

Lesson #3: Bridging perspectives

While the panellists brought to the table new and fresh ideas, they also gained insights into the constraints that shape government decisions. This engagement proved valuable for both sides. 

A #GreenHacks panellist said the discussions she had with government agencies opened her eyes to implementation challenges, and policymakers welcomed youth voices as a good gauge of whether their programmes were truly effective.

“Since students aren’t aware of the challenges politicians face, they think the government isn’t listening when certain Bills are overlooked. The discussions we’ve had at the Youth Panels can help bridge this gap,” she said. 

The passion youths bring to their causes is a hallmark of every generation. Acknowledging the role of idealism in policymaking, Mr Tan cited a 1967 speech by Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew:

“The young must be idealistic, the young must believe that the world should be more just and that there should be more moral rectitude in the behaviour of their leaders.”

Idealism, Mr Tan believes, is not only natural but essential to move Singapore forward.  

However, as the panellists learned, idealism must be tempered with pragmatism. Their ideas can and should reflect bold hopes for the future, but they must also be grounded in present realities and stand the test of time. 

“I’d be happy to see how our proposal can be nationalised, but I’m also a realist in understanding that not all policies will get passed at the end of the day,” said #TechHacks panellist Nurhan Hafiz Mohammad Nazri.

For Ms Ng, her time spent with the Youth Panels has strengthened her conviction to create a greener society. 

To young Singaporeans seeking to contribute to a refreshed Singapore Dream, the marine educator advised: “Don’t hesitate to stand forward. If you don’t try, you’ll never know what can come out of it. Just take the first step, and let’s see what happens next.”

Learn more about the Youth Panels and its policy recommendations here.