SINGAPORE - The People's Association Youth Movement (PAYM) celebrated its golden jubilee on Saturday (Oct 30), marking 50 years since its inception in 1971.
The PAYM50 Live event marking the milestone was held at Gardens by the Bay and streamed virtually via Facebook Live.
The PAYM engages young people in meaningful pursuits and supports the Government in nation building.
It involves 91 youth networks, and encourages those involved to engage in various programmes and activities to bond and contribute to their communities.
The guest of honour, President Halimah Yacob, congratulated PAYM and the young people at the event on Saturday, urging them to continue engaging in ways to tackle issues such as climate change, mental health and income disparity.
"As Singapore progresses, I'm glad that our youth in turn have become even more committed to give back to the community so no one gets left behind," she said.
"PAYM's golden jubilee is a significant milestone that reflects the strength of our youth networks."
She added that while 50 years is an achievement, the next 50 years for PAYM will be extremely challenging, with new emerging trends and pressing issues to deal with.
Said President Halimah: "I urge PAYM to remain steadfast in its commitment to enable youth from all walks of life to do good and build an enduring Singapore that cares."
The event also saw the launch of the PAYM50 Green campaign, which encourages the youth to collaborate with partners on programmes that champion sustainability and environmental friendliness.
As part of the launch, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who is deputy chairman of the People's Association, joined the young people in a 50km cycling relay from Coney Island to Gardens by the Bay.
He gave an address at the event just after completing the final leg of the ride.
The minister said that reaching the 50-year milestone had only been possible because of strong leadership from those who care about youth networks and are selfless in their service.
He also outlined a PAYM blueprint for the next 50 years, made up of three broad principles - to empower the young people to be leaders of today and tomorrow, for young people to be the heart of the community, and to have them championing purpose and impact.
"I look forward to PAYM's continuous excellent work towards your vision of being a chapter for every youth, and to make a difference in the community," said Mr Tong.
"All of you are leaders of tomorrow's Singapore."
