'No one is a nobody': President Tharman highlights the power of support as President's Challenge raises over $11m

President's Challenge Night 2026 raised $11,045,752 in donations following a live broadcast on Channel 5, mewatch and Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube on Sunday (Oct 25).

Hosted by Mediacorp artistes Rebecca Lim and Rishi Budhrani, the event brought together local and international performers under this year's theme, "Uplift and Inspire", a celebration of the strength people can find within themselves and through the support of others.

Highlights included performances by British pop band Johnny Hates Jazz and Japanese dance troupe Avantgardey, a Japanese all-female dance troupe known for its highly synchronised choreography.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam also took part in a cultural segment featuring a kompang troupe from Singapore Polytechnic (SP).

The segment also featured Mediacorp artiste Zoe Tay, Cultural Medallion recipient Som Said, pop artiste Iman Fandi, violinist Celine Ng and SP's Seri Thera, a dikir barat group that performs a Malay traditional art form combining poetry, rhythmic group singing and coordinated movements.

In his remarks to the media, President Tharman said the President's Challenge aims to create a more positive environment for everyone by removing barriers and providing the support they need to succeed.

"What we must do is to make that context positive for everyone: remove the hurdles they face, and give everyone a take-off board," he said.

"No one is a nobody. Each of us is somebody, with something that we bring to others. And each of us helps others realise their strengths and reach even higher."

President Tharman added that with the right support and people around them, individuals can "uplift themselves" and surprise both themselves and others with how far they can go in life and how much they can contribute to those around them.

He also welcomed 11 new President's Challenge Fellows, the second cohort since the fellowship programme was launched in 2025 to develop role models who can inspire and uplift others.

Among the Fellows are Rizwan Habib, who was orphaned at 14 and experienced homelessness and repeated incarceration before becoming a social worker who now mentors inmates and ex-offenders, and Kimberly Quek, who completed her university education despite profound hearing loss and now advocates for a more inclusive society.

Audiences were encouraged to donate through a QR code displayed during the show or via mediacorp.sg/pc .

Donations will remain open until Sunday (Nov 1) at 11.59pm, allowing the public to continue supporting the cause.

Proceeds from the President's Challenge will support 120 programmes, empowering the lives of more than 100,000 individuals and their families across Singapore.

Those who missed the programme can watch it free on demand on mewatch or catch a repeat telecast on Channel 5 on Nov 1 at 4.40pm.

helmy.saat@asiaone.com

2026 年总统挑战之夜在周日（10 月 25 日）通过 Channel 5、mewatch 和 YouTube 上的 Mediacorp Entertainment 进行现场直播后，筹集了 11,045,752 美元的捐款。

本次活动由新传媒艺人 Rebecca Lim 和 Rishi Budhrani 主持，汇聚了本地和国际表演者，今年的主题是“提升和激励”，旨在庆祝人们能够从自身以及通过他人的支持中找到的力量。

亮点包括英国流行乐队 Johnny Hates Jazz 和日本舞蹈团 Avantgardey 的表演，Avantgardey 是一个以高度同步的舞蹈编排而闻名的日本全女子舞蹈团。

尚达曼总统还参加了新加坡理工学院 (SP) 贡榜剧团的文化表演。

该环节还邀请了新传媒艺人郑惠玉、文化奖章获得者宋赛德、流行歌手伊曼·凡迪、小提琴家吴思琳以及新加坡歌剧院的Seri Thera，这是一个表演马来传统艺术形式的dikir barat团体，该艺术形式结合了诗歌、有节奏的集体歌唱和协调的动作。

尚达曼总统在对媒体发表讲话时表示，“总统挑战赛”旨在通过消除障碍和提供成功所需的帮助，为所有人创造一个更加积极的环境。

他说：“我们必须做的，是让每个人都处于积极的环境中：消除他们面临的障碍，为每个人提供一个起飞的平台。”

“没有人是无足轻重的。我们每个人都是独一无二的，都能为他人带来一些东西。我们每个人都能帮助他人认识到自己的优势，并取得更高的成就。”

尚达曼总统补充说，只要有正确的支持和身边的人，个人就能“提升自己”，并会惊讶于自己在生活中能走多远，以及能为周围的人做出多大的贡献。

他还欢迎了 11 位新的“总统挑战奖学金获得者”，这是自该奖学金计划于 2025 年启动以来的第二批获得者，该计划旨在培养能够激励和鼓舞他人的榜样。

研究员中有 Rizwan Habib，他 14 岁时成为孤儿，经历过无家可归和多次入狱，后来成为一名社会工作者，现在指导囚犯和前罪犯；还有 Kimberly Quek，尽管听力严重受损，但她完成了大学学业，现在倡导一个更具包容性的社会。

观众可以通过节目中显示的二维码或通过 mediacorp.sg/pc 进行捐赠。

捐款通道将持续开放至周日（11月1日）晚上11点59分，以便公众继续支持这项事业。

总统挑战赛的收益将支持 120 个项目，改善新加坡各地超过 10 万名个人及其家庭的生活。

错过节目的人可以在 mewatch 上免费点播观看，或者在 11 月 1 日下午 4 点 40 分在 Channel 5 收看重播。

helmy.saat@asiaone.com