In an uncertain world with many problems, Singaporeans must help each other: SM Lee

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong gives a speech to the volunteers and residents before they start to walk to Ci Yuan Community Club.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Published Sep 13, 2026, 06:15 PM

Updated Sep 13, 2026, 06:15 PM

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasised the importance of mutual support among Singaporeans in an uncertain world, highlighting community spirit during the Go Connect walk.

The Ci Yuan Day event featured activities to raise awareness about various disabilities and included the Bag to School programme that taught financial literacy to children from lower-income families.

SM Lee praised Singapore's top international student rankings and assured continued support for all students’ growth. A youth volunteer who helped organise the event found the experience rewarding and fun.

SINGAPORE - The world is an uncertain place with many problems, but Singapore keeps its people safe and makes sure that they get help when they need it, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sept 13.

He said the Government will help people with their difficulties , and encouraged residents to do their best to help themselves and each other, to keep taking Singapore forward.

SM Lee was speaking to 200 Ang Mo Kio and Hougang residents who took part in a 7.5km community walk around the neighbourhood, passing through 14 Residents’ Network centres. He is an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC.

Called Go Connect, the walk was part of the annual Ci Yuan Day hosted by the Ci Yuan Community Club. Most of the participants were in their 60s to 80s.

SM Lee addressed residents in Mandarin and English near the end of their walk, saying the event not only promotes exercise, but allows participants to connect with each other and build community spirit.

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Darryl David, who also attended the event, said the walk was designed so that anyone could join from a starting point convenient to them.

“We have tried to make this year’s celebrations more accessible and far-reaching,” he said.

More than 1,000 residents showed up at Ci Yuan Community Club (CC), where Ci Yuan Day’s main event was held, themed “Celebrating a Caring and Inclusive Community”.

Residents played games designed to raise awareness for persons with disabilities. In one booth, participants tried sorting expired food while wearing blurred-vision goggles to simulate living with visual impairment. Another booth challenged them to convey a food order without speech, to understand the barriers faced by those with speech or hearing difficulties.

SM Lee said he was happy to see young and the old gathering at the event - “that’s what makes a community,” he said.

Under the GRC’s annual flagship Bag-to-School programme, 79 children received $50 in mock currency to ‘buy’ stationery at a mock marketplace.

They earned this ‘money’ at game booths run by student volunteers from Bowen Secondary School and ITE College Central, before using it to make ‘purchases’ with their parents’ guidance.

The activity is designed to teach financial literacy and decision-making skills to Kindergarten 2 and primary school pupils from lower-income families living in the area.

The initiative was launched in 2018 to support K2 children in their transition to Primary 1 by providing them with school bags filled with essential supplies. Since 2025, the programme has expanded to include primary school students preparing for school.

Children under the programme continued to receive the school bags. They also got a LEGO® set, meant to reinforce the connection between learning and play.

SM Lee cited findings from the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, that ranked Singapore’s 15-year-olds first in the world for reading, and second for mathematics and science.

“We will make sure you have t he opportunity ... to grow, and to excel,” he said.

Bowen Secondary student Ng Leyi, who planned and ran game booths for the Bag to School children, said the experience was fun and satisfying.

The Sec 3 student worked with three other students to set up booths for the kids to learn to identify recyclable items, to form words using letters, and to match job roles to their job descriptions.

Ng is part of the Ci Yuan Mentorship Programme, which allows upper secondary, ITE, junior college and polytechnic students to learn from mentors through workshops, leadership talks, and organising community events.

The 15-year-old also volunteers with AWWA under a tie-up with her school, which brings modified sports like ‘balloon badminton’ to students with special needs.

“Volunteering is very fulfilling and fun. You get to meet a lot of new people with different backgrounds, ” she said.

Community centres and clubs

李显龙高级部长在志愿者和居民开始步行前往慈源民众俱乐部之前发表了讲话。

图片来源：联合早报

发布于 2026 年 9 月 13 日下午 6:15

更新于2026年9月13日下午6:15

李显龙资政强调了在充满不确定性的世界中新加坡人互相支持的重要性，并在“携手同行”步行活动中突出了社区精神。

慈源日活动包括旨在提高人们对各种残疾的认识的各项活动，其中包括“书包上学计划”，该计划向低收入家庭的儿童教授金融知识。

李显龙总理赞扬了新加坡在国际学生排名中名列前茅，并保证将继续支持所有学生的成长。一位参与组织此次活动的青年志愿者表示，这次经历既有意义又充满乐趣。

新加坡——李显龙高级部长9月13日表示，世界充满不确定性，问题重重，但新加坡会保障人民安全，并确保他们在需要时获得帮助。

他表示，政府将帮助人民解决困难，并鼓励居民尽最大努力自助互助，继续推动新加坡向前发展。

李显龙议员与200名宏茂桥和后港居民进行了交流，这些居民参加了一项7.5公里的社区步行活动，途经14个居民网络中心。他是宏茂桥集选区的国会议员。

这项名为“携手同行”的健走活动是慈园社区俱乐部主办的年度慈园日活动的一部分。大多数参与者年龄在60岁至80岁之间。

李显龙总理在步行活动接近尾声时用普通话和英语向居民发表讲话，称该活动不仅促进了锻炼，还让参与者彼此联系，建立社区精神。

出席活动的宏茂桥集选区议员达里尔·戴维表示，此次步行活动的设计宗旨是让任何人都可以从方便自己的起点加入。

他说：“我们努力让今年的庆祝活动更加普及，影响范围更广。”

超过 1000 名居民来到慈源社区俱乐部 (CC) 参加慈源日的主要活动，该活动的主题是“庆祝关爱包容的社区”。

居民们玩了一些旨在提高人们对残障人士关注度的游戏。在一个展位上，参与者戴着模糊视觉眼镜尝试分类过期食品，以模拟视力障碍者的生活。另一个展位则挑战他们不用语言表达食物订单，从而了解有语言或听力障碍人士所面临的障碍。

李先生表示，他很高兴看到老少咸宜地聚集在活动中——“这才是社区的真谛，”他说。

在集选区年度旗舰项目“书包上学计划”下，79 名儿童获得了 50 新元的模拟货币，可以在模拟市场“购买”文具。

他们通过博文中学和ITE中央学院的学生志愿者运营的游戏摊位赚取这些“钱”，然后在父母的指导下用这些钱进行“购买”。

该活动旨在向居住在该地区的低收入家庭的幼儿园二年级和小学学生教授金融知识和决策技能。

该项目于2018年启动，旨在通过向幼儿园小班（K2）儿童提供装满必需学习用品的书包，帮助他们顺利过渡到小学一年级。自2025年起，该项目已扩展至所有即将入学的小学生。

参与该项目的儿童继续收到书包。他们还获得了一套乐高®积木，旨在加强学习与游戏之间的联系。

李显龙总理引用了最新的国际学生评估项目（PISA）2025 的调查结果，该调查显示新加坡 15 岁学生的阅读能力位居世界第一，数学和科学能力位居世界第二。

“我们将确保你们有机会……成长并取得卓越成就，”他说。

博文中学学生吴丽怡为“书包上学”活动的孩子们策划并运营游戏摊位，她说这次经历既有趣又有成就感。

这位中三学生与另外三名学生合作，为孩子们搭建展位，让他们学习识别可回收物品、用字母组成单词以及将职业与其工作描述相匹配。

吴同学是慈源导师计划的一员，该计划允许高中生、工艺教育学院、初级学院和理工学院的学生通过研讨会、领导力讲座和组织社区活动向导师学习。

这位 15 岁的女孩还通过与学校的合作，在 AWWA 担任志愿者，为有特殊需要的学生提供“气球羽毛球”等改良运动项目。

“做志愿者既充实又有趣。你可以结识很多来自不同背景的新朋友，”她说。

社区中心和俱乐部