Distinguished Guests,
Teachers and Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. A very good afternoon to all of you. In Singapore, more than 500 patients are currently on the waiting list for vital organs, with kidney patients facing the most acute shortage. Behind each of those numbers is a person – a parent, a child, or a friend – whose life depends on the generosity of another. I am honoured to be here at the Live On Festival (LOF) Awards Ceremony today, to celebrate our bold and perceptive young minds who have chosen to engage with this important conversation.
2. Over the years, the Live On Festival has provided young people with a meaningful platform to shed new light on the topic of organ donation and transplantation. It challenges us to confront questions about life, loss, compassion, and the legacy we leave behind. Time and again, our participants have stepped up to that challenge with creativity and courage, and in doing so, have helped transform the way our society understands and talks about organ donation.
3. This year, over 5,700 entries poured in from both the design and essay competitions, and each one is a testament to the power of young voices. Looking at everyone's inspiring creations, I am reminded that the most meaningful change begins with people – people who look at issues as profound as organ donation, recognise that they can contribute to it, and decide to make a difference. The fears, dreams, and acts of kindness reflected in your entries are universal emotions that resonate not just with donors or recipients, but with everyone who encounters your work.
4. The theme this year, "Perspectives", asks us to view things from different angles, to step outside our own experience and inhabit another's. Through visual storytelling, Skyler Su Bin Zhe from Institute of Technical Education (Central) shifts our perspective by inviting us to see the heart through a surgeon's eyes. In his illustration, human figures hold and support one another, surrounded by green leaves and flowers that speak of growth, healing, and new beginnings. He transformed the heart's aorta into pipe organs, with music radiating outward – a striking reminder that one person's act of giving can ripple beyond the operating theatre, and shape communities with warmth and life. Well done, Skyler.
5. In the written category, Phoon Jia Xuan from Evergreen Secondary School narrates a story of organ donation through the lens of a liver. We follow its journey of grief, anger, and acceptance. When the liver was transplanted into a man who had spent years damaging his own body through alcohol abuse, it raged against the perceived injustice – why should this man be saved? Yet, it is a child's simple words that bring the liver to understand that organ donation is not about deciding who deserves life, but about carrying life forward. It is an insight that I think will sit with many of us long after we leave this room.
6. I encourage all of you to carry this beyond today. Talk about organ donation at home or at school – what it means, what you believe, and what you would want. These conversations, started by young people like you, are often the ones that matter most. Continue to speak up confidently, stay curious and informed about the issues around us, and use your creativity with purpose. And take some time later to explore one another's works too – you would be amazed at how different perspectives can inspire new ideas and challenge your own thinking.
7. Let us also celebrate the people who made all of this possible – parents, teachers, friends and family who have nurtured and encouraged you to find your voice. To the teachers, thank you for creating a space where your students could express themselves genuinely and wrestle with questions that are complex and deeply emotive. To the parents, I share the pride you feel today. Your belief in your children and willingness to encourage them to engage with difficult topics is itself a form of generosity.
8. I would also like to thank the National Organ Transplant Unit for organising the Live On Festival year after year. Today is not just a celebration, but a catalyst for greater awareness and understanding, and more lives touched by what you have created here.
9. Congratulations once again to all winners of Live On Festival 2026. Through your collective creativity and dedication, you are keeping the conversation alive, and in doing so, helping to save more lives. Thank you.