LKY Centennial Fund launched to develop young leaders

With $82.3m collected so far in donations, it will be used for youth initiatives and scholarship expansion

- Tham Yuen-C

A fund with $82.3 million worth of donations was launched by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday to support the development of Singapore's next generation of leaders.

The Lee Kuan Yew Centennial Fund, set up by business leaders to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Mr Lee this year, will be used for educational initiatives to groom young people as visionary leaders, said the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The ministry will manage it under the Education Fund.

Among the initiatives is the Singapore Young Leaders Programme, also launched at the same time, that will bring together up to 1,000 student leaders every year for forums, a leadership course and engagement sessions with business leaders and government representatives.

Speaking at the Nanyang Polytechnic Auditorium on Tuesday at a launch event that included animations by the school's students, Mr Wong said Singapore is fortunate to have had several outstanding leaders in its short history, foremost among them the late Mr Lee.

Together with his team, he had helped Singapore succeed despite the many challenges and setbacks the country faced in the early years of nation-building, said Mr Wong.

The minister said the pioneer generation of leaders were role models for those who came after them.

In the same vein, he and his fourth-generation team of People's Action Party leaders as well as leaders in the civil and private sector of the same vintage in their 40s and 50s have also learnt from their mentors, who are in their 60s and 70s.