Distinguished Guests and Graduands,

1. A very good afternoon to all of you.

2. It is my privilege to join you in celebrating this special occasion.

3. Congratulations to

1. the graduands from the Diploma in Communications & Media Management,
2. graduands from the Diploma in Law & Management, and
3. recipients of the polytechnic-level and Skills Mastery awards.

4. To lecturers and parents,

1. My congratulations to you as well!
2. Please join me in thanking all of the parents and lecturers without whom our students won’t be here today!
3. All of you played an important role in the success of the graduating class today.

5. We have an interesting group of graduands here today.

1. Graduands from the Diploma in Communications & Media Management and graduands from the Diploma in Law & Management.
2. While both diplomas seem different, there is a common thread that unites both.
3. All of you have the skills to shape narratives and views.

6. Even after you graduate, I hope that you will use your skills to do three things:

1. empower those who are disadvantaged,
2. encourage responsible reporting of facts, and
3. enable unity within our community.

Empowering the Disadvantaged

7. As communication, media and law professionals, you have a unique opportunity for your voices to be heard.

1. In a world filled with many different voices and demands, all the more important that the voices of the less privileged are heard.
2. You can speak up for those with a weaker voice.

8. Take Sabrina, one of your peers from the Diploma in Law & Management, for example.

1. She did an internship with the Community Justice Courts Pro Bono Legal Clinic.
2. In her final semester, she also completed another internship with the Family Justice Courts to help in-person litigants obtain better access to justice.

9. Another example is Hana, a student from the Diploma in Communications & Media Management, and recipient of the SPH Industry Foundation Award in 2023.

1. As deputy managing editor of TP’s news portal, Stories & Co., she helped others tell their stories.
2. Together with Mustika, a Bronze medallist from the same diploma, they co-wrote an article on accessibility and inclusivity in Singapore.
3. They helped Joshua, a visually impaired person to share his personal journey with the hopes of enlightening the public on challenges that people with disabilities faced in Singapore.

10. Students from other courses can also use their skillsets to benefit others.

1. One example is Amelia from the Diploma in Psychology Studies, and the recipient of the Lee Kong Chian Award.
2. She was the Vice-president of the Psychology Studies Interest Group in TP.
3. Amelia spread awareness on mental health-related topics to reduce mental health stigma, and helped people who might not dare to speak up on their mental health struggles due to negative perceptions.
4. For example, Amelia helped to organise and participated in a World Mental Health event jointly organised by TP’s Psychology Studies Interest Group and Peer Supporters-in-Action in the past two years.
5. One activity included the publication of social media posts on caregiver burnout as a way to raise awareness of challenges that caregivers face.

11. It is through speaking up that we gain awareness of the challenges faced by people from different walks of life.

1. Awareness is an important first step to resolving these challenges.
2. This is important as we aim to develop a Singapore where opportunities are open to all, regardless of one’s starting points in life.
3. I encourage all of you to be a voice for all and create positive change within our community.

Encouraging Responsible Reporting of Facts

12. While we aim to be a voice for all, use your skills to ensure the stories we share are truthful and accurate, especially in today’s environment where people are inundated with information.

13. This means going beyond the surface, beyond the headlines, and beyond the biases.

1. You must conscientiously question your own assumptions and seek out multiple perspectives.
2. It means being vigilant against misinformation and disinformation that can distort our understanding of the world around us.
3. Misinformation can cause unnecessary fear and panic.

14. There are challenges to remaining accurate and fair in your story telling.

1. You might face pressure to exaggerate and sensationalise stories to attract more eyeballs.
2. Or pressure to find all ways and means to win a lawsuit. The challenge for you is to resist these pressures and present the most objective angles and facts and most importantly, guided by your moral compass.

15. One such example is Syabil from the Diploma in Communications & Media Management, recipient of the TP-ACCA Skills Mastery Award and Silver Medallist for his course.

1. Syabil was dedicated to achieving the highest journalistic standards, and always made sure that facts reported were accurate.
2. This served him well as managing editor of TP’s news portal, Stories & Co., where he carefully vetted stories and ensured quality stories were published.
3. Syabil’s dedication was also what led him to excel in his course.
4. Well done Syabil!

Enabling Unity Within Our Community

16. Last but not least, we must strive to use our gifts and skills to unite rather than divide.

1. Conflict dominates our headlines and social media feeds everyday.
2. It is easy to pick a side and magnify differences between groups or views.
3. However, I encourage you to resist that impulse and instead consider how your stories and words can unite, and bring diverse community closer together.

17. I should clarify that unity is not the same as uniformity.

1. A uniform group of people would all have the same views.
2. On the other hand, a united group of people could hold different views, but share a common vision and purpose. As we say, we encourage a diversity of voices, not purpose, as we move our country forward as a united people.

18. This unity of purpose is what we should strive towards as a nation and society.

1. A united people are a resilient people.
2. They are a group where collaboration and innovation can thrive, and a society where everyone is uplifted and progresses together.

19. I am heartened to hear of TP students who have come together on projects to improve lives.

1. One example is Fazlur from the Diploma in Law & Management, and winner of the Lee Kong Chian Award.
   1. Fazlur formed a multi-disciplinary team comprising students from the School of Business, Engineering, Informatics & IT to participate in SMU’s Legal Innovation & Technology Hackathon Competition.
   2. The team developed a multi-tiered interactive chatbot to generate greater awareness amongst low-wage workers about employment standards.
   3. Through strong teamwork and tapping on diverse strengths of the team, they managed to clinch third place in the competition.

20. As you continue your journey, I hope that you can continue to find ways to enable and unite people with different views, backgrounds, and skillsets. And this must go beyond Singapore. One reason why Singapore continues to shine in a fragmented world is because we are able to unite and bring people together. If we can continue to do this well, we will create a niche for ourselves amidst a fragmenting and fractious world.

Conclusion

21. Congratulations once again to all the graduands here today.

1. You should be proud of everything you have accomplished thus far, and take this moment to celebrate your achievements but never be complacent.
2. But this is just the beginning.
3. I trust that TP has instilled in you the right set of skills and abilities to excel, and the vigour to keep honing these skills well into the future.
4. If there is one thing that I hope you have learnt, it is to keep learning. The past two to three years are not the be all and end all. The skills you have learnt and will relearn will make you stand out and put you in good stead.
5. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours and hope you will continue to make a difference in Singapore and the world.
6. Finally, I hope one of these days you will return to TP to guide the next generation, as those before you have done. We look forward to your contributions not just for yourself and your family, but also for your community and country.

22. Thank you very much.