» Speech by Mr Anbarasu Rajendran, CEO, SINDA, at the SINDA Excellence Awards 2026 – Saturday, 26 September 2026 at Singapore Polytechnic

Guest of Honour, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development and President, SINDA,

Ms Indranee Rajah;

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, and Vice-President, SINDA, Mr Murali Pillai;

Members of the SINDA Board of Trustees;
Distinguished guests, family members, award recipients, brothers and sisters.

Opening

It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to the 35^th SINDA Excellence Awards. Today, we celebrate 866 young people who distinguished themselves through their effort, perseverance and achievements. Each of you has travelled a different path to arrive here. But behind every achievement are moments that others may not always see: the late nights, the hours of practice, the setbacks you had to overcome, and the decision to keep going even when the journey became difficult.

Excellence Is a Continuing Journey

Since 1992, the SINDA Excellence Awards have recognised the achievements of our young people and reflected the progress of our community. Year after year, we have seen our students excel not only academically, but also in sports, the arts, leadership and service.

It is about recognising the abilities we have, making the most of the opportunities before us, and using what we learn to create something meaningful.

Your award today marks an important milestone. But it is not the end of your journey. Ahead of you will be new possibilities, new responsibilities and, certainly, new challenges.

Not perfection ─ but perseverance. Not the absence of difficulty ─ but the courage to continue despite it.

From Personal Excellence to Wider Impact

For some of you, this may be your first award. For others, it may be one of several recognitions you have received along the way.

But today, I would especially like to speak to those receiving this award for the very first time.

Most of you were not born then. In fact, some of your parents may not even have started their own life journeys together.

In 1997, there was a young Indian boy from a low-income family. He did not have many advantages. He did not have big dreams or ambitious plans. He had only one simple hope: that education would give him a better future than the one he saw around him.

Life was not always easy. Like many others, he faced financial difficulties. He worked part-time while studying, not for extra pocket money, but because every dollar mattered. Yet, amid his own struggles, he believed that when someone showed him kindness, he should find a way to give back. So, he volunteered whenever he could, serving others even while he was trying to build a future for himself.

To many people, it was just a certificate and a moment on stage. But to that young boy, it meant something bigger.

It was the first time he felt that someone outside his family believed in him. It was the first time he felt seen. It was the first time he felt that perhaps his future could be different.

Looking back now, I realise that award did not change my life. What changed my life was the confidence it gave me. It whispered a simple but powerful message:

Nearly 30 years later, I stand before you as Chief Executive Officer of SINDA, deeply grateful for the opportunities I received, the people who guided me, and the community that believed in me long before I fully believed in myself.

When I look at you today, I do not just see award recipients. I see young people whose life stories are still being written.

Some of you may go on to achieve extraordinary things. Others may take longer to find their path. Both journeys are perfectly fine.

What matters is that you continue moving forward, continue learning, continue believing in yourself, and continue extending a helping hand to others along the way.

Because one day, perhaps 20 years or 30 years from now, one of you may stand on a stage like this and tell your own story about how a moment of recognition gave you the confidence to dream bigger and achieve more than you ever thought was possible.

And when that day comes, we hope you will also remember the people and institutions that walked alongside you — your family who supported you, the teachers who believed in you, and the community that gave you the opportunities to grow. Because the achievement is rarely a journey taken alone.

SINDA as a Guiding Hand

In 2025, we invested $20 million in education and youth development, supporting close to 10,000 young people through programmes, mentorship opportunities, grants and other forms of assistance. Close to 200 of today’s recipients have also participated in SINDA’s education, youth and mentorship programmes.

These figures matter because each one represents a young person with aspirations, abilities and a future waiting to unfold.

Our role is not to prescribe a single path for every young person. It is to help open doors, provide guidance, and create opportunities so that each of you can discover your own path and pursue it with confidence.

Conclusion

At every step of the way, SINDA will continue to walk alongside you. But the next step must be yours.

Make use of the opportunities available to you. Remain open to learning. Be willing to try, even when you are uncertain of the outcome. Also, do not allow the fear of making mistakes to prevent you from moving forward.