PM Lee, Shine Festival encourage youths to come out of their comfort zone

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook today to post a fun photo of himself with fellow ministers in a mid-air jump.

Singapore celebrates Youth Day today (July 3) with a school holiday for secondary and tertiary students tomorrow. His post was done in celebration of it.

PM Lee said: "Happy Youth Day to all the young and young at heart!

"Your dreams today can become your passions tomorrow. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because that's the beauty of being young. You can experiment, try things out, and discover what you can be. The future often looks daunting, but go forth and create your own!"

PM Lee said the photo was taken in Moscow on a trip earlier this year. In the photo with him are Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, PM Lee's wife Ho Ching, Minister Grace Fu and Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo.

With such a good attempt at the mid-air jump shot, PM Lee asked Facebook users to share their own shots, which, of course, many did.

This weekend also saw the SHINE Festival taking place along the Orchard Road stretch between ION Orchard and *SCAPE.

The festival is an annual youth-oriented event presented by the National Youth Council.

The three-day event, on till 10pm tonight, provides youth with a platform to celebrate their passion and talent, as well as a chance to be mentored by industry professionals.

This year's theme, "Your Next Stage", encourages youth to take risks and come out of their comfort zone - echoing PM Lee's wishes to youths today.

spanaech@sph.com.sg