SPEECH BY DR KOH POH KOON, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AND MINISTRY OF MANPOWER, AT THE LIMITLESS’ 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER, 15 MAY 2026

Mr Asher Low, Executive Director, Limitless

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

1.       A very good evening. It is a pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate Limitless’ 10th Anniversary. I would like to congratulate Asher and the team at Limitless, as well as the board members, volunteers, partners, donors, and supporters who have made this journey possible over the past decade. Congratulations to all of you! Let’s give them a big round of applause.

2.       As you heard, ten years ago, Limitless began in a HDB flat in Hougang, with Asher sharing a simple but powerful mission: to help every young person find their full potential, by ensuring that no young person walks alone in their struggles. He walked alongside them to rediscover hope, rebuild self-worth, and restore their sense of purpose. What started as a small ground-up effort has grown into an organisation today, that supports more than 1,000 young people each year through free counselling, crisis intervention and psychological services. Limitless has also reached over 14,000 individuals annually through public mental health education, school talks, workshops, and community programmes. But behind every number that you heard being quoted earlier, is a young person who found the courage to seek help, a family that felt supported, and importantly, a community that is made stronger.

Youth Advisory Group

3.       Mental health and well-being of Singaporeans is a national priority. Our young people today live in a fast-paced world and face complex challenges from academic stress, meeting social expectations, relationship issues, and uncertainties about the future. And you heard what Asher said earlier, with the speeding up of technology and disruption with Artificial Intelligence coming on-stream, while it poses a lot of opportunities, it has added to that level of anxiety and stress as well. Now, MOH’s National Population Health Study in 2024 found that younger adults aged 18 to 29 years have the highest prevalence of self-reported poor mental health. And this is an area we want to tackle definitively.

4.       Supporting mental health and well-being goes beyond intervention and treatment. It is about enabling our youths to build their strengths and be resilient in the face of challenges. What stands out about Limitless is its commitment to being a “net below the net” reaching youths who may not always find help through conventional pathways, offering them a safe place. One such initiative is Limitless’ SAFEHOUSE, an online mental health community by listeners for youths aged 13 to 25 that is designed to be inclusive and non-judgmental. I hope those of you who were here earlier will have a chance to experience what it is like on the platform. A very interesting platform which helps to connect young people wherever they are, providing a safe platform for them to express their needs and seek help beginning in an anonymous way, gradually building trust and rapport, enabling them to then seek a lot more counselling and reach out in a more personal way.  SAFEHOUSE is supported by trained mental health support staff and peer volunteers. Let’s give all these volunteer and support staff a big round of applause.

5.       But increasingly, our youths are not just seeking support, they are also stepping forward to shape the way support is designed and delivered. So, with this in mind, the National Mental Health Office convened the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) to serve as a very important sounding board for the work on youth mental health. The best way to do this is to have the youth themselves be involved in the process. So, comprising 13 youth members with diverse backgrounds such as peer supporters, mental health advocates as well as those with lived experiences struggling with mental health. The YAG provides valuable insights that help shape youth mental health policies and services in Singapore, so that whatever we do is relevant and we can resonate with them. The YAG meets with the National Mental Health Office on a regular basis and also organises youth engagement sessions to tap on insights from the larger youth community on mental health issues such as stigma and access to mental health services.

6.       I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the YAG youths in January this year where the members discussed and shared perspectives on building mental resilience among youths and their peers. Their insights were thoughtful and valuable in guiding how we should respond to the needs of our youths.

Health Promotion Board Design Guide

7.       Now as a whole society, we need more upstream efforts to promote good mental health for our population, including the youths. This begins with improving their mental health literacy and equipping them with the skills to cope with day-to-day stressors, so that they not only become more mentally resilient but also more able to support the people that they care about. It is not just about self-care but also looking out for the people around them.

8.       This year, we are further strengthening our preventive efforts and to support the mental well-being of Singaporeans. We are all familiar with upstream prevention for physical health, such as getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, eating your greens, doing regular exercises. In the same way, people should learn how to maintain good mental well-being. I am pleased to share what the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has just launched in consultation with a panel of mental health experts. They developed Singapore's first Design Guide for Tier 1 Mental Well-Being Programmes. Some of the experts are here with us today. And I just want to take this chance to thank you for your valuable contributions to make this possible.

9.       This Design Guide builds on the Tiered Care Model of the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy. It provides service providers and trainers with a structured framework for designing quality mental well-being programmes. The Guide encompasses knowledge and evidence-based skillsets for mental well-being, guidance on programme design, best practices on effective learning and application, and measurement of programme effectiveness. We are encouraged that there is a huge positive response from service providers. As of today, about 27 organisations, including Limitless, have pledged their commitment to adopt the recommendations from the Design Guide for their mental well-being programmes. Providers who have pledged their commitment will be recognised on HPB’s MindSG portal. We welcome more service providers and ground-up groups to come on board with us on this journey as we up the services that we provide to those who need the help.

10.      Ultimately, mental health support cannot be delivered by any single organisation alone. It requires a whole of society approach where families, schools, healthcare providers, workplaces, community organisations, and government agencies, all coming together and all working together. Through strong partnerships, we can identify needs early, close the gaps in help-seeking, and ensure that support reaches those who need it the most. In this regard, organisations like Limitless play an important role in strengthening trust and bridging systems of care.

Closing

11.      Now this evening, we are not just celebrating the past decade of Limitless’ impact but also taking the opportunity to look ahead towards its next chapter. I like the vision that you shared, and I certainly think your next chapter will be more exciting than the last. For the 20^th year anniversary, we will be looking forward to you sharing what the exciting next chapter entails. As Singapore marks its 60th year, our continued investment in the well-being of our people, including our youths, is one of the most meaningful ways we can secure our future as a nation. I thank Limitless in your commitment as a partner on this mission to better support young people, parents, and caregivers through good professional care, effective outreach and meaningful advocacy. 

12.      I would also like to thank everyone, all of you here, who has supported Limitless over the past decade - whether through service, partnership, or your generosity. When we care for the mental health of our youths, we are all investing in developing resilient families, stronger communities, and a more compassionate society.

13.      So, once again, congratulations to Limitless on this significant milestone. I wish Limitless unlimited success in the years ahead and every one of you here a meaningful and enjoyable evening of celebration. Thank you.