Forging shared Asean identity a top priority: PM Lee

23 Nov 2015

The Straits Times, 23 Nov 2015 - Asean leaders have signed a declaration to create the Asean Community, which aims to turn the region into an economic power house by eliminating remaining trade barriers to form a single market and production base. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted SP’s Asean Outreach Thrust programme, which has brought more than 1,000 students from Asean member states to Singapore since 2012. As part of its efforts at regional community building over the years, SP was awarded the inaugural Asean People’s Award at the Asean Summit. Similar story was reported in The Star Online. COMMS Note: SP’s Asean outreach efforts include organising the annual Youth Model Asean Conference (YMAC) that allowed 200 students from across Asean countries to take on the roles of diplomas to discuss challenges in their different homelands and how to solve them. Other regional community building efforts include 84 overseas community service projects since 2010 that has benefitted 1,800 students. Under the polytechnic’s Learning Express programme which began in 2013, 900 students also got the opportunity to spend a fortnight staying in another Asean country to brainstorm solutions for the community’s problems.