Young PAP to launch academy; ‘existential’ for ruling party to attract, convince youth: Alvin Tan

Meanwhile, YP adviser and East Coast GRC MP Hazlina Abdul Halim said the new fellowship programme, known as YP 40 under 40, will give 40 YP activists a $5,000 seed grant to run programmes, supported by party senior leaders and industry experts.

When asked if developing leadership means focusing on grooming young people to eventually stand for election or to take political office, Tan said some could eventually become MPs or leaders of the party and the nation.

“There’s no downside to opening this pipeline.”

But for those who do not, there are other important jobs within the party, he said, citing the role of his own assistant branch secretary who is a young in-house lawyer at a fintech firm.

The party also wants to groom leaders at work, in society and at home, he said.

YP also hopes to increase the level of political participation and understanding among young people by involving them in municipal-level politics, Tan said.

He cited an example in his own branch – Moulmein-Cairnhill in Tanjong Pagar GRC – which already runs an academy to teach young volunteers the basics of politics.

To be in the youth wing, a member must be between the ages of 17 to 40. There are no public figures on the size of the YP, and Tan declined to reveal the total number of YP members, instead pointing to the party’s levels of attendance at events.

YP was formed in 1986 and its first chairman was Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Its objective then was to to bring some of the new generation of voters into the party, and to give them a voice in national policy.

Forty years on, YP still continues to do this, said Tan. He pointed to PAP workgroups on mental wellbeing and sustainability which were formed over the past few years with input from the party’s youth.

Youth perspectives have also shaped recent legislative changes such as the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill in 2025, he said. The Bill set out the legal framework for the recently-established Online Safety Commission, an agency to help victims of online harms.

Tan said the YP’s five advisers – who are younger PAP branch chairs – are also conduits for youth policy concerns in Parliament.

The YP took on this new structure – organising into five districts as opposed to being parked under individual PAP branches – in 2025. The districts are defined by geographical areas such as the Central District, advised by Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Cai Yinzhou.

The North East District is helmed by GE2025 Sengkang GRC candidate Bernadette Giam, while the North West District is advised by Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Hui Ying.

East Coast GRC’s Hazlina advises the South East District, while Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe takes the South West. All are first-term MPs, while Giam was a first-time candidate. All are under age 40, aside from Hazlina who is 41.

Tan said this restructuring is meant to allow each district to have a group of core leaders that can organise activities with outcomes for youth – either in terms of policy or more practical benefits like career advice.

“I would love to see all districts very, very active and having regular activities,” Tan said, adding that his stretch goal for them is to organise an activity once a month, and failing that, at least once a quarter.

Tan also wants to see more collaboration between YP and other organisations like NTUC Youth.

When asked for his assessment of how the party is performing with the youth now, he said young people understand the PAP’s positions if the party makes the effort to explain them.

As the incumbent party, the PAP has had to make tough decisions such as raising taxes like the Goods and Services Tax in 2023 and 2024, Tan said.

“Though it’s very popular to say we won’t raise the GST, we need to tell them and convince them that this is important,” he said. This extends to other issues like standards in politics, he said.

“It’s incumbent upon us to convince the youth. We don’t take that for granted.”