‘Make the Cut': Keep Singapore Clean Video Competition 2026 Prize Presentation - Dr Janil Puthucheary

1. Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me to join all of you at the “Make the Cut: Keep Singapore Clean Video Competition 2026” Awards Ceremony.

2. As part of the Public Hygiene Council’s 15^th Anniversary celebrations, I am delighted to join you in recognising the creativity of our students, and seeing their perspectives on keeping Singapore clean through this new video competition. Our students have demonstrated how storytelling can inspire positive action, and through each of the videos, they remind us that public cleanliness is a shared responsibility.

Young Voices, Powerful Messages – From Classroom to Screen

3. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight the top three winning entries submitted by students from Yio Chu Kang Secondary and DPS International. Their videos capture a simple but powerful ideas – that shared spaces are pleasant and usable because of the collective care we put into them. But how we leave our shared spaces to the next person matters. A few careless or inconsiderate acts can quickly make a once-pleasant space unpleasant for all.

4. On the other hand, small, responsible actions can add up over time in a positive way. All of us have a part to play, and that sense of shared responsibility is one of the most important messages that the students have illustrated in their videos. I hope that through this competition, our students will not only internalise these values but go on to champion this way of life among their family members, peers, and communities. 

Technology in Service of Values

5. I am also glad to see some of our students embracing AI as a creative tool. One of the examples we have all just seen was the green monster that grew larger with every piece of litter feed to it. It is a vivid and hard-to-ignore image that brought the message on keeping our shared spaces clean to life. At the end of the day, what matters is not the technology used, but the power of the story being told. It was heartening to see students drawing on a range of tools and formats- from AI-generated visuals, to expressive narration, to acting out scenes – all in service of a compelling message.

6. This is something I find deeply heartening as I wear two hats – one in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and one in the Ministry of Education. Seeing how our students have approached this challenge, learning to harness technology such as AI, expressing themselves creatively, and crafting stories that resonate – these are all important skills for the future.

7. My sincere appreciation to the principals and teachers who have encouraged their students throughout this video competition and guiding them to be environmental stewards in their own ways. Your guidance makes a difference, and I hope that you will continue to inspire future students to participate in competitions and initiatives such as those curated by the Public Hygiene Council. 

A Message That Must Carry On

8. Our journey in Singapore to become a clean city spans many decades, and sustaining depends on the everyday choices that each of us makes. I hope that what all of us have experienced through this competition — observing, thinking, creating, communicating — stays with us, not just as a memory, but as a foundation for habits that shape how we engage the world around us.

9. Thank you to the Public Hygiene Council for 15 years of tirelessly championing public cleanliness in Singapore, always finding new and meaningful ways to inspire the next generation. This competition is a wonderful example, and a reminder that we should adapt and evolve the way we communicate and engage with today’s youth. Together, we must continue to work together to keep Singapore clean, livable, and wonderful for every generation to come.