Good evening, everyone.
It is truly an honour to stand before you tonight at this beautiful event organized by Jubilant Voices. What we have just witnessed is more than a musical. It is a mirror, reflecting the emotional landscape our young people navigate every day: their hopes and fears, their silent battles and bright dreams, their deep and ongoing search for identity.
The central question of this performance ‘Who am I?’ may seem simple. And yet, it is among the most profound and painful questions a young person can ask in today’s world. It captures the journey of so many trying to balance academic demands, family expectations, social pressures, and perhaps most importantly, the search for self-worth and belonging.
In my work as a psychiatrist, I meet many young people who enter the room smiling; but behind that smile is quiet exhaustion and self-doubt. They speak of competition so relentless it steals their breath, of social media that measures worth in likes and filters, and of a constant pressure to be ‘more’; more successful, more beautiful, more acceptable, more perfect.
When those external demands become louder than their inner voice, young people begin to lose touch with who they are. The pursuit of identity turns into a battlefield where anxiety, depression, and burnout often take root. Some reach such a place of despair they begin to question whether their lives still hold value.
And yet, the tragedy is not that they are weak. It is that they are striving to survive in a world that rarely gives them permission to pause, to breathe, to simply ‘be human’.
That is why the use of ‘light’ in tonight’s performance is so profoundly moving.
Light, both literal and emotional, is one of the oldest symbols known to humanity. It embodies hope, awareness, and renewal. It reminds us that beneath layers of doubt and fear, there remains something luminous, something unbreakable.
Sometimes that light appears as a friend who truly listens without judgement or advice. Sometimes it is the courage to ask for help, to whisper ‘I’m not okay.’ And sometimes, it’s a small, quiet act of self kindness; a moment when we choose gentleness over criticism, compassion over comparison.
This performance reminds us that light does not exist instead of darkness; rather, it coexists with it. To be resilient is to walk through the shadows while carrying a steady flame within that does not go out.
We must remember that mental health is not merely the absence of illness; it is the presence of balance, insight, and the strength to navigate life’s tides without losing our sense of self.
Resilience is not the ability to avoid hardship. It is the capacity to fall, and to rise again and again, with new understanding, new compassion, and new strength.
Creative expressions, like the music we celebrate tonight, are powerful vessels of healing. Art gives voice to what words cannot hold. It helps young people transform pain into creation, and confusion into clarity. We must encourage them to find these forms of self expression; their personal pathways to resilience.
The theme of this evening ‘music as a medium of appreciation, acceptance, and mutual support’ points us to one of the most vital medicines in mental health: ‘community’.
No one should walk the journey of self discovery alone. Community offers something technology cannot; authentic, face to face connection. It creates belonging. It eases loneliness. And belonging, we know, is a cornerstone of emotional well being.
When we truly listen to one another’s stories, we remind each other that none of us are alone. When schools, families, and workplaces become safe spaces for open conversations, stigma begins to lose its grip. And when art and psychiatry meet, as they do here tonight, we don’t just discuss healing; we feel it.
So how do we carry this light forward? We encourage open, honest conversations about mental health. We empower mentors, parents, and teachers to recognize when a young person is struggling and to respond with empathy rather than judgement. We invest in creative and community programmes that cultivate connection, compassion, and courage. And above all, listen and validate because sometimes the most powerful thing we can say is simply ‘I hear you, and you are not alone.’
The journey of self identity is rarely straightforward. It twists, it wounds, and it shapes. But with resilience, support, and the guiding light of hope, our young people will not only survive; they will thrive.
As the voices of this choir rise in harmony tonight, may they remind us of a timeless truth:
within every young person burns a light that cannot be extinguished. Sometimes it flickers. Sometimes it blazes. But it is always there; waiting to be seen, nurtured, and shared.
Let us leave this evening with renewed purpose ‘to listen, to care, and to ensure that together, our collective light shines stronger than any shadow that crosses our path.’
Thank you.
Dr. Wong Chung Hin Willy
Specialist in Psychiatry
14th November 2025
