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        I am conscious that I am addressing members of Gen Y in the land of opportunity – a deadly combination. On top of that, you are the cream of Singapore’s Gen Y, and you sense that the world is your oyster. Some of you may have interned in a global company or visited Palo Alto and had a glimpse of how vibrant and exciting the corporate world can be. But you have made a choice to work in the Public Service when you were 18 years old. Was it the right choice? Was it wise to opt for nation above self, unlike other members of your generation? Why should you be the one to be responsible for the nation’s well-being while they need only be responsible to themselves?

2       I want to spend the next twenty minutes or so giving you some sense of what to expect in the Public Service. Not just the joys and the upside, but also the challenges. As you know, we have a unique and remarkable system of ensuring that the best and the brightest of our young people are recruited into the public service, and then nurtured and developed into public sector leaders. No other country spends so much money and effort to select the top students from its schools and then sends them to top universities worldwide and locally, on scholarships, before they join the Public Service. And we have been doing this for the last 49 years.

3       Why do we do this? We do it because we realise that Singapore has only one key resource – its people. Without the best people at the helm of our Public Service, our political leaders would not have been able to bring Singapore to its current level of development. If our Public Service had been weak, incompetent and corrupt, all our best plans would have failed and the best ideas of our political leaders would not have been implemented. An unsuccessful government with a long record of past failures would have produced a failed state. Other failed states usually continue to exist long after their systems and institutions collapse, as their government leaders continue to milk the depleting state coffers. But given our small size and lack of natural resources, without good government, Singapore would have disappeared soon after Independence. And we would not have been able to organise a seminar like this one today, reflecting on the future problems facing Singapore. Long ago, we would have run out of money to give out scholarships and our best and brightest would have migrated to greener pastures.

4       But being successful in the past does not guarantee success in the future. Singapore’s population has changed with global experience, higher education and affluence, and the public now expects much more from the government than it used to in the past. As Singapore and the world changes and becomes more complex, the government must also adapt and change, in order to better cope with new problems and challenges. From time to time, we should pause and take stock, because no matter how effective and efficient, no system is perfect.

Why Scholars?

5       Why do we think that you scholars will make good public servants? First, because you are among the top students in our schools. Second, because we choose you not only because you are academically gifted but also because we think you have other qualities such as commitment, integrity, leadership and people skills. In other words, at the point of recruitment, we assess you to have the potential to become good public servants and we think you have a more than even chance of reaching the top in your public service career. Of course, you could sometimes prove us wrong.

6       There is a common misperception that all scholars have it made from the start and that a scholar’s future career in the public service will be easy and plain sailing. Becoming a scholar is no guarantee that you will become a public sector leader. Many scholars, including President’s Scholars, have not made it to the top. Potential alone is not enough. You must demonstrate your ability through sustained and tested performance over a period of time. Public servants are expected to perform during good times as well as bad. Some people perform well during good times but collapse during a crisis. In considering candidates for promotion within the public service, the fact that they were scholars is never considered a special merit point. When looking for a Permanent Secretary, if we find a non-scholar more deserving than a scholar, we will appoint him or her, rather than the scholar. After all, that is what meritocracy means. We will appoint the best candidate, whether or not he or she is a scholar.

7       However, if a scholar does not rise to the top within the public service, it does not mean that he or she has failed. Not every scholar can be a Permanent Secretary. Some may fit well in vital niches or do specialized jobs in which they continue to make significant contributions. Some may lead smaller agencies or statutory boards and perform with distinction. Others leave and do well outside, in jobs that better fit their skills, passion and aptitudes. We have ex-scholars in a variety of jobs – in politics, the corporate world, academia, the media world, the health sector or less well-trodden paths such as the voluntary organizations or NGOs. So long as they are still in Singapore or working for a Singapore company, we have not lost them.

Where Have All Our Scholars Gone?

8       If we look at the list of officers at the grade of Permanent Secretaries today, we find that four out of 27 of them were non-scholars. Only one was a President’s Scholar. To me, this indicates that the system is working. If all Permanent Secretaries were scholars, we may wonder if they were truly promoted on merit. Because a few were not scholars, it suggests that we do not promote people just because they were scholars. But, on the other hand, if only a small number were scholars, we will wonder if the scholarship system is worth it. Why spend so much to produce so few who can make it to the top? So, within the Public Service, my view is that the system is still working and therefore worth retaining.

9       If we look at the Cabinet, we find that there are 13 scholars among the 21 Ministers. The Cabinet has six Ministers who were President’s Scholars. But while the Cabinet appears to have done better than the Public Service in this respect, we should remember two points. First, some of the Ministers who were President’s Scholars were at one time public servants or military officers. Second, among retired Permanent Secretaries, there were nine who were President’s Scholars.

10       Among the CEOs of the top 13 Singapore companies listed by FORBES, only three were scholars. The CEO of three of our iconic companies – SIA, Singtel and CapitaLand - were not scholars. So the private sector has a smaller share of scholars. From time to time, we hear the lament that the public sector has deprived the private sector of its share of talent. I think that is a gross insult to the CEOs we have. Many of the CEOs of our top companies may not have been scholars, but they are talented people who have done well because they have what it takes to succeed in business. They are smart, daring, resourceful, determined and savvy. I am not at all convinced that if we release half our scholars into the private sector, the Singapore economy will do much better. Not all scholars have the business instincts to make them outstanding entrepreneurs. Besides, the PSC selects only a small number of scholars per year out of a much bigger pool of academically gifted students. There is plenty of talent out there and the Public Service seeks only its fair share of Singapore’s talent.

Rising Public Expectations

11       Having spent so much resources and money on scholars, our taxpayers have a right to demand that the success rate of individual scholars should be high. However, what is even more important is that successful scholars who reach the pinnacle of government should also excel at problem-solving and implementing well formulated policies to steer Singapore through difficult times, as well as into the uncertain future. The more we invest in our scholars, the higher is the expectation of the public. If our public service is supposed to comprise the best and brightest in our land, it must provide world-class service and superior solutions to our problems.

12       We are sometimes the victims of our own success. Having had good government for so long, can we continue to sustain the high standards we have set ourselves? There is a price to pay for success. If we strive to be world-class, we will be judged by world-class standards. If we say that we have one of the best governments in the world, the public will expect it to solve virtually any problem Singapore faces. Some of our citizens are now beginning to expect the government to do the impossible. Many citizens are now less prepared to give the government room to make mistakes and are less forgiving and more demanding. They tend to regard explanations as excuses. Take the recent floods. To some Singaporeans, saying that floods are natural disasters and Singapore cannot be flood-free, sounds like a cop out. Every time something goes wrong in Singapore, citizens ask: “If our public servants and Ministers are so smart and paid so well, why can’t they prevent the problem from occurring, or solve it for good after it occurs?” More and more citizens, especially younger Singaporeans, agonize over the fact that there are still poor people in wealthy Singapore. Many worry about the widening income gap between the rich and the poor.

13       But as one academic astutely observes, it is always better to pay for the price of success than the price of failure.[1] Give me the problems we have today of managing success, and the expectations that flow from it, then having to solve the basic problems of poverty, hunger, ill health and rampant corruption in third world countries. It is far better for a government to be in the happy position of managing the expectations of success than having to cope with the despair of failure. Sincere but questioning citizens will help set the bar higher for excellent public service performance. Idealistic citizens indicate that our people are not uncaring.

Stay Pragmatic & Operational

14       As you spend time today reflecting on Singapore’s future, please remember that as public servants, you will often be judged by the citizenry on how well you execute and implement policy rather than how beautifully crafted your policy papers are. Not only are you required to think deeply and further into the future, you must always be aware of current problems and how to solve them. Tactics are as important as strategy. Being operational is part and parcel of being a good public servant. As I have said before, our system of governance is not one where scholars think and non-scholars do. Scholars are expected to both think and do. So, if and when you are deployed to an operational posting, please take it in the right spirit. It is meant to keep you rooted to reality and the ground, and to help you understand how policies are best implemented.

Conclusion

15       So, be aware of the future challenges you will need to face as public servants. As someone who spent 35 years in the Public Service and is still associated with it after my retirement, let me assure you that you will not regret your choice. The excitement and vibrancy you feel interning in the private sector can also be experienced in the public sector. The fulfilment you get in serving your fellow citizens and helping your nation succeed can equal, if not exceed, that of reaping profits for your company and yourself. While you are in this country, enjoy yourselves while you can. Always retain your sense of empathy for society and the people who are less fortunate than you. Make the most of your lives in university to learn, interact and socialize. Studying is important; so is excelling in your exams. But as the best and the brightest in the land, you should be able to do much more than that.

Thank you.

Directors of the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Fund

Distinguished guests

Lee kuan yew scholars, past and present

Ladies and gentlemen

        Welcome to the 2010 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Award Ceremony.

2       In a few days’ time, Singapore will be celebrating its 45th birthday. We are a young nation, with less than half a century of independence. Over that short period, our people have built a modern nation where many opportunities are available to those willing to work hard. Our achievements as a nation are the result of the contributions of talented and outstanding Singaporeans with the heart to serve their fellow Singaporeans and their community. The key purpose of the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship is to recognise and nurture such people.

The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship

3       Established in 1991 in honour of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship is synonymous with a passion to serve Singapore. It is given out to the most deserving candidates in different professions and disciplines. We look beyond stellar academic and professional achievements to individuals with sound character and a strong sense of duty to serve their fellow Singaporeans. To date, 28 Singaporeans have been awarded the scholarship, of whom 17 were sponsored for masters programmes, 10 for PhD programmes and 1 for a post-doctoral fellowship.

2010 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Recipients

4       This year, the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Board received 85 applications for the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. Of these, 8 were interviewed and 4 were selected for the award. Today, it is my pleasure to present the scholarship to this group of worthy individuals. They are Mr Chan Xiaohui Darius, Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) Chew Chih Chiang Frederick, Ms Phua Puay Li and Mr Tan Jek Chen Kelvin.

5       All of them will be heading to the United States for their studies. Both Frederick and Puay Li will read a Master of Science in Management at Stanford University while Darius will pursue a Master of Law at New York University. Kelvin is currently pursuing his PhD in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University.

6       It is an honour and privilege to be awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. As recipients of one of the most prestigious postgraduate scholarships in Singapore, you belong to a small fraternity of outstanding individuals. I trust that you will continue with your good work and become the best in your professional disciplines. I have full confidence that your future contributions to society will be just as significant as those of your predecessors.

7       My congratulations to all of you. I wish you success in your studies, and look forward to your continued contributions to Singapore when you return.

8       Thank you.

Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman, Public Service Commission

Distinguished guests, principals, parents, teachers, scholarship recipients

Ladies and gentlemen

         It is my pleasure to join you today at the PSC Scholarships Ceremony. First, let me congratulate the 70 recipients who will be receiving one of the country’s most prestigious scholarships. Let me also thank the parents, principals and teachers for teaching, nurturing and mentoring these fine young men and women to who they are today. You should be proud of them.

2       To our award winners, accepting your PSC scholarship means that you have decided on a career to serve the people of Singapore and to make a real difference in their lives. Today marks the start of your journey as an officer in the Singapore Public Service.

3       In 1973 I was in your very same position, as I made the commitment to take up a PSC scholarship and join the Singapore Armed Forces. Looking back, it was possibly the best decision that I have made because I believe what I am today has been shaped very much by the wide range of challenging experiences in my twenty years in the SAF.

THE SINGAPORE PUBLIC SERVICE

4       As a member of the Singapore Public Service, you can serve with pride. Internationally, the Singapore Public Service is well-regarded. The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy or PERC, recently rated our Public Service as the most efficient Civil Service in Asia. The 2010 World Competitiveness Yearbook by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland rated Singapore 2nd in the world for government efficiency. We frequently receive requests from civil services from other countries to study our system and to have exchanges with us. They know that having an efficient and effective, clean and committed public service is key to their countries’ economic competitiveness, social development and the betterment of the lives of their people.

5       They acknowledge the high calibre of our public officers and want to learn how we attract, retain and develop them. They want to know how we make the Public Service an attractive career option for our bright young people and are able to keep our Public Service nimble and forward-looking. They are impressed by how our public officers from different government agencies have been able to work together as one government, and how our officers remain clean and trustworthy. Quite a few countries send their civil servants, at their own expense, to be trained at our Civil Service College – they want to find out the “secret” of how this is done.

6       While all these accolades are good testaments of what we have achieved to date and say much about the professionalism of our Public Service, we cannot take our success and reputation for granted. What is clear to us and many of our visitors is that the quality of the Public Service is only as good as the calibre of the people we bring into it – people with the passion, commitment and understanding that when they join the Public Service, it is not for self gratification but for the long term interest of the country. And this is the real test - not the accolades we receive from ranking tables and foreign visitors – but whether we are making a positive difference to the lives and future of our fellow Singaporeans. That is the ultimate goal and the ultimate source of satisfaction for our public officers which no other career in Singapore can offer.

7       The Public Service Commission has assessed that you have the potential to excel in the Public Service and to contribute to the nation based on your record of leadership, social consciousness and intellectual ability thus far. The PSC sees your potential; the Public Service will help you grow it; but you have the responsibility to realise it.

8       What are the qualities that we are looking for?

A PIPELINE OF STRONG LEADERS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE

9       Some of you may be aware that recently, the Public Service Division launched a book entitled “Pioneers Once More: The Singapore Public Service 1959-2009”. The book chronicles stories of previous generations of passionate and committed public officers over the past 50 years. Many of them dared to try new ideas and persevered even when faced with daunting challenges. There are many inspirational stories in the book that make us proud of their contributions. Some worked with more visibility in the public; many more worked tirelessly behind the scenes. It is people like them, working with the political leadership, who have helped make Singapore what it is today. I am quite sure that a number of these public officers when they looked back, must have also felt, with quiet satisfaction and pride, that they and their colleagues have each played a part in making a difference to Singapore.

10       We want you to be inspired and feel a sense of pride in belonging to this Public Service that you have decided to join. We are thus presenting each of you with a copy of the book so that it may serve as a guide and inspiration to you as you begin your own journey in the public service, and help take Singapore into the future.

11       The challenges of the future will be even more complex than in the past. Issues are rarely single dimensional; they are often multi-faceted. For example, SARS and more recently the H1N1 pandemic were not merely health issues – we had to quarantine those affected so it was a housing problem as well. It also became an education issue when some students were affected and schools had to be closed and classes rescheduled. It was a logistics issue as we had to suddenly buy more than a million thermometers for every student and every household, and stock up on protective gear for our doctors and nurses. It was a technology issue as we had to develop IT systems to do contact tracing and infra-red sensors for rapid fever detection. And it was a public communication and community bonding issue as public confidence had to be maintained.

12       Many challenges are no longer localised but globalised. For example, the recent Icelandic volcanic ash problem did not just cause chaos in many cities in the path of the ash, but also massive disruption to air travel and air freight worldwide. There are many more examples like these, some immediate and dramatic, others longer term but more insidious, be it climate change, global economic meltdown, terrorism and so on.

13       Because of the nature, complexity and scale of such challenges, all the more must we continue to have public officers who can anticipate the future, but who are equally aware that there can always be surprises that we did not anticipate. We need people who are curious and bold to explore new ideas. We must have officers and institutions that are nimble and adaptable to changing circumstances. We require officers who are in touch with what is happening around us, in the capitals of the world, and in the heartlands of Singapore. Traditionally, public officers are great problem solvers; in future they must also be able to identify and seize opportunities for the long term interest of Singapore.

14       It is with this in mind that since the inception of the Public Service Commission scholarships in 1961, the PSC has been offering scholarships to the best and brightest in every cohort to groom them to serve Singapore through a career in the Public Service. Over the last 49 years, PSC scholarships have been effective in providing top-tier talent for our Public Service to lead an effective and responsive Public Service committed to improving the lives of the people in Singapore.

PREPARING YOURSELF FOR A CAREER IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

15       Your journey into a Public Service career begins today. Over the next few years as you pursue your studies, make full use of the time and opportunities to train your mind, build your character and hone your leadership skills. Over time, you will realise that it is not so much the course of study that will determine your usefulness to the Public Service but rather the rigour of your learning process. Go out of your comfort zone in your learning. Enjoy your new environment. Learn from your professors and debate with your peers. Open your eyes and ears to the diversity of views, needs and aspirations of the people around you. Learn how to be discerning, and to relate theory to real world practical application especially to the context of Singapore. Remember too that in all your exchanges and interactions, you will be ambassadors of the Singapore Public Service, and of Singapore.

16       In short, use the next few years to nurture a mind and heart that will prepare you for a career in the Singapore Public Service.

CONCLUSION

17       Many cohorts of Public Officers have journeyed on the path that you are now taking, dedicating themselves to working towards a first class Public Service that is committed to creating a brighter future for Singapore.

18       I wish you success in the years ahead.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in Charge of the Civil Service and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

         Welcome to the 2010 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony. This is a proud day for all of you. My congratulations to the scholarship recipients for your achievements; to the principals and teachers for your dedication; and to the parents for nurturing your children into who they are today.

2       PSC Scholarships are awarded to the most outstanding students who demonstrate a commitment and passion to serve the country and the people of Singapore. Beyond academic results and intellectual ability, the PSC looks for candidates who care for the ordinary Singaporean and have the ability to lead with humility and integrity.

3       This year, the PSC received more than 2,000 scholarship applications. Of these, we interviewed a total of 316 candidates. I am glad to announce that 68 have been selected this year, and together with 1 mid-term scholar and 1 Master’s scholar, 70 will be receiving their awards today. Amongst them, 37 will be pursuing their studies in the UK, 22 in the US, 8 in Singapore and 3 in China.

4       PSC Scholarships are awarded solely on merit. There is no cap or quota. Any applicant who meets PSC’s high standards will be made an offer, regardless of his or her background. This ensures a diversity of views and perspectives in the Public Service, to enable the Government to continue to be responsive and empathetic. A public service with officers who have different backgrounds and skills will contribute to more robust policy making.

5       In fact, we are seeing more and more applicants from different educational backgrounds - from a wider range of JCs, schools and polytechnics. This shows that our educational system has been evolving to cater to different talents and interests. This has offered us a richer and more diverse pool from which to select our scholarship recipients.

6       I am happy to note that we have 3 polytechnic graduates receiving the scholarship awards today. Two of them attended Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Mr Tan Jun Liang topped his Aerospace Technology diploma course, and will be reading Aerospace Engineering at the Imperial College in the UK. Mr Tan is both an environment advocate and an active member in his community. Mr Low Hong Wei graduated with a Diploma with Merit in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and will be reading Chemistry at the National University of Singapore. Ms Tan Yan Jun Joy graduated from the Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma with Merit in Business Administration. She will be reading Business in the UK.

7       We also have our first two scholarship recipients from a local international school - SJI International. Mr Ian Ernst Chai Yang and Ms Samantha Chua Le Ling are two of the first cohort of SJI International’s graduates with International Baccalaureate Diplomas. Mr Chai will be reading Law in the UK, while Ms Chua will be studying Accountancy at the Singapore Management University.

8       I am also pleased to announce our first PSC scholar from Pioneer Junior College. He is Mr Tan Chiang Wee, Nicholas, who will be proceeding to the US to read Engineering.

9       PSC places great emphasis on the development of our scholarship recipients. This process begins before they embark on their further studies, and continues during and after their undergraduate courses.

10       The first development programme we put our scholarship recipients through is the Preparatory Course, which gives them a foundational understanding of our governance principles and Singapore’s socio-political landscape. As part of the 3-week course, they spent three days at the Outward Bound Singapore.

11       There will be many more training and development opportunities for them during their term breaks. And after they graduate, there will be more structured milestone courses to equip them for their careers as public officers.

12       I am confident that all of you will do us proud, not only in your studies but also in your service to the community and nation.

13       And on that note, I wish you every success in your studies and all the best in your endeavours.

14       Thank you.