News

            I am very glad to see so many of you here today. When I first discussed this Seminar with the scholar organizers, the question was raised if the topics we chose would attract a large turnout. I was assured that if PSC so directs, no scholar will refuse to attend. Needless to say, I was not at all reassured by that remark. I hope that you are all here because you are keen to participate in this Seminar and not because you have been directed to do so. I look forward very much to hearing your views as much as I do to the opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

One Misfit

2.         One reason I decided on this topic was because one of the hardworking organizers gave me such a provocative list of questions on scholarships that I simply had to rise to the challenge. Another reason was a blog I read written by a former teaching scholar.[1] It was beautifully written, full of passion and angst, relating how unhappy she was in the teaching service and how happy she now is, having completed her bond. Her blog attracted a long stream of responses, some from scholars who had broken their bonds, resonating with her sentiments and sympathizing with her plight. A few responses were critical of her complaints, but they were in the minority. Those of us who know the Public Service realize that her sentiments represent those of a minority. There are many more committed scholar public servants who are giving of their best and who regard their public service career as challenging and fulfilling.

3.         I disagree with her overall sentiments but I agree with her on one point. She should never have been selected for teaching. PSC should not have awarded her a teaching scholarship when she showed no interest in, or passion for, teaching. She said she had no idea what she wanted in life at 19 and university overseas was a mind-blowing experience that exposed her to the endless opportunities she could have seized instead. But what was revealing was the nature of her complaints. She did not write anything about her experience in teaching. She did not say that teaching gave her no joy and that she could not empathize with or care for the students she taught. Instead, she gave a vague hint of her dismay with office politics and her disagreement with unspecified government policies. I can understand why she chose to cite the latter rather than the former as reasons for her quitting teaching. I wish her all the best and hope she finds her true niche in life.

Two Emerging Trends

4.         My purpose today is to draw your attention to two emerging trends, both of which seek to knock down the system of scholarships unique to Singapore. (No other country in the world awards so many government scholarships to our best and brightest students). The first trend is that of a handful of scholars feeling a little guilty that they are privileged. I am beginning to notice a few scholars asking why they are being singled out for grooming for future leadership. Why are we giving so many scholarships to top students and so few bursaries to the poor and needy? Is this false modesty on their part or guilt, or both? Is this the consequence of their awareness of ground resentment that we are becoming too elitist a society? I want to reassure this group of scholars that while we should guard against elitism and arrogance, there are good reasons why we should continue with the scholarships system.

5.         The second trend consists of a growing number of critics – including the media, some politicians and members of the public – who seem to want the government to stop giving scholarships on account of the bad behavior of some scholars. This is more difficult to defend against because it is true that a few scholars have allowed success to go to their heads. Part of the problem lies in the sometimes excessive way we celebrate individual academic excellence in Singapore. Part of it lies in the unrealistic expectations some scholars have about their jobs in the public service. But the fact that a handful of scholars give a bad name to the system does not mean that the system itself is rotten. In other words, we must improve the system, not abandon it. And you have an important part to play in this because how you conduct yourself in future will either increase the resentment of the public, politicians and media or reassure them that scholars are not as bad as they are made out to be.

Scholarships Are Bad

6.         In recent years, there have been some adverse rumblings about our scholarships system. When the government spends so much money on so few people, taxpayers have a right to grumble. Not all taxpayers will be happy – but among the happy ones will be your parents. (However, as the previously cited case shows, sometimes, even those who benefit from scholarships do not appreciate their good fortune). When the government justifies the scholarship system by saying that candidates are chosen on merit, it will invite questions on the criteria used. Are we choosing only people with high academic scores or high IQ and is this intellectual elite the best group to lead Singapore? Are we increasingly choosing people from a narrowing base – same schools, same family backgrounds, same universities? Is this elitist system producing public servants with no empathy for, and understanding of, the problems and grievances of ordinary Singaporeans? How can they be good public servants if they think they are privileged and believe that their role is to lord over, rather than serve, the public?

7.         Although the public resentment could be due in part to envy, it will be wrong for us to assume that there is no basis for such fears. Hence, we have tried our best to address them. Intellectual ability is a pre-requisite and is still of prime importance. It is a necessary, but not sufficient condition. We have always looked for many more qualities beyond academic excellence, and these include integrity, commitment, leadership and soft skills. A candidate without these qualities will not do well in the public service. Mindful that we should not compromise on our principle of meritocracy, we try to ensure that we have not missed out deserving candidates by casting our net as wide as possible so that we can take in candidates from schools other than Raffles and Hwa Chong where students who do well at earlier stages of their education tend to congregate. We pay special attention to those from a humble background to draw out those who have great potential but may not yet have the polish and finesse of their more socio-economically advantaged peers. And we encourage our scholars to study in countries other than the US and UK. In order to enhance their understanding of the ground, many scholar public servants are exposed to operational postings. This helps keep them in touch with reality. Those from a humble background will be reminded of their roots while those from a well-off background will hopefully step out of their cocoon and learn about the rest of Singapore.

8.         But despite all our best effort, there is no failsafe method of ensuring that every one of our scholar public servants is sensitive to ground issues and truly wants to serve. There is a risk that if scholars we recruit fail to understand and empathize with the concerns of ordinary Singaporeans, the public mood will change. Should the public, extrapolating from the few to the many, come to increasingly question whether scholars make good public servants, it will begin to withdraw its support for our scholarship system. There is no guarantee that a future government in Singapore will have the same political courage as the present one. In most democracies, very few governments will defend a system on the basis of principle in the face of overwhelming voter unhappiness. If the public outcry against scholarships becomes deafening, the government may one day decide to drastically cut or even stop awarding scholarships altogether.

Scholarships Are Good

9.         Singapore has been able to build on the scholarship system started during the colonial days because we have a government which believes in meritocracy and has the political courage to act on this belief. More importantly, our people have so far joined government in celebrating academic excellence and, despite some misgivings, continue to support the idea that we should develop and nurture our most outstanding students for future leadership. Many governments do not have our system. Some do not believe in meritocracy and offer scholarships mostly to their own kind. Some may believe in meritocracy but dare not practise it because the political culture does not allow them to do so.

10.         Over the years, our scholars have provided the pool of leaders for the public service and elsewhere. We think we have done quite well in selecting the right people. A scholarship is not an escalator to success. For a scholar to progress in his career, hard work, demonstrated performance, and a commitment to public service are required. Not all scholars succeed, but enough do to justify the continuation of the system. It must be so. If more and more scholars break bond or fail in their studies or career, then it makes no sense to continue with the system. At the same time, the system must allow non-scholars to also rise to the top, in case they are late bloomers, or we miss them out in the earlier selection process for another reason. If we look at the top of the public service today, 16 of our 20 permanent secretaries are scholars. It shows that our system is good enough to spot potential leaders from among our scholars but flexible enough to allow for those with talent to be developed and rise to the top even if they did not start out as scholars.

Bond Breaking & Attrition

11.         At this point, let me give you my own take on a subject that has generated controversy from time to time – bond breaking. Having spent a great deal of money and effort on a scholar, it is natural for the government to be disappointed if the scholar leaves before his bond is up. Recruiting a scholar for the public service is more than a commercial contract. Serving the nation cannot be the same as serving a company. As a public servant you are entrusted with the lives of your fellow citizens and are supposed to deliver public goods in the public interest. You are serving Singapore, not Boston Consulting Group or Citibank. You are tasked to improve the lives of Singaporeans, not raise the bottom line of your firm by making more profits from consumers.

12.         But do we expect 100% of our scholars to stay throughout their bond period? No. Do we expect a significant majority of them to stay? Yes. Attrition figures are important as warning indicators to alert us if there is a problem, but they hide many things. When the various Ministries come to brief PSC and present their staff attrition figures to me, I often ask them if the attrition is a good attrition or a bad attrition. What I mean is “Are you losing the right people or the wrong people?” If the best officers leave, and only the mediocre remain, the public service is in big trouble. We need enough of our best people to stay and provide a continuous flow of leaders. Likewise, with scholars. No matter how robust our selection process, and no matter how astute our PSC members are in judging people, a handful of candidates who are not suitable for public service will manage to slip through. Among them will be those who lack commitment and have little interest in the public service and merely want either the prestige or the funds that come with a scholarship to study overseas. A few may be smart, perhaps even committed, but have character flaws that show up after they join service.

13.         If those who are unsuitable for the public service break bond, we should be disappointed that we failed to sieve them out earlier, but we should not be unhappy. However, we still get upset with scholars who break their bond without serving even one day after they finish their studies. They have wasted the PSC’s time and effort and used taxpayers’ money upfront for their selfish purpose. Even if there is no scholarship quota, there is an opportunity cost to every taxpayer dollar spent on scholars. In the period 1999 to 2008, there were 9 such PSC scholars out of a total of 791 scholarship holders recruited. Although this is a low attrition rate of 1%, we would like to see it go down to as close to zero as possible.

14.         There are also some scholars who finish their bond and leave for positive reasons. Some scholars move on because they want a change in career. Nothing wrong with that especially if they stay in Singapore or contribute to Singapore in other ways. Others want to care for their young children. As a family-friendly nation, we should applaud such a motive. A few get invited to tea and become politicians. Others go on to become successful entrepreneurs and managers in the corporate world. And if they stay in Singapore or work in Singapore firms overseas, they can still make a contribution to Singapore.

Good Management is Key

15.         However, if the Public Service is losing more and more good officers, then it ought to be concerned. Good officers often leave because they have been poorly managed. The Public Service should nurture, develop, support and reward all good officers, including scholars, so that they feel appreciated and are motivated to stay. Since public servants cannot publicize their achievements, it is all the more important that they receive signals from within the service if they have done well. Unlike the early days, when officers assume they are doing well if nobody yells at them, young officers nowadays like to be told upfront about their performance.

16.         My sampling of the views of the younger officers suggest to me that they yearn for better communication from the top on crucial matters such as their next posting. They say they will accept unpopular postings better if they are given a hearing and it is explained to them how the job fits into their career development and what they can learn from it.

17.         However, Lim Siong Guan, the former Head of Civil Service, had what I thought was a good rebuttal for scholars who griped about their postings. He used to tell them that going wherever the Public Service decided to send them was the best way to develop themselves. If they were to choose their postings, many would never get out of their comfort zone and so would not grow.

18.         Our young scholars also seem to have difficulty relating how their actual work serves the bigger purpose of the Public Service. Some also expect to meet their Minister frequently. They should realize that they may not get to meet or work directly with the Minister in the early phase of their career. It helps if present-day Ministers reach deep into the organization to seek the views of younger officers, as the first generation Ministers like Goh Keng Swee and Lee Kuan Yew used to do. But if that does not happen so often nowadays, then the supervisors of our young scholars must make up for it by giving them enough challenging work to sustain their interest and add meaning to what they do. Hence, good leaders who manage well are crucial at all levels of the Public Service. Better still if as leader cum manager they also mentor well, because I find that some young officers need someone in authority they can turn to for advice or just someone who can give him or her a sympathetic hearing. I believe that the time spent listening is often worth investing in.

Less Scholarships, More Bursaries?

19.         PSC’s responsibility is to develop the best talent we have, for the Public Service, regardless of the family background of the candidate. PSC is not under a budget constraint and gives scholarships strictly on merit up to the limits of worthy candidates. Hence, giving a scholarship to a well-off student is not at the expense of one from a poorer background. We should not discriminate against those who are well-off on the grounds of social justice. It is good that students who are well-off are still attracted to PSC scholarships and public service. It would be bad for the country if only students from poorer backgrounds consider a public service career, because it means the elite and well-off have turned their backs on society and no longer want to serve the country.

20.         I admire those among our young who care about the growing income disparity in Singapore and are concerned about the bottom half of our society. But does this mean that we need to cut down on scholarships in order to give more bursaries? Does PSC need to be responsible for giving out grants and bursaries? My answer to both is “No”. Our local universities already disburse grants, bursaries and interest-free loans to those who cannot afford a university education but qualify for entry. The Ministry of Education has disbursed sufficient funds to the local universities to ensure that any needy student who gains entry into university is not deprived of an opportunity to study there. This is the government’s policy.

21.         More non-government scholarship agencies should focus on giving awards to those below the top academic tier but are good enough to fulfill the requirements for university entry, both locally and abroad.

22.         Your organizing committee suggested that overseas education should be made accessible to all. I cannot agree that the government should fund those who are in need but do not meet our criteria, to study overseas. If they can qualify for entry into a local university, they should study in Singapore. They will get a good university education in NUS, NTU and SMU and their degrees will not hold them back if they perform well in their career, in or outside the Public Service. In all my years in Public Service, I have never witnessed anyone being promoted or not promoted on account of his university background.

Good Scholars – Past & Present

23.         Our best scholars know they have to start from the bottom in order to reach the top. They realize that to gain the respect of others, they have to gain experience before they can make a meaningful contribution. They willingly go to operational jobs and get their hands dirty. To them, each posting is a challenge and an opportunity to learn new things, even if there are low moments. They learn to take the rough with the smooth. They know that implementation is unglamorous but vital to policy-making. They realize that they need to convince others of their competence through actual performance and should not expect their potential to propel them upwards. They know that no outcome can be due only to their own brilliance, but is the combined effort of their team. They do not look down on non-scholars because they know that many non-scholars have deeper knowledge and more wisdom.

Policy Making is Operational

24.         Why is it important for scholars to start at the bottom? While learning the ropes and acquiring a dose of humility are worthwhile benefits in themselves, there is in fact a much more fundamental reason. Many scholars say they want to join the Management Associate Program and become Administrative Officers because they want to “make policy”. But they fail to realize that a policy is only as good as how it is implemented. Policy making and implementation go hand in hand. To make good policy, officers need a feel for the ground and an understanding for practical implementation constraints. You cannot conceive of good policies or make improvements to existing policies just from first principles or what you have learnt at university. You have to understand our society and economy, how things work, what can be done and what cannot. It is not enough to focus on formulating a policy without going into the details of how it should best be carried out. As a public servant, you are responsible for both.[2] We do not have a system where scholars think and non-scholars do. A scholar must be able to both think and do. A well conceptualized policy will fail if it is poorly implemented. A public servant who does not anticipate ground reactions and think through the impact that a particular policy will have on people is a poor public servant. An operational job enables you to learn first-hand how to implement policies and discover for yourself what the possible pitfalls are when you deal with the real world.

Recollections of Older Scholars

25.         I asked a few Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries who had been scholars to share with me their recollection of the first few years they spent in the public service. What they told me may be of interest to you as you embark on your public service career.

26.         A Police scholar started as an Assistant Investigations Officer, doing frontline work on suicides, thefts, molestations, etc. The posting taught him people skills because he had to work with non-scholars and developed his empathy for the public when he dealt with crime victims who sought his help.

27.         Another started work as a Statistician where she spent her first week figuring out what she was supposed to do. She shared a phone with a subordinate, and because she was more senior, the phone was placed on her desk. But she soon realized that her subordinate needed the phone more than she did, and she therefore placed it on the other desk instead. That experience taught her that function was more important than position.

28.         When another officer started work, he had a subordinate who was old enough to be his father. Their ideas were often at odds, but he soon realized that while he had lots of knowledge, his subordinate had a lot more wisdom. Over time, he learned to complement his own analysis with his subordinate’s suggestions.

29.         Another recalls how she had to do many things herself – photocopying papers for meetings, receiving and serving visitors and taking lots of minutes during meetings, sometimes as many as three sets a day. She had to be very nice to the typists in the Typing Pool in order to ensure that her work did not end up at the bottom of the pile.

Young Scholars – Some Cause For Concern

30.         Most of the current generation of young scholars are responsible and dedicated, but a few have a poor attitude and misplaced expectations. Some are very choosy about their postings and tend to place their personal interest above organizational interest. Many Management Associates or MAs want to go to MTI or MOF for their first postings and get upset if they are posted elsewhere. One was so upset that he resigned, breaking his bond. When some young MAs were asked to go to NTUC to observe retrenchment exercises and learn about what impact the current economic recession is having on ordinary Singaporeans, one MA asked “What is a retrenchment exercise?”.

31.         Why should the Public Service be worried that some scholars are like this? First, if our scholars seek to advance only their self-interest, it indicates that they may be unable to work in a team. Much of public service work today involves teamwork because Singapore’s problems are becoming more complex and involve many Ministries, and no single individual can solve them. Besides, public policy making is always the product of a group effort, of repeated discussions and revisions. From the first idea to the Cabinet paper, proposals will involve many people and countless drafts. Some young officers are not used to this and do not feel a close enough sense of ownership with the final product. This is the way government works and is in fact a strength of our system because this is the way we gather different perspectives and considerations into a well thought-through solution. Second, if fewer and fewer young scholars desire ground postings, more and more of them may become divorced from ground issues and will start to lose their empathy for ordinary Singaporeans. The problem is not yet so widespread that it cannot be rolled back. There is still time for the Public Service to correct the trend.

Conclusion

32.         Looking at the Public Service as a whole, I think there is enough evidence for me to end on an upbeat note. I was present at a dinner with Tony Blair recently and he told us how, during his recent visits as a public governance consultant to African and Arab countries, they all invariably ask him to make them into another Singapore. It would be even better if Blair hears this from advanced countries, but it still indicates that Singapore has a good global reputation. For such a tiny country, we have not done too badly. This well-deserved reputation is in no small degree due to our Public Service. Things work well in Singapore because we continue to have a continuous stream of able, efficient, effective and empathetic public servants. And much of that is in turn due to our scholarships system, which enables the Public Service to receive its fair share of Singapore's top talent.

33.         I am sure that most of you are looking forward to joining and working in this Public Service. To me, it was a fascinating career – with tremendous variety and important assignments. Don’t expect every day to be fascinating and important but stay contented by never losing sight of who you are serving – your people and your country. That was enough to sustain me through 37 years in the Public Service. Not once did I think of leaving. I hope you will enjoy your future career as much as I did mine.

34.         Let me end by quoting two friends who have been giving thoughtful advice to our Public Service. Both coincidentally make similar points in describing the job of a civil servant. One is Peter Shergold, who used to run the Australian Public Service:
“Civil service is a tough job. It is not easy to give advice fearlessly…. or to deliver policy decisions uncomplainingly when that advice has not been accepted…The ability of civil service leaders to shape public policy comes at a personal cost. To a considerable extent, their influence is wielded behind closed doors. Their public voice needs to be carefully modulated. It requires leaders able to serve successive ministers with equal dedication. For all these reasons, the civil service is not a job for everyone. Yet,……civil service has its distinctive rewards. It is a job that has meaning and purpose. It involves the provision of public value, not shareholder gain, with benefits delivered to citizens, not consumers. How well it is done affects, to a lesser or greater extent, the future well-being of society.”[3]

35.         The other is Jocelyn Bourgon, who ran the Canadian Public Service: “The public sector is not for everyone. You must believe in the importance of the State. You must be passionate about what the Government can accomplish. Good policies can change the course of events and improve the standard of living and quality of life of citizens.”[4]

36.         Thank you.

[1] See : http://s-pores.com/2009/07/once-bonded/ 
[2] See “Instruction To Deliver” by Michael Barber, who was Head of the Delivery Unit, Prime Minister’s Office under Tony Blair.
[3] “Leadership at a Time of Crisis” by Peter Shergold in ETHOS Issue 6, July 2009.
[4] Interview in Sept-Oct issue of Challenge magazine.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean

Minister for Education Dr Ng Eng Hen

Excellencies

Chairman and Members of the Public Service Commission

Ladies and Gentlemen

            This year marks the 44th year of our independence. We are a young nation state, with less than half a century of existence as an independent nation. Over that short period, our people have built a modern nation where many opportunities are available to those willing to work hard. Singapore is also a home where people of many races and religions live together in harmony and look forward to a better future for themselves and their families.

2           Life has not always been like this. As a young nation, we had our fair share of tumultuous years – grappling with racial tensions, security threats and economic downturns. We overcame each and every crisis by staying united as a nation. It is during such difficult times that we demonstrated our resilience, adaptability and indomitable spirit.

3           The achievements and successes we celebrate today are also the result of the vision the founding leaders had for the nation, their courage in implementing changes and their passion in serving their fellow citizens.

President’s Scholarship

4           We will continue to need visionary, brave and passionate leaders with the ability and the heart to build a successful and vibrant Singapore. That is the key purpose behind the award of the President’s Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the country. They are given to this year’s most outstanding young men and women from our schools. The award recipients are talented and passionate individuals who have excelled in both academic and non-academic achievements. They have also distinguished themselves as top students in their cohort through their leadership qualities, sound character and a commitment to serve Singaporeand Singaporeans.

5           Selecting President’s Scholars is a highly rigorous process. Headed by the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, the President’s Scholarship Selection Board this year interviewed 15 talented and outstanding young men and women. From this year, all candidates being considered for the President’s Scholarships would be put through an Assessment Centre, where they would go through a series of exercises that presented challenges and scenarios related to public service work. The Assessment Centre exercises provided the Selection Board with a better all-rounded perspective of the candidates and added further rigour to the selection process for President’s Scholars.

2009 President’s Scholars

6           I am happy to announce that this year, the President’s Scholarships are conferred on six outstanding young men and women. They are Miss Gan Su Yi, Miss Claire Soon Jing Min, Miss Tan Bao Jia, Mr Jonathan Au Yong Kok Kong, Mr Nicolas Tay Weizhe and Mr Alexander Joseph Woon Wei-Ming. Miss Gan will be reading Economics at University College London. Miss Soon will head for Oxford University to read History and join the Foreign Service when she returns. A PSC China Scholar, Miss Tan will be reading Economics at Peking University. Mr Au Yong, who is a concurrent holder of the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship, will be reading Ethics, Politics and Economics at Yale University. Mr Tay, a Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholar, will be reading International Relations and History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Mr Woon, who will be reading Law at Cambridge University, will join the Legal Service after he returns. This year’s batch of six President’s Scholars are a good mix of male and female scholars and going to a good spread of universities in the People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Roles and Responsibilities of a President’s Scholar

7           The President’s Scholarship demands a commitment from you to serve your nation and fellow citizens, regardless of race, religion or socio-economic background. When you are abroad, bear in mind that you represent Singapore. Continue to do us proud by excelling not just in your studies but in engaging yourselves in university and community life, helping the less able and less fortunate.

8           Broaden your horizons by seizing all opportunities to learn new things about the world and about yourself. By staying in touch with community life and engaging in community work overseas, you will continue to acquire knowledge about, and empathy for, the concerns of ordinary people – something you will need when you return home to serve your fellow Singaporeans as public servants.

Conclusion

9           I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the families, principals and teachers of our President’s Scholars. Their achievements today bear testimony to the good work you have done in their lives, in nurturing them to be who and what they are.

10           Once again, my congratulations to Miss Gan Su Yi, Miss Claire Soon, Miss Tan Bao Jia, Mr Jonathan Au Yong, Mr Nicolas Tay and Mr Alexander Woon. I am sure all of you will do Singapore proud by being good ambassadors of Singapore and by living up to the hopes and expectations we have placed on you. I wish you success in your studies and look forward to you serving with distinction in your careers with the Singapore Public Service.

Directors, Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Fund;
Distinguished Guests;
Lee Kuan Yew Scholars, Past and Present;
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Welcome to the 2009 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Award Ceremony.

THE LEE KUAN YEW SCHOLARSHIP

2.         The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship was set up to groom leaders in different professions and disciplines. Established in 1991 in honour of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the scholarship recognises outstanding individuals with the passion to contribute to Singapore. The scholarship provides them with the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in their fields of interest. To date, 26 Singaporeans have been awarded the Scholarship, of whom 15 were sponsored for the Masters programmes, 10 for the PhD programmes and 1 for a post-doctoral fellowship. They have pursued a wide variety of courses, ranging from medical genetics to business administration. Our past Lee Kuan Yew scholars continue to contribute to a wide variety of professions. They also continue to volunteer their time and energy in projects and programmes which improve the lives of ordinary Singaporeans.

SELECTION & CALIBRE

3.         The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship is awarded to a very small number of people. We are looking for individuals who have distinguished themselves in their profession and who have empathy for the poor and less privileged in Singapore. Beyond their pursuit of personal success, they need to have a deep interest in the lives of less privileged Singaporeans and spend time doing community work to help such Singaporeans improve their lives.

2009 LEE KUAN YEW SCHOLARS

4.         This year, the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Board received 82 applications for the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. Of these, six were interviewed and two were selected. The two Lee Kuan Yew scholars this year are individuals who have made significant contributions to their organisations and are actively engaged in community work. They are Mr Gabriel Lim and LTC Ng Chad-Son.

5.         Both Gabriel and Chad-Son will be heading to the United States for their post-graduate studies, where they will read a Masters of Science in Management at Stanford University.

6.         It is an honour and privilege to be awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. I urge you to continue in your efforts to become the best in your professional disciplines, and in so doing, help build a stronger and better Singapore. While you are in Stanford, I trust that you will actively contribute to campus life and engage in community work, spiritually enriching yourselves and materially improving the lives of the people you help. As recipients of the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship, you join a small fraternity of men and women who have both talent and heart.

7.         My congratulations to you both. I wish you the very best in your studies and future endeavours.

8.         Thank you.

Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister

Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman of the Public Service Commission

Distinguished guests, parents, scholars, teachers

Ladies and gentlemen

        I am delighted to join you here today for the 2009 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony. I asked why it is being held here instead of the Istana, which is the usual place, and they told me we have so many scholars and family that we have outgrown the Istana, which is a good sign, and I am happy to have all of you here.

        May I congratulate the 87 scholars who are receiving the awards today. You join the 7,000 scholarship holders who have received PSC Scholarships over the last half a century. The scholars have your parents and teachers to thank for today. Your achievement has only been possible because of their dedication and sacrifices, so rejoice, but never forget what they have done for you.

        The PSC Scholarships trace back to 1885, that means about 120 years. During colonial days, promising students were awarded the Queen’s Scholarship to study in the UK, one scholar per year. So in Singapore, the scholarship was awarded to the best student of the year, and there was a special selection board that was chaired by the Chief Justice. When we became self-governing in 1959, the Queen’s Scholarships were replaced by the Singapore State Scholarships, and in that year, there were three Singapore State Scholarships recipients. Incidentally, one of them was Dr Tony Tan, who later became Deputy Prime Minister. In 1961 PSC took over the scholarship selection, and since then, it has done a sterling job in selecting and grooming scholars over almost half a century.

        In 1960, the Government decided to require all scholars to serve a stint in the public service upon graduation. I suppose that is when the PSC bonds began. There was a reason: the public service needed young and talented officers to help our fledgling nation to develop and to prosper, and many answered the call to serve. They took up the scholarships, and went on to make important contributions to Singapore’s nation-building.

        In that era, the PSC could be quite sure of getting the best talents of the year, because young people who qualified and wanted to go to university did not have many choices. There were fewer places available, they were poor, their parents were poor, the international links had not been established, the developed countries were not so welcoming of talent. So the scholars took up whatever scholarships were available, in whatever courses were sponsored. And we did not have that much money, so the scholarships were often sponsored by the donating countries, under the Colombo Plan, particularly Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain.

        We were grateful, and we went to all sorts of courses. Chan Seng Onn read naval architecture in the UK, and later on he became a lawyer, and he is now a High Court judge. Choo Thiam Siew read horticulture in New Zealand, as a Colombo Plan Scholar. In this case it was relevant, he came back and joined Parks and Recreations Department, and therefore had a part in planting the trees and greening Singapore, making the Garden City we have today. Later on, from trees, he went to something completely different to head the National Arts Council, and now he is running the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Tan Boon Huat, another Colombo Plan Scholar, went to Canada and read forestry. But there are not many forests in Singapore and he had a career in the public service, looking after people in the PSD, and now he is CEO of the People’s Association. So instead of cultivating trees, he spent his career nurturing people. As they say in Chinese, “十年树木，百年树人”. Ten years to grow a tree, a hundred years to cultivate a person. Alan Chan read civil aviation engineering in France. He became Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, so I think his knowledge of civil aviation, I hope, was useful. Now he is CEO of Singapore Press Holdings. We hope to have a better fit with all our present scholars.

        Our early scholars, with their various qualifications, returned to serve Singapore. They conceived and implemented important policies, transforming our entrepot into an industrialised, model economy, housing the entire population, building HDB flats and new towns all over the island, building up the SAF from two battalions to a combined-arms, 3G force, implementing an active foreign policy to maximise our influence and advance our international interests, integrating our different races, different communities gradually into one people. And they built a nation where none had existed and brought Singapore to where it is today.

        But that does not mean the job is done, that means there is a lot to build upon, and there is much more that we must do for Singapore. We live in a globalised world where there are rising opportunities but also ferocious competition, where talent flows freely around the world, where dangers, whether it is terrorists or pandemics, can strike quickly and without warning. Where we are uniquely placed to build on our firm foundations and high standards, to seize the opportunities of a dynamic Asia, and create an outstanding nation where people can live happy, prosperous and fulfilling lives.

        In such a world, Singapore needs a public service manned by top quality people who have the knowledge, the imagination and the conviction to do their best for Singapore, and the public service’s job is to work with the political leadership to pilot this little ship in the great ocean, to upgrade the economy and create good jobs for all of our people, to develop new avenues for Singaporeans with all kinds of talents to fulfil their potential, to anticipate and manage complex issues – healthcare, ageing, R&D, talent attraction – to renew our living environment and city, and to strengthen our sense of togetherness and nationhood in a rapidly changing and borderless world. In short, in the words of our national pledge, “to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation”.

        And yet in such a world, bright young students have many more choices. Many more tertiary places are available in Singapore and abroad, many more different types of scholarships. There is a whole supplement which the Straits Times publishes every year – six supplements – all the options, ticking off comparisons, items, benefits, options, pluses, minuses, so you can do your sums. And if none of them strike the eye, more parents can afford to send their children abroad, and the foreign universities, the top ones in America, in Europe – they know us, their doors are open, they are competing with one another to attract talent, and if you are good, they will take you. Or they will come and hunt for you.

        And so, PSC and PSD have to work much harder to bring in good people. They have to nurture their talent, expose them to varied experiences, stretch their abilities, test their commitment, and deploy them in responsible positions, mould them into a first-class, all-rounded team that can take the country forward.

        To attract good people, the PSC offers attractive scholarship terms. And then the PSD makes sure the scholars return to challenging and fulfilling careers within the public service. We want good people, we will not compromise our standards either on ability or integrity or of commitment, and we treat our people well and we expect great things of them. The Chairman of the PSC has just written an open letter to all the new scholars, or would-be scholars for next year and the years after, to explain to them what are the criteria by which PSC chooses scholars, interviews them and what not to do. For example, read the newspaper just in case they ask you what was in it this morning, but do not mug up for the interview, because we do not want to know what you know, we want to know about you, we want to know you. It is meant for the new scholars, but I would advise the present scholars, though you have passed the hurdle, to read the letter, because the values which are expressed, the criteria which we put weight on, these are things which we still expect of you. So please take note, assess yourselves, and strive to improve everywhere where you can do better.

        But over the next few years, focus on your studies, return to serve the nation, and if you do your duties well, long before you complete your careers, you will have to help to transform Singapore totally again. And then you can feel the satisfaction of being part of the team which has made this happen.

        But first of all, you need to get an all-rounded education. Not just to do well academically, but also to experience the world, enrich your mind, immerse yourself in the new environment, and form friendships, not just with your fellow Singaporeans, but with classmates from all over the world. And take full advantage of the opportunities available. By all means come back home during your vacations if you have time, enjoy your char kway teow, and catch up with your old friends from school, from NS. Keep your links and your roots in Singapore.

        But do not just come back every holiday and every break. There are many exciting things going on, happening all over the world, and many programmes which universities offer to help you to go and to see and to do and to experience and to learn. NUS, NTU and SMU do that, and so do many of the overseas universities. I meet the students from time to time when I am travelling and ask them what they are doing, and I am amazed at the opportunities they have which we never had when we were in university. Fellowships, travelling, scholarships, exchange programmes, internships, travel the world, write a report, post a blog – and come back a little bit wiser and more exposed and more ready for the world. So take all these opportunities and run with the ball. Go and intern with companies, NGOs, VWOs, MNCs during your vacations. Go to exotic places. Find out how other parts of the world are like. Learn all you can, gain a different perspective, and then you will have fresh ideas to make Singapore better.

        To nurture scholars with diverse experiences, PSC sends scholars both to Singapore and to other countries around the world. And it is not just to top UK and US universities, but also very good universities in Japan, inFrance, in Germany, and in China. And those studying in Singapore will also have opportunities to spend some time overseas.

        This year, one new programme which the PSC has launched is the Chinese Scholars programme, and I am very happy to see that they have many high quality students choosing to go to China this year. We have been sending scholars to China for many years, since 1993, but the numbers have been small, and so this year we rebranded the scholarships to China and there are ten recipients of the PSC China scholarship.

        We need to send more students to study in China, because it has become a major player in Asia and in the world. Its influence has grown and will continue to grow. Its relevance to us is increasing, and it is rapidly transforming itself, not just the coastal cities, but all over the country, inland, north, south, west – it is a whole one thousand three hundred million people bestirring themselves, striving for a better life. We have a good relationship with China, our bilateral ties have developed strongly, we cooperate in many fields. Many Singapore companies are operating inChina, in cities all over the country. And we need people who can understand the Chinese, interact with them, be comfortable in that milieu, be able to read how they think, how they act, what their preoccupations are, and to know some of them personally, so there are personal ties to link you up and which you can tap upon to mutual benefit.

        So we are very happy this year to have got ten PSC China scholars, and I hope in future years there will be even more. We also pursue other measures to nurture a pool of bicultural Singaporeans. We have introduced a Bicultural Studies Programme and the Chinese Language Elective Programme at the secondary level, and these have been quite successful programmes. Out of the ten PSC China scholarship recipients this year, seven are from the Bicultural Studies Programme, and one is from the Chinese LEP. And PSD will introduce a new, one-year overseas development programme for China which will give exposure postings in Singapore Government offices in China or in companies which are operating in China, so that officers can go spend one year in China, come back and do China-related work in the public service at the end of their stint.

        Through all these measures, and I think through the interest and enthusiasm of our officers, over time we will develop a cadre of good people at all levels who can engage China effectively.

        Within each cohort, we must continue to find promising young Singaporeans for public service, who are committed to the nation, who will think deeply about our future, and who will work hard to make Singapore the best home for all of us. I am glad that you are all taking the first step today. Study hard – that is the basic requirement, go beyond your comfort zone, explore new territories and scale new heights, make full use of the opportunities that come your way, and strive for excellence in all you do. Be good ambassadors for Singapore, fly our flag high, and remember – you are there, you are Singaporean, people are watching you and you carry our reputation. So do well, and after graduation, give your best to serveSingapore and to serve our people.

        Thank you very much.