News

OPENING ADDRESS BY MR EDDIE TEO, CHAIRMAN, PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SCHOLARSHIPS AWARD CEREMONY ON 18 JULY 2018 AT GRAND COPTHORNE WATERFRONT HOTEL GRAND BALLROOM  

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, and

Minister-in-charge of the Public Service,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Welcome to the 2018 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony.

2. My warmest congratulations to the 93 PSC scholarship recipients this year. You were selected
because you demonstrated the commitment to serve Singapore and Singaporeans with integrity, empathy and excellence, and we think you have the potential to become public sector leaders.

3. There are high expectations placed on all scholarship holders. The Public Service, your teachers, your family, and the people of Singapore all expect you to do your best and prepare yourselves to serve the nation with distinction. While they join you in celebrating your achievements thus far, it is imperative that you have the humility to appreciate that your success is due not only to your own effort, but also to the support and guidance your family, teachers, principals and peers have given you on your journey so far.

A TALENT PIPELINE THAT SERVES SINGAPORE’S FUTURE NEEDS

4. All the scholarship recipients here today form a part of the future corps of public officers, who will help shape Singapore’s future and lead us forward. For Singapore to continue to prosper and progress, we need a good spread of talent, with the necessary knowledge, skills and capabilities to tackle our increasingly complex national challenges and keep Singapore exceptional. The PSC’s responsibility is to recruit the right talent with leadership potential to help Singapore achieve its goals. We do so by maintaining high standards in our selection process which is based on merit.

DIVERSITY

5. To remain relevant and effective, the Public Service must challenge old assumptions, and be open to experimenting with novel ways of tackling difficult problems and delivering services to the people. We need a Service that is able to connect with Singaporeans from all walks of life, and a Service with different points of view to tackle complex issues. This underscores the importance of having diversity in our leadership talent pool.

6. We have always kept this in mind each year, as we searched for candidates to award the PSC scholarships. PSC scholarships are awarded on merit regardless of candidates’ backgrounds. Through a multi-dimensional selection process that focuses on whole person qualities, we evaluate and identify individuals who exemplify the potential to take on leadership roles in future in the Public Service. Besides attaining diversity by recruiting students with different backgrounds, we also expose our scholarship holders to different cultures and experiences.

7. I am pleased to announce that this year, we have 4 scholarship recipients who have chosen non-traditional countries for their studies. I am sure they will bring home different experiences, networks and perspectives which will enrich the Service. Mr Foo Suon Chuang and Mr Jonathan Koh Jian Yi will be heading to Peking (北大) University in China, while Mr Teo Kai Jin and Ms Nicole Wong Yifei will be studying in Germany. We hope that as they take these less trodden paths, they will enrich and add to the diversity of views when they return to serve.

8. Diversity of background remains important. This year, the PSC awarded scholarships to 7 students from non-IP institutions, including ACJC, PJC, SAJC, and the Singapore Polytechnic. In addition, some of our scholarship recipients come from challenging family and personal circumstances. That they have done so well shows their resilience and determination - qualities that are as vital as high intellect and academic excellence.

DIGITAL AND ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES

9. PSC is helping Singapore become a Smart Nation, through recruiting talent to build digital and engineering capabilities in the Public Service.

10. This year, the PSC is pleased to have given out a total of 22 awards under the PSC Scholarship (Engineering) scheme. This is a threefold increase from last year, when we first introduced the scholarship. I believe this group of future Engineers will have challenging and interesting work in store for them, when they return to serve in the Public Service. They are passionate about engineering and technology, and they are keen to practise as Engineers. They are ready to roll up their sleeves, be part of the team re-thinking how to improve the lives of citizens and tackle our urban challenges with the help of technology.

CONCLUSION : ROLES AS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

11. This is my last month as Chairman of the Public Service Commission. It has been a memorable and
rewarding experience serving in this capacity over the past 10 years. One of the joys of this job is that I get to glimpse into the future of Singapore by listening to the views of our best and brightest students. I learn how they feel about themselves and their fellow citizens, how they regard Singapore today and in the future, what they think needs fixing and has to change, and what role they hope to play in making these changes. I come away hopeful and optimistic because many of our best future public sector leaders show the courage to express their own views, even if they contradict current thinking and existing policies. For we can only improve if our public servants do not blindly follow orders but also question and challenge assumptions, in order to seek the best possible solutions to our problems. When public servants see that a decision or policy is wrong, they must be prepared to speak truth to power. In discharging their duties, they must act impartially, without fear or favour.

12. To the 93 recipients, I would like to remind them that this is not just the start of your scholarship award. It is also the beginning of your career in the Singapore Public Service.

13. Start by thinking about what skills, experience and traits you need to acquire to be an effective officer in the Public Service. Do not limit your learning to just where you study. Go beyond the classrooms, lecture halls and campuses. Be inquisitive and explore. Travel widely and as you explore, stay in touch with developments back home and remain tuned into the needs of Singapore and Singaporeans. I am confident that you will live up to the trust placed in you, and that you will do your part to contribute when you return.

14. Finally, I want to say a special “thank you” to my fellow PSC members, who have given so much of their time to help me make better and more rounded decisions in selecting, promoting and disciplining public servants. A word of thanks also to the PSC Secretariat - people who work tirelessly behind the scenes, often forgotten and under-appreciated.

15. Thank you.

Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Mr Eddie Teo Retires;

Mr Lee Tzu Yang to be Appointed as New Chairman.

1.  Mr Eddie Teo (张赞成), Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) since 2008, will retire on 31 July 2018 after close to 50 years of public service. Mr Lee Tzu Yang (李子揚), currently Deputy Chairman of the PSC, will be appointed as the Chairman with effect from 1 August 2018.

Mr Eddie Teo
2. Mr Eddie Teo, 71, assumed the role of Chairman of the PSC on 1 August 2008. He is concurrently the Chairman of the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony, the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Fund, the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship, the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship Fund, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Board of Governors, as well as a member of the Legal Service Commission. In 2011 and 2017, Mr Teo chaired the Presidential Elections Committee, and in 2016, he served as a member of the Constitutional Commission on the Elected Presidency.

3. Prior to his PSC appointment, Mr Teo held key appointments in the Public Service, including Director, Security and Intelligence Division; Director, Internal Security Department; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence; Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office; and High Commissioner in Canberra, Australia.

4. As Chairman of the PSC, Mr Teo was instrumental in shaping the Singapore Public Service as a values‐based organisation anchored on integrity, service and excellence. He led the Commission in discharging its responsibilities for discipline, recruitment, deployment and promotion of public officers. Mr Teo championed greater diversity in the public service leadership. During his Chairmanship, the Commission awarded scholarships to more recipients from different backgrounds and schools, and the President’s Scholarship was extended to a wider pool of applicants.

5. For his sterling contributions to the Public Service, Mr Teo was awarded The Order of Nila Utama First Class in 2017. He was also a recipient of the Public Service Administration Medal (Gold) in 1983, the Meritorious Service Medal in 1997, and the Distinguished Service Order in 2006.

Mr Lee Tzu Yang

6. Mr Lee Tzu Yang, 63, was appointed as member and Deputy Chairman of the PSC on 2 May 2018.

7. Mr Lee graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1976. He joined Shell in 1979 and retired as Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore in 2014 after 35 years of service in operational, commercial and strategy functions in a range of markets. He was recognised by the Institution of Chemical Engineers as an Honorary Fellow in 2016.

8. Mr Lee is a member of the Council of Presidential Advisers and the Legal Service Commission of Singapore. He is a Justice of the Peace and Vice Chairman of the Board of Visiting Justices and Board of Inspection. He also chairs the board of The Esplanade Company Limited, the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and the Founders’ Memorial Committee.

9. For his contributions to public service, Mr Lee was awarded the Public Service Star in 2005, and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2014.

. . . . .

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE 13 JULY 2018

PSC scholarships are awarded based on merit

We refer to the letter by Mr Francis Cheng Choon Fei (“PSC scholarships is not a mission to address inequality in society”; Jul 16), who suggested that the Public Service Commission (PSC) should award scholarships based on merit and not needs.

We agree that the role of the PSC is to select the best candidates with the potential to be public service leaders, and have a heart to serve the nation.

Given the increasing diversity of our population and the complex challenges we face, we need a Public Service that reflects diversity. We need a Service that has different perspectives and deep expertise in various areas to bring Singapore forward. Thus, the PSC goes out of its way to seek out and select scholarship candidates from different backgrounds.

Our scholarship recipients study a variety of courses in different universities. We also encourage them to enrich and diversify their experiences by venturing to different countries and acquiring new skills that would serve Singapore well.

In striving for diversity, we ensure that our selection process is multi-dimensional and we are able to pick out merit in its different forms. Apart from cognitive ability, we also look at qualities such as resilience and leadership. Most of all, we look for candidates with integrity and commitment. Each candidate is assessed holistically. While the PSC does not discriminate against students from affluent families, we also go the extra mile to search for promising candidates from less privileged backgrounds.

There is no quota for PSC scholarships, and the PSC will continue to maintain high standards by awarding scholarships to those who would make excellent public officers.

Dr Ng Li Sa
Director, Public Service Commission Secretariat

(L to R): Mr Tan Yanquan Ashley, Dr Liu Desheng Isaac, LTC Cai Dexian, Mr Tan Soon Hui.

In commemoration of the significant contributions made by Singapore’s first Prime Minister, the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship was set up in 1991 by the Tanjong Pagar Citizens’ Consultative Committee. It is publicly funded and awarded to exceptional individuals who demonstrate a strong sense of commitment to serve Singapore and her citizens.

In 2018, six outstanding candidates have been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to support their pursuit of postgraduate studies. The awardees are as listed:

Applicants for the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship must be Singapore citizens and have an outstanding track record of leadership and service within or beyond their profession. Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship holders can pursue postgraduate studies overseas or locally in various fields to develop their potential as leaders. The scholarship holders are expected to actively contribute towards the betterment of Singapore, Singaporeans and the community.