News

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.

The PSC Interview 

This year, of the 15,000 A-level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students in Singapore schools, more than 2,500 applied for Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarships. To arrive at a manageable number to interview, the PSC took into account their teachers’ assessments, academic results and records of their Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and Community Involvement Programme (CIP). Eventually, some 350 applicants were picked for the interview.

2       Before the PSC interview, every applicant sat for psychometric tests and was interviewed by trained psychologists. The tests are meant to assess the candidate’s general, verbal and numerical reasoning abilities and to give a rounded view of his psychological profile. Every short listed candidate who sits for the psychological profile interview will be seen by PSC. Male candidates serving National Service have their reports on their performance in Basic Military Training. The candidates themselves write a short essay on their own values. The PSC panel read all these background papers and reports before meeting the applicants. After the interviews, which stretched over five months, the PSC eventually awarded 84 scholarships.

Award Based On Merit

3       The 84 scholarships were awarded on merit, regardless of the background or socio-economic status of the candidates. They are not bursaries given out to the less privileged. There is no annual quota and the numbers given out each year will depend on the number of deserving and suitable candidates, not on the economic situation. We do not give out more PSC scholarships just because there is an economic recession and more people want to join the Government.

4       However, while the outcome of the selection exercise leaves the chosen 84 scholars happy, more than 2,400 other students, plus their parents, would have been disappointed. A few schools would have been left puzzled as to why not all their top students were selected. The PSC owes all these people an explanation.

How Are Scholars Selected?

5       Given the amount of resources, time and effort put into the selection of government scholars and the generally high expectations that many of these scholars will eventually reach the pinnacle of the Public Service, it is important to try to explain how the PSC goes about its work. We need to reassure those involved that the selection process is impartial, robust and meritocratic. Not everyone will go away completely satisfied, but we hope that most will understand our decisions better. Who are we? What do we look for? Why do some candidates fail and others succeed? How should students prepare for PSC interviews?

PSC Members

6       First of all, who are we? The Constitution allows for a total of 14 PSC members, other than the Chairman. The Commission presently has 10 members, excluding the Chairman. We have a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. None of us are public servants, although a few of us have public service backgrounds. The diversity gives the Chairman the benefit of different viewpoints before a decision is taken on who is awarded a scholarship.

7       PSC members have different styles and approaches in interviewing candidates. However, we all share a strong sense of responsibility in ensuring that the high standards of the Singapore Public Service are maintained and the long term needs of the service are met. We realise that the decisions we make will determine what kind of Public Sector leaders Singapore will have in 15 to 20 years’ time.

8       If the selection of scholars is done well, many, but not all, of our Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries will be scholars. Scholar public servants who get derailed in their future careers do so for many reasons, some of which have little to do with how they were selected. Some had poor supervisors while others were in a bad job fit. But the PSC must share responsibility if we miss a fatal character flaw or are misled by false pretences.

What Do We Look For?

Integrity

9       First and foremost, we look for the integrity of the candidate. Integrity is vital because while pragmatism may be a key concept for governance in Singapore, it is dangerous to have Singapore governed by public servants who are unprincipled pragmatists. Not everything that works is right or good for Singapore. A person’s integrity is best assessed through his behaviour over a period of time. Hence, it is too complex a trait to assess through the interview alone, and we depend on the schools and psychologists to give us a first cut of their reading of the candidate’s integrity.

10     Teachers play a very important role and are most helpful to the PSC when they give their honest and candid comments on their students. Their impressions matter because they have first-hand experience of the student over two years. The PSC takes their assessments, both negative and positive, very seriously. However, they should not exaggerate the strong qualities they see in their favourite students as it could be counter-productive, raising our expectations of the candidate when the reality does not fit the hype. Nor should teachers be over-critical just because a student is a bit of a maverick. As long as they do not have a problem with integrity, these are talented outliers whom our system must be flexible enough to fish out eventually.

11     The psychologists are trained to look for signs and indicators that suggest whether or not a candidate has integrity. They can determine whether the candidate has strong values which he is not afraid to express or uphold even against peer pressure. Maintaining one’s values is not the same as following rules. The person with integrity will challenge the rules if they go against his values and principles. But how he challenges the rules is also important, for it reveals how shrewd and street-savvy he is and the level of his Emotional Quotient or EQ.

12     During the interview, we judge if what the teachers, psychologists and military officers say about the candidates is accurate and fair. We try to balance the different perspectives of the candidates, bearing in mind that people behave and perform differently in different circumstances. We hope that our overall view is a more rounded and balanced one. The interview also gives the candidate a final chance to redeem himself if the assessments are off the mark.

Commitment

13     The second most important quality is commitment. An 18-year-old can have an interest in a public service career, but it is almost impossible to get a fix on his commitment to the Public Service or loyalty to Singapore because he has not yet started work. In any case, most 18-year-olds know what they don’t want, rather than what they want.

14     The candidate’s level of commitment in serving the community serves as a proxy indicator for his commitment to the Public Service. How committed is he to his Community Involvement Programme or CIP? What is his reason or motive for taking part in it? Does he truly enjoy serving the less fortunate or is he doing it primarily to make his CV look good? What reasons does he give for wanting to join the Public Service? Do they ring true or is he saying what he thinks we want to hear? Given his character and personality, is he likely to break his bond or stay overseas?

15     Some candidates think that they can demonstrate how committed they are by giving “politically correct” answers and appearing to be pro-government. They fear that being critical of, or sceptical about, government policies or decisions will make them lose points with the PSC. Unfortunately, in attempting to second-guess the panel and seeking to give the “correct” answer, they often end up giving the impression that they have no integrity.

16     There is, of course, nothing wrong about agreeing with and supporting, government policy, but some candidates go to the extent of suppressing their own views in order to impress the panel. It is all right to be critical, even sceptical. Being critical means you care about our nation and want to improve things and correct what you think is wrong. Being sceptical means you are not naïve and do not accept everything you read or hear.

17     The Public Service is not looking for conformists and “yes-men”. It is looking for people who have a personal point of view, regardless of current policy. Even a few mavericks - people with unconventional viewpoints who are willing to challenge assumptions – will be useful because they will add vitality and diversity to the Service. We are looking for people who dare to think and question because innovation within Government is possible only when there are public servants who are willing and able to debate existing rules and policies. Just because the debate does not spill into the public domain does not mean there is no such debate going on internally.

Cognitive & Non-Cognitive Skills

Beyond Academic Results

18     After integrity and commitment, the PSC is of course looking for high quality. A person of integrity and commitment, will make only a limited contribution if he does not have innate ability. We are looking for the ability to analyse issues, to come up with creative ideas, to perceive opportunities, to solve problems, to motivate others, and to get things done. But ability is not measured only by academic results, although academic results do give an indication of the quality of the person. While we do select from students who are at the top in terms of academic performance, our experience shows that above a certain cut-off point, academic results cannot help us differentiate between candidates. We need to look for other qualities, such as leadership and whether he can work with others.

Leadership skills

19     When assessing a candidate’s leadership skills, we are not only interested to know what leadership roles he took in his co-curricular activities or CCAs but also what kind of a leader he is. His school record will give us an idea of what leadership posts, if any, he held. The psychologists will then probe the candidate to find out what kind of a leader he is. Is he a consultative and nurturing leader or is he an assertive and task-focused one? There is no single leadership model we favour because the Public Service is looking for a diversity of leaders to help manage different problems and situations in an uncertain and unpredictable future. 

Intelligence quotient

20     Our psychometric tests measure IQ and various facets of the candidate’s personality.  While IQ is generally not a bad predictor of success in life, it is not the only relevant factor.  Which is why some people with very high IQ do not make it in life and may even drop out of society altogether. For our purposes, high IQ and top academic results are not enough. To assess whether a candidate has the potential to make it to the top of the Public Service, we need to look for non-cognitive skills as well.

Emotional quotient

21     Success in both the private and public sectors depends also on non-cognitive or soft skills, which are more difficult to measure but are as important as cognitive skills. EQ - the ability to understand yourself and to interact well with your environment – is increasingly recognised as a vital ingredient for successful leaders and managers. Studies have shown that successful corporate CEOs do not need to have the highest IQ, or even relevant experience, to reach the top and be successful. But without EQ, they often fail.

22     Self-awareness is a very rare attribute. Almost everyone thinks that he knows his own strengths and weaknesses, but most candidates are often wrong in thus concluding. We keep seeing candidates who say their passion is to join a particular profession but clearly have neither the personality nor aptitude for the job they have in mind. They either do not know what the job entails or have poor self perception. The ability to understand and relate to your environment involves competencies such as ability to work in a team or build a network, both vital for a Public Service which strives to discard silo mentality among public servants and get them to think and move as one government.

The Need for Trade-Offs

23     However, no candidate is likely to have all the desirable traits and qualities in equal abundance. All candidates, being human, will excel in some areas and will not excel in one or more of the qualities we are looking for. It is a given that all the candidates we interview excel academically. But because candidates will vary in everything else, the PSC will have to exercise judgement in making trade-offs. This is why recruitment is an art, not a science.

24     The PSC must distinguish between core traits such as integrity and commitment, and traits which can be acquired over time, such as communication skills. The PSC will need to be mindful of the fact that women generally perform better at interviews; they are generally more mature (at 18 years old) and confident and they often speak better than the men. Candidates who come from humbler backgrounds may lack the polished exterior of their more privileged colleagues. We must look beyond appearances to determine the substance and depth of the candidates. A candidate should dress appropriately, but wearing a suit will not score any extra point. 

Preparing For The Interview

Know what you want

25     The PSC does not set out to make life difficult for you as a candidate. We ask questions which are related to what you seem to be interested in. If you want to study Economics, you will be asked for your views on the current economic crisis. If you are involved in environmental issues in school, you will be asked about climate change. If you want to join the Foreign Service, you will be questioned about foreign policy issues. A candidate who wants to be a doctor must expect questions on health care issues.

Tough questions asked

26     While we may ask tough and difficult questions, we have no intention to deliberately trip you up by asking you about subjects remote from your background experience and perceived interest. The better candidates must expect harder questions. If you walk out of the interview room thinking it is a breeze, it could well mean you have failed.

27     We need to ask difficult questions because we are less interested in ascertaining what you know than in finding out how you think and what kind of person you are. It is not so much the facts you know which impresses us, but how nimble and astute a mind you have. For those with weak communication skills, we try our best to tease out your ideas even if your speech is unclear or you speak too fast or too softly.

Don’t mug

28     There is no point mugging for the interview. Appearing before the PSC is not like taking an exam. You only have half an hour and a long-winded answer showing off all the knowledge you have on one subject is not going to help. But it is always good to show you are aware of, and have an interest in, what is going on in Singapore and in the world. Hence, please read the daily paper because invariably, someone will ask you what caught your attention in that day’s newspaper. Even then, our National Servicemen may have to rush straight from their military camp, so we allow for the fact that they may not have read the papers before coming for the interview.

Be focused

29     It helps if you seem to know what you want in applying to join the Public Service. Those who are more focused and have had internships in Ministries they are interested in, have a distinct advantage over those who come before the panel and say they have no clue what the Public Service is all about. If you wish to become a doctor, please find out who the Minister for Health is. If you wish to be a lawyer, do check who the Chief Justice, Attorney General and Minister for Law are.

Be yourself

30     You only need to be yourself, relax and feel free to express your views. We are not looking for the right answer because many of our questions have no single right answer. If you do not know something, it is better to admit your ignorance than to try to fabricate an answer. Being yourself means not attempting to be what you are not. If you fake your personality, you will tie yourself up in knots and will very soon be found out. If you have no interest in making the Public Service your career and your real motive is only to get funding for an overseas scholarship or to enjoy the prestige of being a PSC scholar, we will know.

31     We are looking for an interesting conversation with you.  We will begin to take notice when we hear something genuine and spontaneous being said which reflects your personality. We need to know the real you to decide if you have what it takes to be a good public servant and a potential Public Sector leader.

All the best.

EDDIE TEO
Chairman
Public Service Commission

24 Jul 09