SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG AT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SCHOLARSHIPS AWARD CEREMONY HELD ON SATURDAY, 28 JULY 2001 AT GRAND HYA SINGAPORE, GRAND BALLROOM, AT 2.30 PM

This year’s ceremony has special significance because 2001 marks the 50 Anniversary of the Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC was formed on the 1st of January 1951, to advise the British Governor on the recruitment and promotion of public servants.

Though our sovereign status has changed, we have retained the institution of the PSC. This is because it plays a very important role in upholding and raising the standards of our Public Service. It identifies, recruits and develops talent for our Public Service.

The PSC has done its job well. It has succeeded in recruiting a fair share of our national talent for the Public Service. More importantly, it has maintained its integrity and impartiality in the appointment and promotion of public officers. Equal opportunities and meritocracy are core pillars of our nation state. Whatever a person’s social and financial background, he will be considered for public service based solely on his own ability, character, performance and potential.

For about 6 months a year, PSC members meet two to three times a week to award scholarships, and to consider appointments and promotions of public servants. These are very onerous tasks with heavy responsibilities. The work of the PSC members determines the quality of Singapore’s Public Service, and hence how well or badly the country’s political leadership is supported and the nation is governed. The PSC members are not full-time staff. They have their own jobs plus other responsibilities. The time, physical and mental energy they expend on doing their job in the PSC are demanding.

PSC’s track record is good. As an example of its ability to assess and judge people, and to recruit them for public service, consider this: 13 of the current Cabinet Ministers and 15 of the Permanent Secretaries were PSC scholars. Many other PSC scholars have taken up Chief Executive level-positions in our Statutory Boards.

International analysts also, indirectly, recognise the good work of the PSC. Singapore is consistently ranked very high by them on the quality of our Public Service. For example, earlier this year, the Hongkong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), ranked Singapore the highest for civil service efficiency in Asia. More recently, in another PERC survey, on the quality of government policies, the effectiveness of the government in implementing its economic policies, and the degree that business has to worry about inconsistencies in government policies and their implementation, Singapore was again ranked first.

However, the PSC’s work is not generally understood or appreciated by the public. Its members are not publicly known. Let me, on behalf of Singapore, thank past and present PSC members for their dedication and invaluable contributions to the nation.

Scholarships

Last year, at the National Day Rally, I emphasized the importance of having people of the highest calibre at the helm of Singapore. To grow and succeed, companies vigorously headhunt the very best people to fill its top positions. This is especially true of American corporations. They appoint the best people possible to their boards and are willing to pay for the best CEO. Our Government, which is responsible for a much larger number of people than the largest corporation in the world, must also have the right people to run our country. While the Public Service must not corner all the talent for itself, it must have a fair share of top talent. Otherwise, wrong policies, or weak implementation of right policies, can hold back our growth. They may even ruin the country.

Scholarships have been, and continue to be, an important vehicle for the Government to get its share of talent. They ensure a steady stream of young talent for the administration of Singapore.

Change in Scholarship Model

In 1961, when the PSC took over the selection of candidates for all government- sponsored scholarships, fellowships and training courses, opportunities to study overseas were few. Singapore was poorer then. The Government could not afford to award many scholarships. Most families, too, lacked the means to send their children overseas to study.

Today, scholarships are abundant, both in the public and private sectors. Many families also have the funds to pay for their children’s overseas education. So PSC has to compete with the private sector, and father scholarships, to get a fair share of talent for the Public Service.

With so many alternatives to a PSC scholarship, it is proving increasingly difficult to attract the talent we need.

The PSC should reflect on the new environment and the changing expectations of the younger generation.

There have been calls that the scholarship bond should be done away with.

I do not think it is wise to do away with bonds altogether. We should retain the key elements of the existing scholarship bond scheme.

A PSC scholarship bond is not simply a commercial contract. There are obligations beyond the legal agreement. To understand this, you have to appreciate the larger purpose behind the scholarship. When we give you a scholarship, we repose our faith in you, and trust that you would return to serve the country after your studies. It is not to develop your potential for your personal benefit only. We are investing in you for national good so that you can contribute more than just to yourself and your family. In accepting the scholarship, you are, in fact, agreeing to serve the country after graduation in public office. This is the larger purpose of PSC scholarships. Scholars must have the desire and conviction of wanting to serve their country before they accept PSC scholarships.

No one should accept a PSC scholarship if right from the start, he has already decided not to honour his bond. If he has such attitude, he has a big character flaw. He would also have deprived someone else of the scholarship. We do not expect a scholar to stay forever in the service, but we do expect him to try his best to fulfil his part of the deal. If there are good and genuine reasons why he wants to break his bond after serving for some years it is a different mailer, and we will consider his reasons.

You have come so far not only because of your own abilities and efforts and your parents’ support, but also because of the collective contribution of your school principals, teachers, society and the Government. In taking up this scholarship, you must have the strong conviction that you will come back and help to improve your society.

You should wear your scholarship bond proudly, like a sash. It is indeed a public award. But unlike a National Day award for past service, yours is an award for future service. By accepting the scholarship, you signal your commitment to your fellow Singaporeans and their well being, and that you will give back more than you have received.

Nevertheless, in keeping with changing times, we may have to take steps to improve the attractiveness of Government scholarships. One way may be to get Ministries more involved in the nurturing of scholars. The success of several tied- scholarships that PSC currently awards speaks well of the effectiveness of such an approach. The Ministries for which tied-scholarships are awarded, such as the Ministry of Education for teaching scholarships, Ministry of Home Affairs for the uniformed services scholarships, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Foreign Service scholarships, are closely involved in the grooming of their scholars. These Ministries customise and conduct induction programmes and attachments for their scholars. This has allowed the scholars to understand and appreciate better their roles and contributions in their future Ministry. There has been positive feedback from both the Ministries and scholars on this close relationship.

Other Ministries would also need talent with specialist skills. We could eventually establish a scholarship system where Ministries have their needs met more directly. The Ministries will then be more involved in the scholarship process. From the experience of tied-scholarships, the relationship between the Ministries and the scholar is more meaningful and lasting when there is two-way communication of expectations right from the start.

But the PSC will continue to award scholarships even with Ministries playing a larger role. While Ministries would be looking out for talent with specialist skills, the PSC would be spotting talent for the premier Administrative Service. Also, the PSC must maintain an overview of the public scholarship system to ensure its integrity, and that it is refined from time to time to serve the needs of the Public Service.

Qualities of Public Servants

When you return, you are likely to, eventually, assume a top management position in Government. So what qualities will carry you to the top?

You must, of course, have helicopter view and good analytical skills. You must be able to see the woods and, at the same time, the trees. In other words, both bird’s eye view and worm’s eye view are important qualities. If you can see the big picture but are unable to work out the details, you have only one facet of the many qualities needed for success. If you can see only the details but not the whole picture, then you cannot be in charge of an organisation.

Let me briefly touch on some other intangible qualities that I expect of a top public servant.

First and foremost. I expect him to have the highest standards of integrity. The Public Service can accommodate public servants who may lack some skills, but it cannot tolerate an intellectually dishonest one.

In the top echelons of Public Service, you are entrusted with heavy responsibilities. Your policy advice will affect many lives. You will handle a large amount of public funds. If you do not have impeccable character and conduct, you will lose the trust of the people. You cannot be effective if the people do not have faith in your impartiality and objectivity in your approach to issues. Character is far more important than professional abilities.

Secondly, public officers must be able to empathise with their fellow Singaporeans. You must understand their needs, hopes and anxieties. Do not make policies without considering the interests of the people first. Do not base your policies on how they would affect you, but the population at large. Your own experience and intellectual competence will be different from the majority of the population. So make an effort to understand and see for yourselves the different needs of different groups of Singaporeans. The elderly are concerned with financial and emotional support. Parents want the best education for their children. Young adults worry over jobs, houses, and cars. You must understand their concerns, and be able to work out practical solutions to their problems.

Thirdly, you must believe in your work, and have passion for Singapore. You must want to make Singapore better, not just your own career brighter.

I myself have worked in the civil service, the private sector, and now the political sector. I regard the civil service and political service as public service. Public service is about ensuring the survival and prosperity of our people, and making our lives better. Given Singapore’s many vulnerabilities, it is particularly challenging to try and beat the odds against you. Because when you do, you know that you have made a difference to the lives of your fellow Singaporeans.

Working in the private sector is lucrative and freer. It can be challenging and exciting. But you affect only a few people’s lives. I find public service more fulfilling.

Conclusion

If by now, you are feeling the enormity of your responsibilities, well and good. It is indeed a heavy responsibility to be a PSC scholar; and for the brightest and ablest in the land to, later, carry the weight of Singapore on their shoulders.

Having said that, I am sure that whatever stress you may feel now, would soon be washed away by a sense of adventure and excitement as you proceed for your studies. Make the most of your university days. Focus on your studies, but at the same time, make friends, learn new skills and enjoy new experiences.