Welcome to the 2011 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Award Ceremony.
INTRODUCTION
2 Singapore’s only natural resource is its people. We need good people to helm the public service - people with both intellect and empathy - in order to formulate and implement sound policies to serve the needs of Singaporeans. We also need good people in the private sector, to head businesses and to contribute to Singapore’s economic growth. The key objective of the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship is to recognise and nurture such talent.
3 The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Fund was established in 1991 in honour of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Thus far, 32 scholarships have been awarded to outstanding Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds. Apart from their achievements in their respective professions, what distinguishes the Lee Kuan Yew Scholars is their passion to serve the community and the public and their desire to contribute towards improving the lives of Singaporeans.
2011 LEE KUAN YEW SCHOLARS
4 Today, I am pleased to announce 4 recipients of the 2011 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. They are Miss Delphia Lim Hui Min, Mr Chng Kai Fong, Mr Hoe Wee Meng and Mr Tan Ken Jin. They were selected from a pool of 74 applicants. Wee Meng and Ken Jin are not able to join us today, as they are already overseas pursuing their post-graduate degrees.
5 These 4 scholars, like all those who came before them, have displayed the passion to serve their fellow Singaporeans.
Delphia, a lawyer in private practice, will be reading a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School. She has been offering pro bono legal services at the Law Society Legal Clinic and the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations.
Kai Fong, who has been working in the public sector in the past 10 years, will be reading a Master of Science in Managament at Stanford University. He has been concurrently awarded the Administrative Service Postgraduate Scholarship and Fulbright Scholarship.
Wee Meng, who spent 8 years in the Education and Manpower Ministries, will be reading a Master in Public Administration at Harvard University. He has been concurrently awarded the Administrative Service Postgraduate Scholarship. During his time with MOE, Wee Meng researched extensively on innovative pedagogies to bring back to the classroom.
Ken Jin’s passion is also in teaching and nurturing the young. He opted out of the Management Associates Programme, a talent development programme which grroms young public officers for leadership positions, to return to teaching. Ken Jin has been concurrently awarded the MOE Postgraduate Scholarship and will be reading a Master of Education (Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation) at Lynch School of Education, Boston College.
6 I am confident that they will continue to excel in their professional disciplines and will remain dedicated to serving the public and the community.
7 Please join me in congratulating the 4 distinguished recipients of the 2011 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship.
8 Thank you.