Keynote Address by Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean at the 2013 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony on 23 July 2013, 5pm at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Mr Eddie Teo
Chairman, Public Service Commission,

Members of the PSC

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen

1.           Good evening. I am happy to join you today at the 2013 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony.

2.           Congratulations to the 92 scholarship recipients. I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise your parents, principals and teachers. Your guidance and support have played an important part in nurturing your sons, daughters and students.  Please join me in giving our recipients, as well as your parents, principals and teachers, a warm round of applause.

3.           By taking up the PSC scholarship, you have made a commitment to Public Service. What makes a good Public Officer, and collectively, a good Public Service? There are many important attributes that we would like to see in our Public Officers. But if I had to distil it down to just three or four words, I would say Ability, Diversity, Empathyand Integrity.

Ability – building capabilities, preparing for the future

4.           First, ability. Our 92 recipients from 14 schools and 3 polytechnics have been selected from a pool of over 2,000 good applicants. You have shown strong ability not just academically, but also in leadership and community service, as well as a strong commitment to serve Singapore and Singaporeans.

5.           You will be going on to universities in Singapore, as well as in China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Some of you may choose a more broad-based education while others venture deeper into specific areas that you are passionate about. You will also have opportunities for different experiences in and outside the classroom – in research projects, co-curricular activities, overseas exchanges, or volunteer work. I encourage you to embrace all these opportunities. These experiences will help to hone your abilities in different ways, and make you a more rounded person. They will provide you with a wide range of perspectives and make you better Public Officers.

Diversity – recruiting widely, developing different strengths

6.           It is also important to have more diversity across the Public Service. We have widened our outreach to recruit able and energetic people with different backgrounds, skills and experiences into the Public Service. The PSC scholarship is but one route into the Public Service. There are other opportunities to join the Service, including immediately after graduation or as a mid-career entrant.

7.           We also recently launched the Public Service Leadership Programme to develop specialist leaders with deep domain knowledge in five key areas: economy, infrastructure and environment, security, social, and central administration. They will work alongside generalist leaders in the Administrative Service who have traditionally been developed to be strong in whole-of-government perspectives. We need different types of leaders and officers – a combination of specialists as well as generalists – in the Public Service. Together, the sectoral officers and Administrative Officers will form strong teams with a deeper and wider range of capabilities, perspectives and experiences to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans.

Empathy – Understanding and engaging the public

8.           But ability and diversity are not enough. A good Public Officer must have empathy, and seek a deep understanding of the needs of Singaporeans. Public officers must have our hearts in the right place, and derive happiness from other people’s happiness and well-being.

9.           To develop solutions that benefit the largest number of Singaporeans, or which are tailored to specific groups or needs, public officers must proactively reach out to different segments in society, to better understand their specific and collective needs. In this way, we benefit as many Singaporeans as possible. Even though some may not benefit from each specific policy or programme, all Singaporeans will benefit from the totality of programmes and a better Singapore. We must be open to ideas and suggestions, which can help us to develop a better proposal, or refine an existing initiative or policy. We should actively seek to harness the collective wisdom of Singaporeans to generate better solutions wherever possible.

10.       The Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) initiative has provided a useful platform for around 46,000 Singaporeans to share their aspirations for a better Singapore. These conversations have also provided an avenue for Singaporeans to engage more deeply on key policy issues, such as housing, education, jobs and healthcare, and have a deeper understanding of the sometimes difficult choices and trade-offs that we need to make. Some of the ideas and suggestions have already been acted upon. For example, the inclusion of neo-natal and congenital diseases under Medishield and the introduction of paternity leave were announced earlier this year.  

11.       As PSC scholarship holders and future Public Officers, I hope you will continually listen to, and stay engaged with, the people that you serve. Participate actively in discussions on Singapore’s future and deepen your own understanding. Help develop the Public Service’s capabilities in engaging the public through different channels, both traditional face-to-face and online. Through constant communication and mutual listening, citizens and public officers together can develop a better understanding of Singaporeans’ needs and concerns, make the most appropriate policy choices, and implement programmes that benefit more Singaporeans.

Integrity – Upholding high standards in the Public Service

12.       Undergirding all of this is integrity. Our work as Public Officers can only succeed if it is built on trust – trust that the Public Service is made up of upright officers who have the interest of Singapore and Singaporeans at heart, and will do what is right.

13.       The Singapore Public Service has built up a strong reputation and won the trust of the public that we serve. This has required determination and hard work over several decades, with strong support from the public. And it requires constant effort and vigilance. All Public Officers must maintain a high standard of personal conduct, to uphold the integrity of the Public Service and public confidence in it.

14.       There have been some cases involving even senior Public Officers which have put the integrity of the Public Service in the spotlight. The Service does not tolerate any form of corruption, misconduct, or wrongdoing. From time to time, there may be individual failings. But we will uphold the integrity of the Public Service by upholding the law and bringing wrong-doers to justice. And we will do so without fear or favour. By so doing, we maintain confidence in our public institutions and also in the people who continue to serve in them.

15.       As PSC scholarship holders, hold yourselves to these high standards of professionalism and integrity. Conduct yourselves honourably and responsibly. And never betray the trust that Singaporeans have placed in us as Public Officers. 

Conclusion

16.       As you embark on your university education, always remember why you chose to be a Public Officer. Think about what you can do to make Singapore a better home for Singaporeans. Remember the people who helped you to become who you are today – your parents, your teachers, your loved ones – and your country which has given you all these opportunities.

17.       As Public Officers, you have the opportunity and responsibility to shape our nation’s future. You have the opportunity to make the lives of Singaporeans better. The true measure of your success is not the number of ‘A’s in your exams or how many academic accolades you collect. It will be determined by the impact you make to improve the lives of Singaporeans in the years to come.

18.       I wish you all the best as you prepare yourself to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. I look forward to welcoming you back to work together with, and for your fellow Singaporeans to build a better future for all of us.

Congratulations and thank you.