Opening Address by Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman, Public Service Commission, at the 2010 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony on Saturday, 24 July 2010, 2.30pm at Shangri-La Hotel

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in Charge of the Civil Service and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1         Welcome to the 2010 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony. This is a proud day for all of you. My congratulations to the scholarship recipients for your achievements; to the principals and teachers for your dedication; and to the parents for nurturing your children into who they are today.

2       PSC Scholarships are awarded to the most outstanding students who demonstrate a commitment and passion to serve the country and the people of Singapore. Beyond academic results and intellectual ability, the PSC looks for candidates who care for the ordinary Singaporean and have the ability to lead with humility and integrity.

3       This year, the PSC received more than 2,000 scholarship applications. Of these, we interviewed a total of 316 candidates. I am glad to announce that 68 have been selected this year, and together with 1 mid-term scholar and 1 Master’s scholar, 70 will be receiving their awards today. Amongst them, 37 will be pursuing their studies in the UK, 22 in the US, 8 in Singapore and 3 in China.

4       PSC Scholarships are awarded solely on merit. There is no cap or quota. Any applicant who meets PSC’s high standards will be made an offer, regardless of his or her background. This ensures a diversity of views and perspectives in the Public Service, to enable the Government to continue to be responsive and empathetic. A public service with officers who have different backgrounds and skills will contribute to more robust policy making.

5       In fact, we are seeing more and more applicants from different educational backgrounds - from a wider range of JCs, schools and polytechnics. This shows that our educational system has been evolving to cater to different talents and interests. This has offered us a richer and more diverse pool from which to select our scholarship recipients.

6       I am happy to note that we have 3 polytechnic graduates receiving the scholarship awards today. Two of them attended Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Mr Tan Jun Liang topped his Aerospace Technology diploma course, and will be reading Aerospace Engineering at the Imperial College in the UK. Mr Tan is both an environment advocate and an active member in his community. Mr Low Hong Wei graduated with a Diploma with Merit in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and will be reading Chemistry at the National University of Singapore. Ms Tan Yan Jun Joy graduated from the Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma with Merit in Business Administration. She will be reading Business in the UK.

7       We also have our first two scholarship recipients from a local international school - SJI International. Mr Ian Ernst Chai Yang and Ms Samantha Chua Le Ling are two of the first cohort of SJI International’s graduates with International Baccalaureate Diplomas. Mr Chai will be reading Law in the UK, while Ms Chua will be studying Accountancy at the Singapore Management University.

8       I am also pleased to announce our first PSC scholar from Pioneer Junior College. He is Mr Tan Chiang Wee, Nicholas, who will be proceeding to the US to read Engineering.

9       PSC places great emphasis on the development of our scholarship recipients. This process begins before they embark on their further studies, and continues during and after their undergraduate courses.

10       The first development programme we put our scholarship recipients through is the Preparatory Course, which gives them a foundational understanding of our governance principles and Singapore’s socio-political landscape. As part of the 3-week course, they spent three days at the Outward Bound Singapore.

11       There will be many more training and development opportunities for them during their term breaks. And after they graduate, there will be more structured milestone courses to equip them for their careers as public officers.

12       I am confident that all of you will do us proud, not only in your studies but also in your service to the community and nation.

13       And on that note, I wish you every success in your studies and all the best in your endeavours.

14       Thank you.