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12 August 2022Speech by President Halimah Yacob at President Scholarship's Award Ceremony 2022

Ministers

Chairman and Members of the Public Service Commission

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

Good evening. This event marks the first time in 3 years that we are able to host the President’s Scholarship Award Ceremony in person.

The President’s Scholarship recognises outstanding young leaders for their dedication towards public service. Recipients have exemplified outstanding leadership qualities, strength of character, excellence in both academic and non-academic pursuits, and demonstrated unwavering commitment towards serving Singapore and Singaporeans. This year, I am pleased to award the President’s Scholarship to four remarkable young men and women. They are: Mr Eugene Chua Weiheng, Officer Cadet Govindan Solai Valli, Mr Lau Ka Keong, Andrew; and Miss Ng Si Jie Elizabeth.

Eugene and Andrew will be pursuing their studies in the United States, with Eugene reading History at Harvard University and Andrew reading Economics and English at Yale University. Elizabeth will be reading International Social and Public Policy at London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. Solai will be going to Leiden University in The Netherlands to study International Relations and Organisations, the first President’s scholar to do so.

Eugene is an accomplished orator and the Vice-Chairman of the Raffles Institution Gavel Club.  As a volunteer with Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre, Eugene served as a tutor and mentor to primary school children from less privileged backgrounds. The time he spent with them will serve him well as a Teaching scholarship recipient. Eugene hopes to nurture our next generation and build a society where Singaporean youth from all walks of life can find his or her own pathway to success.

Solai followed the footsteps of her mother, volunteering for the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA). She served in various capacities, from a vaccine ambassador, to a 'door-knocker' where she visited underprivileged members of the Indian community to understand their needs and provide aid. She also mentored at-risk youths under the Football Club Guidance & Mentorship programme. Solai is an active sportswoman and was Captain of the ACJC softball team. She will be serving with the SAF upon graduation.

Andrew was the President of the History and Strategic Affairs Society in Raffles Institution, and represented the school in various debate competitions. He has been volunteering as a tutor with the Ulu Pandan Community Foundation, and with the Homeless Hearts of Singapore as a befriender. Through these experiences, Andrew learnt the importance of empathy in understanding the challenges faced by the less privileged in our society. Through a public service career, Andrew hopes to work on policies to enable Singaporeans from all socio-economic backgrounds to find success and lead a fulfilling life.

Elizabeth is a person of many interests. She was the President of the Choir at Nanyang Girls’ High School, and the Bicultural Studies Programme Ambassador at Hwa Chong Institution. As a student leader, she actively galvanised her peers to work on recycling initiatives with grassroot organisations. Elizabeth is a believer of paying kindness forward. Having benefited from the support of her teachers and friends, Elizabeth volunteered in various capacities at Fei Yue Community Services, Lion Befrienders, Assisi Hospice and Singapore Children’s Society. She reached out to Singaporeans from different walks of life, including seniors, patients, and children. She also has a keen interest in foreign affairs and will be joining the public service as a PSC (Foreign Service) scholarship recipient.

My heartfelt congratulations to all of you.

Today is a memorable occasion for you and your family. As a recipient of this prestigious scholarship, you are now tasked with an important responsibility as future Public Service leaders, to lead Singapore forward beyond COVID-19 and to build a better Singapore for all Singaporeans. I am also heartened to see that all of you have a desire in wanting to help fellow Singaporeans and encourage you to keep engaging Singaporeans from all walks of life.

Externally, the geopolitical world order is changing. The global economy and markets are facing fundamental shifts with disruptions in supply chains and rising inflation rates. Climate change remains a long-term challenge, as extreme and unusual weather patterns become the norm across many countries in recent times.

Domestically, our demographics are changing. Our society is maturing, and the needs of Singaporeans have become more diverse. Younger generations of Singaporeans have evolving and different social expectations and aspirations. Many want a greater say in shaping Singapore’s future. Governance has become more complex and will increasingly be so, with many new demands on the Public Service. This also means the Public Service needs to be more diverse in terms of the experiences, backgrounds, and strengths of its officers to respond to these new and varied demands.

To this end, I am pleased to hear that the Public Service Commission has evolved its selection tools for PSC scholarships to capture a broader range of talent in the Public Service. PSC has reached out to outstanding students from more schools and polytechnics to encourage them to apply for the PSC scholarships. PSC also encourages its scholarship holders to pursue diverse subjects, courses, work attachments and internships in different countries, especially within the region.

Over the long term, this will help to develop good public service leaders who are exposed to different networks, cultures, and ways of thinking. This will improve the strength and resilience of the public sector, in tandem with our efforts to be a more inclusive society. Amidst the challenges ahead, there are opportunities to create better outcomes for our people and take Singapore to the next level.

As recipients of the President’s Scholarship, you must gear yourselves up to serve and lead in this rapidly changing landscape. You have the responsibility to lead and galvanise different sectors of society to respond to the challenges that lie ahead of us. You will need to develop the skills to lead while making sure that differing views and concerns of our people are considered and heard. Eugene, Solai, Andrew, and Elizabeth, it is your duty to embody the values of the Public Service, uphold the trust that has been placed in you, and do your part to support Singapore’s continued success.

Finally, I would also like to congratulate your families, principals, teachers, and friends, for their roles in guiding and developing you. I am confident that you will do us proud. I wish you every success in your journey ahead and look forward to you serving the nation with commitment and passion.

Thank you.

12 August 20222022 President's Scholarship Award Ceremony

Four outstanding candidates were awarded the President’s Scholarship on 11 August 2022 at the Istana. They were Mr Eugene Chua Weiheng, Officer Cadet G Solai Valli, Mr Lau Ka Keong, Andrew and Ms Ng Si Jie, Elizabeth. 

1 August 2022Appointment of Mr Ramlee Bin Buang to The Public Service Commission The President has appointed Mr Ramlee Bin Buang as a Member of the Public Service Commission (PSC) with effect from 1 August 2022, for a five-year term in the first instance.

Mr Ramlee, 65, has more than 30 years of experience with multinational corporations in business development and corporate roles ranging from General Manager to Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Business Development Director. He was the Executive Vice President, Chief Finance Officer and Director of Cerebos Pacific, before he set up Uyko Advisory which he founded in 2014 to provide corporate advice, mentorship, and coaching. 

He is active in the community, and he is a board member of the National Healthcare Group and the Singapore University of Technology and Design, for both of which he chairs the Audit and Risk Committees. He is on the board of Halogen Foundation (Singapore) for which he also serves as the Investment Committee Chairman, and he also chairs the board of 1FSS Pte Ltd, an MOH Holdings Finance Shared Service Centre. Outside the public sector, Mr Ramlee is a board member of Far East Orchard Limited.

Mr Ramlee is a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (United Kingdom), CPA (Australia) and a Council Member of the Singapore Accountancy Commission. 

He was conferred the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2018.

Chairman PSC Lee Tzu Yang said, “I warmly welcome Mr Ramlee to the Commission. His wealth of experience in coaching and mentorship, corporate governance and human resource development will complement the PSC’s work in talent selection and development.” On his appointment, Mr Ramlee said, “I am honoured to be given the opportunity to serve and look forward to work on the selection and development of talent for the Public Service.”

20 July 2022Keynote Address by Minister for Education and Minister-in-charge of The Public Service, Mr Chan Chun Sing at The Public Service Commission Scholarships Award Ceremony on 20 July 2022 at Parkroyal on Beach Road

Chairman and Members of our hardworking PSC,
Members of our Education Fraternity,
Family, Friends, and Fans of our award recipients. 
A very good afternoon to you all.

Introduction

1. As Chairman has mentioned, the scholarship that you are about to be awarded is not a reward for your achievements. Instead, it is a recognition of your potential to contribute, and a reflection of your commitment to serve Singapore and Singaporeans.

2. With this scholarship, comes responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities.

3. Recently, I read a book compiled by Peh Shing Huei called “The Last Fools”.  It gave a glimpse of the challenges that Singapore had to overcome in our early years. How the “8 Immortals”, or the 8 senior civil servants during the early years of nation-building who were usually not in the limelight but were pivotal to Singapore’s success, worked with the political leadership to translate ideas into reality and to shape the foundations of modern Singapore. Together, they overcame the odds to bring Singapore from 3rd World to 1st.

4. But the world which you will be confronting, the Singapore that you will be shaping, and the Singaporeans whom you will be serving will be fundamentally different from what the founding generation and the 8 Immortals had to face.  

5. There will be different challenges and different opportunities.

Challenges and Opportunities 

6. The geopolitical order is undergoing tremendous stress. We should not assume that the next 50 years will be the same as the last. We should also not assume that any one global power will be able or willing to underwrite the international security order. Neither should we assume that the international rule of law will not fall to the law of the jungle, where might is right. How Singapore navigates this more uncertain world to create relevance for ourselves will be one of the key orders of business going forward.

7. The global trading order is also being reshaped by geopolitical forces, new supply chains layout and technological disruptions. How we earn our living by entrenching our value in the new global economic order and new production layout will be another key challenge to overcome and another opportunity to be seized. It is not just about efficiency but resilience, especially in times of crisis and disruptions. How do we seize the opportunities in a world where connectivity allows us to transcend the tyranny of our geography and size? How do we leverage the shift towards intangibles like intellectual property and creativity to overturn our resource constraints? How do we distinguish ourselves with our brand of trust, rule of law, and policy consistency against competitors with more tangible physical resources and geographical heft?

8. Our domestic population while ageing, is also becoming more diverse, more able, and with greater aspirations. We are also much more susceptible to external influences and the contest of ideas as an open society in a hyper-connected world. How do we engender unity amidst diversity? How do we leverage our diversity of talents to create global talent networks to strengthen our competitive advantage? How do we continually reinvent our system of governance and build that deep sense of trust necessary to distinguish ourselves in peace and crises?

9. Climate change can soon become an existential crisis for island city-states like ours, threatening not just our coastal defences against the rising sea levels, but also reshaping the global economic layout and supply chains. How do we overcome our energy and carbon challenges, and turn them into opportunities, just as our forefathers turned water from a constraint into an opportunity? To this end, we will be starting a new PSC Scholarship (Sustainability) to build our capabilities in this and related areas.

10. In the next 50 years, as we build and rebuild Singapore, how do we optimise our 1000+ sqkm of land and sea space, above and below ground, above and below sea even, to create even more and better live, work and play options for future generations?

What is Required

11. These and many more exacting challenges and exciting opportunities are what awaits you when you return from your studies to take Singapore forward and create a better life for generations of Singaporeans to come.

12. You might be daunted and be wondering, how can you ever overcome them all?

13. The stories of the “8 Immortals” in the book “The Last Fools” provide some inspiration – gumption, tenacity, and mission.

14. Gumption. The 8 Immortals never believed that anything could not be done.  The only thing that could not be done was what they did not think about; or did not dare to think about. No one gave them a model for HDB, EDB, SAF, CPF, GIC and many more. They were deeply connected with the ground and knew the fears, concerns and aspirations of our people. They were clear-eyed about the challenges and had the gumption to dream, to dream big and to dream far.  They were never constrained by their imagination. So can all of you. So must all of you.

15. Tenacity. They never always succeeded.  They tried, they stumbled, they picked themselves up and tried again. They implemented. They adjusted as circumstances evolved. They never fell in love with their original plan. They only fell in love with the challenges and never gave up in trying to come up with ever better ways to solve them. You too, can. And you too, must.

16. Finally, a sense of mission. They knew there was no lifeboat waiting to save us. We would either survive by our wits and hard work; or be consigned to the dustbins of history. Yet, they knew that we could defy the odds of history to not only survive but to thrive. To show the world, that a well-led, well-run, united city-state, without a conventional hinterland, can survive and thrive by creating man-made competitive advantages and turning the equation around by having the world as our hinterland for markets, resources, talent and networks. Ultimately, they never forgot that we must never love ourselves more than we love our country. They put our country first, always. Sometimes even at great danger and price to their own security, and personal comfort. They dedicated their lives to our country and gave us their best. It is now our turn, and your turn, to do so for our future generations.

17. Upon the current high point, we will step forward together to scale the next higher peak. You will be part of the next chapter of our Singapore Story. You will never be alone because we will do it together. May this be an even more exciting and fulfilling chapter for all Singaporeans.

18. Thank you for answering the call to serve.

19. We look forward to your contributions and leadership. Thank you.