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Chairman and members of the Public Service Commission,

Head, Civil Service and colleagues from the Public Service,

Scholarship recipients,

Family members, teachers, principals.

1     A very good afternoon to all of you.

2     Every year, when I come to give out the awards, I always wonder what I should tell you. And it is always a moment for me to also reflect on my own journey. Thirty-seven years ago, I was in your position. The difference was, 37 years ago, we did not have such a ceremony. We also did not need to put up a song and dance item.

3     In fact, my only memory of the time before I left for university was this — that I had to get two guarantors, and go to an office at City Hall to sign a bond. Then, I went to collect my air ticket, and off I went.

4     At that point in time, if you asked those of us who took a scholarship – what do you want to do for the Public Service in years to come? There were a few possible reasons why we took the scholarship.

5     One, which would still be true, was that some saw this as a recognition of their achievements — because they had worked hard, they were intelligent, they were committed, and so on and so forth. It was a reward for all their hard work. The second possible reason for some of us was, well, this was our ticket to an overseas education, and for many of us, this was also the first plane ticket overseas. Then, there were some of us who were even more practical. This was a promise of a job, because at that point in time we were not talking about what job we wanted to do. We were just talking about a job, any job, because once we finished school, we had to get a job. Or if we could not continue to progress in our education journey, we would have to get a job.

6     When I took the scholarship, on reflection, our country was only 23 years old. This year, we commemorate 60 years of nation building. Maybe in about 40 years’ time, if we are lucky, if we work hard, you will be the generation that will help Singapore cross SG100. The questions are: Will we get there? How will we get there? And what are our responsibilities to get everyone in Singapore there?

7     If I look back on the last 60 years, it was quite a daunting journey. When I took the scholarship, we were 23. Today, after 37 years, we are 60, and I would say this — there is nothing eternal about our success. It is not natural that we will get there effortlessly.

8     For students of history, if you look at the history of this part of the world, you will know that not many countries of our size and shape have survived more than a hundred years. I am known as the post-1965 generation, when our borders were drawn. Today, you are the post-2000 generation.

9     In your entire life, and mine, we have only sung Majulah Singapura as our national anthem. But my mother's life always reminds me of our realities. She is 87 years old this year. She has sung four national anthems in her lifetime without changing the place she lives in.

10     This is not to scare you. This is to encourage you, to stretch you. Always remember that there is nothing in Singapore that will come effortlessly. Our success will not just naturally continue — every day of success in Singapore, every day that we can tell fellow Singaporeans that we have enjoyed another day of peace, another day of progress that comes from the hard work of everyone in Singapore. This includes the hard work of the Public Service which must lead, which must anticipate the challenges, which must find the answers, hopefully even before the challenges emerge.

11 We are looking to you, not just to do well in your studies to answer yesterday's questions with yesterday's answers. We are looking to you to anticipate tomorrow's challenges, and find those answers ahead of time so that Singapore can continue to defy the odds of history for us to survive a hundred years from now.

12     Many of you, as Tzu Yang said, will be going overseas. And if we were to be stringent, I would ask, why do we send you overseas? Arguably, the quality of education in our own universities are amongst the best in the world.

13     The reason we send you overseas – and even for those of you who are not studying overseas, you will get the overseas exposure – is not just for the academic rigour or the content. For this, you can study in Singapore or anywhere else in the world. We hope that when you spread your wings and soar overseas, you will always appreciate the diversity and the complexity of this world, that you will build the ties that will perhaps help us one day. You will also gather fresh perspectives that challenge our own assumptions, keep us on our toes, and always remind ourselves that the last 60 years – if we are not careful – can easily be an aberration in the history of mankind.

14     Our mission in the Singapore Public Service is to keep this dream of ours – to be called Singaporeans forevermore – going. But it is not an easy task. It is not something that I would want any one of us here in this room or beyond to take for granted.

15     Many countries with much longer histories can have that buffer of historical strength, that cultural identity. For us, we are still a young nation in the making. Our people come from diverse shores. Some of the scholarship holders today were not born in Singapore, but you have joined the ranks of fellow Singaporeans. I hope that every one of us, whether we were born here or not, want to join the ranks of fellow Singaporeans because we are Singaporeans out of conviction and not out of convenience.

16     When Singapore is successful, it is easy for many to choose to be Singaporeans, but the real test of a Singaporean comes when Singapore is no longer as successful.

17     Will we be like the 1965 generation with our backs to the wall? Saying that even if this place were to fall, we will be here to build it all up again. This will also be a question that will confront many of you in time to come.

18     In time to come, I have every confidence that you will be successful in your studies and careers. I have every confidence that you will also be offered many opportunities by many people from other countries, MNCs, conglomerates. The question is: will you join the ranks of those who will take us to SG100 and beyond? To me, that is the most important question that you will have to ask yourselves as you continue in your journey of learning. The technical details, the academic subjects — that you can master easily. But what you must dig deep as you take the scholarship today is to ask ourselves, how will you – how will we as a team – work together, lead Singapore, serve Singapore, and make sure that by the time we get to SG100, that we will all be in a better place. That we are all even more proud of our identity as Singaporeans, notwithstanding our material success or lack of. That, even in the toughest of times, we will be Singaporeans out of conviction, and you are the leaders of this generation who will lead Singapore with conviction.

19     Perhaps it is unfair for me to put this all on you, because 37 years ago, nobody spoke to me this way. So what did I do? I never learnt the big lessons of taking care of Singapore, changing the world, and so on and so forth. I just learnt one very important life lesson when I came back and started my internship, and that was to take care of my fellow men and women under my charge. We did not aspire to change the world. We did not aspire to do great things, but we were imbued with the values that if we took care of the men and women under our charge, the men and women would take care of the mission. If we inspired two, two inspired four, and four inspired eight, soon we would inspire the whole nation and more.

20     So while we have big dreams, while you have heavy responsibilities, never be fearful, because we all start small. We all start local. We all start by making sure that we put the country, the mission and the people whom we are responsible for, before ourselves. If we can do that, then I have every confidence that in 40 years’ time, if we are so fortunate to get to SG100, then you will be the generation that will help us get there.

21     On that note, I wish you all the very best. I look forward to your contributions, that one day, you too in your respective capacities will inspire another generation to come forth and serve.

Guest of Honour, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister-in-Charge of the Public Service

Head of Civil Service, Mr Leo Yip

Members of the Public Service Commission

Awardees of the 2025 PSC Scholarships

Distinguished guests, family members, school leaders and friends

1.     We are also honoured today by the presence of ambassadors and representatives from China, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States. Your commitment to education, diplomacy and cultural exchange profoundly enriches our scholarship recipients’ experience. Thank you.

2.     Now today is a proud day. Not just for you, our 60 PSC scholarship recipients, but also for all those who have helped you — your parents, your teachers, your friends who have supported you. Thank you all for helping to nurture these remarkable young men and women, for believing in them, and for encouraging them to join the Public Service.

3.     To our scholars: you are here because of the promise you show for the future, and also because of the promise you make to serve your country and your people. I know you have been very busy rehearsing the performance for this afternoon. So please remember the scholarship holder’s pledge that you have been rehearsing. This is the beginning of your journey to making a difference to the lives of the community who made it possible for you to come this far. When you seek to achieve great things, remember not only skills and experience matter, but most important of all — your character, your commitment, and keeping the faith with others who believe in you. Carry that responsibility with humility, and let it remind you of the challenges that now lie ahead.

4.      A commitment to Public Service is a promise to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Unlike many in the private sector, you will not be able to choose who to serve. But you still must learn and understand the complexity of all the people that you serve in order to meet their needs and their aspirations. Your service to them is grounded in purpose – to build better lives – and can only be delivered if you retain their trust. I know you will still be tackling studies and examinations in these next few years, but your success is not only about these. It is about how you lead, how you serve, and how you learn to maintain the trust of others in you, to uplift their lives.

5.     This year’s recipients of scholarships have a wide range in background and experience, and will pursue studies in fields in different environments. This reflects the diversity of strengths we seek in the Public Service.

6.     In total, 52 out of 60 – or 87 per cent – of our scholarship recipients this year will be proceeding for their studies overseas. Twenty-eight will go to the United Kingdom, 19 to the United States, and five to Germany, France, and China. I am pleased that 87 per cent is the highest percentage of overseas scholarship studies in recent years.

7.     The range of institutions and disciplines – from Computational Analysis and Public Policy at University of Chicago, Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to Engineering at Tsinghua University in China – reflects the complexity of the world in which we live and must find our way.

8.     This year also, we welcome our first recipient of the revamped PSC (Public Finance) Scholarship. Designed to groom future leaders for finance portfolios in the Public Service, the Public Finance scholarship now supports a wider range of disciplines, including Business, Economics, and Finance-related courses, in addition to what was previously Accountancy. Our inaugural recipient of the revamped PSC (Public Finance) Scholarship is Immanuel Lau, and he will pursue Politics and Economics at Northwestern University.

9.     Whether studying locally or overseas, your opportunity is to look at what others do and learn from it, critically assess and apply not just brains but also your heart, to be curious but also discerning, in taking charge of your own development. Better understanding the world around us necessitates more than books or digital media, it requires building external networks of people with whom you can have good conversations, discussions and friendships. Your objective is not just to obtain a good degree, which I am sure all of you will, but you should use your opportunities wisely to understand how, for example, social policies impact different people, how science and business serve societies but can also present a threat if choices are not guided by ethics, and how, perhaps most important of all, good ideas are tested and shaped by realities.

10.     Singapore’s Public Service is respected around the world. As you prepare for your career, please ask yourself what kind of leader do you want to become, and what can you do to be the best at it. Embrace literacy in new fields like digital and AI but keep people at the heart of your decision-making.

11.     As I conclude, let me express our gratitude to the many partners who have made this possible — to our international partners and diplomatic missions; to our families, educators, university leaders and Public Service agencies.

12.     And to our scholars — thank you for stepping forward to serve. I wish you every success in the journey ahead.

2025 LEE KUAN YEW SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CEREMONY

            The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship was set up in 1991 by the Tanjong Pagar Citizens’ Consultative Committee in commemoration of the significant contributions made by Singapore’s founding Prime Minister. The scholarship, which receives funding support from the Lee Kuan Yew Centennial Fund, is awarded to exceptional individuals who demonstrate a strong sense of commitment to serve Singapore and Singaporeans.

2.        Two outstanding candidates have been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship this year for their postgraduate studies. The recipients are:

3.         Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship holders are fully sponsored for their tuition fees and receive an annual allowance of S$50,000 for the duration of their postgraduate studies. They may choose to pursue their postgraduate studies in any country and field of study that best develops their potential as leaders and are expected to continue contributing in their respective fields of work to benefit Singapore and society.

4.        “The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship has enabled me to pursue the INSEAD Global Executive MBA, which will equip me with advanced capabilities in strategic leadership, organisational transformation, and decision-making in complex environments. These capabilities are critical as I continue to lead national efforts within A*STAR to translate scientific innovation into impactful health and economic outcomes for Singapore,” said Dr Asyifah Binte Mohamed Rashid, recipient of the 2025 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship.

5.        Fellow recipient of the 2025 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship, Ms Loo Qingwen, Jean, said, “It is a privilege to be awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. Its significance inspires me to broaden my perspectives on social change and systemic problem solving and expands my toolbox and leadership skills to better contribute towards disability inclusion and social services.”

6.        More details on the scholarship can be found at https://www.psc.gov.sg/scholarships/postgraduate-scholarships/lee-kuan-yew-scholarship.

Three outstanding candidates were awarded the President’s Scholarship on 13 August 2024. They were Miss Wang Yining, Marianne, Miss Emily Tan Cheng Kai and Inspector Toh En Yu, Dylan.