Speech by President Halimah Yacob at the 2020 Virtual President's Scholarship Award Ceremony on Thursday, 13 August 2020
Two candidates have been awarded the 2020 Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship
Ms Chua Sock Koong appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Public Service Commission with effect from 29 Jan 2020
Four outstanding candidates were awarded the President's Scholarships on 15 August 2019 at The Istana
Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service
Chairman and Members of the Public Service Commission
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good afternoon.
1. The President’s Scholarship is awarded annually to exceptional young Singaporeans who pledge to serve Singapore through the Public Service. Besides achieving excellence in academic and cocurricular activities, they have demonstrated a strong ethos for public service, outstanding leadership qualities, and a steadfast drive to improve the lives of Singaporeans.
2. This year, I am happy to confer the President’s Scholarship on Alyssa Marie Loo Li Ann.
3. Alyssa is passionate about serving the community and envisages a kind and inclusive Singapore that demonstrates compassion for the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. As part of the Youth Corps Leaders Programme in 2019, Alyssa volunteered with Beyond Social Services to visit residents in rental flats to learn their stories and strengthen their sense of belonging to the community. Youth Corp Services proudly shared that Alyssa’s interpersonal skills and wide-ranging talents made her a treasured team member, while the residents were drawn to her warm personality and authenticity and opened up to her willingly. This experience has helped her become an empathetic and compassionate individual, and strengthened her resolve to serve disadvantaged children, youths and families. Today, Alyssa continues to serve children and youths under SG Exams, an online platform for the local student community to share resources, collaborate and volunteer in community service.
4. Alyssa will pursue her studies in Linguistics at Brown University and will serve in the Public Service upon her graduation.
5. Alyssa, congratulations on being awarded the President’s Scholarship. I would also like to congratulate your family, friends, principals and teachers, for their part in shaping your character, values and passion for service.
6. The start of your journey in public service comes at a critical point in modern history. The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the global economy and every aspect of our lives. As a small and open economy, Singapore’s economic outlook depends heavily on the global environment. We must stay nimble as we navigate the new economic landscape and adjust to new ways of living and working. Businesses and workers need to adapt, transform and seize opportunities to maintain their relevance and competitiveness. Amidst these challenges, Singapore must tend to our social fabric, as we can only emerge from this crisis and continue our progress as a nation if we stay united.
7. A strong and effective public service is also essential for seeing Singapore through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Service values of integrity, service and excellence form the foundation of trust that Singaporeans have in the government’s ability to execute the policies, plans and initiatives. Strengthening this foundation is especially critical as it is no longer business as usual. We have a population that is more discerning, with strong views on what is in their best interests and wants to be more engaged in decisions affecting them. They also have a strong sense of fairness and equality and want these values reflected more clearly in whatever we do. In the years to come, there will be new paths to forge and difficult decisions to make. This is a challenge for this generation of Singaporeans – a trial of our fortitude and a test of our resilience. Economically, COVID-19 has changed the environment around us drastically, challenging us to re-examine some of our time tested ideas and strategies. We need civil servants who can not only think critically but who also have unorthodox ideas or unique solutions in a situation where the path to growth is not so clear. We also need agile and bold leaders with both the ability and the heart to unite Singaporeans and see us through these tumultuous times.
8. Alyssa, as a recipient of the President’s Scholarship, you bear a special responsibility to lead and inspire fellow Singaporeans to join you in tackling these challenges and driving the nation forward. I enjoyed getting to know you better earlier, and am glad to learn that you are humble, curious and down to earth. Your humility and desire to always learn from others are admirable traits that will stand you in good stead for taking on the responsibilities of a President’s Scholar. As you embark on the next phase of your journey, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, open yourself to new experiences and seize every opportunity to develop the skills and expertise Singapore will need for the future.
9. During your overseas studies, do take the opportunity to broaden your horizons, expand your networks and develop fresh perspectives to better serve the needs of Singaporeans. At the same time, I hope that you remain connected to Singapore, such as through the Youth Corps Leaders Programme. Keep volunteering, encouraging and inspiring your peers to do the same. In doing so, you will give yourself an anchor in the communities you will return to serve.
10. Alyssa, I am confident that you will continue to do Singapore proud, and uphold the values of our Public Service - Integrity, Service and Excellence. Embrace this honor and responsibility. Devote yourself to go the extra mile in serving the nation and our people. May you also inspire more young Singaporeans to join you in the pursuit of excellence to build the Singapore you see in your heart.
11. I wish you success in your journey ahead, and look forward to you serving our country with passion as a public officer.
Thank you.
In commemoration of the significant contributions made by Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship was set up in 1991 by the Tanjong Pagar Citizens’ Consultative Committee. It is publicly funded and awarded to exceptional individuals who demonstrate a strong sense of commitment to serve Singapore and her citizens.
In 2020, two outstanding candidates have been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to support their pursuit of postgraduate studies. The awardees are:
| S/N | Name/Age | University/Course |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ms Amy Tan Wei Leng 陈为玲 Age 47 |
Master’s in Public Health Imperial College London United Kingdom |
| 2 |
毛仁豪 Age 38 |
Executive Masters of Business Administration University of California, Los Angeles United States National University of Singapore Singapore |
Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship holders may choose to pursue their postgraduate studies in any country and field of study that best develops their potential as leaders. The scholarship holders are expected to contribute actively to better Singapore and her community.
CHANGES AT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
The President has appointed Ms Chua Sock Koong (蔡淑君) as Deputy Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC). She was sworn-in on 29 January 2020 and will serve alongside Deputy Chairman, Mr Kwa Chong Seng (柯宗盛), 73.
Ms Chua, 62, will be the PSC’s first female Deputy Chairman. As the Group Chief Executive Officer of Singtel since April 2007, Ms Chua directs the Singapore-based multinational’s global strategy and oversees its consumer, enterprise and digital businesses. She sits on the boards of Singtel, Bharti Airtel Limited, Bharti Telecom Limited, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), Cap Vista Pte Ltd, and key subsidiaries of the Singtel Group. She is also a member of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council as well as the Indonesia-Singapore Business Council, and is an alternate member of the Council of Presidential Advisers.
The PSC will also be seeing two other changes. Mr Richard R Magnus, 75, has retired on 28 January 2020 after serving 11 years as a member of the PSC. Mr Tan Yam Pin (陈炎斌), 79, will be retiring on 31 January 2020 after serving 30 years on the PSC, including almost 10 years as Deputy Chairman.
Four outstanding candidates were awarded the President’s Scholarships on 15 August 2019 at the Istana. They were Mr Siow Mein Yeak, Yue, Midshipman Allison Tan Sue Min, Mr John Chua Je En and Mr Muhammad Dhafer Bin Muhammad Faishal Khan Surattee.
