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OPENING ADDRESS BY MR LEE TZU YANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, AT THE 2021 PSC SCHOLARSHIPS AWARD CEREMONY ON 28 JULY 2021

1.      Good afternoon.

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister of Education and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service

My Fellow Commission Members

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

2.      On behalf of my Commission colleagues, let me first extend my warmest congratulations to all recipients of scholarships and your families. I would also like to thank your principals and teachers for their patience and support in your education journey. This is a proud day for all of you.  The selection of young Singaporeans for public service is an intensive effort and many stakeholders have come together. I would like to express my appreciation to everyone, and this includes my fellow Commission members and the secretariat team.

3.      I would have preferred a physical ceremony today. Unfortunately, we are not able to do so owing to the uncertainties and measures these couple of months. Nonetheless, we have endeavoured to make today’s virtual ceremony a meaningful one.  We each have the responsibility to ensure good outcomes for Singapore, and in the current circumstances this means not having a physical ceremony, to keep the community and our loved ones safe. In these unconventional times, we must be willing to change in how we approach new challenges.

4.      The PSC Scholarship is Singapore’s premier scholarship for school leavers. We aim to bring committed and able young Singaporeans to serve in the Public Service. You are selected for whole-person qualities, with emphasis on character, integrity and passion to serve. Where you come from and your background are less important to the Commission than where we think you are capable of going to and contributing.

5.      Of the 75 [1] of you this year, 74 will pursue undergraduate studies and 1 for Masters. You come from different educational pathways and institutions, including Junior Colleges, Integrated Programme schools, International Baccalaureate schools and Polytechnics.  You will pursue a wide variety of disciplines at many well-established local and overseas universities.

6.      Our development of a stronger and more resilient corps of future public service leaders leads us to search for diverse backgrounds and various perspectives, as the Public Service must tackle many wicked problems with no obvious solutions. This is why, even in a pandemic, we continue to award overseas scholarships. This range in your experience will strengthen your ability to make sense of the world and contribute to Singapore.

7.      I would like to offer just two pieces of advice.  We must be able to apply learnings from multiple disciplines and seek synergies from them to understand and solve problems. The fight against COVID-19 teaches us that we need this multi-disciplinary approach to tackle challenges. Science and technology are critical, but alone they will not suffice. Societal understanding, economics and business, good communications and building of trust – all these are needed. You should take the opportunity to learn more widely than your chosen courses.

8.      Second, follow your curiosity and take courage to venture where it is new for you. This could be in your chosen course, in your choice of Masters, or in your internships or vacations. Wherever you go, you should explore and seize opportunities to engage.  Experience more of other countries, especially our regional neighbours, but also, in the private sector and people sector. As a student you have many many more degrees of freedom in how you choose to spend your time. Yes, grades matter, and English-speaking countries may appear more familiar, but the diversity of insights and perspectives which you grow will become your assets.

9.      Now in all this, your safety and wellbeing are important to us, and we will continue to look out for you. When the pandemic situation was worsening last year in many parts of the world, the PSC Secretariat worked with other agencies to bring PSC and other public sector scholarship holders back safely to Singapore. As the situation evolved, we provided flexibility to suit needs and circumstances, such as the option to temporarily study for overseas degrees from Singapore. For those who decided to proceed overseas, we provided support. I am happy to say that all our scholarship holders are safe and well, and we have kept in close contact with them. We have engaged professional services to support their well-being, including provision of counselling, advice and services.

10.    The PSC Scholarship is the beginning of your journey to prepare you for a career in the Public Service. Later this evening, you will take the pledge as a PSC scholarship holder. It will affirm your commitment to do all that you can to serve Singapore. Ask yourselves – what will you do with this opportunity?

11.    Congratulations once again and I wish all of you a meaningful journey ahead. Thank you.

 KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND MINISTER-IN-CHARGE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE CHAN CHUN SING AT THE 2021 PSC SCHOLARSHIPS AWARD CEREMONY, 28 JUL 2021

Introduction

1.   A very good afternoon to all of you, Chairman and members of the Public Service Commission, parents, teachers, principals, and recipients.

2.    First, a warm welcome and my congratulations to all the award recipients.

3.    All of you could have chosen a different path, but you didn’t.

4.    You have decided to join the ranks of many who have come before you, to commit your future to taking care of our country and people. For that, thank you very much.

5.    The challenges that will confront our country and our people in the coming years will be no less daunting than those that we have overcome. 

6.    COVID-19 has accentuated many of the trends shaping our future – for example: digitalisation, the political flux of our region, and many others.

7.    COVID-19 has also compounded many of our challenges – from the security and sustainability of our supply chains, to our connectivity with the world, just to name some.

8.    Yet COVID-19 has also provided new opportunities for us to transcend the tyranny of geography and demographics to reinforce our brand, as a trusted and principled partner that brings relevance to the parties we deal with.

9.    So what has the Public Service learned from the COVID-19 pandemic thus far? There are many lessons, but I will share three aspects today – Agility, Connectivity and Trust.

10. No country in the world could claim they were ready for COVID or had fully anticipated its impact. Even now, we are all grappling with the surprises that COVID continues to throw at us.

11. However, in such an uncertain environment, agility is key. Countries that survive best are not necessarily the biggest or strongest, but those that are most agile in adapting; countries that do not just tackle COVID, but also seize the unexpected opportunities that come their way.

12. These are the ones that have done relatively better than us. We have not done too badly thus far. But we should not be complacent.

13. Our Public Service has to reconfigure ourselves to have new organisations and processes to keep Singapore going through this pandemic.

• We had to change our processes in double quick time to determine the industries and businesses to keep open, and those whose operations had to cease, as the situation evolved.
• We had to start up a new Assurance, Care and Engagement Group, or ACE Group, to take care of the wellbeing of migrant workers in a very short time.
• We worked out new ways to manage our airports, ports and points of entry to maintain our connectivity while safeguarding our public health.
• These are just some examples of what we had to do to keep our country going, and our people safe.
• Our responses may not be perfect, but they have allowed us to keep going, hopefully better than our competitors.

14. The lesson learnt is that no organisation and structure of yesterday can fully prepare us for the future and tomorrow’s crises. We all have to be agile and adapt quickly – faster than the competition if we are to keep our lunch.

15. How did we get things done in an uncertain and chaotic environment?  How did we secure critical supplies and vaccines? The answer lies in Connectivity.

16. We tapped on our whole of nation network, our public, private and people sectors working together. We leveraged our extensive network of overseas contacts.

17. Take the example of the disruption to our food chains. We kept supplies flowing by pulling out all stops to leverage our domestic and overseas networks to secure supplies ahead of time.

18. All these would not have been possible if our people did not have a culture of anticipation and working together across sectors and domains as a habit, and these were all developed in times of peace.

19. All these would also not have been possible if our Public Service operated in silos and not in close partnership with the private and people sectors, leveraging each other’s perspectives, capabilities and capacities.

20. Hence, it is of utmost importance that we continue to enrich the public sector with private and people sector perspectives, experiences and contacts.

21. To this end, we will introduce the Mid-Career Leaders Track to strengthen our recruitment of mid-career professionals with the heart to serve, and the skills and experience to contribute. Doing so will inject diversity and consequent resilience to the public sector.

22. There is one very important aspect that brought us this far, much further than many other countries, in the fight against COVID. And that is trust.

23. Trust between people and Government. Trust between Singapore and partners beyond our shores.

24. If we did not have a reputation of being a principled and trusted partner globally, we would have had a much harder time securing the things that we need in a crisis.

25. If we had not built up a reservoir of goodwill and trust with our people, we would not have been able to execute our responses so effectively in a collective and cohesive manner. This is what distinguishes us from many others in the world.

26. However, this trust must be earned, and renewed every generation.

27. So to all the award recipients today, I hope you will remember the significance of today’s ceremony where you commit to help take care of Singapore and Singaporeans in time to come.

28. I hope you will always strive to help Singapore and Singaporeans find opportunities amidst challenges by staying agile and adaptable.

29. I hope you will help build up our network of ties with the world, and with the private and people sectors, for us to be able to mobilise a whole of nation effort, in times of peace and in crisis.

30. I hope you will work hard and earn the trust of Singaporeans and partners beyond Singapore, so that we will always have a reservoir of goodwill to call upon.

31. Thank you for your service to our nation.

32. In partnership and with teamwork, we fear no challenges too big for us.

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.

Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security

Ministers

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening.

Every year, the President’s Scholarship is conferred on outstanding young men and women, who have committed to serving Singapore and Singaporeans through the Public Service.

This evening, we recognise and celebrate the achievements and commitment of four outstanding young Singaporeans. They are:

1. Midshipman Allison Tan Sue Min;
2. Mr John Chua Je En;
3. Mr Muhammad Dhafer Bin Muhammad Faishal Khan Surattee; and
4. Mr Siow Mein Yeak, Yue.

Allison will be studying International Relations, and will serve in the Singapore Armed Forces. John and Dhafer will pursue their studies in Liberal Arts at Stanford and Harvard Universities respectively, and Mein Yeak will read Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. The three gentlemen will serve in the Public Service upon graduation.

My heartfelt congratulations to you.

Today is a memorable occasion for you and your families. It is even more meaningful to receive the award in Singapore’s bicentennial year. The bicentennial year reminds us to look back with gratitude to our pioneers who had worked hard and tirelessly to build our thriving modern city, and to look forward with humility and optimism. We all know that no matter how brilliant we are, without the right support and opportunities provided for us to develop to our fullest potential, our growth will be limited. Our forefathers helped to build a strong foundation and we have benefitted from it. Now it is your turn, to play a role in helping Singapore forge ahead for the next 200 years.

During the launch of the Singapore Bicentennial Experience a couple of months ago, I spoke about key traits of the Singaporean DNA that has brought us to where we are today – openness and connectedness to the world, multi-culturalism, and determination to survive as a nation no matter what the circumstances are. The same traits will bring us ahead.

I encourage Allison, John, Dhafer and Mein Yeak to think about how you can prepare yourselves to contribute to the future Public Service. To enable the Public Service to be more open and receptive to the evolving needs of citizens; to help Singapore continue to forge stronger relationships with our allies amid uncertain times; to continue to be aware of the fault lines and actively promote inter-racial and cultural understanding; and to stay resolute in the face of our national challenges. Above all, how to ensure that we remain a progressive, contemporary and globalised city state but, at the same time, one that is inclusive, caring and compassionate where no one is left behind.

The President’s Scholarship is an honour and also a responsibility. We believe that you have exemplified, and will continue to espouse, the values and ethos of the Public Service. Within your cohort, we expect you to be leaders and role models. Public service goes beyond doing a job well. It is a complete dedication to the people and nation.

I hope you will bring Singapore forward by shaping a cohort of future public officers through your actions, inspiring them to lead by example, to be connected to the ground and the community; and to put the needs and interests of the nation and our citizens at the core.

This is a weighty responsibility to shoulder. I am confident that you are ready for this. Through public service you can improve lives and the world around you. Its greater reward, however, is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring to your own life.

Today, you are joined by your families, principals, teachers and friends who have supported your growth, shaped your character and values, and helped you develop your potential. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate them on their role in your development.

Allison, John, Dhafer and Mein Yeak – I wish you success in your journey ahead and look forward to you serving the nation with passion when you begin your careers in the Public Service.

Thank you.