Speech by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the President's Scholarships Award Ceremony

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean
And Mrs Teo

Excellencies

Chairman and Members of the
Public Service Commission

Ladies and Gentlemen

        Good evening.

        Each year, the public sector awards many scholarships to outstanding young Singaporeans who are committed to public service. Among these scholarships, the President’s Scholarship is the most prestigious award for the best and brightest scholars in the cohort. Besides excelling in academics, the President’s scholar must be an outstanding leader, a person of impeccable character, and deeply passionate about Singapore.

The Rich Heritage of the President’s Scholarship

        The President’s Scholarship has a long and illustrious history. It traces back to the Queen’s Scholarship which was introduced in 1885 when Singapore was still a British colony. In 1959, the Queen’s Scholarship was replaced by the Singapore State Scholarship when Singapore was granted internal self-government. This was subsequently renamed the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship in 1964 and finally came to be known as the President’s Scholarship in 1966, a year after Singapore gained independence from Malaysia.

        The Scholarship has also evolved over the years to provide a broader base of outstanding young persons with the opportunity to acquire a good education and contribute to society. For instance, while the Queen’s Scholarship was restricted only to boys, the gender restriction has since been removed. The most recent change, made in 2009, was to extend the President’s Scholarship to scholars from the Statutory Boards so that outstanding students with a strong passion to serve in a specialised career within the Public Service may be considered for the scholarship.

        Regardless of changes in name or regulations, the principles of awarding the President’s Scholarship strictly on the basis of meritocracy - not just on academic ability, but also on soundness of character - have been consistent. The high expectations that our community have for President Scholars to work hard and excel not just academically, but also in service to our society, remains the same. 

2012 President’s Scholars

        Tonight, we will award the President’s Scholarship to five outstanding candidates. They are Mr Adil Hakeem Bin Mohamad Rafee, Mr Huang Jinghao Jarret, Mr Shaun Lim Yung Shen, Mr Moses Soh Juen Wei Huei Quan, and Miss Tee Ren Ling Alicia.

        Adil, Jarret and Alicia have also been awarded the Public Service Commission Overseas Merit Scholarship. Shaun has been concurrently awarded the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship, and Moses, a scholarship from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

        I congratulate each of you for having being recognised by the Public Service Commission for your intellectual capability, leadership potential and desire to bring the nation forward.

Bringing Singapore Forward

        We have just celebrated Singapore’s 47^th year of independence. The foresight and political will of our pioneer leaders has brought Singapore from a small trading port to the global metropolis that Singapore is today.

        Singapore will continue to need visionary, brave and passionate leaders with the ability and heart to bring the nation forward. The global environment will be more volatile and unpredictable. We also need to address the changing aspirations of our citizens. As recipients of the President’s Scholarship, I hope that you will carry that torch of our pioneers, and be the new generation of leaders who will bring Singapore to even greater heights.

        This scholarship will open doors to you. I encourage you to seize the opportunities to hone your skills, develop your networks and learn as much as you can about how the world is changing so that you can contribute to innovative solutions not only to solve the pressing issues confronting Singapore now but also to position Singapore for continued success in the years to come.

        Remember your duties to Singapore and fellow Singaporeans. Continue to be an active member in the community and help the less privileged. For our society to remain strong and cohesive, we need public officers who are attuned to the needs and aspirations of fellow citizens. As President’s scholars, you will be looked upon as role models personifying the Civil Service values of Integrity, Service and Excellence. I urge you to lead by example and set the standard for others to emulate.

Conclusion

        I am confident that Adil, Jarret, Shaun, Moses and Alicia will live up to the high standards expected of them, and do Singapore proud. It leaves me now to congratulate you, your families, principals and teachers for your outstanding achievements. I wish you every success in your studies and look forward to your contributions to Singapore when you return.

        Thank you.