Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2^nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 837-9666

Minister for Education & 2^nd Minister for Defence, RAdm Teo Chee Hean & Mrs Teo

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

Each year, the Public Service Commission awards many scholarships to promising young Singaporeans, of which the most prestigious, the President’s Scholarship, will be conferred at the Istana on an occasion such as this. This year being the 50^th Anniversary of the Public Service Commission, it is useful to look back and remind Singaporeans what this national accolade stands for.

The origin of the President’s Scholarship dates back to the advent of the Queen’s Scholarship, more than a hundred years ago, when Singapore was still a British colony. When Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, established the Scholarship in 1885, he articulated two objectives for the Scholarship, namely:

• "To allow promising boys an opportunity of completing their studies in England", and
• "To encourage a number of boys to remain in school and acquire a really useful education".

These were noble aims at a time when many families had no way of financing their children to receive education at all, much less to do so in England. Along the way, although there were several changes to the Queen’s Scholarship, including, of course, opening it to the ladies, it was always awarded on the basis of merit. Among the many recipients of the Queen’s Scholarships were the late Mr E W Barker, Professor Lim Pin and Mrs Lee Kuan Yew.

In 1959, when Singapore was granted internal self-government, the Queen’s Scholarship was replaced by the Singapore State Scholarship. Besides reflecting the changed constitutional status of Singapore, the Scholarship terms were also changed. They became tenable only at the local university, rather than overseas, reflecting the dire financial straits of the Government then. Amongst the recipients of the Singapore State Scholarship was Dr Tony Tan, our Deputy Prime Minister.

In 1964, recognising that the Singapore State Scholarship suffered from the restriction that it was only tenable at the University of Singapore or the University of Malaya, the Government removed that restriction to make it also tenable overseas. The Singapore State Scholarship was also renamed the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship to reflect its status as the most prestigious scholarship award, and to set it apart from the other government scholarships being awarded at the time. Mr Lim Siong Guan, now Head of the Civil Service, was one of the recipients of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship. Subsequently, with Singapore becoming a sovereign state in 1965, this Award was renamed the President’s Scholarship. Minister Lee Yock Suan was among the first batch of President’s Scholars in 1966, as were several more Cabinet Ministers, including DPM Lee Hsien Loong, in subsequent years.

It was also in 1964 that the Public Service Commission took over the administration of this Scholarship. Previously, it was the University Senate that was wholly responsible for recommending candidates for the Award. However, because of the broader basis of the Award, and the requirement that recipients serve in the Government Service after graduation, it became appropriate for the PSC to form the core of the Selection Committee for the President's Scholarship.

As evidenced from this historical account, the President’s Scholarship had evolved following closely the milestones of our nationhood. However, be it a change in nomenclature to reflect the sovereignty of the country, or a change in scholarship terms to accommodate budgetary priorities, the fundamental reasons for, and the principles that undergird the President’s Scholarship, have remained constant.

The reasons for introducing the Queen’s Scholarships in 1885 are relevant even today, some 115 years on – to be a prestigious award to provide outstanding students the opportunity to acquire a good education. There has always been this sense and expectation that a recipient of such a prestigious award would work hard to achieve excellence not just academically, but also in all manner of activities, in the interest of society. This remains true of the President’s Scholarship today.

Throughout the years, the principles of awarding the Scholarship strictly on the basis of meritocracy, and not just on the young person’s academic ability, but also on soundness of character, have been consistent. These principles for the Selection Committee for the Queen’s Scholarship were already articulated in the Regulations for the Queen’s Scholarships published in the Straits Settlements Government Gazette in December 1923, and I quote:

"This Committee shall consider the results of the competitive examination, the physique and moral character and personality of the candidates…..The financial circumstances of a candidate’s parents or guardian shall not be taken into account, and the selection shall depend solely on the personal merit of the candidates."

More than 50 years later, the President’s Scholarships Regulations also explicitly state "character and personality" as "standards" that the Selection Committee were to adhere to. Today, over and beyond academic excellence, we also assess our President’s Scholars to see whether they possess leadership potential, soundness of character, and a sense of service to the nation.

As you can see, the fundamental thrusts underpinning the President’s Scholarship have not changed and are still operative today. We have steadfastly maintained the standards by which we assess whether a person is deserving of the title of President’s Scholar. It is because the standards are pitched so consistently high that we have, over the years, built up a fraternity of President’s Scholars who comprise an illustrious list of Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Medical Practitioners, Lawyers, Military Officers, CEOs of large public and private organisations, and more.

Tonight, amongst us, are some of the pioneers of this fraternity, from as early as the 1964 cohort, when it was still named the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship. I want to thank all of you - the pioneers - for coming. The younger President’s Scholars have you as role models to look up to and be inspired to achieve greater heights. You are examples of those who continue to fulfil their roles as President’s Scholars in your contribution to Singapore and its community.

This evening, the President’s Scholarship is conferred to a young lady and two young men. They are Miss Lim Xiuhui, Mr Liu Feng-Yuan, and Mr Xu Youfeng. Miss Lim, who has also been awarded the Overseas Merit Scholarship, will be reading Economics at Princeton University. Mr Liu and Mr Xu, will be going to the United Kingdom for their studies: Mr Liu to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University on an Overseas Merit Scholarship, and Mr Xu, Physics at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, on the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship.

As recipients of the most prestigious scholarship award in the nation, all three – Miss Lim, Mr Liu and Mr Xu - have big shoes to fill, and high expectations to meet. My advice to each of them is: "Just dare to stretch and challenge yourselves. But also bear this in mind – ultimately, your success as a President’s Scholar is not measured by the titles awarded nor positions amassed. Your success will be measured by your contributions to society, and by a selfless motivation to add value to the lives of the people around you."

I congratulate the families, principals and teachers of Miss Lim, Mr Liu and Mr Xu. Your support and encouragement has surely been a key factor to their being here today. You have been instrumental in influencing their attitudes, their beliefs, and their sense of service.

To the 3 President’s Scholars, my heartiest congratulations. I hope you will feel the full weight of the history and tradition of the title that you now carry, not as a burden, but as an inspiration. I pray that you would be ever brave to fulfil your new roles and responsibilities as President’s Scholars. I wish you every success in your studies and in public service.

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