Opening Address by Mr Lee Tzu Yang at the 2026 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony

Opening Address by Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, at the PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony on 24 July 2026

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 Chan Heng Kee

Members of the Public Service Commission

Awardees of the 2026 PSC Scholarships

Distinguished guests, family members, school leaders and friends

1           This year's scholarship ceremony carries a special significance as we mark the 75th Anniversary of the Public Service Commission (PSC). Seventy-five years is a significant period in the life of any institution – long enough to accumulate history, develop perspective, and gain a deep reservoir of experience in the service of Singapore.

2           Over these 75 years, PSC has evolved alongside Singapore – from the early years of nation-building to the complexities of today – while remaining steadfast in our mission and values. Our mandate has adapted to the needs and aspirations of each generation, reflecting the changing demands on the Public Service. Yet one thread has remained constant: a commitment to identifying, developing and investing in individuals who will serve Singapore. Every scholarship awarded is not simply an investment in the potential of an individual, but also an investment in Singapore's future.

3           To our 74 awardees this year – which is the highest number of scholarship awardees since 2019 – my heartiest congratulations. Today is a proud milestone for each of you, and for the many people who have supported you along the way. To your parents, families and friends who have encouraged and believed in you, and to the educators who have guided you: thank you. Your support, sacrifice and quiet encouragement have played an important part in helping these young Singaporeans reach this moment.

4           With that support behind you, and this opportunity now before you, you join earlier generations of PSC scholars and public officers who helped build Singapore's institutions, strengthened public trust, and served the nation with dedication and integrity. You are here not only because you have talent and you worked for it, but because of the community that supported you and opened these opportunities for you, so remember the trust that is now placed in you.

5           I would like to pause here just to reflect on how the Commission has developed.

6           The PSC was formally set up in 1951. PSC members are not public officers. They are leaders drawn from their respective fields in the private sector and the community. The Colonial Government of the day, in 1951, set up the PSC to serve two objectives: to prevent patronage and to keep civil service appointments and promotions above party politics and to speed up the pace of localisation of the civil service ranks towards self-government for Singapore.

7           In our early decades, the PSC was responsible for recruiting, promoting, disciplining and posting people across the Public Service. Its role was to ensure independence and impartiality in these HR decisions, that there would be no nepotism, and that the civil service would not be subject to political interference in those turbulent years.

8           The work of the PSC was objectively simple, but operationally complex: to recruit capable officers based on merit to fill the ranks of the Public Service and the institutions of a young nation.

9           The scale of that responsibility in the early years was immense. In 1969, it was reported the PSC alone conducted more than 20,000 interviews covering recruitment, promotion, scholarships and awards — an average of 72 persons every working day in 1969. It is hard for us to imagine now but interviews often began in the afternoon and continued late into the evening, sometimes until 9 or 10 pm. And on occasions, they were even held on Sundays, reflecting the determination of the government of the day in the earlier days to engage promising persons for the Public Service.

10           Luckily, as the Public Service grew in size, capability and complexity, it became not practical nor sufficiently responsive for the PSC, whose members have their own day jobs outside the Commission, to have remained directly involved in every appointment and promotion interview and decision. Ministries and agencies had to develop stronger leadership and human resource capabilities of their own, and the PSC retained governance over senior appointments and positions.

11           Legal amendments were therefore made in the 1990s to devolve several personnel functions relating to appointments, promotions and postings to personnel boards formed from a mix of senior leaders from different Ministries. This allowed decisions to be made closer to the operational context whilst ensuring impartiality, enabling the PSC to focus its efforts where it could add the greatest value.

12           Today, the PSC focuses much of its work on strengthening the Public Service's leadership pipeline. Each year, we interview senior Public Service leaders, top talent who are being considered for the Administrative Service as well as hundreds of students, making decisions on the appointment and promotion of officers, and selection of those who may one day lead our institutions. We look for individuals of integrity who can navigate uncertainty and complexity, engage diverse stakeholders, and tackle issues that increasingly cut across disciplines, sectors and borders.

13           Over the years, we have also broadened our approach to identify PSC scholars, recognising that potential cannot be measured by academic results alone. We look for qualities such as leadership, intellectual curiosity, resilience and a commitment to serving the public good. Some of these qualities cannot be easily established through an interview alone and we continue to adapt and adopt other assessment tools to add to our understanding. We work closely with university and school leaders and educators who help nominate outstanding students who have demonstrated that they have a heart for service. Our decisions will continue to be grounded on merit and the conviction that we need individuals, and now increasingly teams, with the qualities needed to serve and lead the Public Service.

14           Every year, we seek not one particular profile for the PSC Scholarships, but a group of individuals whose different experiences and perspectives will strengthen the Public Service as a whole. The 74 of you are here today because we expect you to demonstrate the integrity, commitment and capabilities that the Public Service requires.

15           Collectively you represent 15 different pre-university institutions. This reflects the PSC's commitment to seeking out promising young people from different schools, backgrounds and interests. I recently had the pleasure of sitting in on this year's preparatory course programme for newly awarded scholars, where many of you spoke about your hopes for Singapore's future. I was heartened to see a broad range of talents and interests, as well as humour, that extend beyond academic achievement.

16           Also this year among you are 11 Mid-Term scholarship recipients and Masters scholarship recipients. Now this 11 is the highest number of such awards since they were introduced two decades ago. These scholarships were introduced in 2005 and 2007 for the Public Service to remain open to outstanding individuals who develop an interest to serve at a later point in their journey. The PSC will continue to explore this route for talent.

17           In total, 61 of our 74 awardees will be heading for studies overseas. Among those headed overseas, four of you will go to China and two to Germany and Japan.

18           For those heading to China, Germany and Japan, you are embarking on a distinctive journey around pursuing a degree. By immersing yourselves in another society and developing language and cultural skills, you will develop a depth of understanding that will serve you well in a world where countries, cultures and interests are ever more interconnected. The PSC will support you through preparatory programmes, language courses, and guidance from your scholarship officers. I hope that you will make the most of the experiences, relationships and insights that await you.

19           The most important thing I can say to you is that grades are not the sole measure of an education. We do expect you to gain good grades but also use your student years to broaden your horizons, explore areas in which you are curious, and build the character, judgement and humility that a career in the Public Service will require.

20           All of you, including those who chose to study in the local autonomous universities, will have opportunities to go abroad, to engage deeply with communities in many ways different from our own. The value of these experiences lies not in the credentials they confer, but in the new perspectives you gain – including, and perhaps especially, perspectives on how lives of Singaporeans who differ from you might improve in the world of the future.

21           The Public Service needs leaders who can engage new challenges with innovation, empathy and discernment.

22           So be intentional about the opportunities you pursue, the communities you engage, and the assumptions you test. The challenges ahead will require innovative solutions and a brave heart to speak up.

23           You are here to make a meaningful and significant contribution to Singapore and its people.

24           You have not only the opportunity, but the responsibility — to uphold the standards that have earned Singapore's Public Service its reputation for excellence and integrity, and service to our people.

25           In closing, let me also express my appreciation to our many partners: our ambassadors and representatives from China, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, our international partners and diplomatic missions, families and educators, university leaders as well as colleagues across the various Public Service scholarship-awarding agencies. Nurturing the next generation of public officers is a collective effort, and today's ceremony reflects that shared commitment.

26           Seventy-five years on, the PSC's purpose remains unchanged even as our operations have become more focused: to identify and develop individuals with the potential to serve Singapore with distinction. This year we are confident in you, that we have done so again. Thank you for answering the call to serve and we look forward to the contributions you will make to Singapore in the years ahead.