Speeches
Speech by Mr Chan Chun Sing at SPARK: Public Service Week 2024 Opening
10 July 2024
Speech by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, at SPARK: Public Service Week Opening, on 10 July 2024, ITE College Central
A Forward-Looking Public Service, anchored by Purpose, Values and Gumption
1. Good afternoon to all of you here in ITE College Central, and to many of you who are joining us online. Welcome!
2. I hope the video has tickled your minds. If we get to SG100, our country and Public Service will indeed have achieved a significant milestone in defying the odds of history.
3. I am reminded that most Fortune 500 companies do not even survive that long. Make a guess – out of the Fortune 500 companies that we have now, how many of them have consistently made the list for the last 70 years? The answer is, only 49. In fact, the average age of a Fortune 500 company has been decreasing. It is now on average about 20 years only. And if you strip out the 49 who have done so consistently over the last 70 years, the average age of the remaining 451 companies is even shorter, at less than 15 years!
4. You might be wondering why I have compared ourselves to the Fortune 500 companies. Our GDP size will rank us probably at about rank number 18 or 19 of Fortune 500. So, if we do get to SG100, I think it will not be because we start with the assumption that we will naturally and effortlessly survive. It is more likely that we, like the officer in 2065, continuously ask these questions every day: How can we continue to defy the odds of history? How do we keep creating and reinventing ourselves to be relevant to the world? How can we create new value propositions by turning constraints into opportunities? How do we constantly and continuously turn divides into bridges, both internally and externally?
5. How we answer these questions will determine our fate. As the video shows, we can ask the AI assistant to trawl through the wisdom of yesteryears. We can ask the AI assistant to gather all the information for us on the competition, the challenges, opportunities, threats, and so on and so forth. We may even ask the AI assistant to tell us the best leadership and management practices out there. And like the officer in the video, we can ask the AI to do predictions of the future. But I am not sure any version of generative AI will be able to tell us what to do specifically, to secure our future and our place in history. The best chance for us to survive the future is to shape it, rather than to passively await it. And in case you are wondering, this speech was not crafted by Pair or any AI assistant. It is a short message from my speechwriter, together with my personal reflections on our Public Service journey ahead and our ambitions.
6. Now, if we take a step back and look at ourselves today, we can pat ourselves on the back and say that we have not done too badly as a Public Service. We are certainly not perfect. But our standing – both locally and internationally – is good. The Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) ranked us top on government effectiveness for the second consecutive year.
7. Sometimes, foreign guests compliment us by asking if they can borrow our Public Service for a year. But the truth is that whoever thinks that they can borrow our Public Service for a year and achieve the same results cannot be more wrong. The success of our Public Service is not defined or measured by short-term goals, but by planning ahead for the long haul. We do not measure our accomplishment in days or weeks, but more importantly in years and decades. None of these could be done without the larger context of stability, and partnership between the Public Service and political leadership.
8. So while we celebrate our successes, I also want us to ponder a very simple question today. Will we, the Singapore Public Service, continue to be the pride of our nation and the envy of others? If so, why and how?
9. I will answer the question today in the opposite way. I think we will not continue to be successful if we lose three things: first, our purpose and sense of mission; second, our values; and third, our gumption.
Remembering Our Purpose and Mission
10. First and foremost, we must never lose our sense of purpose and mission. What is our mission? I have chosen a very simple and short mission statement.
11. Our mission is to build a thriving Singapore that provides hope and opportunities for all Singaporeans through the times. I have reflected and chosen each term carefully to encompass the meaning behind our calling in the Public Service.
12. First, “to build”. This is an action-oriented phrase. It is neither passive nor reactive. It is not about just preserving and maintaining what we have achieved thus far. Instead, each and every one of us must take on the role of a builder, a hunter or a pioneer – one who is always on the lookout for opportunities to score and create new value propositions for ourselves, not only when we are forced by circumstances to do so. I always say that we have three levels of leadership responsibility. First, we can solve problems, but that is basic 101. Second, we can pre-empt problems – that requires foresight. Third, at the highest level, we must unleash the potential of our people. And that’s why we build.
13. Second, I have chosen the phrase “a thriving SG”. This means a growing, living entity that is not bounded by geography, nor constrained or defined by resources. Instead, it is about transcending our constraints through our networks and the power of our ideas and delivery.
14. Next, “hope and opportunities for all”, regardless of one’s background, starting position in life, race, language, religion, strengths and weaknesses. “Hope and opportunities for all”, because each and every Singaporean has something to contribute and can contribute. It is our job to enable each and every Singaporean to contribute and to feel a sense of contribution, that they are part of a larger entity that will shape our collective future.
15. The phrase “all Singaporeans” is obvious. We are committed to serve all Singaporeans and everyone who wants to be a Singaporean out of conviction.
16. “Through the times” implies sustainability to defy the odds of history — governing responsively and responsibly, through good times and tough times.
17. My simple wish for all our public officers is that we will always remember this mission of ours – “to build a thriving Singapore that provides hope and opportunities for all Singaporeans through the times”.
18. Notwithstanding our accomplishments thus far, we are never and will never be complacent to think that we are on auto-pilot maintenance mode. Indeed, every new day brings new challenges for our generation. Every new challenge requires us to re-examine our assumptions and approach to overcome, and to transcend the challenges.
19. We are by now all familiar with the “fragmenting global order”, the “fractious social order”, and the “fragile economic order”. The question for us is how to overturn the 3Fs into the 4Cs – a “connected global order”, a “cohesive social order”, a “competitive economy” and a “confident people”.
20. If we are in the foreign affairs, financial, defence and security pillars, what are our ideas to bring like-minded countries and companies together to uphold existing rules and to develop new rules to strengthen our chances of survival and to thrive?
21. If we are in the social sector, how do we lead by maintaining cohesion amidst a more contested socio-political environment, a less trusting media environment, a public with higher and more diverse aspirations?
22. If we are in the economic sector, how do we attract new investments, create new and exciting jobs for our people? How do we keep everyone’s wages growing amidst the more challenging global environment?
23. And in all sectors, how do we inspire Singaporeans and assure Singaporeans that everyone can have their place in our society, to make one’s contributions regardless of one’s abilities? That indeed, our collective and diversity of strengths define us, rather than just competing against one another for our own individual accomplishments. We inspire Singaporeans to define success by how they contribute to the collective good, beyond their own individual contributions.
24. So clearly, we have our challenges cut out. We will have to find our own way forward, just like the generations before us. I am confident that so long as we put our minds to these tough questions, we will get some good answers. It may not be perfect answers, but certainly as good, if not better, than what others can come up with.
25. We must always ask the right questions, the tough questions and never opt out by answering the easy questions. Because it is the tough questions that we need to ask ourselves that will challenge us, and inspire us to look for those breakthrough solutions that will take Singapore to the next higher level.
Anchored by Values
26. Second, we must not lose our values — to put the nation’s and people’s interests above all. Our core values such as meritocracy, incorruptibility and the relentless pursuit of excellence have become even more important in this uncertain world. The effectiveness of the Public Service depends on trust. We must be trusted to be able to do the right thing, to do what it takes to protect the public good.
27. Upholding integrity at our core also means we have to be honest with ourselves and see the world as it is. The Public Service will not work well, if we are always constantly afraid of what people say about us or how people perceive us. We must have the competence, and the confidence, to create a better future for Singapore and Singaporeans on our own terms, and not just constantly look for immediate feedback on what we do. Because many of the things we do may not see results in the short term. But we must have the confidence and the conviction to keep pressing on when we believe something is right. Go out, and convince fellow Singaporeans that this is the right path to take. Mobilise fellow Singaporeans to walk this journey with us. Only then will we be able to defy the odds and overcome the challenges for the long haul.
28. On the other hand, it does not give us any joy to see good people stumble and fall. With every stumble, we must emerge stronger and more determined to put things right and do it better the next time. Circumstances do not define us. Our responses will.
29. We must defend and uphold our values through three interlocking layers. First, we must continue to have an overall framework of clear rules that enable our people to do the right things, and not just prevent them from doing the wrong or bad things. Second, we must collectively endeavour to look out for one another, and never think we are facing all the temptations and challenges as individuals alone. Third, we must have a personal responsibility to live by our ethos to serve and uphold our system and values for the larger good of our country and people.
Filled with Gumption
30. Now I come to my third point. The Public Service must not lose gumption:
a. Gumption to break new grounds and find new solutions in context for our challenges, rather than relying on others’ ideas, especially those that have not proven effective even in solving other people’s problems.
b. Gumption to see and pursue opportunities in good times and tough times, in every challenge and constraint.
c. Gumption to jettison less impactful work to focus on purposeful work.
d. Gumption to work hard at cracking our conundrums.
e. Gumption to see the world as it is, rather than as we wish or hope it will be.
f. Gumption to admit that we are at risk of complacency, that many others are working hard to overtake us, and can overtake us if we drop the ball.
g. Gumption to step out of our comfort zone, as many of you today have demonstrated to master new technologies and processes.
h. Gumption to engage other stakeholders when we do not have yet all the answers or capabilities ourselves. All these require our Public Service not just to do well internally, but we must continue to do well with all our stakeholders together.
31. All these will only get harder. Not just because the world is becoming ever more complex, uncertain and challenging. But they will get harder because the longer and greater our success, the more difficult it is for us, or for that matter, any organisation to jettison what has worked well in the past. So like many other Fortune 500 companies or established organisations, success can be the albatross, where we risk striving for perfection to irrelevance.
32. If we do not check our blind spots and maintain our relevance, we risk falling onto a downward spiral. If we are not careful, we will have our Xerox, Kodak or Nokia moment. They were once successful pioneering organisations, but today they are no longer in the pantheons of Fortune 500 companies with great stories to inspire the next generation. These once successful businesses should alert us to the dangers of complacency and how doing the right thing is often more important than just doing the same things well.
Fuelled by Care and Growth
Caring for public officers and creating the capacity for change
33. To continue to do well for Singapore and Singaporeans, we must stay ahead of the changes in our environment and continue to stay ahead by innovating. We know all this too well.
34. However, in an environment of constant change, we know it can be unsettling and even exhausting for our officers. As I always say in the Ministry of Education and in the Public Service, all of you pour your hearts out to serve but you cannot keep pouring your hearts out to serve if you are not growing or not being taken care of. We need to take care of ourselves; we need to take care of each other in this long journey ahead. And this is what our Public Service is committed to. I have been brought up by my commanders with a simple saying that I always remember: We take care of the men and women under our charge; the men and women will take care of our mission. But we can never accomplish our mission if we do not take care of our own. So, we will be enhancing the support given to our officers for their well-being.
35. For example, we rolled out the new Well-being@Gov programme this year. I urge you to tap on the resources provided which include self-care resources, coaching sessions, counselling, and so on. Beyond caring for your well-being, look out for your colleagues too.
36. We also want to empower officers to take charge of their longer-term well-being and growth, based on their own diverse needs. This is why we will be introducing “FlexiGrow” from October 2024. Eligible officers in the Civil Service will receive a $500 annual benefit that can be used flexibly to support your health, growth, and well-being. You will take charge and determine how best you want to use these resources.
37. The Public Service will also step up on our medical and dental benefits to better support public officers’ health. From 1 January 2025, officers will see medical subsidies at private clinics go up from $20 to up to $50 per visit, while dental subsidies will go up from $120 to up to $250 per year.
38. These and many are hygiene factors. You have our promise; the Public Service Division and the whole Public Service will do right by our officers, for our officers. But I must say that all these hygiene factors alone will not make us an attractive value proposition that can attract the best and most committed people to come and join us. Instead, it will be anchored on our sense of mission, our values and our gumption. That will inspire good people to come and join us in service of our nation and people. The greatest yardstick for our success is not just how we deliver for our country and people now and in the future, but also how we can inspire the next generation to want to come and join us in service of our nation.
39. Being in the Public Service is a calling. We will need to inspire a new generation, both young and the mid-careerists, to join us in our mission. The ability to contribute to and realise bold ambitions for Singapore’s future, and our conviction to build a better life for our fellow Singaporeans and our future generations will distinguish us.
40. Recently, I did a podcast with The Straits Times. They asked me, why join the Public Service when there are so many other options and opportunities elsewhere? And the simple answer is, there are many places where you can earn a good income. But there is only one place in Singapore where you can join hands with fellow Singaporeans to shape our future, our history. And that is the Singapore Public Service.
Mindset of continual growth
41. On this note, the Public Service will be taking the lead to extend the retirement and re-employment ages to 64 and 69 respectively from 1 July 2025, one year ahead of the national schedule. We recognise that with higher life expectancy, many of our older officers may want to stay active, including being meaningfully engaged at work for longer. We will support all officers who still wish to contribute and continue shaping the future of our country, regardless of age.
42. With all the disruptions in our operating environment, I hope our public officers feel the urgency to continually reinvent and reinvest in your skills – to stay relevant in a world where change is constant; to be always more than ready to harness the potential of new technologies, not just to do things better but to do better things; and to seize new opportunities; and to constantly build new bridges with people beyond Singapore.
43. Keep yourself mentally curious. Be game to learn and try new things. We will continue to push hard for lifelong learning and continual growth for our officers. The Public Service has significantly stepped up its growth and development opportunities, from formal training to hands-on development opportunities.
44. It will also include more regular rotation of our people across diverse sectors in the Public Service to allow our people to be exposed to the challenges in different sectors so that we can all work together as one community. These opportunities will include short-term attachments, gigs, job rotations and stints in the private sector. The take-up has increased five-fold in the past two years. We also have the Public Service for Good movement for officers to grow skills while doing good. We will continue to expand these efforts on various fronts with your participation and support.
45. We will also harness technology to help officers chart their growth and development plans more easily. By 2025, officers can use the One Talent Gateway (OTG), an AI-enabled platform, to build up competency profiles, identify competency gaps, access developmental opportunities, etc.
Conclusion
46. Last but not least, I would like to share the success picture in my heart. The crux is not that we have a perfect Public Service which can get 100 marks in everything we do. The crux of the Public Service is that we have officers who will get things right, even if the chips are down, and get things done, even if there are negative voices.
47. To do this, we must keep our ears close to the ground. We must never be populist and sacrifice our long-term sustainability for short term expediency. It is a delicate but important balance – to govern responsively for the short term, and responsibly for the long term.
48. Let me end by congratulating all the Public Sector Transformation Award winners today. You exemplify the spirit of Innovation, Growth and Care that we want to see in our Public Service. If we have these values and ethos deep within our Public Service DNA, I am confident that we can inspire the next generation of public officers to come forth and join us in this unique and meaningful career to shape our destiny in service of Singapore and Singaporeans.
49. Finally, I want to thank all of you here and online for doing what you do. Our success is never a given, but I am proud of the Public Service that we have today. We are not complacent, and we know the challenges ahead of us. I am proud that I have a team of officers, all of you, that will see through our challenges in good times and bad times. It is one thing to do the right things when times are good; it is yet another thing to do the right things even in tough times, when negative voices are there. It is one thing to get compliments; it is yet another thing to keep pressing on when there are no compliments.
50. Finally, I will end off with this little recap from a recent session that I had with the Middle East Institute. One participant stood up and asked – Minister, in 30 years’ time, how would you like the Singapore public to remember you as the Minister for Education? My answer was – It is quite irrelevant to me whether anybody will remember that there was a Minister for Education called Chan Chun Sing in 30 years’ time. It only matters to me that in 30 years' time, we still have a thriving Singapore that provides hope and opportunities for all Singaporeans.
51. The accomplishments that we have today are not due to the hard work of this generation. Before I took on this job, I went to see many of my predecessors. They all reminded me – in particular one of them reminded me clearly – for all the good that happens during our time in leadership, we should give thanks to our predecessors. For all the things that do not happen well after our time, we should take responsibility. May we always remember this, never to measure our contributions nor our accomplishments by the here and now. We measure it in the years and decades to come. And our greatest success, as Mr Lim Siong Guan used to say, is when the job is done, our people did not say “you did it for me” or “I did it”. Instead, our greatest accomplishment will be when the job is done, our people say “we did it together”.
52. Thank you very much for your service to the nation.