Speech by Minister Lawrence Wong at the MND EDGE Scholarship Presentation Ceremony

Jul 27, 2018

Good morning. I am very happy to join you for the MND EDGE Scholarship presentation ceremony.  

Let me start by congratulating all our scholars and also your family members who are here. The government has been giving out scholarships every year to provide opportunities for young Singaporeans to realise their full potential, serve in the public sector, and contribute to building a better Singapore.

Nowadays, there are many more options to choose from. You have scholarships not just from the public sector but also many private sector scholarships. But even though we have so many more options for young people, I am glad that MND scholarships remain attractive.

The applications for MND scholarships went up this year and reached a new high. This morning we are very happy to welcome 55 scholars. Forty one of you are new to the MND family, 14 of you are in-service staff who will be pursuing further studies under scholarship.

The work in every ministry in government is interesting. To paraphrase a colleague of mine - every ministry is a good ministry. So I am biased, I would say that the MND work has special meaning because the work we do relates to our living environment. It is about our city, our infrastructure, our buildings, our nature and greenery, our biodiversity and parks. And ultimately, it is more than just a technical issue or an urban or planning issue. It is about a collective exercise to build a sense of nationhood, to build that sense of community, a place where we uphold our heritage, our character, our identity and values and ultimately a home where everyone belongs.  That’s the kind of work that MND does and these are issues that Singaporeans care about, and they have high expectations of the government.    

We face our share of challenges in MND. In every Parliamentary Sitting, MND will be amongst the ministries with one of the highest Parliamentary Questions posed to us. Not surprising because the work we do touches the lives of so many Singaporeans. But the work we do is also very fulfilling – because it can make a difference in the lives of many people. 

For some of you, Singapore may seem very built-up and well-developed. After all, we have gone from third world to first. And as you heard just now in the video, every inch of land in Singapore is optimised, developed and planned for. So you may ask, is there still space for new development? 

The short answer is yes. Because with good, long-term planning, we are able to free up large parcels of land for future development. For example, you would have read about our plans to move the air base in Paya Lebar to Changi.  That parcel of land in Paya Lebar can be redeveloped into a mixed-use town larger than the size of Ang Mo Kio and Bishan today. We are moving our ports in the city and Pasir Panjang to Tuas, and that whole area can be freed up – prime waterfront land for the extension of Marina Bay. That space itself is three times the size of Marina Bay. So imagine how we can extend Marina Bay and our downtown further by three times its current size. The short answer as I said is that we are not done building Singapore because there is still much more that needs to be done, so much more room and space for us to continually rejuvenate and transform Singapore, which we have to.

The Singapore we have today was largely built up over the last 50 years.  It is the result of long-term planning, hard work and systematic implementation over many decades by our pioneers and our founding fathers.

We housed a nation. We built world-class infrastructure, and we made this a beautiful City in a Garden. Now it’s our turn to carry the torch and transform Singapore again. And there are many things we have to do. We have to identify different ways to refresh and modernise our urban landscape. We have to renew and rejuvenate our housing estates and towns. We have to do more to take care of the social and housing needs of vulnerable Singaporeans, especially the lower-income and elderly, and build a more inclusive society. We have to step up efforts to green our island and make it more than just a City in a Garden, but also a City, rich in biodiversity, co-existing in harmony with nature.

We have to start taking steps to tackle the global challenge of global warming, especially the threat of rising sea levels. These are just some of the very major long-term challenges we have to start preparing for. So all in all, we are talking about a massive undertaking –  a grand project to reimagine, reinvent and rebuild Singapore for the future. 

All of you will remember we just celebrated SG50 not too long ago. And we recall the sense of pride and achievement we all felt on our golden anniversary. Our task, your task, is to build a better version of Singapore in the next 50 years. We want to make Singapore one of the greenest and most sustainable cities in the world– a beautiful city which we can call our home, and where the human spirit can flourish.

That’s our aim for SG100 in 2065. Not all of us in this room will be lucky enough to live till 2065. But I’m sure our scholars, all of you are in your twenties–  you are still young enough to see SG100 and you should aim to make SG100 even better than SG50.

This passing of the torch from one generation to another is more than just a symbolic reference. It is also a highly personal matter to some of our scholars. For example, one of our scholars is Josiah Tan. His parents – Mr and Mrs Tan who are here today– both worked at HDB. Growing up, Josiah heard many stories about HDB’s work from his parents. His father would tell him about estate upgrading, about how that can improve the neighbourhood, about how HDB was researching into different kinds of paints for the walls so that they can be more durable. 

And through such first-hand accounts, Josiah developed a passion for urban issues, geography and community service. So now he will be pursuing Geography and Economics under an HDB Undergraduate Scholarship. His dream is to contribute to the future of public housing, as his parents have done, and make a difference in the lives of Singaporeans through a career in the HDB.

Not all of our scholars would have parents or family members that work in MND agencies. But I am sure all of you are equally passionate about the work of the MND family. I hope you see your work as going beyond that of a job or a career. It is really a special calling – to make the most of the opportunities that you have been given, and to use your talents to uplift the lives of your fellow Singaporeans, strengthen our communities, and shape our nation’s development. 

Before I conclude, I would also like to recognise the people behind our scholars, literally sitting behind you. All of our scholars here owe their successes and accomplishments not just to your own hard work and talent, but also to many supportive friends and families. So I would like to pay tribute to the family members and loved ones of these scholars who are here today –  you have played, and will continue to play, an important role in helping them pursue their passion.  I am sure that they are grateful to you for your unwavering support, so let me invite the scholars to give a round of applause to thank all the parents who are here.

Finally, to all our scholars – as you embark on your studies, remember to stay humble, to continue to improve yourselves, learn and improve and excel in everything you do. Getting a scholarship does not mean you get an automatic ticket to a successful career. Bear that in mind. You have to prove yourself. In fact, more will be expected of you and you have to work harder and make more sacrifices. 

Always remember the opportunities that you have been given, and find ways to give back in your service to the community and make a difference in the lives of Singaporeans. I am confident that you will all live to the high standards that are expected of you, and help to take Singapore to our next stage of development as a nation. 

So on that note, let me congratulate all of you once again and I look forward to working with you when you come back to shape Singapore’s future together.