President's Scholar

A President's Scholar is a recipient/awardee of the most prestigious class of university undergraduate scholarships handed out to pre-university students with Singaporean citizenship annually, with approximately only 2-4 being handed out each year.

Such students have demonstrated excellence in both academic ability and co-curricular activities, a strong ethos of public service, soundness of character and the potential to lead. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a selection committee chaired by the Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Singapore.

President's Scholarships are generally awarded concurrently with another PSC Scholarship:

* the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship,
* the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship, or
* the Overseas Merit Scholarship / Local-Overseas Merit Scholarship.

History of the scholarship

The President’s Scholarships has its roots in the Queen’s Scholarship, founded in 1885. The Queen’s Scholarships was initiated by Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, Governor of the Straits Settlements. It was awarded to the best student of the year by a special selection board. Past Queen’s scholars include E.W. Barker and Kwa Geok Choo.

The Queen’s Scholarships were abolished in 1959 and replaced by the Singapore State Scholarship when Singapore became self-governing. Past Singapore State scholars include Tony Tan Keng Yam and Yeo Ning Hong.

In August 1964, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship were inaugurated to replace the State Scholarships.

In 1966, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship was renamed The President’s Scholarship following Singapore’s independence.

Recipients

Many recipients of the President's Scholarship go on to work in top positions in the civil service and government sector, with prominent figures, such as Lee Hsien Loong, George Yeo, Teo Chee Hean and Vivian Balakrishnan in the Cabinet of Singapore.

According to statistics collected by The Straits Times, the three schools having the highest number of President Scholars as their alumni are as follow:

Some notable recipients include: [ [http://www.pscscholarships.gov.sg/SCHOLARS_SPEAK/HALL+OF+FAME.htm Public Service Commission - Scholarships ] ]
*Lim Siong Guan (1965) - Chairman, Economic Development Board and Group Managing Director of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
*Barry Desker (1966) - Dean, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
*Kishore Mahbubani (1967) - Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
*Su Guaning (1967) - President, Nanyang Technological University
*Lee Hsien Loong (1970) - Prime Minister of Singapore
*Low Sin Leng (1971) - Executive Chairman of SembCorp Parks Holdings/SembCorp Parks Management, SembCorp Industries Limited
*Alan Chan Heng Loon (1972) - Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Press Holdings
*Ho Ching (1972) - Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Temasek Holdings
*Chan Seng Onn (1973) - Judge, Supreme Court of Singapore
*George Yeo Yong Boon (1973) - Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
*Teo Chee Hean (1973) - Minister, Ministry of Defence
* 1974
** Lee-Tsao Yuan - Member of Board of Directors of Keppel Corporation Limited and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Group & Executive Director of SDC Consulting
**Ko Kheng Hwa - Managing Director, Economic Development Board
** Chan Kum Wah Roy - Medical Director, Singapore National Skin Centre
** David Lim Tik En
* 1975:
** Chan Soo Sen
** Desiree Lie
** Lim Chong Kiat
** Lim Kian Guan
** Ivan Png
** Thomas See
*Lee Hsien Yang (1976) - Chairman of Board of Directors, Fraser and Neave
*Ang Peng Tiam (1977) - Oncologist, P. T. Ang Medical Oncology Clinic
*Koh Juat Jong (1978) - Solicitor-General, Attorney-General's Chambers
*1979
** Benedict Cheong Thiam Beng - Chief Executive Officer, Temasek Foundation
** Ong Kian Min
*Vivian Balakrishnan (1980) - Minister, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and Honorary Senior Consultant, Singapore National Eye Centre
* 1983
** Goh Kok Huat
* 1984
**Ng Chee Khern - Chief of Air Force, Ministry of Defence
* 1985
** Ang Bee Leng
** Cheang Ai Geok, Judith
** Lye Kit Mei, Charmaine
** Tan Kok Kiang
** Tan Kai Hoe
* 1986
** Toh Han Li
** Wong Ann Chai
** Claudine Lim Hsi-Yun
** Margaret Tan Puay Kuen
** Yeo Teck Yong
** Christine Yap Hui Ann
** Fong Yoke Fai
** Gary Ang Aik Hwang
* 1987
** Low Pat Chin
* 1988
** Chan Chun Sing
* 1989
** Hoo Sheau Peng
** Lee Seow Hiang - Deputy Director General (Operations), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
** Lynette Shek Pei-Chi - Associate Professor of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology and Consultant Paediatrician, University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health System (comprising National University Hospital and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine), Singapore
** Ng Chee Peng
* 1990
* 1991
** Perry Lim Cheng Yeow
** Eugenia Tan Yun Chin
* 1992
** Lai Chung Han
* 1993
**Evelyn Goh Hui Ling
**Karen Lam Jr-Earn
**Lionel Cheng Tim-Ee
* 1994
** Ong Tze Ch'in
** Tan Yau Boon Barrie
* 1995
** Chin Chuan Fei
** Ho Chui Ping Tracey
** Pang Sze Kim
* 1996
** Chor Han Ping Davin
** Cheng Tai Heng

References

External links

* [http://app.psc.gov.sg/scholarships/html/index.asp Scholarship Centre of Singapore's Public Service Commission]