Speech by Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at the 10th Singapore Scholarship Certificate Presentation Ceremony, on 4 Aug 2008 at 1600 hrs, the Capricorn, Level 1, Marina Mandarin Hotel

Excellencies

Singapore Scholars

Ladies and Gentlemen

1 Good afternoon, and a very warm welcome to all of you. I am pleased to be here this afternoon for the annual Singapore Scholarship Certificate Presentation Ceremony. This year, we are pleased to honour a new batch of 40 recipients from the ASEAN countries for the Singapore Scholarship, which is managed under the Singapore Cooperation Programme administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2 May I congratulate the 40 young men and women on your success in getting the scholarship. The Singapore Scholarship was started in 1999. Today's ceremony therefore holds a special significance for another reason, as it marks a milestone as we celebrate the tenth year of the Singapore Scholarship programme. Over the decade, we have awarded a total of 488 Singapore Scholarships to the ASEAN countries.

3 ASEAN is entering a new and important phase of its development. The ASEAN Charter was signed by all member countries at the ASEAN Summit held in Singapore last November. Seven members have ratified the Charter, and the remaining three are expected to ratify soon. The Charter signifies the commitment to a more integrated and effective ASEAN community.

4 At the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting chaired by Singapore, which was successfully concluded last month, Singapore also launched the ASEAN Studies Centre. The Centre provides academics and scholars an opportunity for intellectual research with regard to the integration of the ASEAN Community with its political/security, economic and socio-cultural pillars. The Centre is therefore an avenue for academics and scholars to contribute to the ASEAN process. I am sure many more ASEAN initiatives will be implemented in the coming years to bring us nearer to the goal of building an ASEAN Community by 2015.

5 As future leaders in the ASEAN Community, you and the future generations will reap the fruits of an integrated ASEAN Community. To fully realise this ASEAN Community vision, we must bring this sense of ASEAN integration and common destiny to the man in the street. Each succeeding generation must feel and do more for ASEAN than the generation before it. You must do your part.

6 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his opening address at the recent 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on 21 July 2008, said that we must not lose sight of the evolving regional and international landscape and must continue to keep ASEAN relevant to the international community. As bright and energetic ASEAN youths, you should play your part as an ambassador of ASEAN to make ASEAN relevant to you and the people around you.

7 The ASEAN community already has platforms dedicated to strengthening interaction amongst ASEAN youths and to increasing a sense of belonging to ASEAN. There is the ASEAN Youth Connect, which is an online journal and volunteerism portal dedicated to empower ASEAN youths. There is also the Youth@ASEAN, a platform for ASEAN youths to interact and exchange information and knowledge. I therefore urge all of you, as young scholars, to work with your peers and seniors to reach out and to come up with creative ideas, initiatives or projects that will foster unity among ASEAN youths and promote greater awareness of ASEAN internationally. You can even tap on the S$ 5 million Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund, that was launched in April 2007 and administered by the National Youth Coucil (NYC) of Singapore. You should challenge yourself to find creative ways to make ASEAN more useful to the international community.

8 As you study and mingle as scholars and undergraduates in the next few years, I hope the Singapore Scholarship programme will contribute to the process of building an ASEAN Community. As you interact with students and citizens from the various ASEAN countries, I hope you will imbibe this sense of ASEAN spirit and solidarity. As tomorrow's leaders, you must build on the efforts made by your predecessors and help steer the future direction of ASEAN, making it more relevant to the world at large.

9 On a broader perspective, apart from the Singapore Scholarship, Singapore has been providing technical assistance to our fellow ASEAN members. We have been sharing our experiences and expertise in various key areas, such as economic development, trade, urban development, environment management, information and communication technology, civil aviation, land transport and port management through the Singapore Cooperation Programme. To date, we have trained more than 34,000 participants from the ASEAN countries under our Singapore Cooperation Programme.

10 We hope this sharing has, and will continue to, contribute to the integration and human resource capacity building in ASEAN. Our focus has been on training and education. At last year's ceremony, I quoted an Asian proverb. I will repeat it today: "If you want to think one year ahead, plant rice. If you want to think 10 years ahead, plant trees. But if you want to think 100 years ahead, give education to people." This aptly describes the importance of educating young talents like all of you, and the positive impact it will have on the long-term future of ASEAN and the region.

11 Through the Singapore Scholarship Programme, you have been given the opportunity to study at one of the three universities in Singapore - the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, the National University of Singapore, and the Singapore Management University. Our universities reflect Singapore's multi-racial society and the aspirations of our youths. In addition, you will find many overseas students from many countries beyond ASEAN studying in our universities. Campus life can be vibrant, dynamic, challenging and and engaging. This is a great opportunity for you to take advantage of the situation, not only to acquire the knowledge and skills that are relevant to the developmental needs of your country but also to learn more about the rest of the world. You will then, upon your graduation, be better equipped to contribute meaningfully to your country and to the political, social, and economic environment in the region.

12 However, education should not be confined solely to the pursuit for academic excellence. It is important to have an all-rounded education, which includes character building, leadership development, making friends, acquiring social skills and having a set of values. In this regard, I am happy to know that many of our past and current scholars have been active in co-curricular activities and community work despite their busy academic schedules.

13 For example, Mr Hay Rotana from Cambodia has just graduated earlier this year from the National University of Singapore with a First Class Honours in Civil Engineering. He took part in the university's Volunteering Action Committee and spent precious time visiting and entertaining children at the National University Hospital. Mr Conti Seigmund Vincent Roque from the Philippines graduated from the Singapore Management University this year Magna Cum Laude in Economics. As part of the university's curriculum, he made a trip to the Philippines on a community service programme where he helped a federation of disabled persons run a business in which they themselves are the owners, managers, workers and sales people. Both Hay and Conti took away with them heartwarming lessons that could never be taught inside the classroom. These examples reinforce the importance of an all-round education and a desire to give back to society, and they should serve as role models for the new scholars to emulate.

14 I am happy to note that this year's scholars have also shown promise in participation in community service and co-curricular activities. For instance, Ms Elaine Wong from Malaysia, who achieved very good grades in her 'A' Level examinations, was actively involved as a UNICEF youth mentor and a peer facilitator in a Youth-to-Youth HIV/AIDS Outreach programme. Mr Jong Ming Chuan from Brunei, who scored straight As in his 'A' Level examinations, showed he was just as adept at sports by competing in Taekwondo at the district level. I encourage all of you to pursue co-curricular and community work and be actively involved during your stay in Singapore. This is part of character building.

15 We have arranged for a Singapore host family to be guardian to each of the new Singapore Scholars. The host family will help you to settle in quickly and act as a valuable point of contact for information, friendship, problems and advice, especially to those of you who are away from your home and family for the first time. To the participating host families who are here, I would like to thank all of you for volunteering your precious time and effort to this important function. In addition, a senior scholar has been assigned to each of the new scholars as a "buddy." The senior scholar will be able to help you to adjust to campus life and provide other valuable advice when it is needed. Do cherish this bond of friendship with your host family and your "buddy".

16 On behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I would like to thank our partners from the Ministry of Education, the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, the National University of Singapore, and the Singapore Management University for helping us implement the Singapore Scholarship programme. Your services are invaluable to the successful implementation of the programme. I am confident that the scholars are in very good hands.

17 Finally, I would like to wish each and every Singapore Scholar the very best in your studies. May your stay in Singapore be memorable, challenging and fulfilling. And do treasure the friendships you make, for all of you will be our future leaders in the region. Thank you.