Mr Lee Yi Shyan at the Hwa Chong Institution Awards Presentation Day

Speech by Guest-of-Honor, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, at the Awards Presentation Day in Hwa Chong Institution Cheng Yi Auditorium on Saturday, 12 July 2008 at 2.30pm

Mr. Choong Buat Ken, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hwa Chong Institution;

Mr. Peter Yeo Hee Lian, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Hwa Chong Institution;

Mr. Ang Wee Hiong, CEO/Principal of Hwa Chong Institution;

Mr Koh Kim Huat, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Hwa Chong International School;

Mr Ong Eng Chang, President, Hwa Chong Alumni Association;

Distinguished Guests,

Teachers, Students, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good afternoon.

It gives me great pleasure to join you at today’s Awards Presentation Day.

Returning to my alma mater, after graduating from here 28 years ago, brings me much nostalgia. The world in 1980 was very different from the world we are in today. As a country, as a people, as a society, we have progressed. GDP per capita rose from then US$5,800 to today’s US$35,000, making us one of the highest in Asia. Hwa Chong then was a top Junior College (happily this has not changed), graduating students with academic excellence and bilingual capabilities. Today’s Hwa Chong is even more rounded, innovative and holistic, developing leaders for tomorrow.

In those days, learning was very much a classroom experience. We learnt from lecturers and tutors inside the classrooms. We took notes from OHP. There was no internet. The nearest phone was at the college’s admin building or at the tuck shop. Class choices were like an a la carte menu, with some variety but limited.

Today, our learning goes beyond classroom into the World Wide Web. Our lecturers give us the outline but we challenge existing norms and debate with our classmates. In fact, in Hwa Chong’s IP, many of you took on field trips, immersion programs and participate in international competition overseas. You are learning not just from within Singapore but also with the perspective of the world. Learning experience in Hwa Chong is like enjoying an international buffet. Hwa Chong gives you the opportunities to savior the world.

I read from your website as well as from the booklet that is given to us that HCI has many fine examples of very talented students. Just to name a few - Wee Liang En is known for his all-roundedness and versatility. Cassidy Lim excels in language and sciences. Wang Danqing enjoys music and physics. Shermaine Oh impresses with her leadership qualities. Hang Hao Chuien sets his sight on a research career. Tan Jin Rong raises funds for community services. Lim Louisa Jean excels in academic pursuits, leadership and sports. Lin Qin Tan is not only a national sailor but also a bilingual correspondent for Lianhe Zaobao. Wu Fan dances, serves in community and is now an SAF scholar. What a talented pool of students you have.

These fine accomplishments as we know, are but inspiring some examples of the 961 all-rounded students that Hwa Chong proudly produces in its first IP cohort.

I am most confident that Hwa Chong’s IP curriculum would prepare you well for the future. As you embark on further studies, as you step into the real working world, as you shoulder responsibility, you would find Hwa Chong’s training relevant and useful.

It is not just the technical depths you need, it is also the intangibles of the learning process that will become useful habits and skill sets in your working lives. Some would even argue that people skills are even more important than technical skills to succeed in the real world. How do you relate to people? How do you motivate your team members? How do you lead? How do you become resourceful in problem solving? This, I believe, is why Hwa Chong places so much emphasis on character building, group learning and collective achievements.

In the course of my work, I get to meet with many people here and overseas. When in Moscow two months ago, a Taiwanese-Singaporean businessman in the semiconductor industry consultancy services told me how his Russian clients accorded great respect to his Singaporean technical team. Each time he visits his Russian plant sites, he would receive red carpet treatment. A university lecturer I met two weeks ago described the kind of detailed attention given to Singaporean speakers at international conferences, even though our speakers were hardly the most eloquent compared to other nationalities. A social worker whom I met two days ago told me when their relief team went into Aceh to help in re-construction, they were treated with great respect, knowing that their lives would be changed in the hands of the reliable Singaporean team. In all these instances, we know Singapore enjoys a high international reputation. And often, this national reputation precedes the individual us. This we would find out each time we travel abroad.

Yet, reputation comes from consistency. The international reputation we enjoy today was built with hard work driven by a set of core values over the past four decades. It is a culmination of how the state conducts its external affairs, how Singaporeans relate to each other, how the society tackles its problem together, how we overcome odds and move forward. Many foreigners are curious how from a tiny island mass of 700 sq. km we could build a standard of living being amongst the best in Asia and even in the world.

To steer Singapore into the future, into another 40 years of progress and happiness, we would need many talented individuals excelling in their own fields of pursuit and with a heart for the larger society. In short, we need leaders not just with the head but also with the heart, not just individual accomplishments but also group advancement.

I am therefore encouraged by the fact that Hwa Chong in your emphasis of leadership development has aimed to develop students with a sense of obligations towards the society, a desire to make a difference in people’s lives. “Leadership is not just about being at the forefront and taking charge..” says the former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, “the joy of leadership is about unlocking potential in people, to help people achieve more than they thought was possible”.

Your teaching of Confucian values of persistent pursuit of knowledge （格物、致知）, an unwavering commitment to the highest honor and integrity （诚意、正心）would develop strong leaders. Your students learn about being responsible to self （修身）, family （齐家）, and country （治国）, but who can also help sustain fellow citizens and transform society （平天下）.The inculcation of attitudes of nation before family, of community before self, I believe, will be Hwa Chong’s biggest contribution to Singapore.

As we celebrate this important milestone of your life, it is only right that we express our gratitude to your parents, your family, your teachers, your friends and those who love and support you.Let me congratulate all the prize-winners. Let us also thank your parents and teachers who have contributed very significantly to your success.

Finally, remember your alma mater as proverb 饮水思源 says. Stay in touch with the Hwa Chong community, your peers, your teachers and help mentor the juniors. Be proud of Hwa Chong. Make Hwa Chong proud of you.

Thank you.