by MP for Aljunied GRC, Pritam Singh
During the last general elections, I raised the issue of the relatively low number of PSC scholarships awarded to minorities relative to their numbers in the overall population. In the July/August 2011 copy of Challenge, a bi-monthly publication of the Public Service Division, the Chairman of the PSC, Mr Eddie Teo, acknowledged that the Commission nudges itself when it finds too few non-Chinese applicants. However, in view of the disproportionately low number of minority scholars from 2002, an informal policy of nudging, I feel, may not be enough. I am not asking for an affirmative action programme or quotas for minority students, but for the PMO to look into ways to encourage Malay, Indian, Eurasian and other minorities to actively apply for PSC scholarships. In particular, the PMO can look into working with ethnic self-help groups like MENDAKI and SINDA and even the Eurasian Association in the larger way. In addition, it may be worthwhile for the self-help groups also to track the total number of minority applicants for PSC scholarships with PMO’s assistance if it is not doing so already.
The PSC Chairman was quoted as saying in the Challenge article that some may not want to join the public service. This ought to represent an opportunity for the self-help groups to work together with the PSC to encourage more minority students to apply for Government’s scholarship, especially since public service is a noble career.
PSC scholarships are not the only way to ensure a strong minority community. Not every bright Indian, Malay or Eurasian student may achieve the minimum requirements necessary to qualify for PSC scholarships. SINDA, MENDAKI and other self-help groups have an overarching duty to look after all students regardless of their educational profile. But drawing a connection between the number of minority applications and successful recipients of PSC scholarships would be a useful indicator of how far the minority communities have come along in the nation building journey.