By Smita Krishnaswamy

TIMOTHY Toh has developed a strong interest in politics and is keen to build a career in which he can have a direct influence on his community.

Mr Toh, 19, has just secured some vital help along the path to this dream.

He is one of 15 recipients of the FIREfly scholarship, covering six different agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He is attached to the Economic Development Board.

Almost 1,800 applications were received for the scholarship this year.

The FIREfly scholarship recipients received their awards from Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Auditorium yesterday.

In a speech, Mr Lee encouraged the scholarship recipients to be open- minded in their learning. He said solving problems in the digital world required many skills, and emphasised the need to develop an interest in history, society and people.

Mr Toh, from Temasek Junior College, said taking part in a Model United Nations conference hosted by the National University of Singapore's political science department had crystallised his interest in politics.

He will be pursuing economics and politics in either the United States or Britain after his national service in 2011.

Another FIREfly scholarship recipient, Ms Wan Qian Ling, who is affiliated with the STB, plans to study sociology and social anthropology at Manchester University. Ms Wan, 19, said she is a 'people person' who likes to learn about different cultures, and added that the STB scholarship was a natural choice.

The Hwa Chong Institution graduate's interest in sociology was sparked by a special paper she undertook in literature, for which she researched racism.

Three of this year's 15 scholarship holders will be studying in France, Germany and China. The rest plan to study in the US or Britain.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.