10. Conclusion

Looking at the Public Service as a whole, I think there is enough evidence for me to end on an upbeat note. I was present at a dinner with Tony Blair recently and he told us how, during his recent visits as a public governance consultant to African and Arab countries, they all invariably ask him to make them into another Singapore. It would be even better if Blair hears this from advanced countries, but it still indicates that Singapore has a good global reputation. For such a tiny country, we have not done too badly.

This well-deserved reputation is in no small degree due to our Public Service. Things work well in Singapore because we continue to have a continuous stream of able, efficient, effective and empathetic public servants. And much of that is in turn due to our scholarships system, which enables the Public Service to receive its fair share of Singapore's top talent.

I am sure that most of you are looking forward to joining and working in this Public Service. To me, it was a fascinating career - with tremendous variety and important assignments. Don't expect every day to be fascinating and important but stay contented by never losing sight of who you are serving - your people and your country.

That was enough to sustain me through 37 years in the Public Service. Not once did I think of leaving. I hope you will enjoy your future career as much as I did mine.

Let me end by quoting two friends who have been giving thoughtful advice to our Public Service. Both coincidentally make similar points in describing the job of a civil servant. One is Peter Shergold, who used to run the Australian Public Service: 'Civil service is a tough job. It is not easy to give advice fearlessly...or to deliver policy decisions uncomplainingly when that advice has not been accepted...The ability of civil service leaders to shape public policy comes at a personal cost. To a considerable extent, their influence is wielded behind closed doors. Their public voice needs to be carefully modulated. It requires leaders able to serve successive ministers with equal dedication. For all these reasons, the civil service is not a job for everyone...Yet, civil service has its distinctive rewards. It is a job that has meaning and purpose. It involves the provision of public value, not shareholder gain, with benefits delivered to citizens, not consumers. How well it is done affects, to a lesser or greater extent, the future well-being of society.'

The other is Jocelyn Bourgon, who ran the Canadian Public Service: 'The public sector is not for everyone. You must believe in the importance of the State. You must be passionate about what the Government can accomplish. Good policies can change the course of events and improve the standard of living and quality of life of citizens.'

Thank you.