PUBLIC Service Commission (PSC) chairman Eddie Teo's astute speech ('Scholars must be able to both think and do', last Thursday) addresses core issues about the scholarship system in the civil service.

Implicit in the speech is the message that besides being able to think and do, scholarship holders must be able to identify with the ground while keeping a realistic view of circumstances. Scholarship holders are important in public service as upper management is mainly staffed by them.

They must be motivated and have people skills, be good communicators and think independently while encouraging the group to offer views. They should not be afraid to go against the grain when necessary.

Evaluation is another important element in policy planning. Scholarship holders should be earnest to find out how their policies affect people and whether they require any tweaks. Having the courage to face results is a core quality scholarship holders should have.

In recent years, there have been concerns that the scholarship system risks breeding like-minded technocrats with the same family backgrounds and values, belonging to the few elite school alumni, and fundamentally having the same world view. So they may be unable to offer the best solution for the public.

It is therefore essential for scholarship holders to mix with the ground and be acquainted with its pulses before being responsible for formulating policies.

The PSC Scholarship occupies a prestigious echelon in the Singapore vocabulary. Only top talent is recruited and groomed to take on leadership roles. And this is where the danger lies - a case in point made by Mr Teo - as when some scholarship holders desire to work in the 'sexier' ministries to advance their careers. Ultimately, it is public service over self-interest that must spur scholarship holders in government.

Lee Khum Thong

This article was first published in The Straits Times.