Opening Remarks by Minister for Transport Mr S Iswaran at the MOT Family Beacon Scholarship Ceremony 2022

Our Beacon Scholarship recipients, parents and family members, 

Colleagues from the MOT family

Ladies and gentlemen

1.     A very good evening to all of you. First, let me begin by congratulating our 36 undergraduate and 21 postgraduate recipients of our Beacon Scholarships, and your family members who are here today, who certainly have a share in your success.

2.     The Beacon Scholarship was introduced in 2010 to attract talented Singaporeans with the desire to contribute to Singapore’s dynamic transport sector. This is the 13th year that the MOT Family is awarding the Beacon Scholarships, and I am particularly happy that we are able to celebrate this happy occasion in person this year, after not being able to do so for the last two years due to the pandemic.

Recovery of Transport Sector Made Possible by Dedicated MOT Family Officers

3.     All of us have felt the impact of COVID-19 on our families, our daily lives, our transport sector and our transport sector workers, many of whom were on the frontline and bore the brunt of the challenges posed by the pandemic.  

4.     There are now clear and promising signs of a post-pandemic recovery for the sector. Today, public transport and the number of point-to-point trips have recovered to about 80 per cent of pre-COVID-19 levels.  Passenger traffic through Changi Airport over the June school holidays also averaged around 50 per cent of pre-COVID-19 levels. Fortunately, our sea port remained open and resilient throughout the pandemic, and in fact, in 2021 last year, the PSA recorded its highest ever container throughput.

5.     The resilience and recovery of our transport sector has been made possible by the dedication of our officers in the MOT Family.  This includes returning scholars who made important contributions.  Angela Li was a scholarship recipient just like you five years ago in 2017 - when the closure of our borders was quite unimaginable.  Upon graduation, she joined CAAS in 2021, when we were really in the thick of dealing with the pandemic and its consequences. She was part of the team that worked to implement our Vaccinated Travel Lanes, and more recently, formulate the Vaccinated Travel Framework. Both of these initiatives have been integral to the recovery of Singapore's air hub.

6.     Our new cohort of scholars will be joining an illustrious and industrious line of MOT family officers who have made significant contributions and laid the critical foundations for our transport sector. For some, like MPA undergraduate scholar, Luqman Hakim bin Abdul Razak, it is a family tradition. I understand that he was inspired to join the maritime sector by his grandfather, who had also worked in this sector.

Focus on Long-term Driving Forces  

7.     Even as we emerge from the pandemic, it is essential that we keep our focus on the long-term driving forces that will have profound implications for our transport sector. Changing work and travel patterns are reshaping urban mobility and the choices people make.  Global shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, underscore the need to build up resilience in our supply chains. At the same time, digitalisation and new technologies are transforming industries.

8.     Climate change, perhaps, is the defining long-term challenge of our times.  There is a global need and call for urgent action, and in Singapore we are resolutely committed to play our part in this critical effort. The Singapore Green Plan sets out our national sustainability agenda. In February this year, we announced that we will raise our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by or around mid-century. Sustainable transport is a key pillar of the Green Plan. For example, land transport accounts for about 15 per cent of our national emissions. Therefore, we will take action across all three domains - land, sea, and air.

9.     We are starting from a strong foundation, given our emphasis on Walk Cycle Ride over the years and openness to innovation and new technologies.  Sustainability has always been intrinsic to our transport sector, and we are pressing on with ambitious sustainability targets:

a.     In parallel with the national goal, we aim to reduce land transport emissions by 80 per cent by or around mid-century, from the peak in 2016.

b.     We have released the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint, outlining targets and strategies across seven focus areas, including for our port terminals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 

c.     We will also be setting long-term sustainability goals for our air hub in the upcoming Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint.

10.   The transition to a low-carbon future will also unlock potential for growth.  New low-carbon solutions will present opportunities for businesses and industries - be it in the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem, or the adoption of greener fuels for shipping and aviation. We will build on these efforts to give Singapore a competitive edge and catalyse growth and climate action both at home and beyond our borders.

11.    Tackling climate change and readying our transport sector for sustainable growth will be a multi-generational and cross-sectoral endeavor, and our MOT Family scholars and officers will play a critical role in this transformation.

12.    For example, MOT's Lawrence Ong was part of the Singapore delegation that negotiated the landmark Paris Climate Change Agreement in 2015. Lawrence will be deepening his understanding of finance and technology, especially in the emerging field of green financing, as he undertakes his Masters in Financial Technology and Analytics at SMU.

13.    Meanwhile, LTA’s Emma Tan will be pursuing her post-graduate degree in Geotechnical Engineering. She aims to design and construct transport infrastructure adapted to rising sea levels, and to apply machine learning to improve the efficiency of construction projects. These are all important areas of work that will define the future of the transport sector, and perhaps, most importantly from your perspective, it means that careers in the transport sector are promising, exciting and only limited by the scope of your imagination and energy.

Closing

14.    I would like to conclude by first acknowledging and thanking the parents, families, teachers and mentors who have nurtured and supported our scholarship recipients. You have been an important part of their growth, development and success, and we thank you for your contributions.

15.    To our undergraduate scholars, I warmly welcome you to the MOT family, and to our post-graduate scholars, thank you for your service; This scholarship is a recognition of your hard work, dedication and also, your potential to contribute even more to MOT’s mission.

16.    I hope this scholarship opportunity enables all of you to deepen your knowledge, broaden your horizons and expand your networks. If I may, please also remember that as a scholarship recipient, you also have a duty and responsibility, to apply your learning and experiences to improve the lives of our fellow Singaporeans – that is the ultimate mission that we are all charged with. We look forward to the fresh insights, networks and energy all of you will bring upon your return from your studies.

17.    I wish you all every success in your studies and your careers with the MOT Family. Welcome, congratulations, and all the best! Thank you.