MOST of the current generation of young scholars are responsible and dedicated, but a few have a poor attitude and misplaced expectations. Some are very choosy about their postings and tend to place their personal interest above organisational interest, said chairman of the Public Service Commission Eddie Teo.
'Many Management Associates or MAs want to go to Ministry of Trade and Industry or Ministry of Finance for their first postings and get upset if they are posted elsewhere. One was so upset that he resigned, breaking his bond,' said Mr Teo, in an address to some 350 scholarship holders from 27 public agencies at the annual Singapore Seminar in London on Oct 31.

Full Story

the high-flying scholars currently in their 30s are mostly those who worked at MTI or MOF under Lee Hsien Loong in their early career.

LHL still oversees these economic-related ministries.

Should consider hiring mid career people or even late career people that have spent more time being with the common people and have gone through retrenchment. They will be asking "what is a bonus".

It is always a problem to assign or convince bright spark and ambitious people (nothing wrong have these qualities) to take on positions that are never quite glamorous.

Thank you Mr Teo for bringing this concern up.

I am afraid that this was exactly the situation that has taken place now, which explains, all these "Berserk" Policies that seem to "displaced", our own Citizens ...........and probably, designed towards these Scholars own KPI ratings and "rice bowl"

However, this are only valid concerns, being "Voiced". Somebody at the Top must accept this "Findings" and willingly to put things Right...........Right?

These are probably spoiled brats hailing from well-to-do families, and they don't even appreciate the scholarship. Why should the government beg them to take the scholarship? Is Singapore really deprived of talent? Talent doesn't only exist in the form of academic excellence only. If Singapore wants to be world class, we have to change our mindsets.

MOST of the current generation of young scholars are responsible and dedicated, but a few have a poor attitude and misplaced expectations. Some are very choosy about their postings and tend to place their personal interest above organisational interest, said chairman of the Public Service Commission Eddie Teo.

This reveals the loopholes in the selection process for scholars, doesn't it?

They don't want to miss out on the mega bucks. Once they don the white uniform, iron rice bowl and fat pay checks await them...why waste time understanding retrenchment exercises.

If some have poor attitude and weak personality, why are they not weed out during the selection process? I wonder if they are children of well known personalities.

i do not blame the scholars for thinking this way.
i blame the POOR SELECTION process by the scholarship boards and the expectations they create. There's too much asymmetric information with regards to what being a scholar means.

If the people at the top sings their own praises all the time (e.g. I am a talent) and demands million-dollar salaries like in the private sector (w/o the risk of retrenchments), how can you blame their younger followers for doing the same?