Opening Address by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport, Second Minister for Finance, at the MOT Family Scholarship Award Ceremony

Parents and Family Members

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Good evening. I would like to begin by congratulating our 25 undergraduate and 29 postgraduate recipients of our Beacon Scholarships, and their loved ones.

2. This is our fifteenth year of awarding the Beacon Scholarship, which was first introduced in 2010 to attract Singaporeans with the talent and desire to embark on exciting careers in the transport sector. We have awarded scholarships in diverse areas including engineering, economics, and international relations.

Placing people first by enhancing livability

3. In the past year, we have navigated through several global headwinds, from the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical tensions. It is crucial that in times of uncertainty, we remain steadfast in our commitment as a supply chain hub to meet the connectivity needs of our people, as we prepare for future challenges, including climate change and technological developments.

4. Through better connectivity and convenience, we are making Singapore more livable for all. Core to this vision is our car-lite strategy for land transport, where Walk-Cycle-Ride are the main modes of transport. We have increased our Walk-Cycle-Ride mode share for peak period journeys, from 71% in 2016 to 74% in 2022, while the proportion who drove decreased from 29% to 26% over the same period. Over the past decade, we also have grown our rail network by 40%, with the opening of Downtown Line and the first three stages of the Thomson-East Coast Line, or TEL; and we continue to expand the rail network, with the opening of TEL stage 4 in June this year, as well as TEL stage 5 in 2026. Together with extensions to the North East Line, Downtown Line and Circle Line to be completed by 2026, these efforts will benefit 90,000 more households across the east, northeast and central areas.

5. To grow, operate and maintain a larger public transport network, we will need individuals with a wide range of deep skills. Our scholars are an important pool of talent for the land transport sector. One of our scholars this year, Mr. Muhammad Nurhakim Bin Norhazhar will be pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, with a Minor in Data Engineering, at the National University of Singapore. Upon graduation, Hakim will be joining LTA to contribute to the sustainable advancement of Singapore's rail infrastructure, fueled by his personal passion for robotics and artificial intelligence.

6. To complement our rail and bus network, we are making it more convenient to walk or cycle to transport nodes. The Government is investing $1 billion over the next decade to improve first-mile and last-mile connectivity in our neighbourhoods, by expanding the Friendly Streets initiative and enhancing commuter infrastructure for residents. We also want to promote safe usage of footpaths, which will become more important with an ageing population. This includes reducing the speed limit for mobility scooters from 10km/h to 6km/h, and imposing size limits for Personal Mobility Aids on paths.

7. As you can tell, many of our programmes are implemented over many years, some can even span decades. It is important that we retain our talent in the MOT family, so that there is strong institutional knowledge and continuity. At the same time, we recognize that it is helpful for our officers to have the opportunities to recharge and get updated with the latest research and technological developments. I am pleased that amongst our scholars this year, we have Ms Goh Guan Hui who will be pursuing her Masters in Transport at Imperial College London. Guan Hui is returning to school after 13 years of working on land transport issues across different agencies, including promoting a caring commuting culture in Singapore. Guan Hui views her academic pursuit as an opportunity to reintroduce fresh perspectives, and to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

A sustainable and future-ready transport system

8. As we expand our transport network - be it air, land or sea, we must continue to reduce its carbon footprint so that our transport system becomes more sustainable. Let me share a few examples:

a. For aviation, we launched our Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint in February this year, which sets out medium-term and long-term aviation sustainability targets. To achieve this, we announced a target of 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuels, or SAF, uplift in Singapore from 2026. Our goal is to raise the SAF target beyond 1% in 2026 to between 3% and 5% by 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF.

b. For maritime, we are preparing our port for a multi-fuel future and to decarbonise our domestic port operations. We have completed pilots and trials for new fuels such as methanol and ammonia. To prepare our port and maritime workers for this transition, we will be developing the regulatory framework and safety standards and processes in the coming years.

c. For land transport, we are expanding our charging network in HDB carparks to support a growing EV population. By end of 2025, every HDB carpark will be equipped with EV chargers. The Government will also kickstart the deployment of fast chargers at HDB Town Centres and JTC's premises, which are frequented by fleet drivers during their breaks and close to amenities such as hawker centres and coffeeshops.

9. Our returning scholars like Mr Jotham Teo, are playing an important role in these sustainability efforts. In his current role in MPA, Jotham leverages geospatial data to support the safety, efficiency and sustainability of maritime and port operations. Since his return, Jotham has been actively supporting Singapore's leadership in the United Nations Working Group on Marine Geospatial Information. This experience has allowed him to work with international geospatial experts and contribute to global geospatial initiatives.

10. In time to come, Jotham will be joined by likes of Mr Wong Shinji, Daniel, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Data Science and Economics at the National University of Singapore. The importance of using data to drive policy and operational decisions will only grow. With Shinji's passion for technology and artificial intelligence, combined with his data science expertise, we believe he will be able to make important contributions to CAAS and the aviation industry when he returns upon graduation.

Closing

11. I have outlined some of the work that we do across the three different sectors - land, air and sea. In MOT, the work that we do has an important impact on Singapore's competitiveness, as well as our connectivity to the rest of the world. Domestically, it is also a very important role that we take to support the connectivity needs of our residents in different parts of Singapore. So, whether it is through public transport, which we are continuing to build and invest in, or through other modes of transport - such as Point-to-Point transport and private vehicles - as well as last mile connectivity, all these serve to connect people and improve their lives. This is a very worthy mission that I hope will inspire our scholars to work hard and contribute towards. Some of the projects that you work on may take many years, and you may not see them through from beginning to end, but one day, you can tell your juniors or your children that you have contributed to the project during your career with the MOT family. I hope that this gives you a great sense of pride and achievement.

12. We are not done building Singapore or building and growing our transport network. So, there will still be many opportunities for our scholars to work on.

13. I want to end my speech by wishing all our scholars all the very best for your studies. I hope that you make full use of the time that you have during your studies to gain as much exposure to new experiences and views as possible. We look forward to seeing the impact you will make to MOT's purpose and mission upon your return. I wish you every success in your studies and your careers.

14. Thank you.