[Photo: (From front) Jasmine Wang Tsui Mun, Loo Ming Da and Goh Wei Ming were among the 29 students from low-income families who received their scholarships yesterday.]

By Elizabeth Wilmot

TEMASEK Holdings' chief executive Ho Ching yesterday paid tribute to the late Howe Yoon Chong, a former government minister, well-known for championing the building of Singapore's first container terminal.

'Mr Howe had been a giant in the Singapore landscape. The clean and reliable SMRT solution for our land transport needs, the Changi International Airport which sets the standards for airports around the world and connects us to the world, and the world's busiest transhipment PSA port serving global trade - these are the legacies of a far-sighted and bold visionary.

'He was one of my favourite people when I was a young enthusiastic defence engineer, and he, the Minister for Defence. He had strong views and was always unconventional in his thinking, but he was also always open to new ideas,' she said.

Ms Ho was the guest of honour at a ceremony at the PSA building, where global port group PSA International presented the inaugural Howe Yoon Chong PSA Scholarships to 29 students yesterday - the first batch to receive them.

The scholarships come from a $16 million endowment fund from PSA, Temasek Holdings and NatSteel, set up in honour of Mr Howe.

The fund aims to award 150 scholarships in its first five years to students from low-income families. They must be Singapore citizens aged 25 and below, and come from homes whose household per capita income does not exceed $750 per month.

They will also have to gain admission to one of several designated educational institutions, which include the polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

'Like Mr Howe himself, the character of the Howe Yoon Chong PSA Scholarship is different from most other scholarships. It recognises the triumph of human spirit over trying and difficult circumstances, and celebrates the achievements outside the classroom,' said Ms Ho.

The recipients were clearly excited. Goh Wei Ming, 19, is studying at Temasek Polytechnic for a diploma in business studies and said the scholarship award will cover his second- and third-year fees.

'It would help to lift a huge burden from my shoulders and enable me to put all my concentration in my studies,' he said.

Mr Loo Ming Da, 25, has just finished his final exams in mechanical engineering at the Singapore Polytechnic and is awaiting entry into either NUS or NTU. The award will cover his university fees. 'I am thankful that with the...scholarship, I never have to worry again about how to finance my university education, which was my mother's biggest worry.

'I hope that through my experience, students who find themselves in similar difficult situations will find strength in themselves to overcome their personal struggles and persevere to achieve their dreams,' he said.

Applications for the second batch of scholarships next year will be opened in December.

Details can be found on www.hycpsascholarship.com

This article was first published in The Straits Times.