PSC Scholars: Poly pals are legal eagles to be

During their three years in Temasek Polytechnic (TP), Jared Kang and Daryl Pang were in almost all the same classes as they pursued their Diploma in Law & Management together.

Yesterday, the poly pals were together once again as they received Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarships to further their studies.

Mr Kang and Mr Pang, both 20, are the only polytechnic graduates in this year's batch of scholarship holders.

In the past five years, the PSC has awarded only 13 scholarships to polytechnic students.

The friends will be pursuing law degrees after they finish their national service.

Mr Pang is enlisting next month wh-ile Mr Kang will be enlisting in September.

They obtained a raw score of eight and nine respectively for their O levels and could have easily gone to a junior college.

Mr Kang spent a month in Temasek Junior College before leaving to join TP.

He said: "While I enjoyed my time there, I prefer to focus all my efforts on one discipline rather than spread my attention on different subjects."

Mr Pang applied for, and received, direct admission to TP even before he took his O levels. He was afraid that his grades would be less than stellar and did this as a form of insurance.

Multi-talented

Do not assume, though, that the two do nothing but study.

Mr Pang, whose parents are teachers, was the president of the photography club in TP and is now publishing his own photography book.

Mr Kang was the vice-president of the Toastmasters club in TP and the recipient of many awards. He was the champion and best speaker of the Justice Shield Law Advocacy Competition 2014.

Although they plan to pursue a law degree, they each want to focus on different aspects of law.

Mr Kang says that he has an interest in international law and hopes the scholarship will be a "stepping stone to greater opportunities in the Government".

Mr Pang, however, wants to focus on something more local.

"I am very passionate about criminal law. Being a PSC scholar will allow me to work full time in the Attorney-General's Chambers as a Deputy Public Prosecutor," said Mr Pang, whose father is a sales manager and whose mother works in a bank.

He will be reading law at the National University of Singapore while Mr Kang hopes to be accepted to the University of Cambridge.

"I am very passionate about criminal law. Being a PSC scholar will allow me to work full-time in the Attorney-General's Chambers as a Deputy Public Prosecutor."

- PSC Scholarship recipient Daryl Pang, 20, who will be reading law at the National University of Singapore

This article was first published on July 23, 2014.
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