Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship (SAFOS) to eight recipients in a ceremony held at the Istana this evening. The eight SAFOS recipients are Officer Cadet (OCT) Lee Whee San Dylan, OCT Li Yiming, OCT Lim Yu Han, OCT Jonathan Loh You Qing, and OCT Jeremy Ong Jun Kai from the Army as well as OCT Foo Sze Wei, OCT Marcus Lee Jian Ying and OCT Maung Thet Naing Win from the Air Force.

During the ceremony, Dr Ng spoke about the high standards and heavy responsibilities which come with the prestige of being an SAF scholar, and urged the SAFOS recipients to continue to uphold these standards. Dr Ng said, "This national calling, to be a SAFOS recipient, comes with a heavy responsibility, but it is a noble and deeply satisfying one. As SAFOS recipients, you will be regarded as role models personifying the values of the SAF. Uphold the highest standards of behaviour and decorum in whatever you do. Exercise your duties diligently and take care of the men and women under your charge."

The SAFOS is awarded annually to outstanding service personnel who have excelled in their studies and co-curricular activities, and performed well in the officer cadet course. Introduced in 1971, the SAFOS has attracted the best and brightest from each cohort of school-leavers to join the SAF. Upon completion of their tertiary education, the scholars return to the armed forces to assume a variety of challenging appointments to groom them for the highest level of leadership positions in the SAF and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).

Present at the award ceremony were senior officials from MINDEF and the SAF, Chairman and members of the Public Service Commission, in-service and ex-service SAF overseas scholars as well as the parents of the eight SAFOS recipients.