FOR the first time in more than a decade, women have been appointed to the board of the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Academic Lily Kong and SingTel head honcho Chua Sock Koong, with former senior district judge Richard Magnus, are three new faces who will 'enrich' the way the PSC selects scholarship recipients, among its other duties, said PSC chairman Eddie Teo.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Chairman Eddie Teo Current members Mr Tan Yam Pin Chairman, PowerSeraya Limited Dr Charles Toh Cardiologist, Charles Toh Clinic Mr Kwa Chong Seng, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Mr David Wong, Founder/Partner, Advocate and Solicitor, Ramdas & Wong Advocates & Solicitors Mr Michael Lim, Chairman, Land Transport Authority Mr Po'ad Bin Shaik Abu Bakar Mattar Member, Council of Presidential Advisors Mr Edward Alec D'Silva Senior Advisor, SAA Architects Pte Ltd ... more

The trio were sworn in by President S R Nathan at the Istana yesterday, for a five-year term that takes effect immediately.

Their appointments bring the total number of members to 10, as Mr Lim Chin Beng retired in December.

They will assist Mr Teo in such matters as appointing and promoting senior civil servants. The commission also maintains discipline within the civil service and is the final board of appeal in cases in which public officers disagree with decisions taken by the civil service.

It is, however, best known for its scholarships for young Singaporeans entering the public sector.

Mr Teo told The Straits Times that the new appointments 'will bring greater diversity to the PSC interview process'.

'This will enrich the way PSC selects scholars, appoints and promotes public servants, and decides on disciplinary matters,' he said.

Particularly of note are the appointments of Professor Kong, vice-president (university and global relations) at the National University of Singapore, and Ms Chua, SingTel's group chief executive.

The last woman appointed was Ms Gloria Lim, former director of the National Institute of Education, who was a member from 1982 to 1996.

In an interview with The Straits Times last year, Mr Teo said he would like to see women and younger members added to the PSC board, whose members then were all men and older than 50.

This was so he could 'receive a variety of views before arriving at a decision', he said, adding that he thought 'women have instincts which men don't have'.

At 44, Prof Kong will be the youngest of the board members. She told The Straits Times that her experience in education would be useful, particularly in selecting scholarship recipients.

'The work I've done with the university does entail an understanding of students' preferences and stretching their potential to the fullest. So it's quite a natural fit,' she said.

Mr Teo concurred. He said: 'Lily Kong's university background means she is in day-to-day contact with university students and will understand how they feel and cope with university life - both its stresses and its joys... This can only be helpful to the commission in selecting scholars from among 18-year-olds who are about to enter university.'

Ms Chua, 51, 'comes with a vast experience in the private sector and can add to and complement the perspectives of those PSC members from outside the public sector', he added.

As for what particular 'instincts' women may bring to the table, Prof Kong said with a laugh that she would first have to observe the male board members.

But she added: 'If you look at a family for instance, it's quite evident how fathers and mothers approach the same issue - like the bringing up of children - differently. It's the complementarity of the parents' views that makes for a suitable negotiation.'

As for Mr Magnus, 64, he 'will be able to contribute with his knowledge of the legal service and long years of experience in the public service', observed Mr Teo.

Mr Magnus noted that his 40 years in the civil service had given him 'some sharp insights at very close quarters as to what and where are the manpower competency, quality and talent challenges'.

'A large part of this experience and perspective has been internalised. I am confident this will add to the collective wisdom of the other members of the PSC and provide a broader depth to the interview, selection, promotion and disciplinary processes.'

xueying@sph.com.sg