He urged that it use its substantial shareholder status in global blue-chip companies to gain representation on their board and help set up opportunities for local talents to be trained there and exposed to corporate decisions made at top international level.

Local businesses, too, can work with these world-class companies, he said in Parliament on Wednesday.

By doing so, Temasek need not be a 'passive investor' but can make its investments work harder for the nation, he added.

Mr Sin was speaking on Day 3 of the debate on the President's Address that mapped out the Government's priorities in the remaining legislative term.

He said: 'In many of its investments, the Government does not ask for board representation, but would often be happy to keep its substantial shareholder status whilst leaving the company to the care of the managers.

'This is a pity, really. We could have used our significant share advantage to provide training and exposure opportunities to Singaporeans.'

Elaborating on his suggestion, he said that allowing more Singaporeans take part at senior levels as employees - or even as interns - will build up their confidence and capabilities.

'Few Singaporeans make it to this realm of seniority; and those who make it are often celebrated as local heroes,'' he noted.

In the longer term, such training and exposure will lift Singapore's managerial skill sets to international blue-chip standards, he said.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.