'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 persons 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 Ching was guest of honour at a ceremony where global port group PSA International presented the inaugural Howe Yoon Chong PSA Scholarships to 29 students - the first batch to receive them.

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

The fund aims to give 150 scholarships in its first five years, to students who come from low-income families. These students must be Singapore citizens aged 25 and below, with a household per capita income not exceeding $750 per month.

They will also have to gain admission to one of a 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.