Scholarships for students among ground-led initiatives to help Palestinians: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: Scholarships in Singapore are among the ground-led initiatives to help the Palestinian people, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Thursday (Oct 9).

Mr Shanmugam was speaking to the media after meeting with three Palestinians who were offered scholarships to study at Singapore universities under the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative (PSI).

The initiative was launched in October last year by a group of Singaporeans in response to challenges faced by students due to the war.

Two are in postgraduate programmes at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore University of Social Sciences, while another is a 19-year-old undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Management.

A fourth scholar was unable to evacuate from Gaza in time for the start of the academic year in NUS, and the school will hold the spot for the next academic year, PSI said in a press release on Wednesday.

"Many of these are ground-led initiatives. If you look at the number of things that have been happening, people on the ground in Gaza, Singaporeans helping people there," said Mr Shanmugam, who is also coordinating minister for national security.

"There is this (PSI) initiative to bring students, there is the initiative to raise money as well as items, material that would be useful for people in Gaza, often delivered by our Singapore Air Force. 

"People on the ground working hard, constructively, government coming in - we’re all working together as a society. This is a very good initiative by the people who came together to bring the students."

“I said ‘of course’. We support a free Palestine, and they are good students. We'll be happy to have them here, and they can go back and contribute, because we all want to see a free Palestinian state, and that's going to need administrators, it's going to need people who can help run the place,” said Mr Shanmugam.

He added that he told the trio to “imbibe as much as you can, study hard and also absorb what Singapore has to offer”.

“When they go back, they have a bridge between Singapore and Palestine, and we wish them the best, and hopefully they can, when they go back, they're able to contribute back to their society in very significant ways,” he said.

"I said, we want good students who can come benefit, and also, we benefit from them, by them being here, by our students interacting with them, and understanding different cultures, we benefit as well."

PSI has hit its initial target goal of S$400,000 (US$309,000) and has raised over S$510,000 in total – over S$370,000 raised through the Ray of Hope crowdfunding platform and an additional S$140,000 from private donors.

The funds raised by PSI have been used for the scholars’ flights to Singapore, one-time settling-in allowance, accommodation, university fees, laptops and monthly stipends

One of the scholars said: "Being in Singapore so far has been a warm and enriching experience. The people I’ve met, especially through PSI, welcomed me with such kindness and support that I truly feel I have found a family here. 

"I am deeply grateful for the friendships and mentorship that surround me. They give me strength and make this journey feel much lighter."

PSI co-chair Anthea Ong said they are delighted the three scholars have arrived safely and are settling in well.

"Our priority now is to make them feel safe and at home in Singapore by supporting them, in every way we can, to do well in completing their studies here so they can contribute meaningfully to the rebuilding of their homeland when they return," she added.