Joshua Tan, Software Engineer, Singpass, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) of Singapore

1) What does public service mean to you? Can you share more about your role in the public sector?

To me, public service means stepping into critical gaps that market incentives cannot solve, focusing on public good and improving residents' quality of life.

I am currently a Software Engineer at Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Singapore, where I work on Singpass, our national digital identity platform.

Singpass enables residents to securely access and transact with government and business services.

I am part of a team that explores and develops new solutions around authentication and trust to enhance our platform.

Previously, I also contributed to other GovTech products, including GovEntry, GovSupply, and GovWallet.

2) Tell us about a project you made significant contributions to. What impact did it have on the community?

GovEntry, the system used to register voters at polling stations during the 2025 General Elections, was my very first project as a fresh graduate, making its success meaningful to me.

After logistical friction in prior elections, the stakes were sky-high.

Our team delivered a smooth voting experience for over 2.4 million voters, and the impact truly hit home when my own family praised the seamless voting, as compared to the previous elections where they voted too.

It was also a great start to my public service career, learning how to write simple, elegant and performant software.

3) As a young professional, how has your unique background or perspective allowed you to identify a solution that others in your organisations might have overlooked?

As a young professional entering an established team, my greatest asset is a lack of historical bias.

Where others may accept repetitive operational tasks because "that is how it has always been done", I’ve examined processes objectively through first principles.

There have been instances where I questioned and eliminated manual operations that the team was comfortable doing.

As a newcomer, the manual toil was so daunting that it drove me to push for alternative methods, ultimately reclaiming valuable time for everyone.

4) What is your personal strategy for maintaining your creative energy when faced with bureaucracy?

Engineering is about finding the best solution given constraints and making trade-offs.

Just like computing resources or network latency, bureaucracy is simply another system constraint to navigate.

Framing red tape as another engineering problem keeps my creative energy engaged rather than drained.

Additionally, I always seek to understand the reason behind the rules.

Often, a process exists for a legitimate reason that is not immediately visible. But when it no longer serves that purpose, it is important to push for a change.

5) If you had just one area to invest in to accelerate transformation in the public sector (regulation, technology, talent, etc.), which one would you choose and why?

Definitely talent.

Capable people improve every lever of transformation. Strong teams can identify which technologies genuinely solve a problem, rather than the latest shiny technology for its own sake.

They can also craft thoughtful regulations that protect the public without unnecessarily constraining innovation.

Most importantly, talent has a compounding effect. Talented and motivated individuals raise standards and attract others who are like them.

6) What is your greatest ambition as you grow in your public service career?

To be a strong force multiplier.

I hope to remain capable of doing excellent work myself, while helping others do their best work too. There is a limit to how much any one person can achieve alone.

7) What is a “universal value” that connects everyone in your department – from interns to directors – and how do you use that to drive collaboration?

At Singpass, I think the universal value connecting everyone is trust.

This means not only earning the external trust of the Singapore community, but also building internal trust in how we work with one another.

Our product provides Singapore with a secure and trusted national digital identity, and the department describes its role as the "Trust Operating System of Singapore".

I try to carry that principle into collaboration by communicating openly and following through on commitments.

8) What is the best piece of advice you’ve got for the next generation of public servants?

Learn to work across disciplines.

Problems in the public sector rarely fit neatly within engineering, policy, product, or operations, and unfamiliar challenges often require us to connect ideas across disciplines.

Stay curious about how things work. It isn’t necessary to be an expert in everything, but breadth will help you ask better questions, recognise connections and see around corners.

9) What is a myth you wish to debunk about young public servants?

Some may think that young public servants are overly critical or entitled.

Often, however, they are simply more willing to question the status quo, speak openly about what is not working, and seek meaningful responsibility earlier in their careers.

This can be mistaken for impatience or a lack of respect. Admittedly, our young passion is not always expressed appropriately.

However, for the most part, young public servants are not merely pointing out flaws but genuinely want to help improve the system.

10) Write a letter to your future self in 2035. Please keep it within 200 words.

Hi Josh!

I wonder how much the world has changed by 2035.

The past nine years have already brought rapid advances in technology and major shifts in how people live and work. I imagine the world has transformed in ways that you could never have expected.

I hope that throughout your public service career, you have kept your instincts and values.

I hope you still question assumptions and care about whether the work genuinely improves people’s lives. As you have gained experience, I hope you have become more thoughtful without becoming cynical, and more capable without losing the humility to listen.

Whatever you are doing now, I hope you have found ways to create positive and lasting value for Singaporeans, and maybe the world.

Perhaps your contribution is now measured less by what you build yourself and more by the people, systems, and institutions you help strengthen.

Most of all, I hope you are still curious, willing to be wrong and always doing work that you can be proud of.

Josh