SINGAPORE - A good Samaritan, a pair of chefs determined to serve high-end cuisine at low prices, and an engineer with big dreams for Singapore - these are the next batch of candidates shortlisted for the inaugural Straits Times Singaporean Of The Year 2015 award.
Supported by the bank UBS Singapore, it seeks to recognise Singaporeans whose extraordinary acts of goodwill, ingenuity or perseverance have improved their community and the lives of others.
Individuals or groups can be nominated for the award until the end of the year.
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How to nominate
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• Go to: str.sg/singaporeanoftheyear2015
• Nominations are open until Dec 31.
• For inquiries about the award, send an e-mail with the subject heading "Singaporean Of The Year" to: STprojects@sph.com.sg
Six candidates have now been shortlisted and the full shortlist of 10 will be released next month.
The latest three are Madam Noriza A. Mansor, 50, who stepped forward to help a complete stranger, Mr Tan Soy Yong, when he soiled himself in public. She has since "adopted" the 76-year-old and his wife as her "parents".
Engineer Peter Ho, 37, has also been nominated. The co-founder of tech company Hope Technik hopes to make Singapore's presence on the world map felt through technology.
Also shortlisted are Mr Dylan Ong, 28, and Mr Joshua Khoo, 31, who founded restaurant chain Saveur to give the average Singaporean the chance to eat fancy French cuisine without breaking the bank.
The Singaporean Of The Year will receive $20,000 and a trophy, and the other nine nominees will each get $5,000, all sponsored by UBS.
After the shortlist of 10 candidates is released, there will be a public vote, which will be a factor in the final decision to be made by a panel of 15 judges. The panel will comprise editors and senior writers from the ST newsroom, as well as others from various walks of life, including singer Kit Chan, youth leader David Hoe and chef Willin Low.
Noriza A. Mansor
The 50-year-old bedsheet promoter is no blood relation of Mr Tan's but, for more than a year, she has spent most of her days off looking after him.
Their relationship started in October last year when she helped Mr Tan, who had soiled himself while buying groceries with his wheelchair-bound wife.
Peter Ho
The home-grown company specialises in high-performance engineering for the military, motorsport and biomedical industries.
A jaunt through its Penjuru Close workshop yielded glimpses of exoskeletons, such as mechanical limbs that Mr Ho said would allow "a skinny guy like me to lift four people with one hand".
Dylan Ong and Joshua Khoo
Mr Ong, 28, and business partner Joshua Khoo, 31, do that - on more than one level. The duo opened French restaurant Saveur four years ago to serve haute cuisine, but at prices that would be easy on the average Singaporean's wallet.
"Our dream was to bring French food to the masses," said Mr Khoo.
