What is an object that can represent Singapore in its 51st year?
In 2013, The Sunday Times published a list of 50 objects that each represented a fragment of Singapore's history.
This inventory of the past contained historical heavyweights like the Singapore stone, familiar everyday items like the army T-shirt, as well as objects of Singaporeans' desire - like the durian.
This year, we are seeking a 51st object to add to the list, and we are asking The Straits Times' readers to choose from five new items in the running.
Would you pick the national patois of Singlish, the expanding Bishan otter family, the invented-in-Singapore thumb drive, the reliable Singapore passport or the 2013 quintessentially Singaporean film Ilo Ilo?
Find out more about the nominees at The Straits Times' microsite, "A History Of Singapore In 51 Objects" at the website, which goes live tomorrow.
Cast your vote and if the item you nominated is chosen, you could win a goodie bag worth more than $180, with collectibles from the National Heritage Board and a pair of two-week subscription passes to The Straits Times' digital products.
Results will be announced on Aug 8. There are 10 goodie bags up for grabs.
The microsite was designed by twins Teo Yu Siang and Yu Sheng, whose website Building Singapore documents 50 significant buildings.
You can visit it at http://www.buildingsingapore.teoyusiang.com/
The designers, both 25, turned 55 objects into hand-drawn illustrations for the site.
Said Yu Sheng: "The illustrations, which were drawn by me and then digitally coloured by Yu Siang, became a core visual anchor that set the tone for the whole website experience."
Curators from the National Museum of Singapore also contributed to the microsite by selecting objects from the museum's collection to be featured on the site.
Ms Angelita Teo, director, National Museum of Singapore, said that many of the most precious and interesting artefacts in the National Museum collection were folk-life objects contributed by Singaporeans.
"They hold great memories and resonate emotionally with visitors of all ages," she said.
"Through this project, we have a chance to highlight some of the lesser-known pieces in our collection."
