Birthday treat for lucky ST reader

Ms Leong Chee Fun (left), Mr Lee Eng Hock and Ms Lim Yan Ming, who won prizes at this month's ST170 giveaway. Ms Leong and Ms Lim won Tumi suitcases, while Mr Lee won a stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
Ms Leong Chee Fun (left), Mr Lee Eng Hock and Ms Lim Yan Ming, who won prizes at this month's ST170 giveaway. Ms Leong and Ms Lim won Tumi suitcases, while Mr Lee won a stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. ST PHOTO: YEO KAI WEN

Straits Times reader Lee Eng Hock, 57, will celebrate his birthday in style when it rolls around in February next year.

He will be staying in a deluxe room at the five-star Ritz Carlton Hotel over the weekend with his wife. They will enjoy spectacular views of the Marina Bay area from their room. They will also be treated to a set dinner for two at Cantonese fine dining restaurant Summer Pavilion at the Ritz, and wake up to a free buffet breakfast.

Mr Lee was chosen out of 8,416 contestants for the prize worth $1,326. It was given out as part of ST170, the paper's year-long campaign to mark its 170th anniversary.

"I was very happy and surprised when I found out. I've never stayed at the Ritz Carlton before, so I'm really looking forward to it," said the consultant, an ST reader since he was in secondary school.

Meanwhile, service engineer Leong Chee Fun, 59, won a Tumi carry-on suitcase, worth $1,220. "This will be really helpful because I travel quite a lot," she said.

Credit executive Lim Yan Ming, 28, also won a Tumi carry-on suitcase. "I'm happy to have won this, because it is a well-known brand and quite a reliable product," she said. The two were picked out of 6,710 entries.

Over 189,000 entries have been submitted for the ST170 Treats initiative. Readers have walked away with prizes such as holidays to the Maldives or tickets to watch Taylor Swift live in concert in London.

ST editor Warren Fernandez said: "What a year it has been for all of us in Singapore, and for us in The Straits Times. We want to share the joy with our readers, especially during this festive season, and hence these special treats for them."

The top prize for this month is a five-night villa stay for two at The Residence Zanzibar, a coastal resort in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The $13,000 package includes two economy-class return tickets on Qatar Airways and a sunset cruise.

ST Life travel writer Lee Siew Hua, who curated the trip specially for the contest, described Zanzibar as "an unexplored gem for Singapore travellers who love luxury and local experiences on a far frontier".

The online contest closes at noon today. Readers need to visit 1845.straitstimes.com and answer a simple question for a chance to win.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 15, 2015, with the headline Birthday treat for lucky ST reader. Subscribe