Who should be Singaporean of the Year?
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Yuen Sin
Their haul of two gold medals and a bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this year produced Singapore's best performance at the Games and generated a huge debate over whether cash rewards for athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes should be the same.
But when they are not competing, Paralympians Yip Pin Xiu, 24, and Theresa Goh, 29, are also best friends who have known each other for a decade.
In a charming video of them at the nostalgic Katong Swimming Complex, one of Singapore's oldest swimming pools, the pair trade jokes and reveal curious trivia about each other, such as Goh's penchant for "things that are not in their correct sizes", like a "giant pen" or "a really tiny sushi", and her tendency to lapse into Singlish during interviews.
Stories of other candidates who have been nominated for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2016 award can also now be viewed online.
Supported by UBS Singapore, this is the second run of the award, which seeks to recognise Singaporeans who have put the country on the world map, persevered despite great adversity or made the community a better place through selfless acts.
One of the nominees, 19-year-old Megan Loy, is interviewed on camera together with her doctors for the first time.
The teen suffered serious burns at the Colour Play Asia festival in Taiwan last year when a fire broke out, but pulled through with the help of Associate Professor Tan Bien Keem, 51, and plastic surgeon Chew Khong Yik, 40, from the Singapore General Hospital.
Spurred by their dedication, she now wants to specialise in burns treatment and plastic surgery, and is studying medicine at the National University of Singapore.
Other good Samaritans who stepped forward to help strangers - such as 50-year-old John Shu, who gave $6,000 to a single mother to pursue her education, or 12-year-old Ashvin Gunasegaran, who helped a car accident victim in May - have also been nominated.
A public vote for the winner is now open and will close on Thursday next week.
The vote will be a factor in the final decision by a panel of 15 judges, and the winner will be announced at a ceremony on Feb 6.
Thank you for your interest in ST Singaporean of the Year 2016, public voting is now closed.
