THE STRAITS TIMES SINGAPOREAN OF THE YEAR 2021
Winner gets $20,000 and trophy
A world badminton star, a mental health champion, a courageous duo who lent a hand in an emergency, as well as a self-made business owner and mentor to hawkers - they are among the final batch of The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year finalists announced today. The ST award, presented by Swiss bank UBS, is an annual award given to a Singaporean individual or group that has made a positive and meaningful impact in society.
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The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award, presented by Swiss bank UBS, is now in its seventh year.
The Singaporean of the Year will receive a trophy and $20,000, presented by UBS, which has been supporting the award since its inauguration.
Other individuals or groups chosen as finalists by a panel of judges will get $5,000 each.
The top award recipient will also receive a five-night stay in any of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels' global properties, while the other finalists will get a three-night stay.
Singapore Airlines is sponsoring a pair of business-class tickets for the Singaporean of the Year, and economy-class ones for the other finalists.
The first three finalists announced earlier are: Mr Sakthibalan Balathandautham, 28, who donated part of his liver to a stranger; Ms Lynn Wong, 32, a defender of Chinese heritage and culture; and Mr John Cheng, 39, a food innovation and sustainability champion.
Another three finalists have also been announced: Mr Asanul Fariq Sani, 48, and his wife Norhasyimah Awaludin, 45, who are offering free food to those in need; Ms Yip Pin Xiu, 29, a para-swimmer who is also a disability advocate; and Ms Joan Poh, 30, a hospital nurse who represented Singapore at the Tokyo Olympics in rowing earlier this year.
Public voting starts on Dec 25 and the winner will be announced in February.
