2024 Southeast Asian and Singapore Prize Winners Announced
The winners of the 2024 Southeast Asian and Singapore Prize were honoured tonight at the 43rd UOB POY awards ceremony and exhibition. The awards were presented to winners from the Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam by Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee. The judging panel for the award was comprised of Regional Adviser Mr Kwok Kian Chow and Chief Judges from each of the five countries: Dr Vichaya Mukdamanee (Singapore), Melati Suryodarmo (Indonesia), Bibi Chew (Thailand) and Wang Gungwu (Vietnam).
The prestigious awards are given to individuals who go beyond the call of duty to perform acts of kindness and caring, and have inspired their peers or families to do so. The winners receive a cash prize, a citation and a trophy. The public can also vote for their favourites by completing the ballot form available at any Singapore Pools outlet.
This year’s winner was SMU professor and author Si Min Harrison, who won the Social Enterprise category for her project Jalan Journey, a virtual experiential learning platform for youths. The judges said that the project demonstrated how digital technology can be used to solve social problems and contribute towards a sustainable world.
Meanwhile, renowned Singaporean author and historian Prof Miksic won the History Prize for his book Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Gelam. The citation read: “Professor Miksic’s book is both a synthesis of history and a primary source, thanks to the many contributions of his colleagues at NUS who helped in excavations and other research work. He writes not to impress or flatter, but to convey the importance of history to everyday Singaporeans. We hope that the book will inspire other Singaporeans to write about their own experiences and to seek out and record them for posterity.”
The NUS Singapore History Prize is a new award launched in 2014 to support the SG50 programmes to commemorate Singapore’s five decades of independence. It is the first prize in Singapore dedicated to the nation’s history. The winning publication must make a significant contribution to Singaporeans’ understanding of the country’s past, and be a lasting influence on the future.
The other finalists for the History Prize were Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters Festival by Lynn Wong Yuqing and Lee Kok Leong, and Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore by Loh Kah Seng, Alex Tan Tiong Hee, Koh Keng We, Tan Teng Phee and Juria Toramae. The two books were awarded special commendations but did not receive cash prizes. The citation for both of them read: “Their quality led the Jury to recommend that they be recognised and given a public profile.” The awards were held at the Singapore Expo. The winner in each category received S$50,000, while the other finalists got S$3,000 and a commissioned trophy. The winners are slated to attend a two-day event called Earthshot Week next month to present their solutions and accelerate the impact of their work. The event is a part of the 10-year Royal Foundation-supported initiative named after President John F Kennedy’s 1962 challenge to reach the moon.