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Singaporean of the Year to be unveiled today

This article is more than 12 months old

The recipient of The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2017 award will be announced this evening.

The award, now in its third year, comes with a $20,000 cash prize and trophy that will be presented by President Halimah Yacob at UBS Business University Asia-Pacific in Kheam Hock Road.

It honours citizens who have put the country on the world map, persevered through incredible adversity or made the community a better place through selfless acts.

It is organised by The Straits Times and sponsored by UBS Singapore.

The 10 finalists are film-maker Kirsten Tan; conductor Wong Kah Chun; cartoonist Sonny Liew; para-athlete Jason Chee; general practitioner Goh Wei Leong and HealthServe, the charity he co-founded; indoor skydiver Kyra Poh; student Muhammad Luqman Abdul Rahman; lawyer Satwant Singh; martial arts instructor Qin Yunquan; and emergency responders Mohamad Fuad Abdul Aziz and Syed Abdillah Alhabshee.

They were picked from 60 nominees after four rounds of selection by a panel of 15 judges, which includes editors from The Straits Times, social entrepreneur and activist Saleemah Ismail, chef and restaurateur Willin Low and singer-songwriter Dick Lee.

Besides the winner, the other nine finalists will each receive $5,000, also sponsored by UBS.

Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/ Tamil Media group and editor of The Straits Times, said: "Each of the nominees has an inspiring story.

"They had either distinguished themselves in their respective fields, or gone out of their way to help others at home and abroad.

"They show that regardless of your age, gender or social background, you can make a difference." - TOH WEN LI

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