MEDIA RELEASE

27 June 2013

SINGAPORE YOUTH AWARD 2013 CELEBRATES THE BEST OF YOUTH

Six extraordinary individuals from diverse backgrounds were unveiled as recipients of the nations highest youth accolade. Mr Muhammad Riduan Bin Zalani, Ms Koh Hui Ling, Dr Juliana Chan, Mr Martin Tan, Ms Jean Ng and Ms Laurentia Tan received the Singapore Youth Award (SYA) 2013. The Medal of Commendation (MOC) 2013 was awarded to Associate Professor Ong Soh Khim and The Boys Brigade Share-a-Gift (BBSG) project. The SYA honours exceptional young people who enrich the heart and souls of the community and bring distinction to the nation. 2 Here are the highlights from our Awards Preview this evening.

SYA Chairman Mr Edward DSilva shares a moment with this years awardees. (L R): Associate Professor Ong Soh Khim, Ms Laurentia Tan, Ms Koh Hui Ling, Dr Juliana Chan, Mr Edward DSilva, Mr Muhammad Riduan Bin Zalani, Mr Martin Tan and members of The Boys Brigade
*Ms Jean Ng was unable to attend the Awards Preview

The Best of Youth at SYA 2013 Awards Preview: (L R) Mr Martin Tan, Dr Juliana Chan, Ms Koh Hui Ling, Mr Muhammad Riduan Bin Zalani and Ms Laurentia Tan.
*Ms Jean Ng was unable to attend the Awards Preview

3 These outstanding individuals will receive the SYA 2013 from Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean at the Istana on Sunday, 7 July 2013. Please refer to Annexes A and B for more information on the SYA and the SYA 2013 awardees.

Contact person/s

Alicia Cheng Senior Client Executive Edelman Public Relations DID : 6494 1574 HP : 9656 3322 Email : alicia.cheng@edelman.com Norhana Hamdan (Ms) Manager (Corporate Communications) National Youth Council DID : 6839 9122 HP : 9618 5990 Fax : 6737 2025 Email : Norhana_Hamdan@pa.gov.sg

About the National Youth Council At NYC, we believe in a world where young people are respected and heard, and have the ability to influence and make a difference to the world. Together with our partners, we develop a dynamic and engaging environment where young people are inspired to dream and committed to action. We hear youth >>> Here for youth.

ANNEX A

Singapore Youth Award

FACTSHEET

Background
The nations highest accolade for youth, the Singapore Youth Award (SYA) honours exceptional young people who enrich the hearts and souls of the community and bring distinction to the nation. Established in 1975, SYA focuses on both individuals as well as teams who inspire youth to boldly create possibilities for the good of the community.

Eligibility
INDIVIDUALS
Nominees must be Singapore citizens. Permanent residents of five years and longer are also eligible. Nominees should be 35 years old and below at the time of nomination. Nominees must be of good character. The achievements and community involvement of nominees must total at least three years which includes at least two years of personal achievements and two years of community involvement.

Criteria
Nominees excellence in the area being considered; Nominees contribution to the prestige of the nation; Extent to which nominee is an inspiration or role model to other youths; Nominees other contributions to society; and Other awards

TEAM
Majority of team members (60% of team or more) should meet all the above criteria. Teams should be in existence for at least five consecutive years. Nominees achievements may be in the course of their work, an extension of their work or an extra-curricular activity.

Selection
The final selection is made by the SYA Panel, chaired by Mr Edward Alec DSilva, Member of the Public Service Commission.

Medal of Commendation
SYA awardees who have continued to attain higher levels of achievement and contribution to society for at least five years after their Award may be considered for the MOC. Only achievements and contributions made after the Award will be considered.

Nominees for the MOC should be 45 years old and below at the time of nomination.

ANNEX B
SINGAPORE YOUTH AWARD 2013 PROFILES OF AWARD RECIPIENTS Koh Hui Ling Follow your heart and pursue your dreams.

Ms Koh Hui Ling grew up in a kampong where she discovered the power of theatre and drama in bringing people from different walks of life together and moving them through enacted stories. This instilled in Hui Ling, a lifelong passion for theatre and drama. Taking the road less travelled against the mainstream, ideal notion of pursuing more financially rewarding theatre practices, Hui Ling established early in her career that she wanted to practise drama in a manner that will educate the audience and address social issues. She spearheads the youth outreach endeavors of Drama Box, a local Chinese non-profit drama company respected for its sensitivity and perceptiveness in heightening social awareness and civic responsibility, while at the same time delivering entertaining and thought-provoking theatre performances. Drama Box travels schools and the heartlands, responsibly taking on social issues such as the challenges of migrant workers and sex workers, ageing, problem gambling and family violence. A passionate arts educator, Hui Ling co-founded ARTivate, the youth wing of Drama Box, to promote Chinese Drama among youths and nurture the next generation of Chinese theatre practitioners. Hui Ling developed her own methodology and workshop Building five footways to train teachers in using Drama/Theatre in National Education, and continues to develop platforms for Theatre-in-Education programmes for the youth, teachers and adults to get them more engaged with social issues through alternative forms of expression. Her innovations in education and drama led to her become a sought-after speaker and educator around the world, from Shanghai and Taiwan to Athens and Brazil. Hui Ling also collaborates with community groups to expand platforms for public discourse on social issues through the use of forum theatre. She actively promotes community arts through sharing sessions organised by the National Arts Council and advises Singapore Polytechnics School of Communication, Arts, and Social Science Panel. She was also part of the creative team at IPS (Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore) Prism, an immersive arts experience looking at the governance of Singapore in 2020 through the use of various arts disciplines. For her passion and untiring contributions to engaging people from all walks of life in addressing social issues and co-creating social change through community arts, Ms Koh Hui Ling is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2013.

Muhammad Riduan Bin Zalani Give equal opportunities to everyone, as anyone has the power to be a change agent.

Mr Muhammad Riduan Bin Zalani embarked on his artistic journey from the age of seven, when he accompanied his uncle to perform on stage. As a passionate ambassador of Malay traditional music, Riduan consistently pushes boundaries to create new blends of modern and traditional Malay music. Riduan has taken his music around the world, representing Singapore in countries such as France, Australia, Malaysia and the United States of America, participating in various renowned music festivals, such as March International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale (MIDEM), Moomba Festival and World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD). In doing so, he has been placing Singapore on the map in the world music scene with innovative fusion music, and showcasing an important aspect of Singapores multicultural diversity. For his achievements in putting Malay music on the world stage, Riduan was awarded the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promising Award in 2006 and the Singapore National Day Silver Award in 2009. In 2012, Riduan received the Anugerah Belia Khatulistiwa (Youth Excellence Award) from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, for being a role model and for his contributions to the Malay performing arts scene, and the Yahoo! Singapore 9 Award under the Entertainment Category. Coming from a less privileged family background did not stop Riduan from producing great music. He worked hard and persevered in juggling school and work to support his family while pursuing his dream of elevating the profile of Malay traditional music in the world. Riduan is therefore also passionately committed to motivating young people and giving them the opportunities and hope to pursue their aspirations through motivational talks and music education. Riduan conducts motivational talks at organisations such as the Singapore Boys Home and has volunteered with the Spastic Childrens Association of Singapore. In 2011, Riduan co-founded NADI, a traditional Malay music band comprising 27 volunteer youth members, who add color to the Malay art scene with the different approach and style of playing traditional Malay music. For his courage and resilience in putting Singapore on the global world music scene, and his dedicated efforts in developing the local Malay music scene, Mr Muhammad Riduan Bin Zalani is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2013.

Martin Tan Beng Chong "You dont have to be somebody to do something. Leadership is not about position, but influence and what you choose to do with that influence.

Mr Martin Tan Beng Chong is proof that that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference when they approach life with vision and courage. He started work at 17 years old to support his family when his father passed away. Martin firmly believes from personal experience that everyone with the right mindset and attitude are able to be change-makers. His conviction led him to start a movement to inspire and enable others to bring about positive social change. An average man who has walked a not-so-average path, Martin started his journey in 2003 when he co-founded Young Leaders Foundation Singapore, now known as Halogen Foundation. Instead of taking the easy route after graduation, he was inspired by the work of Halogen Foundation Australia, and brought the movement to Singapore with his partners. Under Martins leadership, Halogen has grown from its humble beginnings of training 40 students from a single school in its first initiative to impacting over 89,000 youths and 3,000 parents and educators through its various initiatives, such as leadership training and community projects. Through Halogen, Martin has mentored countless youths who have gone on to volunteer in other non-profit organisations or even start their own social enterprises to create sustainable impact for social good. Martin also inspired the community as the author of Youth Service Organization: Starters Kit, and A Moment of Madness, an article published in Chicken Soup for the Singaporean Soul. For his exemplary efforts, Martin received The Outstanding Young Person Award for Humanitarian and/or Voluntary Leadership in 2008 and Friends of the MCYS Award in 2011. Martin also champions other national and social causes as the Honorary Secretary of the National Family Council and Board Member of the National Library Board. He served as Council Member of the National Youth Council from 2007 to 2013, and was instrumental in taking the SHINE Youth Festival to the next level as the Chairman of the SHINE Steering Committee from 2010 to 2012. He championed SHINE as a key platform for youths to pursue their aspirations and to play an active role in contributing to the community. For his bold social entrepreneurial vision and spirit, and his outstanding contributions to youth and community development, Mr Martin Tan Beng Chong is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2013.

Dr Chan Shuping Juliana Maria Success is only possible with sacrifice and perseverance. Every hurdle I experienced has motivated me to work harder. I still fail every day, but I refuse to let that define me.

A passionate scientist, who spends most of her time in the laboratory, Juliana wears multiple hats as Research Fellow of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nanyang Technological Universitys Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, as well as Adjunct Senior Research Fellow of the Department of Surgery of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. Juliana holds a PhD in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. At the young age of 29, Juliana already has an impressive track record in research, which has been highlighted in international media. She jointly holds three international patents, one of which is licensed to a biotechnology company based in USA. Scientific achievements aside, Juliana also stands out for her achievements and contributions outside the laboratory. She had observed that language barriers and difficulties in conducting interviews made it challenging for promising scientists in Asia to receive international coverage. Driven by the aspiration to profile scientists in Asia internationally and spurred by her passion for writing, Juliana started the online Asian Scientist Magazine, which has since produced more than 2,500 stories and profiled a number of prominent opinion leaders in Asia and Nobel laureates. The magazine has 30 to 40 contributors at a flux and thousands of views a day, and has been highlighted in international media. The biggest coup to date, however, is World Scientific Publishing, a leading scientific publisher in the world, investing a minority stake that values her company in the multi-million dollar range and enables her to expand the venture. Juliana is also passionate about social causes, and serves as Board Director for the Project Fisherman, a social outreach initiative, and the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) of Singapore, and volunteers in the Editorial Board for INNOVATION Magazine, which highlights the recent work of Singapore-based researchers and their collaborations with external organisations. For her scientific achievements and her outstanding contributions to the Asian scientific community in raising the profile of scientists in Asia and their work internationally, Dr Chan Shuping Juliana Maria is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2013.

Jean Ng Joo Lin If you want to embark on anything, make sure it is your best effort. This is the philosophy that drives me to be a better athlete tomorrow than I am today.

Her life creed and her passion for sports enable Ms Jean Ng Joo Lin to juggle a full-time job at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and an illustrious sporting career with panache. Jean has played for the National Netball Team since 1999, and served as captain from 2004 to 2012. With 100 international caps under her belt, Jean currently holds the record for the most number of international netball caps for Singapore. She was inducted into the Netball Singapore Hall of Fame in 2012. Jean fell in love with netball at ten years old, and dedicated herself to her lifes passion, working hard to be at the top of her game while juggling school and work. She made her appearance for Singapore at the 1999 World Netball Championships and helped to claim two gold medals at the Asian Netball Championships in 2005 (Singapores first) and 2012. Jean was instrumental in helping Singapore win the bid to host the World Netball Championships 2011, by making a convincing speech to over 70 congress members from the International Netball Federation to get their vote for Singapore. As a testament to her passion for Singapore sports, Jean forewent the chance to pursue a full-time MBA at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and opted for a local part-time Executive MBA so that she could stay and continue her work in elevating Singapores profile as an emerging sports hub in the region and around the world. Having bounced back to the top of her game from two knee surgeries, Jean now advises other players who have similar injuries, encouraging and guiding them through rehabilitation until they regain confidence and strength to re-enter the game. She is a mentor for younger national team members, who draw inspiration from her example to balance studies, work, social life and sports with discipline and commitment. Jean is also dedicated to nurturing young players, coaching the Nike Marlins team every Saturday. As Board Member of Netball Singapore, she contributed ideas and feedback to take the sport to the next level in Singapore. For her sporting excellence, untiring efforts in developing Singapores sports scene, and dedication to nurturing young athletes, Ms Jean Ng Joo Lin is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2013.

Laurentia Yen-Yi Tan Our glorious moments are not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.

Ms Laurentia Yen-Yi Tan was born with cerebral palsy and profound deafness. As a child, Laurentia struggled with simple tasks, such as using chopsticks, which most people take for granted, but she surmounted every obstacle in life with her indomitable will and the support of her family. Her motto: Try. We never know if we are able to do it unless we try. Horse riding formed part of her physiotherapy at the age of five, but became her lifelong passion as she found freedom, movement and energy to do things on horseback that her own legs cannot do. Suffering from profound deafness did not stop her from pursuing her passion in dressage and rhythmic riding. Laurentia cannot hear the accompanying music when performing with her horse. Through a well-developed sense of movement honed by years of consistent and indefatigable practice, however, she has become Singapores bemedalled Paralympic equestrienne, achieving success at the highest level of her competitive sport. At the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, Laurentia won bronze medals in the Individual Championship and Individual Freestyle Tests. These were Singapore's and Asia's first equestrian medals at the Paralympic Games. Four years later, Laurentia improved on her performance by winning a silver medal in the Individual Freestyle Test and a bronze medal in the Individual Championship Test at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. As a testament to her stellar and inspiring achievements in the sport, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) appointed Laurentia as one of eight ambassadors of its global sport development programme, FEI Solidarity, in April 2013. Each ambassador represents an equestrian discipline, and Laurentia was chosen to represent para-equestrian. Laurentia enjoys sharing her life experience with students and giving hope to others with disabilities through motivational talks at schools and non-profit organisations, such as the Singapore School for the Deaf, as well as help in fundraising for charities, as her way of paying forward the love and hope she has received in her life to inspire and encourage other people. For her courage and resilience in overcoming physical disability to achieve sporting excellence and put Singapore on the world map in equestrian, and her exemplary efforts to inspire and help other youths, Ms Laurentia Yen-Yi Tan is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2013.

Associate Professor Ong Soh Khim What is essential and important is invisible to the eyes. Use your heart to see, to hear, to think, to judge.

When Associate Professor Ong Soh Khim was conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2004 for Science & Technology, she was the first ASEAN woman to receive the prestigious M. Eugene Merchant MSE Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the US Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 2004. Soh Khim has continued to scale new heights in the male-dominated field of manufacturing engineering and achieve more firsts in her career: she is the first Singaporean to receive the Emerging Leader Award in Academia from the US Society of Women Engineers in 2009. The crowning achievement to date, however, is her election in 2012 as a Fellow of CIRP, the International Academy for Production Engineering, an exclusive body of only 175 selected scientists from around the world. She is the fourth woman in the world to be elected as a Fellow of CIRP in the Academys 62-year history. Driven by her passion to improve the lives of the elderly and physically disabled through technology, Soh Khim helmed a team to invent the Augmented Reality Assistive Keyboard, a device which combines Assistive and Augmented Reality technologies to help the elderly and disabled use full computer functions in composing and sending emails, and control household appliances, such as television sets and lights. She secured two patents for her Virtual Interface System, one in Singapore and one in Germany in 2011. Soh Khim also dedicates her time to promoting science among youths. She was honoured twice with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship in 2004 and 2011. She was also presented with the Friend of Ang Mo Kio Secondary School Award in 2012 for her tireless efforts in mentoring the schools students since 2010. Soh Khim also guides junior college students in various mentorship programmes. The achievements of her university students bear testament to her care and concern beyond the duties of an academic. Soh Khim has also championed various national and social causes as a Nominated Member of Parliament and a member of the Assistive Technology Workgroup with the Society for Physically Disabled. For continuously scaling greater heights in her profession, and her contributions to youth and community development, Associate Professor Ong Soh Khim is conferred the Medal of Commendation 2013.

The Boys Brigade Share-a-Gift (BBSG) We hope to encourage Singaporeans to see sharing and caring as an integral part of everyday life, and that more will join us on this project, to personally experience the tangible impact that can be made in the lives of beneficiaries through action. The Boys Brigade Share-a-Gift (BBSG, formerly known as Boys Brigade Sharity Gift Box) was launched in 1988 as a nationwide community project to bring cheer to the less fortunate by collecting and distributing food and basic necessities during the Christmas season, and encourage the spirit of caring and sharing among Singaporeans. BBSG was conferred the Singapore Youth Award (Team) for Community and Youth Services in 2004, and has continued to go from strength to strength. From 120 voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs) and 2,500 Public Assistance recipients, the BBSG now reaches out to 173 VWOs and 6,500 Public Assistance recipients. In 2008, BBSG introduced a Special Needs Wishes category that provides an opportunity for beneficiaries to receive a useful item that they would otherwise not be able to afford on their own. The Wishes Programme of BBSG has since expanded its outreach from elderly, children and families registered under the Public Assistance scheme to individuals with illness and disabilities. From 372 wishes in 2008, the programme has since doubled to 740 wishes. The next year, BBSG extended its outreach to individuals in the ComCare Transition (CCT) scheme, such as people who are out of a job due to retrenchment, a sudden illness or accident, and need aid for an interim period until they get back on their feet. BBSG also used social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, to enhance its engagement with volunteers and members of the public. User-generated photos and videos are shared through social media to raise awareness of the plight of the people in need and to help spread the campaign message of giving generously. BBSG has inspired many of its youth volunteers to bring the concept back to their schools and encourage their friends to organise similar projects on a smaller scale for the residents in the vicinity of their schools. Beyond the shores of Singapore, BBSG has also shared its concept with international kindred organisations. The concept has been replicated in some states in Malaysia, Cambodia and also in Hong Kong where the project involves 750 young volunteers befriending some 500 elderly. For inspiring the community into action that brings cheer to the less fortunate, and encouraging the spirit of compassion and giving among Singaporeans from all walks of life, The Boys Brigade Share-a-Gift is conferred the Medal of Commendation 2013.