Mark Cheng of Singapore non-profit organisation AveLife has followed in the footsteps of former Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw as winner of an award that recognises outstanding contributions within the environmental sector.
Eco-Business founder and editor Jessica Cheam, who is a correspondent at Singapore newspaper The Straits Times, also won a merit award for the environmental leadership category of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons awards, held yesterday by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Singapore.
Other awards were also given to young Singaporeans for creating significant positive change within their chosen fields.
Organised since 1972 by the Singapore branch of international leadership training organisation JCI, the JCI TOYP Singapore awards are a precursor to the international JCI TOYP World awards to be held at the end of October in Brussels.
“The award is an opportunity for the Singapore awardees to be recognised on the world stage at the World Congress in Brussels. The panel of adjudicators…look at truly outstanding contributions by individuals in their respective fields… that have made a difference to society and a significant contribution to humanity,” said Dr Derek Goh, who is chief judge for JCI Singapore and is himself a winner of multiple public service awards within Singapore.
After an interview process by a panel of judges, 12 of the 18 finalists received awards – six honour awards and six merit awards.
The Singapore honour award-winners will be nominated for the world awards, and if selected as finalists, will be invited to attend the international award ceremony at the JCI World Congress.
Six of Singapore’s previous award recipients have gone on to be honoured internationally at the JCI World Congress. They are Dr William Tan Kian Meng (1997), Dr Wong Tien Yin (1999), See Too Hoi Siang (2001), Ho Yeow Sun (2003), Dr Fatimah Binte Abdul Lateef (2006) and Mr Glenn Lim (2007).
In recognition of the award’s 40th year, Singapore’s JCI president Ang Yuit said that JCI has decided to recruit current and previous award winners to form a new platform aimed at generating ideas for improving Singapore. The TOYP Circle, to be chaired by Mr Shaw, who is now vice president of corporate social responsibility of Halcyon Group, “will be a platform for the awardees to contribute new ideas for the betterment of the societies,” said Mr Ang.
Singapore has 75 previous award-winners including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who won the Singapore award in 1975, See Too Hoi Siang (2001). Howard Shaw won the award for his work with the Singapore Environment Council in 2008.
The award winners for other categories are honour winner Clinton Ang and merit winner Wei Chan for business contributions; honour winner Adrian Lim for academic contributions; honour winner Wong Woon Hong for cultural achievements; honour winner Yip Pin Xiu for contributions in the area of personal improvement; honour winner Andy Khong in the technology category; merit winner Vernetta Lopez for contributions for children and world peace; merit winner Calvin Teo in the voluntary sector; and merit winner Eric Tin for his work in the legal sector.
