Second Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards Celebrates Inclusivity with More Awardees

Singapore, 3 December 2020 – The Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (GCTEA) celebrated the achievements and promise of 16 exceptional persons with disabilities today at the awards ceremony held at the Istana with Guest of Honour President Halimah Yacob and attended by Special Guest Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong and Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.

In its second year, the GCTEA saw more awardees this year. Last year, the GCTEA honoured 13 Awardees – including three UBS Achievement Awardees and 10 UBS Promise Awardees at the inaugural Awards.

An initiative of the Mediacorp Enable Fund (MEF), a community fund administered by SG Enable, with Mediacorp as the official media partner, the Awards is supported by the Singapore Totalisator Board (Tote Board) as the Founding Sponsor and UBS Singapore as the Principal Sponsor.

The GCTEA comprises two categories:

• The GCTEA (UBS Achievement) to celebrate persons with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their own fields and serve as an inspiration to others; and
• The GCTEA (UBS Promise) to encourage persons with disabilities who have shown promise to pursue greater heights in their areas of talent and the willingness to serve the community.

President Halimah Yacob said, “As a society, we can do more to support persons with disabilities in their integration into the wider community. Many of you have truly exemplified the spirit of positivity and resilience. You have shown that persons with disabilities can also contribute and bring value to organisations, businesses and our society. Let us continue to provide persons with disabilities with opportunities to pursue their talents and aspirations.”

ESM Goh Chok Tong, who is also the patron of the MEF, said, “Through these awards, we want to show the world what our persons with disabilities can achieve, when given the opportunity to prove themselves. We want to encourage more Singaporeans to welcome and integrate them in the community and in the workplace.”

List of Awardees 2020

GCTEA (UBS Achievement) – Celebrating persons with extraordinary achievements

In recognition of their noteworthy accomplishments in their respective fields, four inspiring individuals were awarded the GCTEA (UBS Achievement). They are (in alphabetical order, according to surname):

Mdm Lim Sew Yong, 76

A veteran artist and founder of Singapore’s first auction house, Raffles Fine Arts Auctioneers Pte Ltd, Sew Yong has dedicated her life to the development of Singapore’s art culture. Undaunted by the daily challenges that came with her diagnosis of muscular dystrophy at the age of 50, she continues to paint and rally the community to help the underprivileged through art.

Ms Sherena Loh, 61

Sherena was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 15, and was told she would not live beyond 25 years old. She has since defied the odds and co-founded the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore) in 2000 to help young children living with muscular dystrophy. She is also a prime mover in implementing innovative services across the nation that has empowered and integrated people with disabilities.

Dr Azariah Tan, 29

Despite his hearing impairment, Azariah is an established pianist and a well-known figure in the classical community in Singapore, with a passion for using his talent to give back to the community through inspirational talks and performances at fundraising concerts. The recipient of numerous local and international awards, he has put Singapore on the map of the music world through his achievements.

Dr William Tan, 63

William, a physician by profession, is an Asian Para Games triple gold medalist, accomplished wheelchair marathoner and a social activist, who has an acquired disability after contracting polio at the age of two. He has played a significant role in advocating for persons with disabilities in Singapore, including in his capacity as the President of the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA).

The above Awardees will each receive S$10,000. Very Special Arts, which nominated Dr Azariah Tan, will also receive S$5,000 in recognition of the contributing role of nominating organisations in the success journeys of persons with disabilities.

GCTEA (UBS Promise) – Motivating talented individuals with a bright potential

These 12 promising individuals were presented with the GCTEA (UBS Promise) in recognition of their bright potential and commitment to serve the community, and they will each receive S$5,000. They are (in alphabetical order, according to surname):

• Mr Chan Weng Yan, James, 29
• Ms Koh Xin Hui, Adelyn, 19
• Mr Peter Reuben Liem, 25
• Mr Lim Hong Xiang, Samuel, 21
• Mr Lim Zui Young, 29
• Ms Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha, 35
• Mr Mok You Qiang, Ivan, 35
• Mr Alister Ong, 26
• Mr Sheikh Muhd Danial Bawthan bin Shamiun, 26
• Ms Tang Su-Ann Megan, 14
• Mr Tseng Shi-Hao, Joshua, 23
• Ms Wong Liang Le, 28

For more information about the Awards, please visit www.mef.sg.

Quotes from the Evaluation Panel and Sponsors:

Chairman of the GCTEA Evaluation Panel and a Board Member of SG Enable Associate Professor Wong Meng Ee said, “The number of quality nominations we have received for the Awards is testament to the extraordinary talent of persons with disabilities. It was not an easy process selecting the Awardees, especially having to pick from a pool of nominees who have all demonstrated significant achievements in their own right. Through the Awards, we hope to inspire more persons with disabilities to excel in their areas of expertise, and look forward to more applications in the subsequent years.”

CEO of SG Enable Ku Geok Boon said, “We believe persons with disabilities are integral members of society, and are proud of all the winners. We hope their stories will be an inspiration to other persons with disabilities, and also the rest of society – to persevere and continue to pursue their dreams, even when faced with challenging circumstances. The Awards ceremony is also an apt occasion to kick off our inaugural Enabling Lives Festival this month, where we celebrate disability inclusion.”

CEO of Mediacorp Tham Loke Kheng said, “The Awards recognises those who had overcome great challenges to accomplish incredible personal achievements and positively impact our communities.  We hope that their grit and determination will continue to inspire others to maximise their potential in their respective fields.”

Fong Yong Kian, Chief Executive, Tote Board said, “Tote Board is proud to be a founding sponsor for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards.  It is important that we recognise and celebrate those among us who have achieved successes despite the odds against them, as in the case of persons with disabilities. The awardees inspire all of us to live up to our fullest potential, and to reach out to those around us.”

Edmund Koh, President of Asia Pacific, UBS, added, “This year celebrates UBS 50 years in Singapore and also our second year sponsoring the UBS Achievement and Promise awards. It is our honour to acknowledge the achievements and promise of these extraordinary individuals who are able to overcome their challenges, accomplish personal achievements and be a positive driver of change and inspiration. Each and every one of the finalists are incredibly inspiring and extremely deserving of this award. A common denominator amongst all of them is their determination to overcome their difficulties and still care for their community. This quality is even more important during this time of the pandemic where they inspire us to continue to be resilient, courageous and stand united to help each other. “

Media Contact

Tasneem Djabarali
Corporate Marketing and CSR Associate
Tasneem.MD@mediacorp.com.sg

About Mediacorp

Mediacorp is Singapore’s national media network and largest content creator. Its purpose is to create engaging and trusted content, as well as to connect communities and inspire people. Mediacorp engages over three million people in Singapore daily across four languages on its digital platforms including meWATCH, meLISTEN and CNA.asia, six TV channels and 11 radio stations. Beyond Singapore, Mediacorp also has a growing international audience through CNA and content distributed across markets.

With a focus on nurturing talent and growing the sector, the company is committed to investing in nation-wide initiatives like Star Search, Anugerah, Yaar Antha Star and SPOP, commissioning a wide variety of work from local content creators, and collaborating with institutes of higher learning. As Singapore’s first local Multi-Channel Network in partnership with YouTube, Mediacorp is also committed to developing a network of digital content creators.

For advertisers, Mediacorp has partnered industry-leading brands like ESPN, Mothership, Popcorn, Singapore Tatler, theAsianparent, VICE, YouTube and 99.co to form the Mediacorp Digital Network in offering more effective content-driven solutions.

Mediacorp is the recipient of industry accolades including New York Festivals, World Media Festivals, PromaxBDA (World and Asia) and Asian Academy Creative Awards.

For more information, please visit mediacorp.sg.

About SG Enable

Set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in July 2013, SG Enable is the focal agency for the disability sector in Singapore, dedicated to enabling persons with disabilities and building an inclusive society. It seeks to empower persons with disabilities and their caregivers with timely access to information, referral services and grants; enhance training and employment for them; and engage the community to integrate them as integral members of society. It also manages the Enabling Village. SG Enable is a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character.

For more information, please visit www.sgenable.sg.