The world’s first prize devoted to Singapore’s history will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year. Entries open Jan 1 for the NUS Singapore History Prize, which is supported by the Ministry of Culture, and backed by a grant from the Lee Kuan Yew Foundation. Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, launched the competition after writing a column in April calling for a reward for history books on Singapore.
Mahbubani urged authors, publishers and readers to submit their best Singapore histories, including those that tackle sensitive issues such as the riots and mass layoffs of 1955 and the alleged Marxist conspiracy of 1987. The prize is open to all Singaporeans and those who have studied or lived here. Winners will receive S$50,000.
It is also the fifth time Singapore has offered the S$200,000 prize for science, which was created to honour exemplary young researchers and recognise their contributions to the development of Singapore and beyond. Candidates must be at least 30 years old and have been doing research in Singapore for at least 10 years. They must have produced outstanding results in their field of work, show great drive and be able to inspire others. The judging panel will also consider the potential impact of their work and whether it has made a contribution to society in general.
The 2024 prize will be judged by a jury panel comprising Mahbubani; John Miksic, vice-chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees; Prof Tan Tai Yong, President of the Singapore University of Social Sciences; and Prof Peter A. Coclanis, Director of the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The prize will be presented at a ceremony in 2024 to mark the SG50 celebrations.
While the arts community has long enjoyed strong financial support from the government, critics say that this can be used as an instrument for censorship. One example is the case of Tiang Jian, whose novel focuses on a series of sensitive – and often controversial – events that helped shape the tightly controlled city-state, such as violent strikes and riots, the incarceration of left-wing politicians and trade unionists and the alleged Marxist conspiracy of 1987.
Last year, Singapore’s sports community celebrated the country’s golden jubilee with the launch of a new medal scheme that rewards medallists at the Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games. The medals are sponsored by the Tote Board group and a gold at a major event wins S$10,000 (US$7,300/EUR6,200) plus S$1,000 for second and third place.
Athletes with disabilities will also see their achievements recognised by the inaugural Disability Sport Excellence Award. It is based on the SEA Games Medalists Programme, which was launched in 1989 by the Tote Board to reward SEA and Asian Games medallists with cash awards in amounts based on their major event and the number of medals won. Athletes with disabilities will be eligible for the Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year categories.