The singapore prize is awarded to publications that make a significant impact on Singapore’s history. It was launched in 2014 as part of Singapore’s SG50 programme, and is administered by the Department of History at NUS. The prize is awarded every three years, and its winner receives S$50,000 as prize money.
In addition to the main award, judges also give out special commendations without the attendant cash awards. This year, Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters Festival by Lynn Wong and Lee Kok Leong won the first runner-up award, while Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage Of 20th Century Singapore by Loh Kah Seng, Alex Tan, Koh Keng We, Tan Teng Phee and Juria Toramae came in third place.
The citation for the winning book by Ms Hidayah Salleh, titled Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Gelam, describes it as “elegantly crafted and meticulously researched”. It is a story of the community that grew up in Gedung Kuning, located near the old Istana Kampong Glam, which was demolished in 1972. It was told through the lens of Ms Salleh’s own family history, augmented with primary sources and personal inputs. The citation adds: “The prize is an affirmation to the general public that they do not have to be professional historians to write a history book. Anyone who has lived through a proportion of their lives in this country has something to say about its past.”
Ms Salleh is an experienced marketing communications professional, and is currently the managing director of MKPL Management Consultants, which handles the marketing and branding of several large and established brands. Her responsibilities include overseeing the planning and execution of strategic marketing campaigns, as well as overseeing operations. She has worked across the consumer and business to corporate sectors, including banking, retail and media companies, and has led multiple global brand launches.
The winners were announced at a star-studded ceremony attended by Britain’s Prince William. At the event, he said that the solutions presented by the five finalists — which ranged from solar-powered dryers to soil carbon marketplaces and groups that restore Andean forests and make electric car batteries cleaner — proved that “hope does remain” as climate change is addressed globally.
The prizes are supported by Temasek Trust, investment platform GenZero and conservation group United for Wildlife. Organizers hope their networks, resources and expertise can help scale innovative environmental solutions to the benefit of mankind. They also aim to promote greater awareness of the prize and encourage more people to nominate candidates. The panel of judges for the prize – appointed by the President of NUS – will determine the criteria and mechanism for selecting winners in a given three year cycle. The panel will review applications and nominations a minimum of one year prior to the prize being awarded. The prize is open to individuals, corporations and organisations that demonstrate an outstanding record of innovation, impact and excellence in their field. Applicants can choose to be nominated for the prize by their own organisation, or through an external nomination process.