Big Hearts, Big Dreams: Stories of Singaporean of the Year Nominees 2015 - 2016

Since 2015, The Straits Times has recognised unsung heroes and inspiring dreamers with the Singaporean of the Year award. Supported by UBS Singapore, the annual award celebrates individuals who made headlines not because of their status or fame, but for their selfless acts of goodwill. It recognises the triumph of the human spirit, and the myriad ways in which common men and women can shape the lives of those around them for the better.


Big Hearts, Big Dreams gathers the stories of the 21 winners and nominees from the first two years of the award. Written by veteran journalist Wong Kim Hoh, each profile captures the determination and drive of those who have made an impact on the community.


Featuring the stories of:

• the Schoolings, Singapore’s first Olympic gold medallist and the dedicated parents who raised him

• Noriza a Mansor, the Good Samaritan who helped an elderly stranger who had soiled himself in public

• Yip Pin Xiu & Theresa Goh, Paralympian swimmers who have inspired a nation

• Ashvin Gunasegaran, a primary school pupil who rushed to the aid of car accident victims

• Peter Lim Kok Seng,a security officer who donated part of his liver to a stranger

• Jabez Tan, a former convict who founded a bak kut teh chain that gives ex-offenders a fresh start


...and many more.