BT journalists clinch double win at Sias awards for financial journalism
The accolades come as The Business Times marks its 50th anniversary
[SINGAPORE] Two journalists from The Business Times clinched accolades for their work in financial journalism at the 2026 Investors’ Choice Awards by the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), or Sias.
Senior correspondent Stanislaus Jude Chan, 46, was named Financial Journalist of the Year, and journalist Young Zhan Heng, 26, was awarded Most Promising Journalist of the Year at the award ceremony held at Orchard Hotel on Wednesday (Oct 21).
The double win comes as BT marks its 50th anniversary this year.
“The Investors’ Choice Awards celebrate companies and individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to good governance, transparency and the interests of shareholders,” said David Gerald, founder, president and CEO of Sias.
Chan was recognised for the incisiveness and rigour of his reporting across Singapore’s corporate and capital markets landscape.
Gerald said that Chan’s work cut through corporate press releases to ask the hard questions that matter to minority investors.
“Your commitment to championing transparency and holding management teams to account adds real depth to your journalism, helping investors navigate an increasingly complex market,” he added.
Meanwhile, Young was recognised for his reporting on the business implications of technology, spanning Singapore’s artificial intelligence ambitions, challenges facing the telecommunications sector and data centre developments.
Gerald said Young’s work demonstrates a strong grasp of both technical complexity and commercial storytelling, reflecting both strong sourcing and a solid foundation for continued growth in financial journalism.
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Said BT editor Chen Huifen: “We are extremely proud of Jude and Zhan Heng for this double win – a milestone made all the more special as it coincides with The Business Times’ golden jubilee year.
“We hope their achievements will inspire more journalists to pursue deeper, original reporting that elevates the craft.”
Commenting on the win, Chan noted that investors in Singapore are discerning. “My role is just to clear the fog around the figures and ask the awkward questions,” he said.
“I’m grateful to Sias and the business community for appreciating this work, and thankful to the corporate leaders for trusting me with candid chats without kicking me out of the room.”
Young pointed out that AI developments remain rapid and unpredictable.
“As a reporter covering this field, it is a privilege to be on the ground and speak with multiple players, from data centre operators to software players, to understand the direction we are heading towards with this technology,” he said.
Investment literacy
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said that Singapore’s market needs three things to sustain investor confidence from its current growth momentum: well-governed companies; well-informed investors; and strong bridges between the two that foster constructive engagement.
“Building a vibrant equities market is a long-term effort – and it is not one that the government can do alone,” said Chee, who is also deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Gerald noted that one of the best investments to make for Singapore’s future is to promote investing literacy on top of financial literacy.
“If we can help young Singaporeans become familiar with saving and investing from an early age, we may be able to cultivate a generation that is not only financially literate but also financially confident and empowered,” he said.
Parents can begin by making voluntary top-ups to their children’s Central Provident Fund accounts, or setting aside a small sum regularly in less risky investments such as exchange-traded funds.
Gerald highlighted as an example that the Straits Times Index has had annualised total returns of 11.3 per cent in the last 10 years.
A S$10,000 investment for each newborn, funded equally by the parents and the government, could grow to S$68,690 by the time the child turns 18 – enough for university education or even down payment for a flat, he said.
This creates a habit among children and teaches them about ownership, discipline, risk and long-term wealth creation, he noted.
“There is no guarantee that investments will always rise in value, but understanding risk is itself an essential part of financial literacy,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the haze situation, Gerald said that Sias will continue to raise awareness about ESG risks and encourage investors to check a company’s sustainability practices before investing.
“Sias calls on all investors to think carefully about where they put their money, and to absolutely avoid companies with poor environmental records,” he said.
“Investors who fund such companies, even indirectly, share some responsibility for these outcomes.”
45 winners across seven categories
In all, 45 award recipients were recognised across seven categories for excellence in corporate governance, sustainability, transparency and shareholder communications.
Other winners for the financial journalism awards included Lianhe Zaobao business journalist Siow Zhi Hui, who won the Investor Education Journalist of the Year award.
Mediacorp’s Daphne Koh, a producer for the Money Mind, News and Current Affairs segment, won the Financial Story of the Year award; CNA won the Special Award, and The Fifth Person won Investment Blog of the Year.
For the Singapore Corporate Governance Award, the winners were Jardine Matheson Southeast Asia, Sats, QAF, Vicom, Hafary, Sing Holdings, CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust, Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust, Keppel and the Singapore Exchange (SGX).
The Investors’ Choice Outstanding CEO Award went to Thakral Corporation’s Inderbethal Singh Thakral, SGX’s Loh Boon Chye and Keppel’s Loh Chin Hua.
As for the Most Transparent Company Award, the winners were Singapore Airlines, Thai Beverage, Banyan Tree, Sing Investments & Finance, GP Industries, JB Foods, Singapore Shipping Corporation and CapitaLand India Trust.
For the Singapore Corporate Sustainability Award, the winners were City Developments Ltd, Singapore Land Group, Far East Orchard, OKP, Taka Jewellery, EnGro Corporation, NetLink NBN Trust and Keppel Infrastructure Trust.
Picking up the Shareholder Communications Excellence Award were UOB, ComfortDelGro, Singapore Post, Civmec, Qian Hu Corporation, The Trendlines Group, Starhill Global Reit and CDL Hospitality Trusts.
Tiger Brokers (Singapore) and Phillip Securities were awarded the Best Retail Broker Awards.
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