BT journalists win SIAS top and special awards

Singapore

REPORTERS of The Business Times Jamie Lee and Claire Huang were honoured for their achievements in financial journalism at the Securities Investors' Association of Singapore's (SIAS) Investors' Choice Awards 2017 on Tuesday evening.

The event was attended by 700 guests from the business, academic and investing communities, as well as from the regulatory bodies.

Ms Lee, a banking and finance correspondent, bagged the top award, that of Financial Journalist of the Year, for being at the forefront of new developments in her core beat. This is the second time she has won this award, the last time being in 2010.

She was one of the first journalists here to start paying attention to financial technology (fintech) firms, crowd-funding issues and peer-to-peer lending platforms, scoring a number of exclusive stories even before "fintech" became a buzzword.

SIAS said her stories often flesh out the implications of the disruptions in the financial sector, and the spillover effects they exact on human resources and the broader economy.

BT editor Wong Wei Kong said: "Jamie has distinguished herself in reporting and analysing the digital disruption in banking and finance, a still- unfolding story that holds great implications for banks, businesses and jobs."

For Ms Lee, it is a battlefield out there, given the challenges faced by the newspaper industry. She said: "I am stubborn in the belief that journalism is a craft that will not die. Journalists who care - or are pissed - enough will hone their craft amid the pressure. We're still fighting to win."

Ms Huang was presented a Special Award for her drive to shed new light on healthcare costs and insurance; she is best-known for her series of reports flagging the wide-ranging fees that third-party administrators in the healthcare system charge, which she filed at a time when consumers were unaware of the issue, said SIAS.

More recently, she wrote a feature on the rising costs and sustainability of Integrated Shield Plans (IPs).

Mr Wong said: "In giving readers insights into how the insurance business works, Claire does a great service in demystifying the industry and raising consumer awareness."

On her part, Ms Huang said: "The rising cost of health care is a key concern for many. Without knowing what to look out for, many consumers find it hard to compare the IPs available on the market. Interestingly, the feature shows that many of the plans are rather alike, save for price and certain features such as the annual claims limit."

All in, journalists from Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) bagged five awards at the event, which is in its 18th edition this year.

Hu Yuanwen of Lianhe Zaobao shared the Financial Journalist of the Year award with BT's Ms Lee; the Chinese-language daily's associate business editor Suzane Quek took home the Investor Education Journalist of the Year title, while Grace Leong of The Straits Times took home a Special Award.

SPH chief executive Ng Yat Chung said in a statement: "Our business journalists have been recognised for their editorial excellence again. This proves their relentless commitment to quality content."

Dawn Tan, presenter and host of Channel News Asia's Money Mind programme, also was named Investor Education Journalist of the Year, while the Most Promising Journalist of the Year Award went to business reporter Angela Teng of Today.

On the corporate front, SPH won the Singapore Corporate Governance Award.

SPH has previously won the Most Transparent Company award 12 times and been runner-up four times. This award, which has been discontinued, was presented to listed companies that had been transparent and had helped investors make informed decisions.

Mr Ng said he was pleased that SPH had been recognised again for corporate governance. "It is a reflection of our commitment to uphold good corporate governance and transparency, and to build trust with our investors and shareholders."

The award was received by SPH executive vice-president for corporate communications and corporate social responsibility Ginney Lim.

CapitaLand snagged the key Singapore Corporate Governance Award in the big-cap category; it also won awards under two new categories, namely Sustainability, and Shareholder Communications Excellence.

The top corporate governance award for mid- and small-cap companies went to Tuan Sing Holdings and Sing Investments & Finance respectively.

The guest of honour at the event was Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Trade and Industry and in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

READ MORE: SIAS INVESTORS' CHOICE AWARDS special