Over 100,000 people to receive national awards for contributions towards Singapore's fight against Covid-19

SINGAPORE — More than 100,000 people will receive national recognition for their contributions towards Singapore’s fight against Covid-19, with medals inspired by two recognisable symbols of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced on Thursday (Dec 29). 

The medals will feature a single red line showing a negative antigen rapid test result and the familiar green colour of the TraceTogether contact-tracing mobile application.

Topping the list of recipients are Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, the director of medical services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), Mr Pang Kin Keong, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as Mr Tan Chong Meng, the lead for the Community Care Facilities Taskforce. 

They are among the 9,500 individuals who will be receiving national awards for Covid-19, which are given to those who have made outstanding contributions to the national fight against the coronavirus.

The recipients include about 4,000 individuals from the public healthcare sector, 4,500 from the public sector and about 900 from the private and people sectors. 

PMO said: “The number and spread of individuals receiving awards reflect how the fight against Covid-19 has been a whole-of-nation effort.” 

In addition to the individual awards, more than 480 teams will receive the President’s Certificate of Commendation, awarded to those who exemplify the extensive teamwork involved in the fight during the pandemic. 

Two new national awards, named the Covid-19 Resilience Medal and Covid-19 Resilience Certificate, will also be awarded to those who participated directly in the national fight against the infectious disease. 

About 99,000 individuals and 800 teams will receive these and recipients will be announced at a later date, PMO said. 

Assoc Prof Mak, Mr Pang and Mr Tan will be receiving the Meritorious Service Medal — the top national awards. 

In his position as chief medical advisor, Assoc Prof Mak advised the multi-ministry task force and other government agencies in crafting the overall strategy for managing the outbreak. 

“His steady and calm presence reassured the public and reinforced the public’s trust in the Government’s handling of the pandemic,” PMO said. 

Assoc Prof Mak said that it was a great honour to receive the award. 

"This award represents our nation’s recognition and appreciation of the tremendous sacrifices made by our healthcare professionals under difficult circumstances," he said. 

Similarly, PMO said that Mr Pang's leadership was an example of grace under pressure, mobilising agencies across the people, private and public sectors to respond to the pandemic. 

“It was in large part due to his leadership that the Singapore public service was able to anticipate many of the challenges during the crisis, respond swiftly and effectively to a complex threat and generally stay ahead of this tricky pandemic,” it said. 

On the award, Mr Pang said: “I see the award more as a recognition for the public service, rather than a personal one. It is a tribute to my fellow permanent secretaries, deputy secretaries, chief executives and other public servants who worked tirelessly to manage the crisis." 

As for Mr Tan, his contributions included helping to ensure that Singapore’s supply chains withstood the numerous global and domestic disruptions caused by the pandemic. 

He also co-chaired the Emerging Stronger Taskforce, which was set up to pre-empt the major trends triggered by Covid-19 and prepare the country for economic and social recovery. 

Mr Tan said that he was deeply honoured to be able to do his part during the pandemic alongside many colleagues and friends. 

"I witnessed an ‘all hands on deck’ spirit from the first moments, marked with selflessness and spontaneity. Very quickly, acquaintances became teams, with a shared passion for protecting the resilience of our country and her people," he added. 

Mr Janadas Devan, chief of government communications at the Ministry of Communications and Information, as well as Mr Benjamin Ong, senior advisor to MOH for the Covid-19 pandemic, will also be receiving awards under the Public Service Star category. 

PMO acknowledged how Singapore’s communities, businesses and Government came together to overcome the many pandemic-related challenges. 

It added that the awards also pay tribute to the “many more thousands” whose contributions and sacrifices saw the country through the pandemic. 

“They are the heroes of our fight against Covid-19. They have shown grit, courage and public spirit, and they make us all proud to be Singaporeans.”