ST's story on stateless individuals bags top inaugural award

Multimedia report cited for impact; annual prize-giving held under refreshed format

- Wong Yang

Two months after The Straits Times featured him in a multimedia report about stateless individuals and the challenges they face, Mr Ricqo Rafiezuwan became a permanent resident in Singapore.

The 25-year-old also landed a job as an operation executive after more than 80 people contacted ST and the family service centre that supports him to offer their help.

For the impact that their work had on Mr Rafiezuwan, and for raising awareness about the plight of stateless individuals here, the team behind the multimedia story bagged the inaugural Editor-in-Chief Award at SPH Media's annual English, Malay and Tamil Media (EMTM) Group awards ceremony on April 4.

The team, which also took home ST's Story of the Year prize, comprises former ST journalist Wong Shiying, 28; senior executive producers Ong Swee Lin, 51, and Jamie Koh, 50; executive producer Azim Azman, 38; and executive photojournalists Gavin Foo, 45, and Ng Sor Luan, 46.

Ms Ong, who produced the video on Mr Rafiezuwan's story, said they are grateful to have had the chance to positively impact the life of a "remarkable young man", and thankful for his trust in them.

Added Mr Azim, who also worked on the video: "It was humbling to see his story resonate with so many people. The outpouring of support was a great reminder that our work can make a difference."