Singapore, 3 November 2023 - Berita Harian, the flagship Malay language daily of SPH Media, has named Shahrin Abdol Salam, Managing Director of SMRT Thomson-East Coast Line Pte Ltd and Senior Vice-President (Strategic Relations) of SMRT Corporation as Berita Harian’s Achiever of the Year (Anugerah Jauhari Berita Harian), and Singer-Composer Shazza (Shareefa Aminah Abdul Shariff) as Berita Harian’s Young Achiever of the Year (Anugerah Jauhari Harapan Berita Harian). Back for the 25th year, the annual awards honour the contributions of outstanding individuals in the Malay/Muslim community.
The Achiever of the Year Award honours exemplary individuals, aged 31 years and above, or organisations who have made a mark in their field.
Mr Shahrin, 50, is currently leading a 1200-strong team at SMRT TEL, handling the operations, maintenance and project integration of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), Singapore’s newest MRT line. Concurrently the SVP (Strategic Relations) of SMRT Corporation, he is involved in several international projects, including the Singapore-JB MRT system. Prior to SMRT, he had worked in the Middle East where he was responsible for the overall master planning of the railway network in Dubai as well as oversaw the operations and maintenance of the Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram. He had established some of the most prominent projects in the Middle East such as the Palm Jumeirah Monorail System and Masdar City’s Personal Rapid Transit (Autonomous Vehicle), and had facilitated the inauguration of Dubai Tram.
Apart from being an established railway professional, Mr Shahrin is also an active community volunteer for over 20 years. He started community work at the age of 16 and is now a grassroot leader, holding several portfolios such as Chairman of Ayer Rajah CC Management Committee (CCMC); Chairman of Ayer Rajah Malay Activities Executive Committee (MAEC); Vice-Chairman of Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh Harmony Circle; and Executive Committee Member of M3@Jurong. His strong values of respect, hard work, and continuous learning have helped him to connect, engage and make a difference in the community. For his dedication and significant contributions, Mr Shahrin was conferred Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (The Public Service Medal) in 2019.
Mr Shahrin said: “Being honoured with Berita Harian’s Achiever of the Year award is a humbling experience. It serves as a reminder to me that it’s not so much of what I have accomplished in my career or have contributed to the community, but more importantly, the impact that others have made in my life’s journey. It also reinforces the belief and importance of giving back to society by making meaningful connections and contributions to inspire others to do more so that our community can shine in Singapore and the world.”
The Young Achiever of the Year Award recognises individuals, aged 30 years and below, who have the verve to strive for success and contribute to the society.
Ms Shazza (Shareefa Aminah), 22, clinched the award for her contributions to the music industry. The indie singer started her career from scratch making cover videos and original music on YouTube.Ms Shazza, who is attached to Cross Ratio Entertainment, became the latest Singaporean female artiste to be featured on a billboard at the iconic Times Square in New York City.
Ms Shazza was also chosen to be part of Spotify’s Equal Campaign which was launched on International Women’s Day in 2021. She was featured alongside up and coming singers from other countries, including Canadian rapper Michie Mee and Polish pop singer-songwriter Nita. Her song “Right Person Wrong Time”, released in late 2022, crossed 1 million streams on Spotify and has since reached 1.3 million streams so far.
Ms Shazza said: “I am humbled to receive my first achievement award which recognises me as a singer-songwriter. I thank the Berita Harian team of wonderful journalists whom I’ve had the opportunity to work with, and for always being so supportive and excited about my achievements and making my musical journey a blessed one.”
Please see Annex for more information on the winners. The awards ceremony was held at Four Seasons Hotel and graced by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security.
Mr Mohd Nazry Mokhtar, Editor of Berita Harian, said: “The recipients of the Achiever of the Year award are role models who can inspire our youth and the Malay / Muslim community. BH plans to organise regular sharing sessions by the award recipients to share career and life experiences with our youth. We hope that this will be an opportunity for our award recipients to contribute to the community and be a guide and source of inspiration for our young people.”
Mr Tng Ah Yiam, Chief Procurement Officer and Head of Products, Retail Business, FairPrice Group, said: "FairPrice Group is honoured to be a part of Berita Harian's Achiever of the Year awards for 2023. We firmly believe that youth are the architects of our future society, and it brings us great joy to recognise and celebrate the significant contributions that they have made in our communities. As a social enterprise, we are united with Berita Harian in a shared commitment to empower and support the community with the pursuit of excellence and success."
The Berita Harian’s Achiever of the Year 2023 Awards is organised by Berita Harian, with support from FairPrice Group as its presenter.
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ANNEX
About Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award
Inaugurated in 1999, Berita Harian Achiever of the Year is an annual award ceremony organised by Berita Harian to celebrate Malay/Muslim individuals for their achievements in their chosen field, be it education, business, arts and culture, sports or social work. The winners embody perseverance, determination, integrity, the ability to overcome adversities and are role models for the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore.
The categories are:
- Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award (Anugerah Jauhari Berita Harian) which honours exemplary individuals, 31 years of age and above, or organisation who has made a mark in his or her field, to serve as an inspiration to others.
- Berita Harian Young Achiever of the Year Award (Anugerah Jauhari Harapan Berita Harian) is an accolade presented to an individual, 30 years of age and below, with the verve to strive for success
and contribute to society.
Judging Panel
The winners were selected by a judging panel, after being shortlisted from a public nomination from 23 Aug to 13 Sep 2023. This year’s judging panel includes:
- Mr Mohd Nazry Mohktar, Editor, Berita Harian (Co-Chair)
- Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Kuwait (Co-Chair)
- Associate Professor Intan Azura Mokhtar, Deputy Director of Community Leadership and
Social innovation Centre - Dr Norshahril Saat, Senior Fellow, Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute and Coordinator, Regional
Social and Cultural Studies - Mr Fazlur Rahman Kamsani, Board Member, Middle East Institute, National University of
Singapore
Berita Harian Achiever of the Year (Anugerah Jauhari) 2023: Shahrin Abdol Salam
Shahrin Abdol Salam, 50, is the Managing Director of SMRT Thomson-East Coast Line Pte Ltd and the Senior Vice President (Strategic Relations) of SMRT Corporation. As the MD of SMRT TEL, he leads 1,200 staff to manage the operations, maintenance and project integration of the TEL, Singapore’s newest MRT Line which has 3 phases opened for passenger service; from Woodlands North to Gardens by The Bay and the upcoming 2 other phases that will provide MRT connectivity to the east of Singapore.
Once fully completed, TEL will better enhance the mobility of the passengers from the North-South corridor to the East of Singapore; resulting in faster access to the city. There will be a total of 8 interchanges that connect to all the other major lines in Singapore that will potentially serve 1 million passengers per day.
Concurrently the Senior VP (Strategic Relations) of SMRT Corporation, Shahrin is involved in several international projects including the Singapore-JB MRT system called the RTS which will link both countries via a modern and technologically advanced rail system. He is the technical advisor to the Board of Directors of RTSO; the joint venture company between SMRT Singapore and Prasarana Malaysia.
Shahrin represents Singapore as the Vice President of the International Public Transport Association (UITP) in the Asia Pacific Executive Committee. He is the immediate past Chairman, after serving the full 4-year mandate, as Chairman of UITP Asia Pacific Urban Rail Committee which comprises of members from over 20 countries.
He started his career in SMRT as a Maintenance Engineer in the Maintenance Division, specialising in Environmental Control Systems and expanded his portfolio to include Facilities & Building Management. In 2008, he was seconded to Dubai as Managing Director of SMRT Engineerin Middle East to manage the Palm Jumeirah Monorail System project as well as the Masdar City’s Personal Rapid Transit (Autonomous Vehicle). These projects are the first of their kind in the Middle East.
Prior to these positions, Shahrin worked in the Middle East where he was the Expert and Advisor in the Rail Agency, which is part of Dubai Government’s Roads & Transport Authority. He was responsible for the overall master planning of the railway network in Dubai as well as the regulatory role to oversee the operations and maintenance of the Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram.
He established some of Middle East’s most prominent projects such as Palm Jumeirah Monorail System project, Masdar City’s Personal Rapid Transit (Autonomous Vehicle) and facilitated the inauguration of Dubai Tram. Shahrin is also the first Asian to be a member of the Board for RTA Dubai Rail Operations & Maintenance Management.
He returned in 2010 to helm various senior leadership roles in SMRT’s Rail Operations Division which is responsible for the operations of the entire MRT network in Singapore operated by SMRT. In 2012, with his extensive experience and expertise, he was “courted” by Dubai Government’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to join them as Chief Rail Planner, Rail Agency to develop the operational strategies of Dubai Metro and supported the planning of the rail networks in Dubai. He played a key role in the review of the Dubai Metro O&M Concession Agreement to strengthen the management and oversight capabilities of the Authority and enhanced the relationship with the Operator.
In 2014, he was appointed Chief Engineer, Rail Operations and facilitated the inauguration of the Dubai Tram and helped to oversee both metro and tram operations. He was also involved in several joint-committees such as Metro Operations Review Panel, Tram Operations Review Panel, Railway Safety Committee and Rail Innovation Committee. His last held appointment in RTA was Rail Expert & Advisor to the CEO, Rail Agency, providing strategic advice on railway operations, maintenance
and development projects. Shahrin was also a member of the Board for RTA Dubai Rail Operations & Maintenance Management. He was the first Asian to hold such appointments.
When Shahrin returned to Singapore and re-joined SMRT, he held the appointment of Senior Vice President, Plans & Development of SMRT Trains, and was responsible for the strategic planning and building of core capabilities for SMRT trains, driving its transformation efforts to achieve higher rail reliability, performance, asset management, including the various asset renewal programmes. He was instrumental in improving the reliability of the MRT system that reached the world-class standard of over 1M Mean-KM Before Failures in 2019; ahead of the target of 2020 set by the
Minister of Transport.
With his international and local experience and expertise of over 27 years, Shahrin is accredited the position of Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators, based in the UK, as well as Chartered Engineer in Railway & Transportation Engineering by The Institution of Engineers Singapore. He also voluntarily involves in Institution of Engineers Singapore to develop several railway-related standards.
Community Service
Apart from being an established railway professional, Shahrin, who is married with 4 children, is an active community volunteer for over 20 years. He started community work at the age of 16. He is currently a grassroot leader holding several portfolios such as Chairman, Ayer Rajah CC Management Committee (CCMC); Chairman, Ayer Rajah Malay Activities Executive Committee (MAEC); Vice-Chairman, Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh Harmony Circle; Member, Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) and Executive Committee Member, M3@Jurong. For his dedication and significant contributions, Shahrin was conferred Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM) in 2019.
His community engagement efforts have expanded beyond the grassroots. While working overseas, he was committed to making a difference in the lives of others, regardless of their background or location. His active participation in community events and leadership positions in various committees while working overseas reflects his dedication in keeping the Singapore spirit and unity alive. While he was in Dubai, UAE, he kept himself active amongst the Singapore community. He has held the post of President of the Singapore Business Council as well as Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Malay-Muslim Group. He also volunteered to lead the Organising Committee for the Singapore’s National Day Reception in the UAE for 3 consecutive years; working closely with the Singapore Consulate in Dubai.
Recently, Shahrin has been appointed as a Board Member of MINDS Singapore. He hopes to help them to realise their fullest potential and promote an inclusive society in Singapore. He is also a member of a school’s Advisory Committee to lend support to the school’s effort in caring for the students from lower-income or at-risk families.
Berita Harian Young Achiever of the Year (Anugerah Jauhari Harapan) 2023:
Shareefa Aminah Abdul Shariff (Shazza)
Ms Shazza, 22, is a young singer-songwriter and has achieved excellence in her music career, starting from scratch putting up cover videos and original compositions on YouTube several years ago.
The singer, who joined local music label Cross Ratio Entertainment earlier this year, is the latest Singaporean female artiste to be featured on a billboard at the iconic Times Square in New York City. Shazza was part of Spotify’s EQUAL Campaign, representing Singapore and Malaysia. The campaign aims to highlight women on the streaming platform to foster equality in the music industry. She was featured alongside up-and-coming singers from other countries, rapper Michie Mee from Canada and Polish pop singer-songwriter, Nita.
Inspired by Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift’s relatable and emotionally-packed country songwriting, Shazza wooed her listeners and followers, of different age groups and backgrounds. Her song ‘Right Person Wrong Time’ which was released late 2022 crossed the 1 million mark of streaming on Spotify. It has since reached 1.4 million streams so far.
She most recently held her first solo showcase at the Esplanade for her debut album chapter one. Accompanied by an 11-piece band, the 75-minute show was sold out, and Shazza received a warm standing ovation from the cheering crowd. Her other performances include a Ms Marvel party held for the launch of the Marvel Comic Universe Disney+ series as her song Pity Party has that superhero and woman empowerment vibes. The song had been doing well reaching 500,000 streams.
In an interview with BH, Shazza said she would like to inspire more Malay/Muslim youths to reach for their dreams, putting out good music that cuts across all generations, inspires and empower others to be bigger than what they thought they can achieve. She is a communications undergraduate in NTU. At the age of 13, the former Methodist Girls’ student who was also a part-time Al-Khair Mosque’s madrasah student initiated a donation drive through her song composition on iTunes. It’s called All is Khair in which for every amount spent on downloading the song, proceeds will go to Al Khair Mosque.