The three winners (from left, Ms Pham Thi Hong Hanh, Ms Soon Tzu Hsiang and Ms Michelle Ou Yang) received their prizes from Foreign Minister George Yeo at the Asean Day reception. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
ASEAN is like a bass player, providing a tempo of peace and security that is taken for granted, and noticed only in its absence.
Or perhaps Asean is like rice which, like the staple food, is part of a common identity among the Southeast Asian nations.
And then there is Asean the fairytale: providing scholarships to lift students from poverty-stricken environs to bright futures in Singaporean universities and junior colleges.
These metaphors competed for attention in the inaugural Asean essay-writing competition.
Held in the run-up to the 43rd anniversary, on 8 August, of the formation of the regional grouping, 65 junior college students sent in entries on what Asean means to them.
The three winners received their prizes from Foreign Minister George Yeo at the Asean Day reception on Thursday night.
