In the early years of Singapore, a dedicated generation of workers laboured to lay a strong foundation for the city-state’s growth. Mr Kwa Soon Siew was part of this generation and spent much of his working life with Chung Khiaw Bank, an establishment founded to serve ordinary citizens. He and his wife, Mabel, were role models for their children, encouraging them to pursue their dreams.

Their children, Associate Professor Kwa Chong Guan ’68 and Ms Kwa Kim Hwa ’73, made a gift to NUS to honour their memory. The Mabel & Soon Siew Kwa Scholarship supports full-time Singaporean undergraduates, with preference given to those from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, NUS Business School and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.