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Science and Tech Guardians (Part 1)

Ready to take the Home Team (and their skills) to the next level – two MHA Science and Technology Sponsorship recipients share their experiences.
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PHOTOS: Natasha Razak

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Science and Technology Sponsorship provides Home Team guardians with the opportunity to deepen their Science and Technology skills in a range of mission-critical domains. Want to know the difference between DNA forensics and digital forensics? Two officers tell us how! 

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PHOTO: Natasha Razak

A Whiz with Digital Devices
As a Senior Forensic Examiner at the Technology Crime Forensic Branch of the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) Criminal Investigation Department, Mohamad Ridzuan’s work involves conducting forensic investigations of digital devices such as smartphones, SD cards, hard drives, laptops and computers. In modern-day policing, this is an essential skill that allows investigators to generate leads and apprehend suspects. 

Recovering and analysing digital data is a meticulous process that requires Ridzuan to use an array of specialised tools. But it’s not just lab-work that he’s involved in; he’ll also assist investigators during raids by helping to search for and seize digital devices. 

Ridzuan joined SPF in 2016 after graduating from Nanyang Technological University with a degree in Computer Science. How did he discover his affinity for digital forensics? “It was back in my Polytechnic and university days that I picked up greater insights on the subject and start developing a passion for it,” he recalled. 

Having received a postgraduate sponsorship from MHA, Ridzuan is looking forward to pursuing a Master of Science in Security by Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design

“Since I’ll be studying part-time, I expect time management to be a challenge,” he explained. “But I believe in building our knowledge, and I look forward to an exciting study term!”

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PHOTO: Natasha Razak

Cracking Crimes with DNA Forensics
Senior Laboratory Analyst Eng Wan Ying works at the Home Team Investigation Laboratory, a leading-edge facility that analyses DNA data to support criminal investigations. For Wan Ying and her colleagues, it’s all about providing quick and accurate DNA results so that officers can catch suspects. 

Wan Ying joined MHA in 2013 and was first posted to the Woodlands Analytical Laboratory where she helped to perform biological threats surveillance at the border.
 
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Launched in 2016, the Home Team Investigation Laboratory houses an array of DNA forensic and analytical tools. PHOTOS: Natasha Razak

Wan Ying moved to the Home Team Investigation Laboratory at Police Cantonment Complex in 2015. “As part of my job scope, I’ve also collaborated on projects involving the recovery of DNA from post-blast fragments,” she said. As the recipient of a postgraduate Science and Technology Sponsorship from MHA, she wants to pursue a Master in Forensic Science. 

“I have a desire to deepen my specialisation in this field,” she said. “For me, it’s about furthering our capabilities in world-class forensics practices and management, from crime scene to the presentation of evidence in court.”


MHA S&T Sponsorships
Science and Tech Guardians (Part 2)

Written by

Natasha Razak

Published

13 March 2019

Topics
Careers
Innovation
Science and Technology
Sponsorships
SPF
Transformation
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