All About the Mission (Part 1)

GRAPHIC: Home Team News

It’s all about the mission – after a delay due to the COVID-19 outbreak, 924 Home Team officers received honours at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) National Day Awards Investiture 2021 for their outstanding performance and dedication to keeping Singapore safe and secure. We speak to three award recipients about their mission-centric focus. 

SIMPLY BOUNDLESS
Captain Keave Soh
Navigational and Training Officer (Marine Division), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF); recipient of the Efficiency Medal

PHOTOS: Joash Tan

Why did you decide to join SCDF?
I decided to join the SCDF because of my burning passion to be in the thick of action and to be able to help those in distress.

Tell us about what you do daily.
My current appointment requires me to manage all training-related matters for our Marine Specialists. I’m also an Adjunct Trainer with the Civil Defence Academy where I assist in conducting Vessel Handling courses. In addition, I work closely with our two Marine Fire Stations – Brani and West Coast – on matters pertaining to training, operations, and safety.

What are some of the challenges you face on the job, and how do you overcome them?
Ensuring that our training programme remains current, relevant and in line with the latest operational requirements – that's a key focus of my appointment. The challenge here is to be able to bridge the gap between training and actual operations.

Hence, "to train as we operate" is the maxim we follow, and as a Trainer, it's important that we tap on the knowledge and experiences of our Marine Specialists. This allows us to bridge any operational gaps and ensure that Trainees receive the right knowledge and skills to respond effectively to any emergency, when they graduate from the programme. 

Tell me one thing people don’t know about your job.
That it is neither office-bound nor land-bound. My current appointment as a Marine officer allows me to be out in the open sea carrying out our lifesaving mission!

What do you love about being a lifesaver?
I love many aspects of my job. First and foremost, it’s being part of the Marine Division as it allows me to be at the forefront of our lifesaving mission. Being able to operate state-of-the-art firefighting and rescue vessels and making a difference in the lives of people is a tremendous responsibility which I carry with pride. I've also had numerous opportunities to work with my colleagues at the marine fire stations, including external stakeholders in the marine community, on various training programmes and exercises aimed at enhancing our response to marine emergencies.

Share a memorable moment from your career.
It would be the successful completion of the first training programme conducted for Marine Specialists to operate the Marine Fire Vessel (MRV) in 2019. The MRV was the first of three new heavy vessels delivered to SCDF, and a lot of effort was put into it by our project team to develop the MRV Handling course. Subsequent runs of the course continue to be conducted, and its training framework has also been adopted for other heavy vessels!

COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Zainab Binte Mohamed Arkam
Senior Executive, Centre for Planning, Corporate Communications & Engagement, Technology and Communications, Home Team Academy (HTA); recipient of the Efficiency Medal

Tell us about yourself and your work.
I joined HTA in 2011. In my work, I support the engagement and communications initiatives for HTA’s local and international strategic partners as well as HTA’s corporate branding and other key communications initiatives like publicity for our Training and Learning initiatives.

What are some of the challenges of your role?
Whenever we launch plans to recognise certain Home Team officers for their work, there will be those who’re more comfortable out of the spotlight. Instead of viewing this as a challenge, I see it as an opportunity for me to sharpen my persuasion skills. My goal is to help the officers realise why we should be sharing their contributions with the Home Team community and beyond. 

Share a memorable moment from your career.
In 2016, HTA launched its inaugural Home Team Training Excellence Awards. I took the lead with my colleague to design and produce the Home Team Trainers’ Badges, which were a first for us as well. This badge is a mark of professional excellence, conferred on Home Team Trainers who’ve acquired and demonstrated certified expertise in their training. It makes me proud to see that our Home Team Trainers have embraced the badge.

How do you feel about receiving the Efficiency Medal?
I’m definitely glad that my efforts have been recognised, and grateful for the constant guidance and support that I’ve received from my team members! 

ENHANCING INVESTIGATIONS WITH TECHNOLOGY
Jimmy Lim
Manager (Investigations), Gambling Regulatory Authority (CRA); recipient of the Efficiency Medal

Tell us what you do on a daily basis.
I’m part of a team of inspectors in CRA’s Regulatory Investigations Branch. We conduct investigations into regulatory breaches and offences committed by CRA licensees and casino patrons.  

Beyond my day-to-day investigative work, I’ve also been involved in a number of inter-divisional projects. These include developing our knowledge management database to enable officers to share information for learning and training purposes, as well as streamlining our work processes to better manage our case statistics and case management system, to allow for faster access to vital information.

What's one thing people don't know about your job?
That we’re not allowed to visit the casinos at Resorts World Sentosa or Marina Bay Sands in our personal capacity, to prevent any conflict of interest!

Share with us a memorable experience from your career. 
It would be working on a new case management system known as the Integrated Regulatory Investigations System (IRIS). Currently, certain investigation processes (such as the drafting of letters to offenders) are done manually. IRIS will have a Machine Learning feature that allows it to learn from past cases and investigation outcomes to identify relevant information in new cases and recommend appropriate regulatory actions. IRIS can also auto-generate letters to offenders. These features make the investigation process more efficient and robust, enhancing our effectiveness as investigators.

What do you love about your work with CRA?
As investigators, we play an important role in discharging CRA’s enforcement responsibilities fairly and expeditiously. We investigate every case thoroughly and give ample opportunities for casino licensees and patrons to be heard. By taking appropriate enforcement action, we achieve a deterrent effect and prevent breaches and offences from recurring.

Read All About the Mission (Part 2)

MHA National Day Awards Investiture 2021
The MHA National Day Awards Investiture 2021 was held on 24 February 2022. A total of 924 Home Team officers received awards for their contributions and commitment in keeping Singapore safe and secure. Congratulations to all the Home Team award recipients! Read the speech by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law.