SINGAPORE - FOURTEEN years ago, Mr Abdul Wahab Hussein Abdullah saw first hand how a family member changed for the better after about a year in prison.
"I saw a positive change and I attributed it to the prison service," Mr Abdul Wahab, 41, said of his relative, who stopped smoking, became closer to other family members and was more motivated to stay in a job.
"I wanted to join the prison service after I got my degree, in a way to thank them for the efforts that they had made," he said.
On Wednesday, Mr Abdul Wahab, who is currently senior assistant director of the Prison Service's Staff Management Branch, was awarded with a commendation medal from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean at the Ministry of Home Affairs' annual National Day Awards ceremony.
The commendation medal is awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves through commendable performance and conduct, and rendered consistently good service, among other things.
He was one of 384 Home Team officers who received a medal at the event.
In total, some 265 officers from the various Home Team agencies were awarded with a long service medal for serving for over 25 years.
Other medals handed out at the event were the efficiency medal, for superior work performance, and consistent diligence and dedication to an officer's work, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) overseas medal, for overseas service rendered by SCDF officers.
