SINGAPORE – From solving crimes to rescuing those in distress, and even feeding starving kids, 918 Home Team officers were recognised at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) National Day Awards on Wednesday. 

The award winners were lauded for their commitment and contributions towards keeping Singapore safe and secure. 

Thanking them for their service, Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said: “We have officers here today who have dedicated much of their lives to uphold the mission of keeping Singapore stable and safe. 

“We know of the blood, sweat and tears they have shed. We know the support of their families, and we really say from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much.” 

Mrs Teo was speaking during the awards ceremony, which was held at The Theatre at Mediacorp. She was delivering the speech on behalf of Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

The awards ceremony was the first to be held in person since 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

In her speech, Mrs Teo mentioned how international pressure in the context of the death penalty affects the work the Home Team does daily. 

In Singapore, if a person is found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of pure heroin (diamorphine), 250g of methamphetamine, or 500g of cannabis, he or she may face the mandatory death penalty.

Mrs Teo said: “For a long time, our tough stance against drug trafficking... and the effective enforcement by our agencies have allowed our children to grow up relatively free from the harm of drugs.” 

She added: “There is a chorus of non-governmental organisations that broadcasts misleading information about Singapore on the death penalty... This creates challenges for us, but we must continue to make our decisions based on what is right for us.

“We have kept Singapore safe and secure thus far because we stand firm on these principles and because of a committed and competent Home Team.” 

Among the 918 awardees was Superintendent Lim Wee Beng, 46, from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), who recalled being involved in drug raids and seeing many families destroyed by drugs, including young children left unattended by their drug-abusing parents. 

In particular, he remembers visiting a Housing Board flat in the 2000s and seeing a mountain of empty syringes in the living room. “A toddler was walking around. I was scared he would injure himself on the syringes,” he said. 

“As parents, you are supposed to protect your children, but these children are exposed to dangerous environments.”

In his 17 years with CNB, he once encountered three starving children at a residential unit during a raid. They pleaded for food, and the officers eventually found some rice and eggs that were still edible. 

Now a deputy director in CNB’s investigation division, Supt Lim said: “When parents are high on drugs, the kids have to fend for themselves.

“Drug addicts can also become aggressive and have hallucinations, making them a danger to their family or the public.”

Another awardee, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Razif Mohd Yusof, 39, a marine specialist in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), rescued a crew member from a height of six storeys on board a container ship off Singapore in 2021.

When SCDF was alerted to the incident on Sept 13, 2021, a marine rescue vessel was deployed to the container ship. 

SCDF officers boarded the ship and set up a height-lowering system using a crane on board the vessel. They secured the man, who was suspected to have a stroke, to a stretcher that SSG Razif had also attached himself to. 

SSG Razif said: “It was challenging because I had to communicate with the crane operator and make sure the casualty was not lowered too fast so that he would not be injured.” 

After the man was lowered onto the SCDF’s marine rescue vessel, his medical condition was assessed before he was taken to Changi General Hospital. 

SSG Razif said: “I’m thankful and glad I can help to save lives and apply the knowledge I have learnt during my work.”