SINGAPORE - Public trust in the Home Team remains high and to maintain it, people must understand what it does, its officers have to be well trained and it must use technology well.
Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said this on Thursday (Aug 4) at the Home Team National Day Observance Ceremony, citing the Singapore Police Force's Public Perception Survey last year where 96 per cent of respondents said they trusted the police.
Mr Shanmugam also highlighted a survey done by the Home Team this year where 92 per cent of respondents said they "personally trust the Home Team".
"These are results you can only imagine, in other countries, where it is usually about 50 to 60 per cent if they are lucky," he said.
Mr Shanmugam was speaking to a group of more than 300, including a group of around 200 Home Team officers, volunteers and members of the public who received the Minister for Home Affairs National Day Awards to recognise their contributions in keeping Singapore safe.
Among the recipients of the public spiritedness award were 10 people who tried to stop a man with a chopper from attacking a woman along Beach Road in April by throwing objects at him.
They are: Mr Leonard Shi Jun, Mr Jackie Tee Wai Chia, Mr Lim Chee Kong, Mr Lei Hai Qiu, Mr Wei Chen Xiang, Mr Lim Chee Wei, Mr Pan Xiao Shuo, Mr Zhang Dai, Madam To Lee Kwee and Mr Lin Yong Ping.
Dr Bernard Cheong, Ms Wong Lay Hoon and Mr Darryl Lee Zhe Kai received awards for their roles in helping save a man's life after he suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed at a hawker centre in July last year.
Ms Wong, a 55-year-old nurse, said that when a passer-by rushed into their clinic in Bukit Batok to ask for help, she and Dr Cheong, 64, had just one thing in mind - to save the man's life.
They rushed to the victim and took turns performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man, while Mr Lee, 17, who was in the vicinity, assisted with administering oxygen.
"It was not the first time something like this happened near our clinic so we knew time was of the essence. Thankfully, he made it," she said.
Assistant Superintendent Wilson Wong Wei Sheng, senior executive of the Operations Development Branch in the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), was among 105 Home Team officers who received awards for outstanding work.
ASP Wong oversaw the adjustments made to ICA's clearance system during the Covid-19 pandemic to support evolving travel policies such as the vaccinated travel lane and reciprocal green lane.
He said: "During the pandemic, there were many different travel schemes and border health requirements. It was challenging to programme the clearance system to cater to them simultaneously.
"We continue to do our best to develop it to support changing operational requirements so it's easier for our officers on the ground."
