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Meet the Stem innovators enhancing Singapore's safety and security through science and technology
Through a culture of teamwork, officers at the Home Team’s Force Multiplier, HTX, work together on tech solutions to keep the nation safe
An open and collaborative workspace allows HTX officers to create innovative solutions that make a difference. PHOTO: HTX
Lin Jiasheng
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Driven by a strong sense of purpose, two officers from HTX (Home Team Science and Technology Agency) harness their skills and knowledge in science and technology to empower the Home Team to combat threats of all sorts – from improving the shooting accuracy of weapons-carrying officers to protecting citizens’ data in the cloud.
Here, they share their experiences working at the agency rated as one of Singapore’s top employers in a list compiled by The Straits Times and global research firm Statista.
Thriving as a working mum in a traditionally male-dominated domain
Steady breathing, firm grip on the gun, eyes on the target… Ms Koo Ley Ling hit the target with her first shot as HTX’s head of ammunition and weapons systems, trialling new equipment for the Home Team.
Currently with HTX’s Land Systems Centre of Expertise, Ley Ling joined the statutory board when it was founded in 2019 under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The agency’s mission is to use science and technology to exponentially enhance the Home Team’s operations to keep Singapore safe and secure.
In this particular proof-of-concept trial, Ley Ling was working on a new targeting technology to improve shooting accuracy for Home Team officers.
“In Singapore’s urban landscape, it may be difficult to achieve high accuracy for moving targets in such an operationally-challenging environment, even for a well-trained officer,” explains Ley Ling.
“Our team applies technology to reduce the cognitive workload so officers can get an accurate shot,” she says.
Ley Ling’s job is not desk-bound. On any given day, she could be going to labs, manufacturing facilities or shooting ranges.
“I explore the latest armament capabilities and test them to assess and customise the technologies for operational needs,” she explains.
To stay current, Ley Ling has also been taking relevant courses in coding and artificial intelligence (AI). Next year, she will embark on an HTX-sponsored master’s degree programme to support adoption of AI in her area of work.
An understanding workplace
Besides investing in their employees’ skills, HTX goes the extra mile to garner feedback from its staff. At a town hall meeting, the agency realised one of the landlord’s earlier policies of not allowing children in the office sometimes inconvenienced employees who are parents.
Senior management took the feedback seriously and, after discussions with the landlord, the policy was relaxed for HTX.
As a mother of two, Ley Ling now has the option to bring her children to work if the need arises. She is also appreciative of her bosses’ understanding towards her family commitments.
“They are supportive of flexible work schedules and trust me to prioritise my tasks and manage my time effectively,” she says.
Although HTX has a flexible telecommute policy, Ley Ling confesses she prefers to come to the office. The HTX office in one-north boasts a vibrant design with its open spaces, interactive wall, social enterprise cafe, arcade machines, table soccer and even sleeping pods.
However, it is not all fun and games at this agency tasked to sharpen the mission-effectiveness of the Home Team.
“Our Home Team officers face everyday real threats and evolving future threats,” says Ley Ling. “We are responsible for finding deployable solutions so they can serve their mission and protect Singaporeans.”
Making a real-world difference with tech skills
Just months into his new job, engineering graduate Goh Yong Wee (above, middle) was assigned an ambitious new project to use natural language processing, a branch of machine-learning technology, to help Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers prioritise their caseload.
“I was doubtful at first because you may get good theoretical results in machine-learning models, but they may not translate to relevant use,” says Yong Wee.
However, a test trial on a duty officer’s shift proved the model’s effectiveness in real life.
“The police officers found the program useful and wanted to integrate it into their system immediately,” he recalls.
“I remember feeling validated and thinking, ‘Wow, this is what I came to HTX for, to make a real-world difference.’”
Diversified work experience
The case management program was one of Yong Wee’s projects in the intelligence and cyber security unit of the department known as “Q Team”, named after the innovative gadget-makers of the James Bond franchise.
In addition, under the HTX Science & Technology (S&T) Associate Programme designed to provide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) practitioners with diverse work experience and different skill sets in forensics, robotics, data science, and other areas, Yong Wee was also part of the organising team for TechXplore, an internal exhibition which showcased HTX’s work from different departments.
“The Associate Programme allowed me to benefit from the many opportunities of cross-divisional work,” says Yong Wee, who has now been with HTX for over three years.
Yong Wee was rotated at the end of his second year and is currently with the xCloud Enterprise Group implementing cloud computing solutions for HTX.
His current role as a site reliability engineer involves the upkeep of the digital infrastructure supporting the Home Team’s various operations, from public-facing websites like the SPF and ICA websites to internal Home Team networks and digital resources.
Open, egalitarian work culture
Yong Wee initially expected HTX’s culture to be more hierarchical and rigid.
“To my surprise, I found that HTX is a very open and easy-going workplace,” he says, of the agency which has been ranked among the top employers of Singapore, according to global research firm Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times.
Yong Wee cherishes camaraderie with his co-workers and is also grateful for the guidance of senior colleagues who, despite their busy schedules, patiently walked him through HTX’s cloud architecture so he could understand the concepts better.
“I love that HTX’s work culture is trust-based; our supervisors trust us to manage our work well and deliver results,” says Yong Wee.
