SINGAPORE - Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Saturday (June 3) lauded a viral Facebook post dedicated to 29-year-old Staff Sergeant Nadzrie Matin as a "heartfelt post worth reading".
The post, shared by Mr Karthik Vinod on Thursday (June 1), spoke about the grief felt by all police officers over the death of Staff Sergeant Nadzrie, who died in a traffic accident along Serangoon Road on Thursday while on duty.
Mr Vinod also stood up for the Home Team, saying that officers work long, laborious hours and put their lives at risk to protect the people of Singapore.
He also chastised those who "laugh at fallen officers" and "criticise the police force".
He wrote: "If you disagree with the fact that our police force is one of the best of its kind in the world and (say) that we are just not good enough for your standards, I challenge you to don this uniform and walk the ground."
Mr Vinod then asked those who may criticise the police to stop and think.
"When you go against him, you're going against everyone in blue. Because what we do here is more than just a job," he wrote.
His post has garnered more than 2,400 likes and 1,800 shares.
It was one of many tributes made to Staff Sergeant Nadzrie, who joined the force in 2009.
On Facebook, some have changed their Facebook profile photos to show a horizontal blue stripe across a black-and-white Singapore flag or black background in tribute to him.
Mr Shanmugam on Friday (June 2) visited Staff Sergeant Nadzrie's family to convey his condolences.
"Nadzrie was a promising Home Team officer," he wrote on Facebook afterwards. "He was such a good officer and also a role model for his teammates. Courageous, and charged with a strong sense of justice. He saw it as his duty to serve a bigger purpose than just himself."
"We have lost a fine young man, a husband and a son - and a true son of Singapore. He will be missed and remembered by many."
About 50 police officers sent off Staff Sergeant Nadzrie at his Choa Chu Kang home on Friday, with 11 pallbearers bearing his coffin, which was draped with the national flag.
He was laid to rest at about 4pm at the Pusara Aman Muslim cemetery, with more than 1,000 people attending his burial.
Mr Shanmugam on Saturday (June 3) afternoon criticised Facebook posts made by a user named Mr Thomas Poh Heng Chua. According to screenshots taken by Mr Shanmugam, the posts gloated over the death of Staff Sergeant Nadzrie because Mr Chua had received a speeding ticket from him.
Mr Chua appears to have deactivated his Facebook account.
