SINGAPORE – Police officers have always felt the support from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his tenure, Deputy Commissioner of Police How Kwang Hwee said on April 17.
He was speaking at an event at the Senior Police Officers’ Mess to honour PM Lee, who will mark the end of his 20-year tenure on May 15 when he hands over the reins to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Making his first public appearance since the handover announcement on April 15, PM Lee received the Temasek Sword – the highest honour bestowed by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) – from Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck.
There were more than 100 guests at the event, including Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, who told reporters that the event had been planned before the April 15 announcement.
In a citation, DC How said PM Lee has given his unstinting support to the SPF throughout his premiership.
“(PM Lee) never wavered in the conviction that a safe and secure Singapore, where rule of law prevails, is the prerequisite of social and economic progress,” he added.
“The men and women in blue always knew that PM Lee had their backs in their fight against crime and to keep law and order in Singapore.”
SPF had hosted PM Lee at the same venue in 2014, when he was also given the Temasek Sword.
DC How noted the Prime Minister had spoken then about two areas that the police must never neglect.
First, to maintain the highest standards of integrity, commitment and professionalism, so that the public’s strong trust in the police can be sustained.
Second, to continue to invest in technology, so that the police can keep up with the latest threats and deal with them effectively.
DC How said that 10 years on, the public’s trust in the police has remained high, and that the force has also invested heavily in technology and developed new capabilities.
He said it was not only during good times that PM Lee inspired the police.
“The visits which PM Lee made to the SPF on Christmas Eve in 2013 after the Little India riot, and on the eve of Chinese New Year in 2019 during a challenging period with our neighbour, uplifted our morale when we needed it most.”
He did not specify the incident, but there were ongoing air and maritime disputes between Singapore and Malaysia around that time.
Mr Shanmugam told the media that PM Lee has been a tremendous supporter of the police and of the Home Team as a whole, and that he has always been very clear on the importance of making sure that people live in a safe and good environment.
He also said PM Lee has a “once in a generation mind”, and that Singapore has “been incredibly lucky” to have had him as a prime minister.
Mr Shanmugam added: “(PM Lee) is probably our most popular politician because Singaporeans know that this man is not in politics because he likes power or is looking to be rewarded.
“He is in politics out of a deep sense of obligation to Singaporeans.”
