“This National Day, as we look around the world, I think we can take pride in having pulled ourselves through together, through COVID-19, which is really a crisis of a generation,” said Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, at the Home Team National Day Observance Ceremony on August 4.
But Singapore was “not quite out of it” and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had complex implications resulting in a security and economic crisis, Minister said.
“As long as we are united, and we are very clear eyed about the importance of external security through the SAF, internal security through the Home Team, public service working in the interest of the country, the people being united, willing to work hard – We can get through any crisis,” Minister said. “Like the generations before us, we can build a better, stronger Singapore.”
Exponentially force multiplying the Home Team
(From left to right) HTX’s Nelson Khoo Chia Meng, Koh Leng Leng, and Chua Tze Hau at the Home Team National Day Observance Ceremony on August 4. (Photo: HTX/ Marcus Wang)
Four HTX officers – Chua Tze Hau, Nelson Khoo Chia Meng, Koh Leng Leng, and Sim Lai Hua – received the Minister for Home Affairs National Day Award (Individual) award at the ceremony for their outstanding efficiency and competency in their respective areas of work.
Doing their part to keep Singapore safe and secure is what inspires the HTX officers – or “Xponents” as we call ourselves.
“The work that we do as a Home Team officer impacts the whole of Singapore,” said Nelson Khoo Chia Meng, Engineer, CBRNE & Early Warning Systems, Civil Defence Programme Management Centre. “This inspires me to do my best.”
Another individual award recipient, Sim Lai Hua, Head, Singapore Police Force, Criminal Investigation Department – Technology Crime Forensic Branch, Digital Information Forensics Centre of Expertise, said: “Contributing my domain expertise to enhance crime solving efforts is what drives me.”
Lai Hua has been involved in numerous criminal cases in his 20-year career in digital forensics, including the Little India riot and the “Messiah” James Raj hacking cases involving multiple government websites in 2013.
With the rise of digital technology reshaping how criminal investigations are carried out, Lai Hua currently leads a team of digital forensic investigators to provide forensics support to Singapore Police Force and Central Narcotics Bureau. He is also involved in the development and implementation of new science and technology solutions for recovering and processing digital evidence, such as the Digital Forensics Kiosk project, which enables investigating officers to easily retrieve and analyse information from digital devices to solve crimes.
Chua Tze Hau, Head, Data Analytics, Data Engineering, xData, Enterprise Group, too, is involved in driving transformative change in the Home Team. He leads a team in delivering and managing data analytics systems across Home Team Departments (HTDs), helping the HTDs augment work processes and improve efficiency.
“The beauty of HTX is that we are a multidisciplinary organisation,” Tze Hau said. “I am backed by not only the support and help of my team, but colleagues from other divisions as well.”
Exceptional teamwork, outstanding impact
(Clockwise from top) HTX’s Forensics Response Team Haifaa Binte Mohamed Anwar, Gayathre Kalimuthu Mogan, Ang Shi Qing, Toh Sin Ee, Shafiqah Binte Safiee, Muhamad Nizam Bin Abudol Ramin, Koh Soon Sim, Nurliyana Binte Mohamed Idros, Teo Jin Sin Genevieve, Geraldine Ng Yun Jia, Lee Jia Ying Cheryl, and Toh Sin Ee. (Photos: HTX/ FORT)
In addition to the individual award recipients, HTX’s Forensics Response Team (FORT), forward-deployed to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), was part of a team receiving an award for their work in a project that involved more than 20 operations targeting drugs activities over Telegram, a messaging platform.
HTX’s Drug Forensics Specialists were part of a multi-agency team comprising CNB, Health Sciences Authority, and Office of the Narcotics Control Board that successfully conducted the operations between September 2019 and March 2022, resulting in the arrests of 48 drug traffickers and 166 drug abusers with substantial seizures of multiple drug types.
“With the constantly evolving threat landscape, there is a pressing need to continuously develop cutting-edge solutions to deter, detect, and solve crime. FORT is able to achieve this through the support and resources provided by HTX and CNB,” said Geraldine Ng, OC (Forensics Response Team), at HTX.
Using specialised tools and having a keen eye for details, the Team supported the operations in detecting, recognising, and recovering evidence at the crime scenes and from case exhibits, which provide potentially valuable information for investigative lead generation or prosecutorial benefit.
“We are honoured to receive the team award and are greatly encouraged by this recognition,” Geraldine said. “Together as a team, we will continue to leverage the opportunities presented by advancing technology to work towards becoming a more future-focused forensics unit to support crime solving.”