Left: Freda Yee, Deputy Director (Resource Planning), Planning & Organisation Division, Ministry Headquarters
Right: Ng Zhi Yong, Analyst, Police Intelligence Department (PID), Singapore Police Force
Freda Yee, a Home Affairs Senior Executive at MHA Headquarters, and Ng Zhi Yong, an Analyst with the Police Intelligence Department, share their dynamic career journeys. In their respective roles, they put on progressive lenses to identify future challenges and recommend preventive measures to curb undesired security threats. Beyond their roles, both enjoy the strong one Home Team culture and the abundance of growth opportunities.
Freda Yee
1. I enjoy my career with the Home Team as I can contribute in various aspects to keep Singapore safe and secure. In my current role at the Planning & Organisation Division, I work closely with colleagues from the Human Resource Division and Home Team Departments to plan for our manpower needs. As manpower continues to be a key challenge, we have to constantly adopt and adapt various strategies to support our strategic plans and operational needs and to ensure the Home Team’s mission success.
2. The varied developmental opportunities in the Home Team have allowed me to grow. As a civilian generalist, I have had the opportunity to move across the Home Team Departments and to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). My postings have been in different domains, such as Human Resource and Community Engagement, amongst others. I also worked with internal and external stakeholders, like volunteers in the community. In my stint at the Singapore Police Force, I had the chance to share emerging crime and terrorism trends with private sector partners and work with them to strengthen Singapore’s safety and security.
3. MHA cares for our people! This year, I am delighted to be appointed as this year’s Chairman of the Staff Welfare Committee. I am working with my Committee to organise fun and exciting activities to engage and appreciate our fellow colleagues. These are fun occasions for our officers to unwind, bond and build team camaraderie over games, sports and festive celebrations. After spending two years working from home, I definitely look forward to these.
Ng Zhi Yong
4. My work involves rigorous analyses of crime trends and timely data assessments for swift law enforcement. I am also involved in the inter-ministry committee that develops strategies to deter and prevent online scams. Beyond Singapore, I have been invited to speak at various global forums, like the Interpol Cybercrime Directors’ Workshop, about technological developments’ impact on the criminal landscape. These were valuable opportunities for me to share and learn from like-minded security experts.
5. My interest in policing work arose from an undergraduate module on crime and deviance. It gave me an appreciation of the massive transformations in the law enforcement landscape. Six years on, experiences gained as an Intelligence Specialist and the learning opportunities availed to me have sharpened my data analytics expertise. In fact, my Specialist Diploma in Data Science from the Singapore Polytechnic was fully sponsored by the Singapore Police Force! I have had also attended numerous conferences which exposed me to some of the latest developments and best practices in this field.
6. While the fight against scams seem mammoth at times, it is heartening to be reminded that I am part of a close-knitted crime-fighting family. I am lucky to have supervisors and colleagues in the Home Team, who deeply believe in the value of our work and share the same commitment in ensuring that Singapore remains a safe home for all.
