31May2022
Love is in the Air(Show)

What better way to spend time together than by working together? This year, Valentine’s Day coincides with the Singapore Airshow 2020, and AETOS decided to speak to two couples who were being deployed for this year’s Airshow together.

Please briefly introduce yourself.

SO Sonam: I am Security Officer Sonam Wangdi.

Kan Mei Fong: And I am Security Officer Kan Mei Fong. We are both ad-hoc security officers deployed for major events and at our deployment site. Our primary duties include X-ray screening, personnel screening, static duties.

 

Tell us more about your relationship.

SO Kan Mei Fong: We first met in 1998 when we were travelling in India. At that point, we managed to know each other through a group of friends and then… we are now married for 19 years!

SO Sonam: We have a daughter and she just finished her ‘O’ levels. She is going to take a diploma in biomedical studies.

 

What is your favourite & least favourite part of working in the same industry?

SO Kan Mei Fong: Not many couples have the luxury of working together in the same industry, and for us, we are fortunate enough to be even working at the same deployment site.

SO Sonam: We can enjoy simple things like going home together, having dinner together, etc.

SO Sonam: Actually, we don’t have anything we don’t like about working together, in fact, we love it as it allows us to spend time together.

SO Kan Mei Fong: Only that I have to work extra because I have to serve him…

 

How do you usually spend time together amid demanding schedules (shift work etc.)

SO Kan Mei Fong: Since we are able to meet during work, we spend our off days having our ‘personal’ time. He will go and meet up with his friends and I’ll go shopping with our child.

 

How are you going to spend this Valentine's Day?

SO Sonam: Every day is Valentine’s Day to us. As of now, we do not have any plans to celebrate yet and we both might be deployed for Airshow 2020!

 

How long do you intend to continue working?

SO Kan Mei Fong: As long as our health allows us to do so, working together actually bonded us better as a couple and I am glad to be given an opportunity to do so.------

 

Please briefly introduce yourself.

INSP Chua: I am INSP (APF) Chua Xian Yang from Charlie division and I am deployed at Woodlands Checkpoint.  I execute command and control for LTA enforcement security.

PC Woo: I am PC (APF) Woo Huey Shuen from Bravo division. I do police custodial duties and my main role is to detain potential suspects.

INSP Chua: We met through a mutual friend 5-6 years back and have been together since then - we just got married last year.

 

What is the best part about working together in the same line?

INSP Chua: I believe it’s the understanding and respect we have for each other’s work. Compared to a lot of our colleagues whose spouses don’t work in the same line, it is harder for them to understand what the officers are going through. Working in the same line allows me to better understand the challenges she is facing and she also understands the challenges I face in my work.

PC Woo: Also, because I’m a junior officer and he is a senior officer, we often share opinions and perspectives on how certain things work due to different levels of thinking. I am also able to share some of the ideas or concerns that the ground officers have, but we do not share sensitive work information.

INSP Chua: Most importantly, we keep it professional and we don’t let our relationship interfere with our work.

 

Do you worry about each other when you’re on the job?

INSP Chua: There is some level of risk for the work we do but I don’t really worry about her because she’s very independent and knows how to take good care of herself.

PC Woo: But I often worry about him because he can be quite clumsy at times and I’m afraid that he might hurt himself (haha).

INSP Chua: Most of the time, she does the worrying. She supports me in my everyday work, as the old adage goes “behind every man is a stronger woman.”

 

How do you support each other in your work?

PC Woo: Physical support such as taking turns to do housework. He does office hours and I do shift work so he is very understanding to help out with housework when necessary. Mental support is also really important because our line of work can be quite stressful at times, I’m glad that he’s there for me.

INSP Chua: Mental support and the support from family is really what helps the officers through a tough day.

 

How do you usually spend time together amid demanding schedules?

INSP Chua: On certain weeks due to conflicting schedules, we might not see each other for like 5-6 days, but we don’t let it affect our relationship. We still text each other to ensure that each other is doing fine. We try to spend our off days doing something recreational together.

 

How are you going to spend Valentine’s Day?

PC Woo: He will be deployed for Airshow and I will be on shift. Both are us are going to be deployed so we can probably only meet at home.

INSP Chua: Nowadays, we seldom celebrate any anniversaries or special days due to our work. And to me, a relationship should be special every day.

 

A big thank you to all our officers who work tirelessly through many different festive seasons, anniversaries, and  celebrations to keep Singapore safe.

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