By Fawwaz Baktee
For more than 13 years, he was in the sales line as an optician, selling spectacles and contact lenses. Things changed when people like him were required to have certification in order to register with the Optometrists & Opticians Board to continue practising.
“By then I was in my late 30s and I couldn’t afford to go back to school full-time. Instead, I changed my line of work,” said Andy Cheng, 44.
He started looking for a new job and in 2013, he found his newfound passion in the security industry. Four years on, he is doing well as a security supervisor with KH Security Agency and was even recognised for his outstanding performance by his employer. He now helps keep an eye on an upscale residential estate in Orchard Road.
“Initially I had the opinion that security work was easy. That we had to do nothing but stand and sit around, with a coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other. But when I came into the industry, I realised how important the job is. We are protecting lives and properties. There are so many skills needed to be able to do the job well,” said Andy.
As a security supervisor, Andy has completed all the training required to be eligible for the role.
“The courses and training add to our knowledge so that we can carry out our work professionally. Security officers who didn’t have this training previously were just carrying out their duties, not knowing the reasons why things had to be done a certain way. The industry is getting more and more professional now and because of the training, officers are more confident of doing their job,” said Andy.
Standing In For Colleagues
Life as a security officer comes with giving up what many take for granted – having the day off to indulge in a public holiday. Due to the lack of manpower in the security industry today, many officers like him have to work on public holidays.
Andy was working on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day while the rest of Singapore was celebrating. He will also be working on the upcoming Lunar New Year at the end of this month.
“For me, it is still alright to work on Lunar New Year. I start work in the morning and I can go home after my shift in the evening to celebrate. I’m doing this not only for the money but also for my Malaysian colleagues. Some of them see their families only once a year. So I’m alright if I cover them on the day, while they go back to Malaysia to celebrate,” said Andy.
Progressive Practice
The sacrifice of the officers has not gone unnoticed by their employer. KH Security Agency pays its officers special allowances on top of their normal pay and public holiday payments.
For Andy, if he works on all four days from the eve to the third day of Lunar New Year, he will get a $300 special allowance.
KH Security Agency Business Development Manager Gary Haris said: “We do this not only for our Chinese staff on Lunar New Year, but also for Muslim staff who work on Hari Raya, Hindu staff who work on Deepavali and so on. It’s our way of thanking them for their sacrifice in carrying out their duties to secure Singapore, even on public holidays.”
