Mohamed Haider
Central Provident Fund Board

Steadfast, efficient and full of initiative, Mohamed Haider is someone every employer would love to have on his team. This technician in the Property Department works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the lifts, air-conditioners and other electrical systems in the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Building are working fine - even on his
off-days.

Mohamed Haider has been working in the Board for almost 10 years. He gets to office at about 7 am every day, way before his official working hours.

The reason: He wants to ensure that the temperature in the building is ideal by the time staff, tenants and CPF members start streaming in. To this end, he would work his way down from the 41st storey on foot to check that the automated air-conditioning system is operating well on every floor.

No one asked him to do it; it is his own initiative. Explained Haider: "If the system fails, it will take three hours to rectify the problem. So I go early to check. I also check the water temperature in advance to know if I need to install extra pumps to boost the system.

"I do my best to ensure the comfort of customers, to provide a cool environment once they step into the building. I try to do something first rather than act when someone complains."

Dedicated and responsible

Oftentimes Haider would return to work during his leave and on off-days to ensure that projects proceed on schedule and that everything runs smoothly.

"I have to make sure my work is done first before going on leave. I feel bad asking my colleague to cover for me. If it's my job, I have to do it," he said.

Competent and resourceful

Besides pleasing customers and completing projects on time, another thing that is constantly on Haider's mind is how he can help the Board operate more cost effectively. He will try his best to find cheaper ways of getting things done.

For instance, in 2003, he saved the Board over $10,000 by taking on a task that was not even within his job scope.

Haider said: "The job involved an electrical panel. Because it would cost quite a big sum of money and the contractors were not confident of doing the job, I thought I might as well do it myself. I was confident and when I told my boss, he gave me the green light."

It took him 14 hours - from Saturday noon till Sunday 2 am - to get the job done single-handedly. He said, "I had to settle everything that night otherwise the lift, intercom, fire alarm and CCTV systems would not work the next day."

Ever cost-conscious, Haider also tries to reuse serviceable machine parts to prolong the life of equipment and cut maintenance costs. A lot of money has been saved by recycling such parts. Why does he try so hard to find ways to cut costs? "It's not my money. It's the public's money. I am accountable," was his reply.

Highly valued team member

Pleased with his performance, Mr Martin Kow, Haider's supervisor, said: "Haider has in-depth knowledge of his area of work and has the ability to come up with innovative ideas to help solve problems or enhance a system. We are very happy to have him on our team, because he is a selfless and dependable person who is devoted to his work.

"His willingness to go the extra mile has made us proud. He is ever so energetic and motivated, and that is contagious."

— Contributed by Soann Chng, CPF Board