Robert Chua and William Koh
Singapore Police Force

From left: Insp Koh and ASP Chua.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Robert Chua and Inspector (Insp) William Koh are men in blue with a heart of gold. Moved by compassion, they went all out to make an elderly lady's wish come true.

Madam Goh's (not her real name) adopted daughter passed away in 2003 at the age of 42.

Grieved, Madam Goh wanted to get in touch with her daughter's natural mother. As she had lost contact with the lady, she turned to the police. ASP Chua and Insp Koh investigated the case.

Said ASP Chua: "She wanted to communicate with the deceased's natural mother so that the chapter in her life could be closed. She was very helpless and very sincere about getting in touch with the lady.

"While it is not our normal duties to perform such a task, we were touched by her sincerity and wanted to help her."

Tedious investigation

Madam Goh did not have any details of the lady, save for her name stated in the deceased's birth certificate.

Rising up to the challenge, ASP Chua and Insp Koh sprang into action. They screened the name with various public agencies, but these attempts drew a blank.

They then screened the name with a local bank. This time they managed to obtain the particulars of someone with the same name as the lady.

From there, they traced her address. But the whereabouts of the lady proved elusive as she was not staying in the unit.

Still, the officers did not give up their search. They gathered all the possible leads from Madam Goh's recollections and inquired at Pasir Panjang, Tanglin Halt and West Coast Road. But even those attempts were unsuccessful.

Finally, they learnt from various sources that she could be working at Beauty World Shopping Centre and that she could be deaf and mute.

Dogged determination pays off

The search was over when ASP Chua and Insp Koh went to the shopping centre and found the deaf and mute lady who was the deceased's mother. They were tactful when it came to relaying the news.

Said ASP Chua: "We did not tell her that her daughter had passed away. She gave us her home number and we spoke to her other daughter. It was her other daughter who broke the news to her." The mother and her daughter subsequently met up with Madam Goh.

When Madam Goh learnt that her wish had been fulfilled, she offered the police officers a simple, tearful word of thanks.

A big heart to serve others

ASP Chua and Insp Koh spent a month working on the case. They even conducted investigations on their off-days.

"It was very touching to see a happy ending," said ASP Chua.

Going on to share why he thought excellent service is so critical, he said: "The police needs to work with the community so that together we can make Singapore a safe and secure nation for everyone. We must be responsive to customers' needs and always be ready and willing to help. When the community is safe, secure and happy, we will have a harmonious and peaceful nation."

Proud of the two investigators, Deputy Superintendent of Police Cheung Siu Wing said: "The appreciation shown by the complainant has given ample recognition to our officers, who have indeed delivered convenient, assured and personalised service.

"It is hoped that all our officers will have such a big heart to serve our citizens."

— Contributed by Andy Tay, SPF