Oftentimes, we’re tricked into projecting the security force as a near-comical organisation. I mean; how many times have we seen that bumbling security guard tripping over his own feet while giving chase, or doing something that betrays all logical sense?
Exactly.
As such, it’s no wonder we have a subconscious habit of disrespecting, even scorning, the guys in white. Movie portrayals hardly do justice to their career line.
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Yet, reality couldn’t be further from the truth. For if you’re under the impression that the security’s a sector anyone could get into and make an easy living…
You’re in for a rude awakening.
Two years ago, private security firms in Singapore hired Taiwanese auxiliary police officers (APOs) to protect our local regions. But guess what?
Even these trained auxiliary police officers might just call it quits.
Lucrative job
According to a Radio Taiwan International media report, Taiwanese auxiliary police officers are finding the local security taskforce a relatively hard job to do, despite the high standards they’ve been trained to comply with.
Two years ago, the security industry here in Singapore was facing a distinct shortage of local manpower, and as a result, private security firms such as AETOS and Certis CISCO looked to recruit APOs from Taiwan.
The recruitment process lasted from late 2016 to early 2017.
With Certis CISCO reportedly recruiting Taiwanese graduates on a two-year contract basis that paid S$2,675 a month, young Taiwanese graduates were understandably tempted.
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In Taiwan, the average starting salary of a Taiwanese graduate ranges from S$1,000 to S$1,500, and many Taiwanese APOs working here felt that the job offered a stable source of income that would permit decent savings within a short period of time.
Thereafter, training duly commenced, and the first batch of Taiwanese APOs was deployed in Singapore in mid-2017.
As it turns out, S$2,675 might not be enough
According to the RTI report, some of the Taiwanese APOS feel that rather than being too easy…
The work in Singapore is too tough.
Generally, APOs were posted to these sites upon completion of training:
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- Airport
- Air-conditioned buildings
- Woodlands checkpoint
- Tuas checkpoint
And while the first two offer the luxury of air-conditioning, the latter two required the APOs to stand under the hot sun every day.
Additionally, they were required to constantly conduct vehicle inspections, and worked long 13.5-hour long days.
All of a sudden, S$2,675 doesn’t sound like a lucrative sum anymore, does it?
Take note, however, that the article source isn’t necessarily reliable, seeing how it depends on personal accounts rather than facts or research.
And so… what now?
Now, there’s no doubt that the security force’s a necessary part of Singapore’s lifestyle. Without these human-form fortresses to keep our bays safe, we couldn’t possibly hope to live as peacefully as we are right now.
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Yet the question remains;
If the demands of the job stay so rigorous, would anyone still choose to be Singapore’s fortress?
I guess only time will tell.
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