A vision is like a beacon in the ocean, guiding our ship, so we know where to steer towards. We cannot lead without knowing this.
No journey is completely smooth, and he has encountered numerous obstacles along the way. From these hard knocks he learned that “we must have the courage to take a few steps back or suffer a few falls to move forward.”
This is especially true for major projects. Each time challenges have arisen, there are two factors that have kept him on course. First, his passion. “With passion, I am motivated to do my own research and self-study, as well as to keep practising to keep my knowledge and skills relevant,” he explains.
Second, the support from the people around him. He shares that while working with the HTDs, he has been inspired by the commitment each officer brings to work. This in turn motivates him to constantly improve.
Given the diversity of the officers he works with, empathy is essential. “We are not leading a team of drones or droids, but a team of flesh and blood,” he matter-of-factly states.
Indeed, for him, “HTX is a big family,” and he and his fellow Xponents spend their time off duty “gathering with the various members across diverse teams, building bonds and brotherhood. We would occasionally arrange for our cycling trips to hunt for good food.”
Cycling trip (Photo: Lim Choon Heng)
Although it is important to him that his team members challenge each other's solutions to improve their technical expertise, he makes sure that the feedback is constructive. He also takes the time to check in with them regularly to help them understand their purpose.
These efforts have paid off. Despite the challenges that come with fulfilling important data requests within a short deadline, morale remains high, and his team members are united in their efforts.
He has also benefited greatly from the guidance of his boss, Shirley Chow, the Director of the xData unit. "She is someone who dares to be different and take on challenges to make sure we are doing the right thing. Because of that courage, I am also motivated to ‘chiong’ (rush) with her through the various challenging phases," he shares.
For his contributions to Singapore's security, Choon Heng was awarded the MHA National Day Award in 2023. The award is just the icing on the cake for him.
"We are not permanent and we are not going to be here forever. In the event that we are no longer around, the team and organisation should still run like clockwork," he unassumingly points out. He also endeavours to make sure that his team members remain well aware of their mission and vision:
“This is also why I constantly check in with the teams to ensure they are aware of the reason(s) why they are doing what they are doing now. Once the vision is instilled in them, any one with the leadership ability could always step forward to steer the ship.”
What matters more to him is the systems he builds — both in terms of technology and people — that can stand the test of time and continue the mission of keeping Singapore safe.
Annex
The Xponents who were awarded the 2023 MHA National Day Awards are:
1. Lei Pei Pei
2. Lim Choon Heng
3. Chai Yuanhong, Cedric
4. Ko Siow Lin
5. Mohamed Sajir Bin Mohamed Kunju