[FEATURED NEWS] Six Xponents win Minister of Home Affairs National Day Awards

The Minister of Home Affairs National Day Awards is given to those who have contributed significantly to Singapore’s safety and security

HTX Chief Executive Chan Tsan (centre, front row) poses with award winners and senior executives at the Home Team National Day Observance Ceremony. (Photo: HTX)

On 2 August 2024, six Xponents were conferred the Minister for Home Affairs National Day Awards (MNDA) (Individual) during the Home Team National Day Observance Ceremony.

The award recognises their exceptional work in strengthening the Home Team’s capabilities.

The awardees are: Jason Loke Choy Seng, Deputy Director, Operations Systems (InfoComm) at Policing Programme Management Centre (PPMC), Melvin Low Kok Chye, Deputy Director, Biometrics and Profiling Centre of Expertise (CoE), Tan Peng Chuan, Deputy Director, Building and Infrastructure CoE, Karen Tan Yoke Khai, Head (Optimisation), xData, Mohamad Ridzuan Bin Yusop, Senior Forensics Examiner, Technology Crime Forensic Branch, Digital & Information Forensics CoE, and Chan Rui Long, Engineer, Cybersecurity Governance, xCyber.

Karen Tan Yoke Khai (right) receiving the MNDA from Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling. (Photo: HTX)

Karen said she is deeply honoured to receive the award.

“I’m also grateful for the support provided by my team, supervisors, fellow Xponents, and MHA colleagues. They really helped me go above and beyond in my duties,” she added.

Karen leads her team in using data science to help Home Team Departments efficiently allocate their resources. By applying operations research techniques and mathematical formulae, her team creates models for optimal resource allocation and scheduling.

One of these models can even determine the exact number of ambulances and fire engines that the various fire stations need. This way, our brave frontline responders always have vehicles they need to carry out their life-saving work.

“The work I do at xData is really meaningful. Although I may not be on the frontlines, I use my skills to play a part in keeping Singapore safe and secure,” she shared.

Beyond her job scope, Karen helps Home Team officers harness the power of data analytics by co-leading the Home Team’s Data & Analytics Community of Practice, a platform where MHA officers can learn and hone their data analytics skills through engaging training sessions, hands-on workshops, and competitions.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling presents Mohamad Ridzuan Bin Yusop (right) with the MNDA. (Photo: HTX)

Ridzuan, a specialist in mobile phone forensics, said that receiving the award has motivated him to continue striving for excellence and making meaningful contributions to the field of digital forensics.

Ridzuan uses his skills to uncover evidence hidden within mobile phones, providing Investigative Officers (IOs) with crucial leads for their cases. He also presents this evidence in trials, helping the Court understand the digital forensics process.

“New technologies are emerging all the time, and criminals use them to hide key evidence. For example, with better encryption, it becomes more challenging to extract data from phones. I address these challenges by keeping abreast of the latest advancements in my field and equipping myself with the necessary skills and knowledge to overcome them," Ridzuan explained.

Ridzuan also develops and implements new S&T solutions for recovering and processing digital evidence. One such innovation is the Digital Forensic Kiosk, which allows IOs with no prior technical knowledge to easily extract and analyse evidence from digital devices.