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| Assistant Commissioner (AC) Tan Kah Wan (above), Commander Detachments, at his office in the mid 1970s. PHOTO: MESS CALL |
A behemoth in the Singapore Police
Force (SPF) during his 30 years of service from 1951 to 1981,
Assistant Commissioner (AC) Tan Kah Wan’s story is truly inspiring
to all police officers.
In a stellar career spanning the
turbulent periods of Singapore’s history as a fledgling nation to
its present achievement as a prosperous global city-state, AC Tan has
held various postings and received numerous awards.
Chief among these postings include
being the Officer Commanding (OC) of the Security Branch—a
precursor to today’s Security Command—setting up the Police
Tactical Unit—a forerunner to our present Special Tactics and
Rescue (STAR) unit—and a stint as Commander Detachments.
As OC of the Security Branch, AC Tan
was tasked to select and train the first group of constables to
provide protection services for our first Cabinet in 1965, a task
given to him by then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Outside of his role as a police
officer, AC Tan was also pivotal in the establishment of the Road
Safety Park located at East Coast Park, a location which is familiar
to most students in Singapore.
Beyond that, AC tan was also a loving
husband and father.
AC Tan passed away peacefully on 14
December 2011 at the age of 81.
AC Tan personified the core values of
the SPF—Courage, Loyalty, Integrity and Fairness—in both his
personal and professional life and is a role-model to all police
officers.
Click
here to read the tribute to AC Tan Kah Wan