Meet Mdm Hamida, one of our remarkable volunteers who has been serving the community for over five decades!
By: Syam Roslan
As a Citizens on Patrol (COP) volunteer, 71-year-old Mdm Hamida Binte Khalid shares crime prevention tips with residents and conducts patrols and house visits in Kampong Java. At first glance, you wouldn’t have guessed that she has done volunteer work for over five decades!
It all started in 1967 when Mdm Hamida, then a secondary four student, joined the first all-women Vigilante Corps squad. She served at Joo Chiat Police Station, Central Police Station and Toa Payoh Police Station, from November 1967 to September 1981.
Mdm Hamida rose through the ranks and became a Team Leader holding the rank of Staff Sergeant, with 15 volunteer officers under her command. Her tasks included planning duties for and monitoring full-time Police National Service officers. For her outstanding performance and commitment, Mdm Hamida received the Pingat Bakti Setia (or Long Service Award) in March 1980.
Neighbourly Duties
After the Vigilante Corps was reorganised in 1981, Mdm Hamida was appointed to lead a team of 30 volunteers under the Civil Defence Corps. In 1981, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) introduced the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme to encourage residents to become more involved in crime prevention. Mdm Hamida eagerly joined the Scheme, which was later renamed the Neighbourhood Watch Zone.
In 2009, Mdm Hamida joined COP and is now attached to Kampong Java Neighbourhood Police Centre. To encourage like-minded individuals to volunteer, she actively promotes SPF volunteer schemes such as the COP and Volunteer Special Constabulary to her fellow residents.
A Knock on the Door
When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, Mdm Hamida and her fellow COP volunteers continued to patrol their neighbourhood and assure residents. “If anything happens, the residents will knock on my door and ask me for help,” she says. “I’m more than happy to do so!”
In recognition of her contributions as a volunteer over the past five decades, Mdm Hamida was awarded the Minister for Home Affairs National Day Award (Home Team Volunteer) at the 2021 Ministry of Home Affairs National Day Observance Ceremony.
“Volunteerism is part of my life, and I’ll continue to serve as long as my body allows,” says Mdm Hamida. “I’m also helping to groom some of the younger volunteers so that when I retire, they’ll continue the work that I’ve done for the past 54 years.”
We can all play a part to keep Singapore safe and secure! Learn more about the Singapore Police Force’s volunteer schemes.
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