PHV driver who stopped suicide attempt among 38 recipients of MHA's public spiritedness award , Singapore News
'Her friend was drunk and contemplated ending her life over some relationship issues,' the 47-year-old recalled about the incident last November.
'I sensed she was very worried throughout the journey.'
Chong, a full-time property agent, had been doing private-hire vehicle gigs in the past year at that time.
But he could sense that his passenger, who was her late '20s, would not be able to 'handle it' on her own.
'I could have minded my own business, but it's not something I would do. If I can help, I should,' said Chong.
Using details from the video call, the pair found a woman perched on the parapet on the 14th floor at a flat in Bidadari.
While the passenger tried to talk her friend down, Chong reached through a gap in the wall and grabbed her arms to prevent a fall.
'I cannot remember how long it was, it felt like forever,' he added.
'The police came quite fast, but my arms were quite numb and there were bruises from rubbing against the railing.
Chong was among the 38 recipients of the public spiritedness award at the annual Home Team National Day Observance Ceremony on Friday (Aug 1).
In total, around 180 Home Team officers, volunteers and members of the public received the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) National Day Awards to recognise their efforts to keep Singapore safe and secure.
Does Chong see himself as a hero?
'I was just at the right place at the right time,' he told AsiaOne.
Speaking at Friday's ceremony at the Home Team Academy, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said that public trust in the Home Team remains high, which can be atttirbued by a 'consistent approach' of being 'firm, fair' and focused on the public good.
Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, cited a survey conduced by MHA last year, where nine in 10 Singaporeans 'trust the Home Team'.
'When we compare this with other countries, the difference is stark,' he said.
Shanmugam added that the trust is strengthened by several Singaporeans who step in times of need by displaying courage and public spirit.
At the same ceremony, Casper Yap received an award for helping to evacuate 240 residents when a fire broke out in his neighbourhood in December last year.
The 42-year-old sales compensations analyst told AsiaOne that he was preparing for bed at around 12.30am when he noticed flames engulfing a flat across his at Block 3 Ghim Moh Road.
Together with several police officers, Yap led shell-shocked and frightened residents, including children and elderly folks with mobility challenges, to safety at a nearby sheltered pavilion while Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel battled the blaze.
He also stayed with them throughout the night, offering words of comfort, till they were given the all-clear to return to their homes some five hours later.
Amidst the chaos, Yap credited the training he received as a Citizens on Patrol member, which includes community emergency preparedness.
He also patrols the neighbourhood at least once a month, sharing crime prevention tips with residents, most recently on scam awareness.
'Ghim Moh is like a kampung. I've been living here for over a decade and know many of them very well,' he said. 'I should do my part to make sure that they are being taken care of.'
Chingshijie@asiaone.com
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