Sultan of Brunei gives Dato title to Commissioner of Singapore Police Force

SINGAPORE - Commissioner of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) Ng Joo Hee was conferred an award and given a Dato title by the Sultan of Brunei today.

Mr Ng, 48, was awarded the Darjah Pahlawan Negara Brunei Darussalam Yang Amat Perkasa, which stands for "the most gallant order of the Brunei state", and was given the title of Dato Seri Pahlawan at a ceremony held at the Istana Nutal Imam in Brunei.

Having been appointed Commissioner of Police since Feb, 2010, Mr Ng has actively fostered closer and stronger relations between SPF and the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), said the police in a statement.

The statement also said that the Brunei government conferred the award on Mr Ng in recognition of his continued commitment in enhancing cooperation and fostering close ties between the two police forces.

"Both the SPF and the RBPF enjoy an excellent relationship with close cooperation in the areas of investigations, information sharing, capacity building as well as training exchanges. These collaborations have yielded significant operational benefits for both forces in combating transnational crime," said the police statement.

Mr Ng said he is honoured to receive the award on behalf of the men and women in the polcie force.

"The award is a testimony to the strong working ties and friendship that we enjoy between our two forces, and we will continue to work closely with the RBPF in our joint fight against crime and wrong-doing," said Mr Ng.

klim@sph.com.sg