As a Specialist Trainer with the Training Unit of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Inspector (Insp) Hisham bin Sulaiman has come a long way since he joined the organisation in 1998, when he was fresh out of National Service. Before serving as a Specialist Trainer, he was an enforcement officer for almost 15 years.
From coordinating drug busts to conducting undercover investigations, the bulk of Insp Hisham's career has been spent as a Narcotics Officer, a job he describes as exciting and, at times, an "emotional rollercoaster".
According to Insp Hisham, Narcotics Officers have to be more than just enforcers of the law; sometimes they have to go beyond and become mediators who can handle emotional and dangerous situations on the job. As he speaks about this, his voice becomes softer, more measured, and he pauses occasionally to form his thoughts.
Today, the Specialist Trainer uses his investigative and enforcement experience to guide young officers. According to him, a good CNB officer must be able to anticipate potential obstacles and have a heightened awareness of the surroundings.
Insp Hisham notes that, driven by passion and a desire to serve, many younger officers thrive on the adrenaline of going on operations; looking at them reminds him of himself as a young officer. The years of experience have taught him many important, and sometimes difficult, lessons – such as not being overzealous while still maintaining a strong passion for the job, and prioritising self-care.
Having served as a ground enforcement officer, Insp Hisham now contributes to the CNB in different ways – he jokes that after so many years in service, it's difficult for him to go undercover. "As you grow older, you tend to reflect on other ways to contribute to the organisation; how to improve it," he says.
And that's why he led a project to develop a mobile learning app that gives new CNB officers easier access to information such as enforcement techniques. This allows them to be more independent in their learning as they can read materials before their training sessions.
As a father of two, Insp Hisham educates his own children about drugs and monitors their Internet surfing habits to ensure that they're well-informed about the danger posed by drugs. He also engages primary and secondary school students as part of the CNB's Preventive Drug Education efforts.
Today, two decades down the road, the CNB continues to offer Insp Hisham new opportunities to learn, develop and serve – and that's why he has stayed for so long, and continues to contribute to the organisation.
If you're keen to learn more about careers with the Home Team, visit the MHA website.