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ACSA in partnership with USE and Conference and Events Management Singapore (CEMS) will be organizing the above on Friday, 26 November 2021 at the Marina Bay Convention Centre, Singapore.

Look out for registration details in your emails.

The above will be held in November / early December 2021.

The awards are opened to Security Officers employed by ACSA members, as well as children of our Member employees.

The committee is headed by the Immediate Past President. Details will be shared in August/September 2021.

5 March 2021 Our first 100 days ……

Dear valued members,

Greetings from ACSA and trust that this message finds you and your respective teams well.

On 26 November 2020, you entrusted my team by electing us to serve you for the term 2020/2022. We thank you for bestowing your trust and faith in us.

Most of us were serving in the previous term of office. We quickly got down to work, continuing with the projects that were planned out earlier. There were no disruptions in the transition.

In the last 100 days in office, we had organised the ACSA – SBF Foundation Compassion Fund  Donors’ Appreciation – the first physical event after our AGM. We held a Virtual Outreach Session on the Elective Competencies for SAGE beyond 2020. By now, you would have received news from PLRD that SAGE has bee renamed as SACE ( Security Agencies Competencies Evaluation). PLRD is expected to host an Outreach Session sometime in April 2021. PLRD will share the details nearer the date.

Since we took office, we have increased communicating with you, by providing regular updates and eliciting feedback from you. We seek your active support.

Plans are underway to regularly update our website and FB to be current. We have also embarked on an exercise to get an update of your company details. This will provide an excellent platform to be current and continue to communicate with you.

Since January 2021, we have been approving and dispensing a one time grant  under the ACSA-SBF Foundation Compassion Fund,  to deserving officers who are Singaporeans/ Singapore PRs. For those who have not nominated, please do so.The Compassion Fund is meant for your deserving officers.

We have established an ACSA Compassion Fund Xtend with the hope of providing continuous support to our officers whenever the needs arise. We will announce the details when it is finalised.

The second run of the ACSA Security Industry Transformation Awards(SITA) will be held soon. Look out for details, which is expected to be released soon.

I am also delighted to share that some of ACSA ExCo members and i have commenced our journey on a familiarisation visit  to our members. We are seizing the opportunity to get better acquainted with our members and better understand their operations and challenges it any .During our visits, we were received by the key management team members of the agencies. Our hosts were receptive and willingly shared about their concerns and opportunities. They were forthcoming about their ideas on how the industry could be improved. Till today, we have visited about 20 members, the visits proved to be insightful and given us a better understanding of our members. We will continue to call on our members to have a better grasp of the ground.

In the last 100 days , our team members have had meetings with the various government departments and discussed on the betterment of the security industry.

We also met with MHA’s Minister of State Mr Desmond Tan and would be meeting MOM’s Senior Minister of State , Mr Zaqy Mohamed on 17 March 2021.This is a true reflection on the open communication line we have adopted with our stakeholders.

Work is in progress to ensure that our officers are not victims of abuse whilst they are on active duty.

We are also engaged to work on the strategies to engage our service buyers in the private sector to adopt the Outcome Based Contracts (OBC). For now the OBC appears to be the most feasible system to reap the best security outcomes.The journey appears to tumultuous but we are certain that our service buyers will embrace it, after appreciating the benefits it has to offer.

This is a glimpse of our report card of our first 100 days in office. We seek you to continuously share your thoughts with us through our secretariat. An open line of communication is a great mode for a heathy relations between ACSA and you – our members.

We will sincerely serve you to improve the industry.


John Vijayan Vasavan
President
ACSA

11 February 2021

ACSA PRESIDENT’s MESSAGE FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR 2021

Dear Esteemed Members,

We are about to bid farewell to the tumultuous Lunar New Year of the Rat. 2020 was a challenging year for the entire world. The security industry was also presented with an unprecedented landscape too.

I am delighted that the private security industry stood the test of time and overcome the uncertainties.

On the 12th of February 2021, we will usher in the Lunar New Year of

the Ox on a different modality. The year of 

Ox looks promising and we hopes to revert the uncertainties posed in the year of the Rat.

This is not a coincidence but a dedicated effort by our government and the industry players, to trigger and boost the economic growth in the year of Ox.

We need to be robust and patient as we steer towards improving the economic growth.

It is envisaged that a small growth is expected with some new industries mushrooming and others being phased out in the new normal.

It is anticipated that there seems to be a strong leaning for the private security industry; the preliminary forecast shows positive vibes to grow and register a positive growth.

This can only be achieved with a mind-set switch and gearing towards adopting the OBC in the private sector by all the stakeholders- security service buyers and security service providers.  

This will be the catalyst for growth post COVID 19.

I would urge all members to graciously embrace the OBC – the way forward. The government and the trade associations like ACSA will render assistance to our members to sail towards the OBC destination.

 It is undoubtedly be an uphill task and I am confident that our members are poised to scale this new direction with well-crafted strategies.

Here’s wishing all those who celebrate the Chinese New Year -‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’ and to the rest a happy and blessed  holiday.

Best regards

John Vijayan Vasavan

President

ACSA

31 DECEMBER 2020

ACSA PRESIDENT’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

Dear valued members

Love and greetings from your ACSA.

2020 was an extraordinary and challenging year globally. The calamity and catastrophic environment brought about by COVID 19, took a toll on almost every citizen in the world.

Many countries are experiencing 2nd or 3rd waves of the pandemic or even new strains of the COVID 19 virus are also mushrooming.

In Singapore, the government’s timely intervention has mitigated and kept the COVID 19 at bay. The arrival of the vaccines has brought a glow to almost all Singaporeans and a sense of relief to many businesses.

I sense that it has been a boost and our journey towards reviving and revitalising the economy seems to be well on track.

The private security industry was plagued too during the devastating global crisis.  We were faced with unprecedented challenges that changed the security landscape with unforeseeable environment and unpredictable situations. 

Our industry was steadfast and resilient, passed the test of time in the new normal. We were one of the few industries that stood tall with hardly any retrenchment. This augurs well for our security officers. 

I acknowledge that several SAs were posed with a manpower crunch, when our officers who hailed from Malaysian were faced with the trans border commuting issues. I am pleased to share that many of our foreign officers made a judgement call, to remain in Singapore and continued working here. To these officers, we thank them for their kind thoughts to continue working in Singapore. This is a laudable gesture on the part of our foreign manpower despite being away from their families.

It’s without a shadow of doubt that the workplaces of our officers took a twist, it became an unsafe work environment as our officers were bestowed with additional duties, which resulted in our SOs to shoulder new responsibilities like screening and taking the temperatures of the visitors entering their facilities that they were assigned to.

Based on ACSA’s monitoring, about 54 security officers contracted COVID 19 in the course of their duties. I am pleased to share that all our officers have since recovered. I must commend these courageous officers who had taken the risk and compromising their health and even their lives. No amount of words can thank these outstanding Officers for assuming the risky roles.

I salute all SAs and your officers for coping with the insurmountable difficulties posed in 2020. Albeit the inclement forecast anticipated in 2021, I urge all members be ready and be poised to receive 2021. The journey is expected to be turbulent; however I am confident that the security industry will come out on top once more. 

Some new developments are expected to be introduced in the coming new year and they include :

a. ACSA -SBF Foundation Compassion Fund

ACSA in partnership with Singapore Business Federation Foundation has launched a Compassion Fund (CF). 

The CF is an industry led imitative to complement the government’s support schemes to help individuals during the COVID 19.

Information has been disseminated to all SAs. We encourage all SAs to nominate their deserving officers for the CF. 

Successful candidates will be advised through their employers. I urge you to seize this opportunity and nominate your deserving Singaporean officers.

b) Security Industry Transformation Awards (SITAj

ACSA will once again be presenting our honourable members with the SITA.  It will happen in the 1st quarter of 2021.

Look out for the details of this prestigious award.

c) Removal of OTE

With effect from 1 January 2021, MOM will no longer be issuing OTE. Our officers can continue to work OT, which is capped up to 72 hours per month.

d) PWM Beyond 2020

The revised PWM will take effect on 1 January 2021. It is to be in line with the government’s drive towards creating a work life balance culture. The government has recommended for more rest days whilst maintaining the same gross monthly salaries paid in 2020.

e) SAGE Beyond 2020

Following the feedback by the industry, MHA appointed a SAGE Task Force to review and recommend changes. The Task Force has almost completed its work. 

In summary the revised SAGE will be as follows :

– no more grades. It will be either a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ ;

– it will be aligned with the SA’s annual renewal;

– assessment will be based on ‘ core ‘ and ‘ elective’ competencies 

– exploring on two / three years licenses.

Details are expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2021.

f) Protection of Security Officers

MHA is in discussion with ACSA, SAS and USE to review and recommend measures to enhance the protection of security officers who are on duty. 

This review is at the request of ACSA, SAS and USE.

Announcements can be expected in the third quarter of 2021 on the proposed changes.

g) Outcome Based Contracting (OBC)

The award of security contracts will be based on OBC in the near future. The government sector has commenced to implement the OBC.

ACSA has produced a handbook on the OBC.  Members can use the guidebook as a point of reference. It can be purchased from our secretariat.

To create a greater awareness, ACSA will be parternering with CEMS organise a seminar on OBC featuring prominent service buyers and SAs who have adopted the OBC. 

Look out for details , to be shared soon.

Conclusion 

I have outlined how 2020 was for the world and in particular for the private security industry in SIngapore.

The new developments that are also alienated to give you a better awareness and clarity.

It’s my humble invitation to all members to cruise with your ACSA team and make marked difference to the private security industry. Together we will sail the choppy waters to realise better security outcomes for the current security landscape in the new normal.

On behalf of your ACSA team, It leaves me to wish you and your teams, a blessed and bountiful 2021.

John Vijayan Vasavan

President 

ACSA Email : john@acsa.sg

The Donors Appreciation was held on Friday, 18^th December 2020 at 3.00 pm at the Seminar Room, SBF Centre, Singapore. 25 out of the 30 donors attended the event, which was graced by Mr Desmond Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. Several partners also attended the event.

ACSA in partnership with Singapore Business Federation Foundation has launched a Compassion Fund (CF). 

The CF is an industry led imitative to complement the government’s support schemes to help individuals during the COVID 19.

Information has been disseminated to all SAs. We encourage all SAs to nominate their deserving officers for the CF. The closing date for each month is the 15^th of month. The panel will meet the following month to make their decisions.

Successful candidates will be advised through their employers. I urge you to seize this opportunity and nominate your deserving Singaporean officers.