Overseas scholarship trio all set for police career

By Wendy Hui, The Straits Times, Aug 08, 2009

THREE young men took their first step towards careers in the police force yesterday by formally accepting the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship.

Justin Ong Wei An, Jonathan Au Yong Kok Kong and Wong Keng Hoe, who are all 19, will soon be heading to prestigious universities in the United States and Britain for their undergraduate studies.

They were picked from among A-level school leavers keen to serve in the police force and who have also demonstrated outstanding academic performance and leadership qualities.

They received their scholarship awards from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng in a ceremony at the Istana.

Mr Ong and Mr Au Yong are from Raffles Junior College, and Mr Wong, from Dunman High School.

Asked how his interest in police work arose, Mr Ong said: "I used to watch Jackie Chan movies and Hong Kong serials and thought the roles of the policemen there were interesting and cool."

He will read biochemistry at University College London.

Mr Au Yong will study ethics, politics and economics at Yale; Mr Wong will take up economics at the University of Chicago.