Imagine for just one moment, that living in your hall or residence is an ongoing performance. You are the main actress/actor. And just like in any performance, there are many people working behind the stage to support you, taking care of the lighting, audio, or administrative stuff. In this case, they are your RAs, officers, security guards, and many others.
Usually out of sight, it is easy for us to forget that they are the very ones who have made our stay in halls and residences comfortable. More often than not, their efforts go unnoticed and we start taking these unsung heroes for granted. We have had our RA Spotlight and RAD Hot Seat series, but surely they can’t be the only ones working hard for our performance. So, in our pursuit of other important figures involved in maintaining the halls and residences, we present to you our newest series – Unsung Heroes!
To kickstart this series, we are glad to have Mr Faizal, from Prince George’s Park Residences (PGPR) Management Office, as our first Hero. 🙂 Read on to find out about him!
Photo courtesy of Mr Faizal
To start, can you tell us about what you do here in PGPR?
Basically, I am responsible for the security of the entire PGPR. Besides that, I also do projects on the side, such as sustainability projects and activities which serve as an enhancement to your security. For instance, the most recent ones include enhancing door access and the installation of CCTVs.
How long have you worked here? Can you tell us about life before NUS?
I have worked here for 6 years. Before this, I was with International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation as a system administrator. One day, I simply decided to switch lines, because I wanted to explore the world and see what’s out there!
What are the ups and downs of your job?
The good thing is of course that we are able to interact with our students, which is a lively part of the job. It is also exciting because everyday presents an entirely new challenge for us – you never know what’s going to happen! The downside would definitely be that I need to be available for 24 hours. So if something happens at night, I’d have to be on standby to deal with the situation immediately..I wouldn’t call it a huge downside though, it’s all part of the job!
What do you like to do in your free time?
Usually I spend my free time with my wife. We go out for a walk, or cook together. Spending quality time with her is really important to me, because I rarely get precious free time due to my packed schedule and having to be on standby 24/7.
What is one motto or value which you would say guide your life?
Always try. You never know!
If you can have another job, what would it be and why?
I am contented with where I am now. But if I was given another opportunity in a totally different industry, I would be interested in advertising or media. My education was in IT, so it is totally unrelated to what I do now. So who knows what will happen in future? (laughs)
How did you then come to be here, since it’s unrelated to what you actually studied?
IT matters interested me, which was why I studied the subject. Given the technology boom in the past decade, IT is definitely bright as a career prospect now. However, I personally find it dull, because it seems that I am doing the same thing on the same machine everyday! So when this job in security came up, I jumped at it.
While working here, are there any trends that you observed throughout the years?
Compared to previous batches of students, I actually notice that the students now are somehow more disciplined. Now I rarely face any issues due to students flouting housing rules. I’m not saying that there are no problems at all, because after all, everything is always in an ongoing process of improvement. But the trend of students flouting housing rules is definitely going down. They are more self-disciplined and more cooperative. As long as we are reasonable about our requests and rules, they are usually obliging.
Do you have any words for the students in PGPR?
Treat this as your home, and home it will be.
If you can have any superpower, what power would you choose and why?
Multiplicity, or cloning. I want to have three or five of myself so that I can do more things at one go!
I understand that you have a cat. Tell us more!
Yes! I used to have four but now I am left with three cats . The fourth cat was diagnosed with cancer and sadly did not make it through the treatment. Some people prefer only cats or dogs, but I like animals in general.. I also had a tortoise and used to have an aquarium full of fish, but now I stick to only cats as they are easier to manage.
Finally, are there any improvements or changes you would like to see in PGPR?
Yes, but I would say that it is a work in progress. We’re always thinking of better ways to communicate with our residents and make PGPR not only an affordable accommodation, but also an accommodation where residents can live, study and interact with one another; build the campus life they imagine!
Thank you Mr Faizal for taking your time off your busy schedule to meet us! 🙂 And of course, for everything you do in PGPR!
