Dr Hang Kim Hoo

Dr Hang Kim Hoo, the Principal of Jurong Pioneer Junior College, was conferred the Public Service Medal (Pingkat Bakti Masyarakat), a part of the National Day Awards by the Prime Minister’s Office in 2020 for his work with South West Community Development Council (SWCDC). The medal is awarded to a person who has rendered commendable public service in Singapore.

Dr Hang has been actively contributing to the community for the past 46 years and continues to do so. Growing up in a family that struggled financially, he is all too familiar with the challenges one might face when there is little provision. Despite their challenging circumstances, Dr Hang saw his father extend a helping hand to people in the community he grew up in. It is no wonder that Dr Hang himself is motivated to give back to society in whatever ways he can.

As an educator, he believes that educating young minds is a form of public service. As such, his work as an educator saw him working with students who were disadvantaged or who had special needs. This got him interested in wanting to help students who are marginalised. Besides reaching out to students, he believed his contributions could go beyond the school and was motivated to do more for society.

Here are some insights on his experience in public service.

Could you share your journey in public service and in the community?

My journey dates back to when I was a young teacher. At 27 years old, I started serving at the grassroots organisation at the then Hong Kah Constituency. The current Jurong West estate was just being established then. Back then, resources were limited. Together with my team, we had to think out of the box to create events that would build community spirit. I think of those days fondly. Despite the challenges, I appreciate the experiences I received as I learnt to be resilient and the importance of having good working relationships.

After my time at Hong Kah, I was invited to be a part of the grassroots at Clementi as I was the Principal of Clementi Town Secondary. In 2001, when the Inter–Racial Confidence Circle was formed, I was appointed to head it. I also became involved with the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) in 2002 and continued to serve there. In 2017, I was invited to the SWCDC. Apart from these, I have also been volunteering with the Singapore Mathematical Society since 1980 and the Singapore Association for the Advancement of Science since 2016.

Even though I was conferred the Public Service Medal in honour of my work at SWCDC, I see it more as a culmination of the work I have done over the years.

What are the beliefs that you hold as a leader?

To me, a leader must empower and develop the team. As a School Leader, I believe in empowering my staff and students. As the steward, I believe that our vision and goals must be communicated clearly. This is to ensure clarity, and to enable and empower the team to collaboratively chart the school’s direction. As a leader in the community, I have to mobilise community resources and volunteers and build cohesive teams. For us to be able to reach out to the South West community, teamwork is especially important. Hence, I make it a point to work hard to build trust and forge strong bonds, so that we can achieve the goals we have set out together as a team.

Given your many responsibilities and commitments, how do you manage your schedule?

I believe that when you do something that you believe in and have the passion for it, it becomes part of your life. To me, the work in school and in the community are important and meaningful. Therefore, I make sure that I commit the necessary time and energy to do my best in my various roles.

No doubt, there are peak periods which can be more demanding and that is when my schedule gets busy. I’m a strong believer of self-regulation and have been practising it for many years now. Self-regulation is about staying focused and being mindful of how you use your time efficiently and effectively.

What are some of the challenges you faced during the Circuit Breaker period when it came to managing the school and community service?

The pandemic forced us to relook at established practices and find alternative ways to continue to work at short notice. As a leader, I had to encourage staff to manage the unprecedented challenges that arose during the period. I’m proud of the resourcefulness and resilience that staff, as well as students, showed during the Full Home-Based Learning. It was exceptionally heartening to see how fast teachers adapted to do their best for the students.

Similarly, the pandemic saw volunteers facing new challenges in their work to serve needy residents. The organisation is working on how to better identify the needs of, and render assistance to, residents, even when there is minimum contact. Currently, we are exploring how to bring service through different platforms. I am confident that we will get through this challenging times.

What is the one piece of advice that you would give to our students and the youth?

The young is a resilient and innovative lot who is often overlooked or misunderstood. This year has really brought out the best in JPJC students. I was amazed at how they took the challenges we faced as a college, as the Covid-19 situation was evolving, and still managed to create memories for the new JC1 students during Orientation as well as keep the college spirit high despite not being able to celebrate key events as a full school. Their willingness to work together with their teachers to make the best of the Full Home-Based Learning, displayed a very positive attitude. No doubt, they may have felt overwhelmed at times, but their sheer determination shows resilience and adaptability.

My advice to our students is never give up. You have it in you to push yourself beyond your limits. You will surprise yourself if you put your heart and mind to what you want to achieve. As mentioned earlier, I believe in self-regulation. Maybe, if students adopt this, they will be able to channel all that positive attitude to getting themselves better organised as well as manage their time. You have already proven to us how capable you are. Never doubt your ability. Set your sights on your goal and believe in yourself that you can do it.