WE REFER to the letter by Mr Basil Yeo, 'Police recruits: Why accept diploma only from 5 polys?' (Aug 1).

The entry requirement for diploma positions in the Singapore Police Force, like the rest of the Singapore Civil Service, is a polytechnic diploma.

For the purpose of recruitment, the diploma qualifications from our local polytechnics are used as a benchmark for assessing the standard and rigour of other diploma programmes.

However, candidates without a local diploma may be considered for non-diploma positions in the Singapore Police Force.

As pointed out by Mr Yeo, academic qualifications are only one of the factors the Singapore Police Force considers during recruitment. Other factors include ensuring the candidate has the correct personal qualities that best fit the overall requirements of the job and culture of the organisation.

DSP Paul Tay
Assistant Director, Media Relations
Public Affairs Department
Singapore Police Force

This article was first published in The Straits Times.