Pioneer policewoman on why Merdeka is extra special for her

Free Malaysia Today

Fatimah Abdul Hamid joined the police force in 1956 and was among the first batch of women constables in the country.   Story by: Sheela Vijayan  Shot by: Hizami Safri  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Vishna Laxmi Balasubramaniam   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/08/31/why-merdeka-is-extra-special-for-this-pioneer-policewoman/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #FMTMerdeka #Policewoman #FatimahAbdulHamid

Transcript

00:00Do you like to cook?

00:02I like to be a challenger.

00:06I like to play around.

00:09I like to be a bit of a tomboy.

00:13I like to see people frowning and wearing uniforms.

00:17I like to chase the police because I'm a police officer too.

00:22Fatimah Abdul Hamid always knew that her career choice of policewoman wasn't conventional.

00:28But she also knew in her heart that the job suited her adventurous spirit.

00:33But maybe it was meant to be.

00:36After all, she was born on March 25th, Police Day,

00:40believed to be when the country's modern police force was formed in 1807.

00:45So it was with great excitement that she accepted the offer to undergo training as the country's first batch of policewoman.

00:54Her training began on August 1st, 1956, a year before Merdeka.

01:00Fatimah found herself in her element here, learning how to march and how to use firearms.

01:11Her biggest honor, however, was having Tunku Abdul Rahman himself at her graduation ceremony after seven months of intense training.

01:21A full-fledged policewoman now, Fatimah's first posting was to Penang,

01:26where she patrolled the grounds of a school and stood guard over prisoners in hospital.

01:31It was here that she picked up a few Hokkien words.

01:34When August 31st, 1957 rolled around, Fatimah remembers feeling a deep sense of pride for her nation.

02:05The month of Merdeka is also special for Fatimah because it was on August 26th, 1962,

02:15that she tied the knot with Osman Ngah Ismail, a police officer who worked in her division.

02:21The happy couple were blessed with three daughters, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

02:27Fatimah received two promotions while in service,

02:31first to the rank of corporal, then sergeant.

02:34While in Alor Setar, she was made Assistant Investigation Officer in the Traffic Division,

02:39the first woman in the country to hold the position.

02:43She retired in 1992 after 36 years of service.

02:49She has been awarded the Pingat Pangkuan Negara, Pingat Jasa Palawan Negara

02:54and the Queen Elizabeth II General Service Medal.

02:58For Fatimah, the opportunity to serve her nation before and after Merdeka is something she remains proud of.

03:06She shares this piece of wisdom with other policewomen in the country.

03:29Don't be disloyal.

03:32We must work for the security of our country and our motherland.

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