Speech by Minister of State for Manpower at Singapore Security Industry Awards 2026

Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State for Manpower, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre

Mr Kelvin Goh, President, Security Association Singapore,
Ardi Bin Amir, President, Union of Security Employees,

Industry leaders and distinguished guests,
And most importantly, our security professionals,

Good evening. It is my pleasure to join you at this year's Security Industry Awards.

2. Tonight, we recognise the achievements and contributions of our award-winning agencies. My warmest congratulations to all this year's recipients. Your achievements show what is possible when we work together to raise standards across the security industry. On a personal note, I enjoy coming to this event and seeing so many familiar faces. More importantly, I want to recognise the important work that our security professionals do every day. Much of this work may go unnoticed, but it is essential to keeping Singapore safe and secure. I appreciate the contributions of everyone in the industry.

Uplifting Our Security Officers and Professionalising the Security Sector

3. 10 years ago, we introduced mandatory Progressive Wage Model (PWM) requirements for licenced security industry. This was not just about wages, but also career and pay progression. On wages, the lowest rung stood at about $1,100 in 2016. Today, it is about $3,000, and by 2028, it is expected to go up further.

4. But more importantly, the PWM has strengthened the professional foundations of the security industry. Today we have a clear progression pathway for security officers to progress in their jobs as they become more skilled and take on higher job responsibilities.

5. Earlier this year, we announced that the minimum annual leave entitlement for outsourced PWM workers, including security officers, will increase from seven to 10 days to better reflect their continuous years of service. The Security Tripartite Cluster is discussing the implementation details and will update soon. The increase will be implemented progressively, to allow employers and service buyers to plan ahead and incorporate the changes into their contracts. While these changes may be painful for companies in the short term, they will help strengthen the industry and confidence of our officers, benefiting businesses in the longer term

Preparing for the Next Phase

6. At the same time, Singapore continues to face manpower constraints, and security needs are becoming more complex. Employers must, therefore, transform to meet clients' needs and attract and retain workers. In the coming years, productivity must grow alongside wages. Aero Asia Security Systems shows what this can look like. Its command centre uses technology to flag alarms and incidents automatically, so officers no longer need to watch screens all day. This allows the company to take on larger operations without adding headcount. Its officers now verify incidents and dispatch response teams, and the company is investing in their training and pay. Such gains will be harder to achieve if we continue to rely heavily on manpower-intensive operating models. Adding more officers to every site is neither sustainable nor always the best response to evolving security risks. Aero Asia Security Systems is an example of the kind of company we need for the future. I want to thank them for embracing technology and doing so well. Congratulations.

7. The more important question is how technology, job redesign and skills development can work together to help each security officer achieve more, exercise greater professional judgement and perform higher-value work. Job redesign can also give employers greater flexibility in manpower deployment and allow them to offer flexible work arrangements, such as shorter shifts or flexible shift scheduling, which can attract more workers into such roles.

8. At the same time service buyers also play an important role by procuring for security outcomes, supporting the adoption of technology, and recognising the value of a skilled and well-supported security workforce.

From Plan to Practice: Digitalising the Security Industry

9. To help agencies and buyers make this shift, MHA announced the refreshed Security Industry Digital Plan (IDP) three days ago, developed in consultation with industry associations.

10. I encourage our employers and service buyers to make full use of the IDP to rethink how work is done and harness technology to deliver better security services. This will benefit agencies, buyers, and security officers alike. By investing in both technology and our people, we can help companies raise efficiency, manage costs and deliver better security services.

11. This is why we celebrate tonight's award recipients. They show us what transformation can look like in practice. Take OneSystems Technologies, winner of the Security Technology Firm of the Year award. At a new pharmaceutical facility in Tuas, OneSystems Technologies developed an integrated platform that uses AI to analyse contractor attendance and access records, helping security teams identify unusual patterns and monitor site activities more effectively. By bringing these functions together, the solution can streamline manual monitoring and enable security personnel to focus on higher-value tasks. This demonstrates how technology can support smarter security operations. It is also a valuable tool for improving safety across the business.

Tripartite Partnership for Better Outcomes

12. I would like to also thank our tripartite partners for their support throughout this journey. When Government, employers and unions work as one, we raise wages and standards for our workers, while helping employers invest in business transformation at a pace they can sustain. I'd also like to thank the Security Association and the Union of Security Employees (USE), for their close collaboration and shared commitment in making this possible.

Conclusion

13. Once again, I'd like to congratulate all our award winners, and I wish you a wonderful dinner tonight. Thank you.