MEET CHOO LILY, MALAYSIA’S FIRST WOMAN DEPUTY OCPD

SUBANG JAYA: She’s a wife, mother and now, Subang Jaya’s first ever female deputy OCPD.

Supt Choo Lily made history by becoming the first woman to hold that position, no small feat considering that the police force is predominantly male.

“Never let gender be a factor. Don’t ever use the excuse of ‘I am a woman, I can’t do that’. You are just as capable as the men,” she said.

And like many policewomen, she is also very involved in family matters. Being a mother of four and a grandmother keeps her busy during her off-duty hours.

“It’s definitely tough when you are a wife, mother, and police officer. But I’m lucky because my husband understands the nature of my job.

“You have to work smart to get your job done in the best and quickest way possible. Time management is key. Multi-tasking skills are also something you need,” she said.

Supt Choo admitted that her duties as a police officer have prevented her from attending some family functions, even missing her children’s birthdays at times, but that comes with the job.

“This job is quite demanding, especially when you need to carry out investigations. It goes without saying that there are sacrifices to be made,” she said.

She officially began her first day in the post yesterday after a handover ceremony at district police headquarters.

“This is the first time I have been posted at the district level, more so as a deputy OCPD.

“It’s quite an honour and I hope to get to know the people of Subang Jaya as soon as possible,” Supt Choo said in her speech to the district police.

Supt Choo previously served in D11 (the Rape, Sexual and Child Abuse Cases Investigation Unit), the narcotics department and headed the International Liaison Unit to deal with problems faced by the foreign communities. She joined the police force in February 1981.

District OCPD Asst Comm Mohammad Azlin Sadari said it was a privilege to have Supt Choo as his deputy and that he was familiar with her work, as they had served together in Bukit Aman previously.

ANN