Swindar Singh, the ethnic-Indian chief technical officer of the electrical workshop at the Hong Kong Water Supplies Department, says his family has been serving the department for three generations.
Singh and his family were introduced to the public by Michael Wong, the secretary for development, as he shared their story on his official blog.
Singh, who has worked for the Water Supplies Department for 40 years, speaks fluent Cantonese as he was born and raised in Hong Kong.
Singh’s grandfather was a security guard for the Water Supplies Department before World War II and his father, Jaswant Singh, was first a technician and later promoted to chief technical officer before his retirement.
Singh said he only managed fair exam results in high school but he is fond of mechanical operations, so he joined the Water Supplies Department as an apprentice.
After 40 years of hard work, Singh, like his father, was promoted as the chief officer supervising the maintenance work of all pumps and control equipment at various pumping stations and water-treatment works to ensure the treatment process is up to standard.
Singh said he was lucky to join the department. Throughout the past 40 years, he did not encounter any racial discrimination or unfair treatment on the job. “I am working in a big family and my colleagues are just like my brothers,” he said.
Singh advised young people not to give up if they don’t get good academic results because there are many ways for them to get ahead. Being hard-working and seizing every opportunity should help them achieve their goals.