Members of the Security Industry Council and Member of Parliament Zainal Sapari (extreme right) with copies of the notice to combat abuse of security officers.

They work to keep the peace, protecting property and people.

Yet, they are often abused by the very people they are trying to protect.

Some are even punched, slapped or spat on.

Security officers here are often seen as "jagas", low-wage odd-job labourers who man the entrances and exits of buildings.

The industry has had enough, and is actively taking a stand against abuse.

Yesterday, the Security Industry Council (SIC) launched the #hormatsecurity campaign, seeking to garner respect for security officers here. 'Hormat' is Malay for respect, salute.

The council, made up of the Association of Certified Security Agencies (ACSA), Security Association Singapore (SAS) and the Union of Security Employees (USE), intends to send a strong message that abuse of security officers will not be tolerated.

Launched during the National Day Observance Ceremony by the SIC, the campaign came with a decal notifying members of the public that abusing security officers may result in prosecution, and that they should be treated as professionals.

The decals will be displayed at security posts.

OTHER INITIATIVES

The SIC said there are several other initiatives in the pipeline to combat abuse of security officers, such as body-cameras and workplace health and safety guidelines for clients.

The campaign is the brainchild of Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, president of SAS, who said the campaign was a "strong show of force" by the SIC.

"We as security agencies make money from deploying our officers, but that does not mean we will roll over and accept abuse in the pursuit of business," he said.

"Abuse is unacceptable, and there must be some level of respect for security officers so they can play their role effectively in keeping Singapore secure."

Mr Robert Wiener, president of ACSA, echoed this sentiment. He said: "A lot of Singaporeans tend to perceive security officers as dirt. There isn't much respect for them and it's a sad situation."

He gave an example of how an officer was assaulted just over a year ago.

"One of my security officers at a commercial building was trying to get a taxi driver to move, but he just refused," he said.

"The cabby then came out and attacked the officer, kicking him between the legs."

He said the incident was later reported to the police, and the cabby had to pay the medical bills and apologise to the officer.

Mr Steve Tan, executive secretary of USE, said security officers are often abused because they have to stop rule-breakers.

"In the course of doing so, officers end up punched, slapped, spat on, challenged to fights and so on. That's why we want this campaign," he said.

Mr Thomas said it was ultimately the mindset of the public that needed to change.

"The public needs to get out of the mindset that security officers are just 'jagas'," he said.

"They are there to protect the people who sometimes abuse them, and there must be some form of protection and respect for them as well."