Giving up role as presidential bodyguard to sell porridge
Ms Lim Hwee Yi, a 26-year-old former presidential bodyguard, traded in her gun for an apron to fulfil her dream of becoming a hawker.
Her parents Ngoh Jook Guan and Ivy Lim opened Botak Cantonese Porridge’s stall at Tampines Hub and One Punggol Hawker Centre and Ms Lim has been helping out at the stalls since 2018.
For her, it was a natural choice.
After graduating from Temasek Polytechnic, she helped out at her parents' first stall while figuring out what she wanted to do.
However, when she told her parents that she wanted to take over the family business, they thought she was too young and suggested she try other jobs first.
She joined the Singapore Police Force in 2019 and after six months of training, applied to join the Police Security Command and subsequently served as a presidential bodyguard.
Ms Lim, who goes by the handle @hawkergirl98 on TikTok, shared that she was the only woman who made it through three rounds of a rigorous selection process to become a bodyguard trainee and stood out among 20 male trainees.
She received three months of training, including combat and shooting.
Ms Lim served as a bodyguard for former President Halimah Yacob as well as President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, and attended several large-scale events attended by celebrities and politicians.
She also accompanied Madam Halimah to the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.
It was not an easy decision for Ms Lim to leave the police force, with its job stability and benefits, to fulfil her dream of becoming a hawker.
"However, seeing my parents get older, my fiance expressed support for my decision and said he would help out at the stall," she said, adding that First Lady Jane Ittogi also encouraged her to pursue her dream.
The transition has not been easy but Ms Lim finds joy in interacting with her customers and building friendships.
While she misses certain aspects of her previous job, she is grateful for the opportunities and experiences she gained as a presidential bodyguard.
"I will learn with an open mind and grow from it," she said of her current role as a hawker.
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