Shortly before proceeding on pre-retirement leave, Mr Chan urged fellow officers to pursue lifelong learning and work with zeal, no matter what position they are in. During an interview with OffBeat, he said he always treats the district where he worked as his home.

"If it is your home, you'll do whatever you can to protect it and your family. If we all adopt this attitude, our home - Hong Kong - will become a peaceful and safe place to live in," he explained.

A "Kwai Tsing man"

Having worked in Kwai Tsing District for a total of seven years, occupying one-fifth of his career life, Mr Chan regards himself as a "Kwai Tsing man". He has worked in various posts such as Chief Inspector (Crime), Divisional Commander of both Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung Divisions, as well as Assistant District Commander of both crime and administration in Kwai Tsing District.

Amongst these posts, he particularly remembers the days in 1994 when he was CIP (Crime). At that time, quite a few major infrastructural developments, such as the Lantau Link and Route 3, were under construction. As such, triad members cashed in and blackmailed construction companies for "protection fee".

To deter this rampant activity, Mr Chan and his colleagues spent around three months gathering intelligence and finally arrested a group of suspects, who were subsequently convicted for blackmail.

He recalled: "We obtained intelligence that triads had threatened the staff of a construction site for protection fee. We advised the staff to purport to give in and request the blackmailers to come back later. We then disguised as the staff and swooped on them when they turned up at the site."

For Mr Chan, every posting has its own uniqueness and interesting aspects. He recommended colleagues to "explore" interest in their jobs. "Once you can do this, you'll enjoy your job and work harder. At the end of the day, you'll have a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment," he noted.

Because of this conviction, Mr Chan always worked with conscientiousness and enthusiasm, earning for himself six Commanding Officer's Commendations, as well as a Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1997. He has been greatly encouraged by this recognition of his work.

Career nearly ruined

After joining the Force in 1969 as a Police Constable, Mr Chan gained promotion to Sergeant in 1974 with outstanding performance. However his career was later nearly ruined because of what he calls his youthfulness and impulsive behaviour.

"It happened in 1975 when I was a Sergeant. One day when my colleagues and I were driving home after finishing training at Police Tactical Unit in Fanling, we had a quarrel with another driver on the old Tai Po Road. This led to the other party filing a complaint of assault.

"An internal investigation later cleared me of the allegation because of lack of evidence, but my Potential Officer's qualification was suspended for one year," said Mr Chan.

This incident was really a big blow to Mr Chan, but with his senior's support and encouragement, he never gave up and worked harder to prove his capability and that the incident was only a "temporary lapse". His efforts later paid off when he was promoted to superintendent.

Commenting on the incident, he said: "Never give up when you're facing difficulties. Only if you can learn from mistakes, you'll have a chance to succeed some day."

Golfing and life

Away from work, Mr Chan relaxes and eases work pressure with golfing. For him, golfing is more than a sport - it is also a kind of philosophy.

"It's not only a marvellous way to kill time, it also enlightens me about the meaning of life. On the golf course, you might be playing well today, but not the next day. Changes in weather and environment will definitely affect a player's performance. Life is full of ups and downs, but no matter how difficult the situation might be, it is much better to face up to difficulties and problems," he noted.

In his retirement, Mr Chan will continue his distance learning on public security with an Australian university. He also plans to take a course on China's law in Shengzhen University City. Being a big supporter of the Force's promotion of lifelong learning and voluntary servic, he will spend more time on voluntary work.

Mr Chan never stops pursuing continuous studies

Mr Chan at the former Kai Tak Airport in 1976