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On 1 November 2004 at about 5pm , Mdm Koh Kok Min arrived at Kebun Bahru Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) to lodge a report on her missing wallet. Corporal (Cpl) David Loo Chia Huat was performing counter duties at the NPP at the time. Upon noticing that Mdm Koh appeared distressed and worried, the counter officer immediately tried to put her at ease by calming her down and handling her case tactfully.
He discovered that Mdm Koh had earlier gone to a Chinese Temple for prayers and had lost her wallet had gone missing when she was there. Mdm Koh was almost in tears while making the report. However, Cpl Loo kept reassuring her.
Once the report was completed, Mdm Koh appeared lost and explained that she did not have any means to get back home nor anyone to fetch her. Swallowing her pride, she asked if she could borrow $10 from the officer and promised to return him the money. This put Cpl Loo on the spot as it was not a standard duty of officers. As a thinking officer, he considered the dilemma he was in. While on one hand, he empathised with the old lady, he did not want the public to expect similar treatment from the Force. Nonetheless, he felt that each situation should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Thinking that his own mother could be faced with a similar situation, the officer decided to lend Mdm Koh $10 while politely informing her that it was not a normal practice for officers to do so. He made an attempt to explain to Mdm Koh that he was doing it out of his own goodwill.
The following day, Mdm Koh returned to express her gratitude towards the officer. In addition to returning the $10, she bought a huge hamper for the officer in appreciation for his excellent service. Cpl Loo naturally refused the gift as it was against Police General Orders.
However Mdm Koh strongly insisted and said that she would be upset if he declined her offer. Worried that he might offend the old lady, he finally agreed but proposed that the hamper be donated to the Asian Women Welfare Association (AWWA).
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