Having a loving and reliable partner makes life better! This Valentine’s Day, we speak to a couple who see the best in each other, in good times and bad.
By: Leow Su Ling
Sergeant (Sgt) Abaya Pritha first met Sgt Casimir Yao during her residential Police training in 2014. They were in different squads and didn’t speak to each other as their paths hadn’t crossed. This finally happened when they became teammates after completing their training.
How did the two of you meet and become a couple?
Sgt Casimir: I started my training at the same time as Abaya at the Police Training Command, but we didn’t have the chance to interact during training. Eventually, we were both posted to Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) and became teammates in 2015. We patrolled together and I confessed my feelings to her in 2019 when I asked her out for a movie date. I was very happy that she agreed to go out with me and eventually accepted my feelings!
Sgt Abaya: I saw Casimir during my six months on the Police Officers Basic Course but I only spoke to him after I joined Choa Chu Kang NPC. I can still remember that he kept smiling at me when we first met! Casimir is quite extroverted and friendly. He was very nice to me when I joined the team and made me feel comfortable as a new officer.
After four years of working together, I came to admire Casimir’s qualities as a colleague and friend. When he finally confessed his feelings to me, I agreed to date him!
What are some of the challenges you face as a married couple?
Sgt Casimir: I’m currently an Emergency Response Team officer at Jurong Division. My job requires me to respond to cases involving firearms and dangerous weapons, and I need to attend training sessions regularly. Abaya is a Ground Response Force (GRF) officer at Choa Chu Kang NPC, so our work schedules are very different, and we rarely have the same days off.
Sgt Abaya: As a GRF officer, I respond to “999” Police emergency calls and perform a range of duties from patrolling to the lodging of police reports. Because Casimir and I have limited time together, I treasure my moments with him and our baby boy whom we welcomed to our family in May last year.
What are the traits that you admire in your partner?
Sgt Casimir: We share the same hobbies - video games and comic books!
Sgt Abaya: Casimir is very funny and always cracks jokes to cheer me up whenever I’m down. I admire his willingness to listen whenever I talk about things that matter to me. When he proposed to me in 2020, I readily accepted his proposal as I know he’s a reliable partner who will always be there for me.
How do you keep your ties warm as a couple?
Sgt Casimir: Open communication is key. We’ll have our challenges but no matter what our differences are, I’ll communicate with her and understand her perspective. To unwind, we’ll play FIFA 22 and WWE 2K22 on the Xbox, and Abaya is very good at both. We love to read Marvel and DC comic books too!
Sgt Abaya: Communicating with and understanding others is very important, especially in our line of work. We also give each other room to grow as individuals.
What words of encouragement would you like to share with each other this Valentine’s Day?
Sgt Casimir: I just want to say you’re the best wife that one can have and the most perfect mum for our son!
Sgt Abaya: I’m glad to have you as my pillar of support! I’m proud of you and I appreciate everything that you do for our family!
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