SINGAPORE: Losing a job in midlife can be a truly daunting experience. Anyone who’s been through this knows how unsettling it is to no longer rely on what you’ve known for years, but instead be forced to step into unknown territory.
For one Singaporean dad, who had worked for decades in the corporate world and who suddenly found himself in this situation, the life lesson he had the chance to teach his young son was the light that led him forward.
And what a journey it’s been. A few years ago, after having been retrenched, Jay Choy pivoted and started again from scratch, this time building a business in the relatively new—and important—field of indoor air quality, FJ SafeSpace Pte Ltd.
For his contributions in the field, he received a Professional Doctorate in Sustainability Leadership and Indoor Environmental Quality on Nov 30.
Jay Choy’s story
Mr Choy spent more than 20 years working with the Japanese tech company Ricoh when his career was suddenly disrupted. This caused an existential crisis of sorts, as he began to ask himself, “Who do I choose to become next?”
Taking it as a chance at reinvention, Mr Choy began FJ SafeSpace, which aims to improve indoor air quality in homes, schools, offices, and industrial spaces. Why is this important? With people spending around 90 per cent of their time indoors (perhaps even more in hot and humid Singapore), it’s vital to people’s health to have good indoor air quality. Good air quality means fewer illnesses, better performances at work and school, and protection for the most vulnerable, such as the very young or old, or those who already have any number of health issues, from allergies to cancer.
Mr Choy said that while the early days of starting the new business had been filled with uncertainty, knowing that his little boy, Jayson, who was a toddler at the time, was watching him was the one constant that kept him moving forward.
At FJ SafeSpace, he applies a structured, data-driven approach to indoor environmental quality guided by the SAFE-AIR Protocol™ and the 4M Approach (Monitor, Measure, Mitigate, Manage). He additionally uses real-time monitoring and air and surface disinfection technology.
“It has been two years and nine months since I started this journey. Many days were difficult, but I kept going because I knew the example I set today would become the story my son remembers tomorrow,” he said.
The doctorate
While the doctorate conferred on Mr Choy last month is not an academic qualification, it recognises real-world contributions, lived experience, and sustained impact in sustainability leadership and indoor environmental quality.
Closer to home, it’s a father’s life lesson to his son to just keep moving forward with perseverance when the chips are down, which is why he decided to accept the recognition.
“Not for a title. Not for status. But so my son knows that even when life shifts, we can choose to stand up, rebuild, and keep walking with purpose,” he said.
Furthermore, he asked his wife and son to join him when the doctorate was conferred in Kuala Lumpur, since the family had taken the journey together.
“If this moment means anything, it’s that your journey continues even when the chapter changes. Your work still matters, even when no one notices. And the quiet steps you take today may become the story your children remember tomorrow.” /TISG
