Forensic Services humble beginnings started in Asia in 1986.

Our Vision and Mission then was to carry out forensic investigations into the causes of fire, explosion and engineering breakdowns throughout Asia with the highest integrity and professionalism.

From the early days of hand-drawn reports and paper mock-ups, to courtrooms where simple creativity beat high-stakes doubt, Forensic Services was built on the values of precision, patience and integrity.

Those who were trained by our founder, Mr Barry Dillon, remember a mentor who treated each of us like family – teaching not just the science, but the responsibility that comes with every investigative report.

This interview with Noor Haya Bte Abdullah (one of our longest-serving team members) captures how our big-hearted Mr Barry (as he was fondly known) grew a small team into one of the most trusted forensic investigation firms in the region.

Q1: What do you remember most about the early days of Forensic Services when it was founded in 1986?

Noor: I don’t really know, as I joined FSM in 1990. At that time, a lot of jobs were coming from Malaysia.

BD eventually decided to close the Singapore office and shift operations to Malaysia.

Q2: Can you share what it was like working directly with Mr Barry? What kind of person was he, and what values did he instil in the team?

Noor: Before I worked directly with BD, I was attached to another manager, Mr Siow Kwen Sia, who was an expert in document verification.

I learned from him how to use a microscope to detect forged signatures, sort documents, and prepare reports.

After Mr Siow left the company, I was promoted to work directly under BD.

I learned so much from him, especially how to take photographs under a microscope to detect hairline cracks in metal.

He was like a teacher to me; he would ask me to sit beside him and guide me step-by-step through the entire report preparation process.

Those were some of the most enjoyable moments of my life.

His patience and humility made working with him very comfortable and meaningful.

Q3: What was the first major case or turning point that made you feel, “We’ve built something important here”?

Noor: During the ASPM case, BD came up with a brilliant idea using his own creativity. He created a DIY style mockup model using just paper to demonstrate how the fire in the paper mill could have started.

By building a realistic board and roll of paper, he was able to clearly illustrate the cause of the fire to the court in a way that was simple yet highly impactful.

This case had been ongoing for many years, but thanks to BD’s innovative approach and our team’s dedication, we managed to present the evidence convincingly and ultimately win the case.

It shows how our company goes beyond the ordinary, combining expertise with creativity to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.

Q4: How did the team grow in the early years? What kind of people joined, and what was the culture like back then?

Noor: Most of our consultants were fresh graduates.

BD believed in providing extensive training in forensic work, including fire investigation, machinery failure, accident cases, restoration, metallurgical analysis, lab work, and how to use various tools like cameras, microscopes, and GC-MS machines.

He was very knowledgeable, creative, friendly and extremely humble.

Our consultants came from diverse backgrounds such as mechanical engineering, electrical/electronic, chemical engineering, physics, etc.

BD also sent them for courses in the USA to become certified investigators.

Based on their strengths, he would assign them to specialised fields like fire investigation, vehicle accident analysis, failure analysis or explosion expertise.

Q5: What kind of tools and methods did you all use in the early investigations, and how different is that from today’s technology? Any big differences?

Noor: Yes, there have been many changes. Back then, I was taught technical drawing using a drawing board and pen.

For labelling, we used Letraset stickers to add arrows and symbols.

We used printed photographs, which we had to manually sort and cut with scissors.

If we had a large case with many photographs, we’d sit on the floor to sort them because the table space wasn’t enough, especially when clients requested more than three copies of a report!

It might have looked funny, but we got the job done.

Q6: What are some proud milestones or ‘firsts’ that you remember – whether a court case, a breakthrough investigation, or something personal to the team?

Noor: One proud moment was when we won the ASPM court case (I can’t remember the year).

BD even had to disguise himself as another person when checking into the hotel for safety reasons before the hearing started.

Q7:  From your view, how has Forensic Services built trust with insurers, adjusters and legal teams over the years?

Noor: In my view, trust was built through BD’s approach to investigation.

He always made sure that consultants wrote reports based strictly on the facts found on site.

That’s how he trained all FSM consultants to be genuine and honest in their investigations.

Q8: If Mr Barry was still here today, what do you think he would be most proud of?

Noor: He would be most proud of our consultants!

Show how well-trained, reliable and independent they’ve become, capable of handling investigations without him needing to attend site visits.

He trained us from zero to hero, and to me, that is very impressive and something I’m proud to have been a part of.

He has always been generous in sharing his knowledge.

And until today we still remember how he taught us with the care of a father teaching his children.