One of a Kind (2nd Edition)

DAY ONE AND THE FIRST SIX WEEKS

SEVEN

I. THE BIG SIGN-UP

Only in the course of compiling this record of the training of the First Batch of graduates

from SAFTI and by referring to the documents sent out by MID, which a few members

presciently kept, has it been possible to get an overview of the state of affairs that prevailed

during the enlistment process. No material evidence has turned up to confirm how the

selected candidates were brought together for the trip to SAFTI on Wednesday, 1

June, 1966.

But, between the first week of May and 1

June, some received a note referenced MID/(MP)

5/66 with a further backslash and another number. Seng Peng Khoon’s letter was MID/

(MP) 5/66/920 dated 9

May. It was entitled ‘Singapore Armed Forces Officer Training’ and

signed by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Lim Choon Mong, (recently promoted

from Inspector) and it stated that Peng Khoon had been selected. If he was prepared to enlist,

he was asked to call at the Procedure & Selection (Branch?) of Manpower Division at noon

on 17

May. The letter was copied to ‘Dir., Jurong School’ which was the tentative name of

the training school that was to be raised at Pasir Laba. Peng Khoon also had a letter with the

same reference dated 16

May signed by CPT C.M. Cardoza, Officer-in-Charge, Procedure

and Selection, (copied to ‘Army Paymaster, M.I.D.’), that among other things, stipulated his

salary and reminded him that if he did not complete his officer training satisfactorily, he

‘may’ be appointed an NCO or discharged. There was a ‘Form of Acceptance’ at the bottom

that Peng Khoon signed and it was dated 17

May. None of the parties involved can quite

remember what actually happened, but the most likely explanation was that when Peng

Khoon reported to MID on 17

May as directed by ASP Lim, he was seen by CPT Cardoza

who briefed him on the circumstances of his enlistment and witnessed his acceptance on a

pre-prepared document dated 16

May.

This process must have been reiterated about 500 times over the week as that was roughly

the number of applicants finally selected from the overall response to the recruitment drive.

As there is no record of any further notification, it is also likely that the 300 or so who were

told at the signing to report to Beach Road Camp around 0800 hrs on 1

June to begin the

training, were the first cut of that 500. Furthermore, although the 300 were not aware of

it then, there is evidence that another group was sent for training at Simon Road Camp

under then-MAJ Donald Richard Jambu, although they appear to have been earmarked for

a later officer cadet course, if they made the grade during the recruit and section leader

phases. It is not known, however, when this group was processed but, it could have been the

second cut of the 500. The complication is: what basis was adopted to differentiate the two

groups? It would have been a blunder to select all the best performers in the selection tests/

interviews and lump them together in one batch and all the rest in the subsequent batches.

DAY ONE AND THE FIRST SIX WEEKS