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STAFF AND TRAINEE DYNAMICS
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THIRTEEN
X. TWO ILLUSTRATIVE DISCIPLINARY CASE STUDIES
SAFTI’s first Adjutant was CPT R. Ramachandra, a mobilised Volunteer, who moved to
another appointment shortly after the training at SAFTI began. He was replaced by CPT
(later Major, retired) Thomas Teo Teck Hee, dapper and affable, but intimidating nonetheless.
For the first intake of trainees, Director, SAFTI, LTC Kirpa Ram Vij was a looming presence
who was rarely seen, except during visits to field exercises, or as host for VIP visitors and
senior guest lecturers and of course, during important functions and ceremonies such as the
official opening of SAFTI on 18
th
June, 1966. The most important VIP visitor was the Prime
Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew who came very early in the programme to uncompromisingly
reinforce a message from the Permanent Secretary, MID, Mr. George Bogaars, when an
exodus threatened among the trainees because they perceived the course as too demanding.
LTC “Kip,” as he was popularly known, had been seconded from the Administrative Service
where his substantive appointment had been Deputy Secretary. Trained in Organisation and
Methods (O&M) and with his Volunteer interest, he was handpicked by Dr. Goh, lately
his political boss at the Ministry of Finance, for bringing together the various strands that
setting up SAFTI and kicking off its first intake would entail. He had been earmarked early
for a major role in the embryonic SAF. As Director, SAFTI, his work was cut out for him
and the first intake was only one of his extensive responsibilities, which he largely delegated
to the officers commanding ‘A’ and ‘B’ companies. But, by not forcing his presence on the
trainees and trainers in an environment where a lesser personality might have been tempted
to flaunt his Superior Commander’s status, he provided much needed detachment to the
trainees in a rather claustrophobic, abrasive hierarchy.
The training of the first intake of officers in SAFTI was a novel experiment by any standards.
Everybody concerned subscribed to the idea that a key element of the training was to imbue
the trainees with military discipline that would remain their hallmark throughout their
careers. But, the complexities of disciplinary issues can never be anticipated. Nor can the
adjudication of any disciplinary incident be deemed impeccable. Both the offence and the
verdict are subject to extenuating circumstances. Blind justice is a fairy tale. The following
case studies are food for thought and only that.
The Gambling Incident.
No one would argue that if gambling outside authorised gaming
houses is against the civil law, gambling in premises used to train the future military officers
of the country can’t possibly be countenanced. But, surely the intent of the law against
gambling is to prevent illegal gambling dens rather than to pre-empt eternal damnation. To
put it another way, adult males who are confined to military barracks between Last Post and
Reveille, can be expected to seek diversions, among which a game of cards is likely to be
high on the preferred list. But, for a small group of cadets from Platoon 2, just two weeks
before the commissioning parade, luck ran out, when the Duty Officer, a weapons specialist