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A NEW BEGINNING
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FIFTEEN
IV. COMMISSIONING DAY
sober instructor prevented an ugly incident and the cadets were mollified with the corrective
handiwork of talented barrack room barbers who had picked up their skills from last-minute
favours to colleagues before muster parades over the preceding 13 months. Some went to
Jurong Town and Tuas Village for a fix-up job.
Before dawn on 16
th
July, instructors from each of the three platoons got every cadet out
of bed for a run. This was unexpected as the Commissioning Parade was due to commence
at 1000 hrs, and the contingents to march on at 0935 hrs. The three platoons went through
the back gate between ‘A’ and ‘B’ companies and up Good Morning Hill. 2LT Abdullah
Ghani led Platoon 3 to the top and ordered the cadets to sit around him and watch the
sunrise. Demonstrating the potential that would take him to the rank of Major General
in the Malaysian Armed Forces later, he talked eloquently about the significance of the
day, training of officers, the commission and the future, as he saw it, of the SAF. It was
not profound but simple and sincere and the cadets felt uplifted by it. ‘A’ Company HQ
had apparently programmed this little pep talk, as it was also conducted by the respective
instructors of the other two platoons.
The three platoons hurried back to the barracks for morning ablutions and drawing of
rifles, everyone in a pitch of excitement, full of goodwill towards one another, including
sworn enemies. Grabbing a quick breakfast, the last they would share together—though
by no means special to mark the occasion, the cadet PMC having missed the chance—they
were back at the barracks. Nearly everyone had to pack his personal kit to take home when
he left camp that day, though some had permission to stay on later and even for a couple
of days. Several were also staying behind in SAFTI as instructors in ‘B’ and ‘C’ companies
and as staff officers in Institute HQ. The latter merely made arrangements to transfer their
kit to the officers’ bunks beside the Officers’ Mess. For those who were assigned outside
SAFTI, the issued items, less what had become personal like boots and uniforms, had already
been collected over the last two days and the individual 1033 forms duly amended. About
30 years later, some would be surprised at what they had been issued and remained as such
in the books, requiring deductions from the last pay, or serious negotiations with Logistics
Division. Once the clearing of lockers was taken care of, there was the satisfying business of
dressing in No.1 Dress and taking photographs with section mates and section instructors,
section mates and Platoon Commanders, close buddies and section instructors, close buddies,
section instructors and Platoon Commanders and numerous other configurations and finally
with any popular member of ‘A’ Company HQ who happened to be available. Setting in
already was a touch of nostalgia. Suddenly, it was time to fall in as platoons on ‘A’ Company
square, and the coveted single ‘pip’, then a square pyramid with sunburst ridged sides and a
truncated flat top with the crescent and five stars embossed on it, was only three hours away.