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APPENDIX II
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APPENDIX II
MEMORIES OF THE FIRST INSTRUCTORS’
PREPARATORY TRAINING IN FEBRUARY, 1966
II. BACKGROUND
I. INTRODUCTION
My military service began as an Officer Cadet with the Singapore Military Forces (SMF) in
December 1961. I graduated from the Federation Military College (FMC) on 8
th
December,
1963 at Sungei Besi, Selangor, Malaya. This was followed by a stint in the Malaysian Armed
Forces when Singapore became part of Malaysia from 16
th
September, 1963 to 9
th
August,
1965. During this period, I was with the regular 2
nd
Singapore Infantry Regiment (2 SIR) with
operational duties in Singapore, managing internal security and protection of waterworks at
Pulai and racial riots in 1964. In Johore, I was involved in anti-terrorist operations at Kota
Tingi, the East Coast, Tanjong Lompat and Pontian and Pergagau/Semprona/Sebatik Island
in Sabah. My unit also conducted search and destroy operations at Tawau. When Singapore
left Malaysia on 9
th
August, 1965, most of the Singapore military personnel returned to
Singapore to help form the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
Though Singapore had left Malaysia, Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Minister for the Interior and
Defence, wanted 2 SlR to complete its operational obligation in Sabah from October 1965
to February 1966. He wanted to take this opportunity for personnel from 2 SIR to gain
operational experiences. He even paid a visit to the unit in Sebatik Island and at my defence
location in Bergosong. He boosted the soldiers’ morale when he gave instructions to double
the ration allowance for all the troops in the defence frontline. In early February 1966, 2 SIR
completed its mission in Sabah and the troops were on the way home by sea. At the time, I
was the Battalion Intelligence Officer and had returned to Singapore with other operational
staff on a Malaysian plane and landed at the Military Changi Airport after five hours of
airborne journey.
This is a first-hand account by COL (RET) Goh Lye Choon, then Lieutenant, who attended
an instructor’s preparatory course in Feburary 1966 to qualify as a trainer for the first intake
of enlistees posted to SAFTI. This essay won the third prize in the 2015 story and essay
writing competition conducted by the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans League (SAFVL)
and is published by courtesy of the author and the SAFVL.