One of a Kind (2nd Edition)

APPENDIX II

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APPENDIX II

Time was also spent preparing the enlistment of recruits for SAFTI in June 1966. We

visited the construction site of SAFTI to familiarise ourselves with HQ and the two training

company buildings. The Instructors’ Preparatory Course ended with a closing ceremony

with Dr Goh Keng Swee as the guest of honour. We were later interviewed individually by

LTC Vij. I was told that though I had good a report, I could have done better. The good

news was that I would be promoted to CPT on 1

June, 1966 and that I would command

Platoon 6 of Bravo Company. My platoon would be reinforced by the newly promoted CPT

Rajaratnam as my second-in-command, 2WO Richard Ong as the Platoon Sergeant and

Staff Sergeant Lee Eng Tong, Staff Sergeant Shafie, Sergeant Rahim and Sergeant Yacob

as Section Commanders. All the military personnel were promoted to one rank higher and

posted to SAFTI to assume key appointments or as Instructors. As for the police, DSP

Ricketts and ASP Skinner

were posted to SAFTI as B Company Commander and 5

Platoon

2I/C respectively, while Inspector Chin was to be a section instructor in A Company. The

rest of the police officers were posted to MID to serve as senior staff officers. On 26

May,

1966, we assembled in the conference room for the closing ceremony. Those who attended

included the Israeli advisors, Mr Bogaars, the Permanent Secretary from MID as well as

other staff from MID and the Jurong Primary School staff led by LTC Vij. Dr Goh Keng

Swee congratulated us on the successful completion of the course and complimented the

Israeli advisors who assisted in the preparation of the course syllabus. He briefly discussed

the problems expected during the build-up of the SAF and emphasised that we represented

the first step in the development of a strong and capable SAF for the future. The course

LTA Goh Lye Choon receiving his course certificate from Minister for the Interior and Defence, Dr Goh Keng Swee.