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TRAINING THE TRAINERS
64
FIVE
month commission course conducted at Ulu Pandan Camp for a single batch selected by the
Public Services Commission; and two officers from the Malaysian Home Guard, absorbed
into the SMF when 1 SIR was formed, who had opted to stay with Singapore, (COL (RET)
Richard Jambu, whom the Chief Advisor had called ‘Jumbo’ and COL (RET) Peter Molineaux
Stuart, deceased); Volunteers mobilised during the confrontation with Indonesia; Volunteers
who had switched from their civilian careers to one in the SMF; officers commissioned into
the Malaysian Armed Forces who had opted to stay with the SMF; and seconded Singapore
Police Force officers.
2
Many of the Volunteers and the Police officers had been enticed,
perhaps even pressured, into joining the SAF through the efforts of the first Director of
Manpower, Herman Hochstadt. In preparation for the staffing of SAFTI (except that it was
not then called SAFTI), he had also culled the best and brightest NCOs from 1 and 2 SIR
and other SMF units, much to the ire of their respective Commanding Officers.
These were the resources for the First Instructors’ Preparatory Course which would produce
the core of the training cadre charged to interface with the Advisors to mould the first
‘made-in-Singapore’ regular officers of the SAF and set the tone for its future command
elements.
3
60 hand-picked officers and NCOs reported on Tuesday, 15
th
February, 1966,
to the yet unopened premises of Jurong Town Primary School (about six miles southeast
of Pasir Laba) to begin a 12-week course conducted by five Advisors led by a Lieutenant-
Colonel from the IDF.
4
Though LTC Kirpa Ram Vij oversaw the course in his capacity as
Director, SAFTI, no one was formally appointed Course Commander, a traditional practice
Some of the participants of the Senior Officers’ Familiarisation Course conducted in September 1967, including
then LTC Kirpa Ram Vij and MAJ Winston Choo who retired the service as Lieutenant-General and Chief of
Defence Force. General Choo succeeded Brigadier Kip (as Vij was called) as Director, General Staff in 1974.