Recruit Tried to Swim out from Pulau Tekong

[MarrickG]

A RECRUIT from the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong, said to have been having problems coping there, attempted to swim back to mainland Singapore last December.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) confirmed that the recruit 'attempted to swim out of Pulau Tekong towards the main island of Singapore'.

He was, however, spotted and picked up by the Police Coast Guard and handed back to the authorities in BMTC.

Mindef spokesman Desmond Tan said the young man was found on the Kechil Land Link, a strip of land linking Pulau Tekong and Pulau Tekong Kechil.

The incident is believed to be the first time someone has tried to swim out of the island since the 1980s.

Pulau Tekong lies 2km from the mainland at its closest point; the distance from its jetty to Singapore is 3.8km.

Former military psychologist Stanley Chua, 33, said he hoped this incident would not spark talk that today's enlistees are softer or that national service (NS) is easier than before.

The former major in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, who now runs private consultancy N.S. Formulas, said the recruits today 'have a harder time' making the transition into military life and coping with the mental and social demands NS makes of them.

He added that it is not the Singapore Armed Forces' job to prepare young men for NS: 'The BMT commanders and buddies will only know the recruit for a few weeks... The onus is on parents, who have brought up their sons and should know better how they cope with difficulties or stress.'

 

[shOUTloud]

Swam more than 2km in the open sea. That is not soft! This boy got guts and determination!

 

[red amoeba]

Swam more than 2km in the open sea. That is not soft! This boy got guts and determination!

===

KNN, this shows our SAF is fucked up. A pai-kah can swim easily to JB from Singapore, a fit NSF cannot swim from Tekong to Singapore?

 

[zeddy]

Like that how to become Rambo..???

 

[halsey02]

Swam more than 2km in the open sea. That is not soft! This boy got guts and determination!

Escape from "Alcatraz"?? I thought I glance in the newspapers, Bargain Hen having a sumptous meals with some NS men recently? Oh! I forgot, those are 'white horses', they get special food.

Anyway, the recruit these days are better off treated than we were during our time, if any out there can remember what Pulau Tekong was like!!

 

[Cestbon]

Swam more than 2km in the open sea. That is not soft! This boy got guts and determination!

Must salute this boy. Just join BMTC dare to swim more than 2km in open sea.

 

[halsey02]

Must salute this boy. Just join BMTC dare to swim more than 2km in open sea.

MSK swam from Senoko to Johor, you must ask him for swimming lessons!

 

[zeddy]

The boy escaped undetected from the Tekong guards.. Swam into the open cold sea on his own during the night...

He could have become a Rambo if he stayed on to complete his BMT but now how to become a Rambo with this blemished record of his..???

Mindef should send him to the Navy's Diving Unit (NDU) or the Commandos..

This Bugger got the potential to become an elite fighting machine..

 

[no_faith]

gt guts, determination, stamina to try swim across altho nvr succeed.
den why cant complete his 2 yrs NS? serve and fuck off leh?

 

[TNP(Tua Neh Pau)]

The boy got potential! I'm sure many of our general dun have the guts to swim in the sea at night.

 

[saratogas]

WTF!

He added that it is not the Singapore Armed Forces' job to prepare young men for NS: 'The BMT commanders and buddies will only know the recruit for a few weeks... The onus is on parents, who have brought up their sons and should know better how they cope with difficulties or stress.'

Cannot cope NS not their problem, WTF! Where are the OOs and the buddy buddy system? Everything is parents' responsibility, no wonder many of my rich clients decide to send their boys oversea study first, all they need is $$$ bond. So if their children really cannot cope can see MP to siam NS?

 

[streetsmart73]

Like that how to become Rambo..???

hi there


1. rambo! no way.
2. toy soldier just cannot make it.
3. probably, need a maid and his parents in some tug boat following him.
4. how to fight a war?
5. the first one to hide seeing blood or the dead.

 

[KNNBCCB]

MSK swam from Senoko to Johor, you must ask him for swimming lessons!

 

[Muthukali]

A RECRUIT from the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong, said to have been having problems coping there, attempted to swim back to mainland Singapore last December.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) confirmed that the recruit 'attempted to swim out of Pulau Tekong towards the main island of Singapore'.

He was, however, spotted and picked up by the Police Coast Guard and handed back to the authorities in BMTC.

Mindef spokesman Desmond Tan said the young man was found on the Kechil Land Link, a strip of land linking Pulau Tekong and Pulau Tekong Kechil.

The incident is believed to be the first time someone has tried to swim out of the island since the 1980s.

Pulau Tekong lies 2km from the mainland at its closest point; the distance from its jetty to Singapore is 3.8km.

Former military psychologist Stanley Chua, 33, said he hoped this incident would not spark talk that today's enlistees are softer or that national service (NS) is easier than before.

The former major in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, who now runs private consultancy N.S. Formulas, said the recruits today 'have a harder time' making the transition into military life and coping with the mental and social demands NS makes of them.

He added that it is not the Singapore Armed Forces' job to prepare young men for NS: 'The BMT commanders and buddies will only know the recruit for a few weeks... The onus is on parents, who have brought up their sons and should know better how they cope with difficulties or stress.'

ya, push the baby back to parents... this is how they works.

 

[wikiphile]

NDU has need for this talented young man! It's a shame he was recruited into the army

 

[Forvendet]

Beside needing to learn swimming skills from MSK, this boy also needs to learn window climbing skills from him, for his next bunk will be located inside DB.

 

[halsey02]

[/COLOR]
ya, push the baby back to parents... this is how they works.

They boy must be cursing his parents yah!..why fark & born in SINgapore? Majullah SINgapura!...malu lah, get caught! sheesh!:p

 

[middaydog]

This Bugger got the potential to become an elite fighting machine..

running machine more likely, at first sign of trouble he will swim 2 km.

 

[diversifyx2]

[/COLOR]
ya, push the baby back to parents... this is how they works.

Dont forget they push your parents back to you when they are old, thats the way to go. PAP eat shit

 

[Spock]

Where did it say he did some actual swimming? All that was stated was that he was attempting to swim to the mainland. He was found on some rocks that links Tekong to Tekong Kechil. For all we know, he might just have been attempting suicide.