Tribute to BG Tan Chuan Jin
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http://www.ndp.org.sg/myndpjourney.php
My NDP Journey
Posted by BG Tan Chuan-Jin on 24th April, 10:30AM
Until I was 17, NDPs were a little vague to me. Sure, like the other
teenagers, I recalled the rolling tanks and marching bands and
contingents – all which I caught on TV… probably between mouthfuls of
dinnerIn fact, like my classmates, we were probably just glad not to have been called to march at the parade. If not for the Taiwanese exchange students my JC1 class had to host, I may not even have been there to watch the whole event.
But there I was in the sweltering heat of the National Stadium, belting out those stirring 80s National Day songs like “Stand Up for Singapore” (which I still have a soft spot for today). The mood was electrifying. And as the fireworks lit up the night sky and we recited the pledge, I figure that must have been what patriotism felt like. And I believe that’s what many of my friends felt that day too. It is what we would call a ‘hair-stand moment’!
But never would I have imagined then that one day, I’d have the honour organising an NDP, trying to inspire that same pride we felt, in a new generation of Singaporeans.
So where was this patriotic zeal coming from?
For me, it was not the marching bands and showcase of military hardware. Rather, it was how all 60,000 plus of us in the stadium came together to sing our hearts out. And you know what? Those embarrassing songs may not have been too deep and impressive dissected, but with the simple words, they made everyone in the stadium become one people. And we had great fun doing it too!
We synched as One.
As
I soon realised, NDP was a huge complex operation that needed to be
effectively and efficiently run. I understood the reasons, all of which
I believed in and respected. But somehow, if given a choice, I thought
I would rather chiong sua with my guys.I probably didn’t quite understand fully why so many people seemed so excited about sacrificing precious weekends for those endless rehearsals. Don’t get me wrong. I love my country deeply and am proud of our National Day. I understand the importance of the responsibility intellectually, but I guess I just did not quite associate emotionally with the whole process of organising NDP itself.
And then a few things happened that changed my perspective completely.
On New Year’s Day 2005, I stood at ground zero, surveying the devastation that the Tsunami had wrecked on the town of Meulaboh, Aceh in Indonesia. I had been tasked to lead our Humanitarian Assistance Support Group to help in the disaster and it was the first time I’d been confronted with such abject loss.
It was surreal. Everything was flattened, the dead entwined with the collapsed buildings and trees. Bodies scattered about, left behind by the receding waves. There seemed to be no signs of life even as the odour of death lingered in the air. I remembered wondering where do we even start?
But start we did, and we tried to make as much difference as we could. We managed to help stabilise the situation and after 3 weeks, it was time to make our two-day journey home. I recall sitting on the upper deck of our LST, RSS Endurance watching the sunset. There was a quiet sense of sadness, but also of admiration at the resilience of the human spirit. But most of all, I realised there and then, how proud I was to be a Singaporean.
It was not simply the outpouring of cash and material support, or the many volunteers who offered to go over to help. But it was the manner in which our people rallied round and responded. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen reached out to help our friends, and treated the local people with a great deal of respect and dignity.
There was a lot of heart that went into what the guys did. It was touching to see them in their No. 4s kicking a football with the kids at the refugee camp during their rest hour. Or when my Logistics Officer, LTC Nasir lent a listening ear to a man who was fishing, not for food, but in the hope of finding something to remind him of his little girl who was swept away. He had nothing left and hoped that perhaps he could somehow find a scrap of her clothes or something to remember her by.
There was a tremendous humanity in our Singaporeans. “Regardless of race, language or religion”, we acted as one for a fellow being in need. It is perhaps in times of crisis that one takes a peek into the heart and soul of a nation.
And I am so proud of what I saw.
And I remember clearly, as I reflected then, it struck me that the reason we were able to pull off such a large and complex operation within days was not only because of all the training and drilling we did in our exercises, it was also because of our being tasked to organise massive national events like the National Day Parade. NDPs are real life operations that trained us to plan to the ‘nth’ degree of detail and to ensure that everything turns out like clock-work.
And then Bernard passed away.
COL
Bernard Tan collapsed when he was nearing the end-point of the
Singapore Biathlon in 2006. He was only 39 then. And he was my friend
and buddy with whom I grew up together in the Army. He was my senior at
Sandhurst and we studied in London together. We were Company Commanders
in 3 Guards and I had taken over him as Battalion Commander and then as
Brigade Commander. We were colleagues on the General Staff when he
passed away.Bernard was an outstanding leader who was respected and loved by his men. And Bernard loved Singapore. He believed in his duties as a soldier, which was to protect and serve the nation, and he inspired the people round him to feel the same.
What’s interesting is that Bernard always believed in the importance of organising NDP. To him, it wasn’t just the challenge of doing it, but the meaning of it all. In fact, one of his dreams was to be Chairman NDP EXCO one day – the job I have now.
Why? Just so that he could in his own way, reach out to our nation and present us all with an opportunity to celebrate what it meant to be Singapore, and to be Singaporeans. He didn’t see it as just another event to run. Bernard saw the link in the celebrations and the rousing of a nation to celebrate the good that we had.
Just to share…Bernard once had a hare-brained idea where we would set off the Civil Defence sirens and have a magical moment when the country would come to a halt and recite the pledge together. He thought it would have been a blast to have the entire nation affirm our beliefs together, as one, no matter where we were at the time. We thought he was mad!
But if one thinks about it, our pledge is a symbol of all that our country stands for. One united people. No matter our colour, our religious beliefs or language. We say the words...everyday whilst in school. But do we mean what we say, and say what we mean?
And so, it all became clear what the task was at hand. As Commander 3rd Division, Chairman EXCO NDP 09 I share Bernard’s hope that we can own and reaffirm our vision as a nation. Which will be why the pledge will form a fundamental part of celebrations this year. (more of this later…)
But as I’m pulling the NDP ideas together with my team, I’m just amused at how things pan out in life. How someone like me, who had been, shall we say, ‘a little’ indifferent towards organising NDPs, had come to passionately imbibe its significance and purpose so thoroughly. I guess in large part, my sense of pride in Singapore and being Singaporean has become very real. And I believe that regardless of our personal sentiments and perspectives, if we were to all just take one step back, pause and reflect - there is indeed much that we all should be proud of.
What a tremendous honour and privilege it is to be part of our National Day. Together with our friends and partners from both the public and private sector, we realise that we are not just putting up a show and parade. To us, it’s not just another NDP, but rather, a National Day journey for all Singaporeans to come together to reflect, to own and be part of, and to celebrate all that is good and great about our country and our people.
And so my journey continues…
http://doingsingaporeproud.blogspot.com/ taken fromhttp://tanchuanjinfan.blogspot.com/ -
why he still wearing the old uniform?
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Wow, this takes military idol worshipping to a whole new level.....
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he scholar ah?
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Originally posted by R3SsH|n:
why he still wearing the old uniform?
Cos both photos were taken before he received the new uniform. He has since received the new uniform. The second pic was an old picture when he was a full colonel, the other colonel in the picture is Col Bernard Tan who collapsed and died during a run. They were buddies.
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Originally posted by wonderamazement:
he scholar ah?
1989 SAF scholar http://www.rjc.edu.sg/newrjc/newsSAFOS.htm
3rd Div commander currently, BG Tan is a Guardsman. Former CO of 3 Guards.
Articulate, a strong unwavering leader, speaks fast and speaks his mind, he knows what you want to say before you finish your sentences a lot of the times, his thoughts..amazing clarity, good looking too. Not surprised that he had a stalker who stopped his stalking in 2005...(no it wasn't me)..now I wonder if BG Tan knows about the stalker site..
BG Tan is married, with a daughter and a son.
He is a Christian, he wrote an eulogy for COL Bernard Tan.
http://www.mcf.org.sg/jun2006_08.html
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BG Tan when he was 18
http://www.geocities.com/rafflescouncil/6thfaces.html
http://www.geocities.com/rafflescouncil/tanchuanjin2.jpg
He was the defence attache to Indonesia before he went to Aceh, Indonesia as the commander of SAF's Asian Tsunami humanitarian relief effort.
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speaking at NDP conference this year -
Yeah BG Tan is the current div comd of 3div, i knew his NSF runner and driver and ever went to his home (outside lah) before. friendly guy he will wave and say hello to me even though im only a small freaking fry. He is very open and friendly, his driver (NSF CPL) told me that they wil discuss football and is a hardcore chelsea fan. He would at times also talk c*** with him too. definitnitely worthty of my respect
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With pay like that
how can not be friendly
no stress and so much money
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Originally posted by *=Optimus=*:
Yeah BG Tan is the current div comd of 3div, i knew his NSF runner and driver and ever went to his home (outside lah) before. friendly guy he will wave and say hello to me even though im only a small freaking fry. He is very open and friendly, his driver (NSF CPL) told me that they wil discuss football and is a hardcore chelsea fan. He would at times also talk c*** with him too. definitnitely worthty of my respect
After a whole list of well wishers with the usual Happy Birthday Singapore...!!!..some woman posted on BG Tan's NDP blog,..."Excuse me, Singapore. But sir, are u married?"...followed by a reply from a man (not BG Tan) "Excuse me too, Singapore. Hi Ms Teo! Sorry to disappoint. I believe he already is."
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Originally posted by noahnoah:
With pay like that
how can not be friendly
no stress and so much money
Hey i remember you, aren't you the jealous sour grape loser envious of elites, with no inkling about the seniority of some 'lawyer' and holding fantasies about their salaries..?? LOL!!! When I see people like you IRL, I point my finger and laugh hysterically.
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Originally posted by noahnoah:
With pay like that
how can not be friendly
no stress and so much money
I remember the pay of BG is areound $10000 but the stress is terrible. So most of the time he also go to officiate ceremony such as COC n also conducting exercises. -
Originally posted by will4:
I remember the pay of BG is areound $10000 but the stress is terrible. So most of the time he also go to officiate ceremony such as cutting ribbons.You remember from where? $10,000 is not even a LTC's pay.
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The appontment of division commanders only last around couple of years.
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Originally posted by insidestory:
You remember from where? $10,000 is not even a LTC's pay.
I did not notice that the salary has increased but certainly serving under all these senior officers never been easy, be it combatant or clerk. -
Originally posted by noahnoah:
With pay like that
how can not be friendly
no stress and so much money
The higher the salary is, the freindlier he got to b. -
Originally posted by will4:
I did not notice that the salary has increased but certainly serving under all these senior officers never been easy, be it combatant or clerk.Maybe your figure was accurate 20 years ago. Or maybe different officers get different pay? But am very sure some MAJ1 pay is $8000, MAJ 2 $10,000 LTC1 is at least $12000+.
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Originally posted by will4:
The higher the salary is, the freindlier he got to b.Who do you think you are?
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Originally posted by insidestory:
Maybe your figure was accurate 20 years ago. Or maybe different officers get different pay? But am very sure some MAJ1 pay is $8000, MAJ 2 $10,000 LTC1 is at least $12000+.
It depend on the appointment for the salary scale. Their kind of salary can enbale to buy houses in other countries. -
Originally posted by will4:
It depend on the appointment for the salary scale. Their kind of salary can enbale to buy houses in other countries.Nope. Salary is not based on appointment at all but on rank, grade (1 or 2) and scheme. Scheme refers to A,B,C, C+ and what other components he has. Salary is not based on appointment at all. Appointment however affects rank. But appointment does not affect salary at all. Salary is directly calculated from those 3 factors only.
Not sure if you can understand. Doubt you can.
The salary you came out with is more of 20 yrs back.
Mod's note : Do watch what you post. Thank you.
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BG Chan Chun Sing, the former commander of 9 division has been appointed as Chief of Joint staff already. High flier or not, each officer has his own ability to do thing well or else they will not be appointed as division commnader. Just take a look at 6 division commander, he already controlling 1 SIR which is a famous battalion n fought before during the Konfrontasi period.
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Originally posted by will4:
BG Chan Chun Sing, the former commander of 9 division has been appointed as Chief of Joint staff already. High flier or not, each officer has his own ability to do thing well or else they will not be appointed as division commnader. Just take a look at 6 division commander, he already controlling 1 SIR which is a famous battalion n fought before during the Konfrontasi period.
i didn't say it doesn't take anything to be div comm. I said high fliers go to joint level after div comm in response to "The appontment of division commanders only last around couple of years"
How could he have fought during Konfrontasi? It happened in 1963. http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/about_us/history/birth_of_saf/v01n09_history.html.print.html?Status=1
Do the maths and that's 46 years ago. Let's assume since he is a farmer, he is 44 now, he was only 2 years old then. LOL!
I'm curious though to know why he got his star 1 year later than Commanders of 3 and 9 Divs but he assumed the appointment earlier though.
I just checked. He is 46 yrs old. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090626-151072.html Which means during Konfrontasi, he wasn't born yet. Another thing. If the retirement age wasn't raised to 50, he wouldn't have even gotten it.
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Sorry I meant that 1 SIR fought during the Konfrontasi but not this division commander. Getting the promotion sooner or later is not that important as he managed to get the star. If u curious for the late promotion to one star, I cannot anwer u. 3 Division also command 2 SIR which also fought in the Konfrontasi period.
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Hmmm no idea too. Its all very mysterious. Why would they appoint him when he was 45 then early last yr? The time-space calculations are strange. Former chief infantry officer Winston Toh was not 45 for sure when he assumed the command of 9 Div, cos he was Div Com for at least 4 years before he left the division.