NS - Part 2

If living in Toa Payoh gave me intimate knowledge of the place, serving NS Police in Bravo Division made me knew every nook and cranny at the back of my hands. That was my posting after three months of BMT. I was supposed to go to the "ang chia" (red vehicle) but it was somehow changed and well from where I lived I could walk to work.

Every Lorong and block was covered. Police work can be very interesting and exciting. Attending to fights, road accidents, controlling traffic on a rainy day when the traffic lights have failed, dealing with mad man, you name it. Security duty where you have to patrol a cemetery can turn anyone into a nervous wreck. But I found the experience sobering and wanted to challenge the guts so I requested for an extension at the cemetery. It actually grew on me and I could dispel all doubts that the cemetery is a frightening place. It does look frightening at first with what you knew were lying around there but it is the most peaceful and serene place to be. In all those months there including duty from dusk to dawn, I never saw a ghost. Perhaps they were out somewhere scaring the shit out of other people.

Let me ask you this question - have you ever read in the papers of any ghosts killing or hurting people? Base on this power of deduction, isn't it true that people are more dangerous since homo sapiens are hurting and kliing one another everyday on every issue? There have also been extreme tests of nerves when your received calls to attend sky diving cases. Imagine close to midnight you get such a call, proceeded to the scene and bingo - you saw a corpse lying there sometimes with parts and tissues scattered. Then those old men would come later, with a cigarette in mouth they would calmly collect everything away like nothing.

I learned from observation of the more experienced senior officers how to read people, find out if they are lying and to confirm such suspicions. The fact is simply that when you tell the truth, you never need to remember what you said the last time. So don't try your luck on me for I can read you like a book.

Then there were legendary officers I came to know. There was an incdent of fighting at Whitley hawker centre. A few of us on installation duty passed by to get some food and came into the fray. One huge guy had his hed smashed so badly you could see the flesh torn apart on the head and bleeding profusely. The other guy was an even bigger guy and was very aggressive. Three of us could not hold him still without resorting to any form of violence. The police using excessive violence on people especially in public is not tolerated. I saw an off duty sergeant having coffee with some friends, he was muscular and well built. We struggled and I had no choice but to call out to the him. He must have hated me for the moment but his sense of duty made him stood up, walked over and in a few split seconds armed-lock the idiot, kneed him just behind the knees and the big guy was on all fours. Just like that, he handed the guy over to us and continued with his drinks. Awesome ain't it? Just like a Hollywood movie.

Another classic experience was with a station inspector at the airport. He was tall, slim and has that Clint Eastwood cool about him. Saw him once at the locker/changing room and he has tattoos all over his body. He amazed me even more when one day he came over to me and asked me if I was that guy working at a shophouse along Serangoon Road next to Sinalco factory and opposite the fire station. It left me totally astounded because that was like two years before, 


I was dressed in dirty looking clothes, kept long hair like a rock star and always spotted a baseball cap at work as an apprentice, squatting outside the shop and burning away at some copper wires. And to think that when he saw me he was in a bus passing by. What kind of power of observation this man has? He would later confirmed his legendary status to me when we were dealing with touts all of them with dubious background. One was even an exponent of martial arts, a black belter and all dangerous. One day, I saw this station inspector who came walking in to the arrival hall. He scanned slowly around the horizon and then zeroed in to a seating area and stood right in front of this person. 


The guy who was seated stood up straight immediately. As I was close by, I heard the conversation. Inspector calling the guys name (meaning he knew this tout): What are you doing here? Tout: Nothing, just sitting down. Inspector: Do you want me to put you inside again? Tout: No sir, no sir. Inspector: Then get out of here now before I put you in! Tout: Yes sir, yes sir, thank you sir. He then walked away very quickly and was not seen again that night. No other officers I knew had his clout.

Stuffs that legends are made of. These people are not the highest ranking but they had great pride and expertise in their job. Respects from me. They are real heroes!

The gangsters in the neighbourhood who looked so fearsome together are really only wimps when alone with the police. In the final year I was transferred to the airport and remained at the old Paya Lebar airport. Some less fortunate ones were sent to Changi which was under construction. How fortunate was I. Work at the airport offered a totally different perspective in security and it was the most wonderful place to work. I made many friends there.

However, doing the graveyard shift from dusk to dawn on a regular basis have caused severe damage to my body clock and you will struggle with it. You feel like a zombie the next day and when sunlight hit you on the face (like those nights during your drunken stupor and you woke up with a hangover), you felt like melting to ashes like Dracula. I mean like Rambo, I was trained to ignore sleep and sleep is a precious commodity my friends and is a weapon in itself.

How many people in this world sleep well? One is troubled or worry about money, health, relationship, work, business, stress, etc. so much so that you can loose sleep. Next time you feel worried, troubled, restless, depressed - besides saying a prayer, go to sleep. Let me say this again - Don't worry. You'll never get out of this world alive!

So, treasure each moment and seize the day. Spread the love baby!

I shall have to stop here as I have been sworn under oath that all state secrets shall have to die with me. If I tell you, I have to kill you.

Being the patriot that I am, my blood flows in Singapore colours of red and white with the last six drops in the shape of a crescent moon and five stars.