All apprentices were needed to go through a three months
basic training after which they will be posted to various technical training
establishments in Malaysia (Polytechnic Ungku Omar, Ipoh), the UK, India and
Australia. I was supposed to be with a group of 12 to be sent to Australia.
Back then, the basic training camp was at Bah Soon Pah Road, Singapore (when
RMN main base was at Woodlands).
However, it was not to be for me. While I had passed the
various trials for selection, I had not met the mark during basic training. I
failed in the swimming tests and I was always the last in the 5KM run during
PT.
After three months, I was one of the very few who was let
off and return to civilian life.
Anyway, I had some fond memories and made many good
friends.
Interesting thing was, I met an old school friend,
Hishamuddin a few weeks before I left the camp. Hisham was there for the final
selection for the next intake of navy recruits. He did not pass and eventually
went to a Teachers Training College. However, Hishamuddin lost his life in a
motor vehicle accident at the Bentong-Kuantan road In the 1980’s.
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| Late Hishamuddin, squatting, on my left. |
Some pictures to share about my short stint with the
Navy.
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| Cleaning our barracks. Me, center, shirtless. |
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