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Singapore At<br />
Sikhs And Their<br />
Contributions
In Celebration of<br />
Singapore’s 50th Birthday<br />
SINGAPORE AT 50 –<br />
50 SIKHS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
was officially launched by<br />
Mr Lee Hsien Loong<br />
Prime Minister<br />
Republic of Singapore<br />
on 28 November 2015
PUBLISHER<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
EDITORS<br />
Mr Malminderjit Singh<br />
President<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
Mr Sarabjeet Singh<br />
Vice President (Corporate Relations)<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
Ms Harsimar Kaur<br />
Committee Member (Corporate Communications)<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
Mr Hernaikh Singh<br />
Associate Director<br />
South Asia and Southeast Asia<br />
International Office<br />
Singapore Management University<br />
SECRETARIAT TEAM<br />
Ms Sheena Gill<br />
Secretary<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
Ms Sukvinderpal Kaur<br />
Assistant Secretary<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
RESEARCH AND CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
Mr Angad Singh, Ms Dilshaad Kaur Lonj, Mr Gurpal Singh, Ms Harkirat Kaur, Mr Pavandeep Singh Dhaliwal, Ms Ramandeep Kaur,<br />
Mr Rashminder Singh Chohan, Mr Ravinderpal Singh, Ms Ravinjeet Kaur Khosa, Ms Roopinder Kaur, Ms Sharanjeet Kaur Dhaliwal,<br />
Ms Shinderjeet Kaur Masson and Ms Tarandip Kaur<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Mr Angad Singh, Mr Baldev Singh, Mr Manoaj Mohan and Mr Navin Chandra<br />
DESIGN CONSULTANT AND PRINTER<br />
Khalsa Printers Pte Ltd<br />
First Published in November 2015 by Young Sikh Association (Singapore), c/o Sikh Centre, 8 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 169543<br />
SINGAPORE AT 50<br />
50 SIKHS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,<br />
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from Young Sikh Association<br />
(Singapore).<br />
For enquiries and requests, please contact Ms Harsimar Kaur at simar28@hotmail.com.<br />
Printed and bound in Singapore.
Contents<br />
5<br />
Preface<br />
7 Message from Mr Lee Hsien Loong<br />
Prime Minister, Republic of Singapore<br />
8 Message from Professor Tan Tai Yong<br />
Chairman, Panel of Reviewers,<br />
Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs), Yale-NUS College, and<br />
Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Singapore<br />
9 Message from Mr Malminderjit Singh<br />
President, Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
10 Panel of Reviewers<br />
13 The Sikhs in Singapore<br />
The 50 Sikhs<br />
18 Ajit Singh<br />
22 Amarjit Kaur<br />
26 Avtar Singh<br />
30 Balbeer Singh Mangat<br />
34 Balbir Singh<br />
38 Berinderjeet Kaur<br />
42 Bhajan Singh<br />
46 Bhopinder Singh<br />
50 Bilveer Singh<br />
54 Choor Singh<br />
58 Daljeet Singh<br />
62 Davinder Singh<br />
66 Gurcharan Singh Sekhon<br />
70 Gurcharanjit Singh<br />
74 Gurdip Singh Usma<br />
78 Gurinder Singh Shahi
82 Harbans Singh<br />
86 Harbhajan Singh<br />
90 Harbhajan Singh Loomba<br />
94 Harjeet Singh<br />
98 Harnek Singh<br />
102 Harpajan Singh Dhillon<br />
106 Hernaikh Singh<br />
110 Inderjit Singh<br />
114 Jagjit Singh<br />
118 Jagjit Singh Sekhon<br />
122 Jagrup Singh<br />
126 Jarmal Singh<br />
130 Jaswant Singh Gill<br />
134 Jeswant Singh Bandal<br />
138 Kanwaljit Soin<br />
142 Karan Singh Thakral<br />
146 Kartar Singh Dalamnangal<br />
150 Kartar Singh Thakral<br />
154 Kernial Singh Sandhu<br />
158 Kirpal Singh<br />
162 Mancharan Singh Gill<br />
166 Manmohan Singh<br />
170 Mehervan Singh<br />
174 Pakir Singh<br />
178 Param Ajeet Singh Bal<br />
182 Ravinder Singh<br />
186 Sarbjit Singh<br />
190 Sarjit Singh<br />
194 Sarjit Singh<br />
198 Sarvindar Singh Chopra<br />
202 Satwant Singh<br />
206 Sukhvinder Singh Chopra<br />
210 Surjan Singh<br />
214 Vear Singh Gill<br />
218 Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
220 In Appreciation
Preface<br />
S<br />
ingapore’s leaders have often and aptly described the Sikh community as one that punches well<br />
above its weight. Although a minority community, the Sikhs in Singapore have been integral to<br />
the island state’s development and progress through representation and significant contributions<br />
in many sectors. This coffee-table book highlights 50 Sikhs who have contributed to Singapore at<br />
the national level or to nation-building. While it recognises and celebrates their contributions, it<br />
is also a testament to the values and ethos of a society. It will not be lost on a reader that, only in<br />
the meritocratic and pluralistic environment into which Singapore has developed, was it possible<br />
for these individuals to be able and want to contribute to the nation. In this way, this book also<br />
celebrates a defining aspect of the Singapore story in this momentous year that marks our 50th<br />
independence.<br />
The task at hand – to arrive at 50 Sikhs from the more than 250 nominations submitted by<br />
members of the public and mainly from within the community – quite expectedly entailed a<br />
year-long effort on the part of several groups of individuals. This included an independent Panel<br />
of Reviewers to assess nominations and make the final decision on the 50 Sikhs to be featured;<br />
an extensive team of researchers whose work is presented in the following pages and which<br />
truly brings to life the stories of the selected individuals; and a secretariat team comprising<br />
representatives of Young Sikh Association Singapore (Singapore) [YSA] that coordinated all<br />
efforts to bring this project to fruition. The community as a whole reflected and felt it timely to<br />
undertake a project to showcase the contributions of Sikhs in Singapore. It was a delight for the<br />
YSA team and served as an added impetus to embark on the project when it received national<br />
endorsement and funding through the <strong>SG50</strong> Celebrations Fund – the first and only initiative from<br />
the Sikh community to receive such support from the <strong>SG50</strong> Committee.<br />
An independent Panel of Reviewers was convened, given the imperative of ensuring objectivity<br />
and adding professionalism to the process of assessing all nominations received. Additionally,<br />
members on the panel were chosen on the basis that they represented different segments of<br />
Singapore society and had knowledge, familiarity and understanding of the Sikh community.<br />
The critical role and importance of the panel cannot be overstated as the numerous nominations<br />
received included Sikhs who are represented in business, academia, politics, media, arts and<br />
culture, uniformed groups, government and non-government organisations, civil society and<br />
sports, among others. Nominations were also received from Singapore Sikhs living overseas.<br />
5
In total, readers will appreciate that the panel spent<br />
more than six months deliberating each and every<br />
nomination. This also alludes to the careful and thorough<br />
selection process based on an agreed selection criteria<br />
proposed by the YSA Secretariat for the purposes of fair<br />
consideration.<br />
The panel agreed on the three selection criteria for<br />
nominations in order to judiciously determine the 50<br />
Sikhs to be featured in this book. First, these Sikhs’<br />
contributions have made an impact at the national-level<br />
or to nation-building. Second, they have contributed in<br />
this regard for at least five years. Third and finally, since it<br />
marks 50 years of Singapore's independence, the focus<br />
will be on the contributions of Sikhs in the post-1965 era.<br />
These criteria put into context the level of contributions<br />
made by all the nominees considered as well as the<br />
impact of their contributions on the national landscape.<br />
The most utility from such an exercise in retrospection is<br />
intended for and derived by posterity. For this reason, the<br />
YSA Secretariat consciously and deliberately decided to<br />
engage youth as researchers for the project. The research<br />
team consists of a diverse mix of Sikh undergraduates<br />
and young working adults. It was especially heartening<br />
that these young researchers readily came forward to<br />
contribute to the project, fully realising the challenges<br />
of research and the expectations of academic rigour<br />
in the work they were expected to produce. Each of<br />
them, in turn, hopefully, found the experience extremely<br />
rewarding as they went on several journeys down<br />
memory lane. The researchers conducted interviews<br />
with the selected nominees, or arranged for meetings<br />
with family and friends of nominees who are deceased<br />
to gain as much information as possible on their lives.<br />
In addition to referring to archival materials, personal<br />
meetings and interactions with as many of the 50<br />
Sikhs as possible were sought in order to glean insights<br />
that are more nuanced, making the accounts of their<br />
lives captured here more real, authentic and personal.<br />
On the note of stylistic (re)presentation in this collection<br />
of profiles of the 50 Sikhs, the researchers were given<br />
considerable autonomy to construct these profiles in<br />
the form of ‘narrative histories’. A typical chronology of<br />
events would belie and obscure emotions, critical events<br />
and even turning points in their lives – it would not be a<br />
true reflection of their contributions and achievements.<br />
The researchers’ diverse backgrounds are also reflected<br />
in their respective approaches and styles adopted in<br />
writing each of the profiles of the 50 Sikhs. As such,<br />
readers can expect an eclectic mix of narratives that<br />
capture the stories of these 50 Sikhs in interesting and<br />
unique ways. These are also accompanied by citations<br />
for each of these 50 Sikhs from individuals they have<br />
worked closely or interacted with and, in all cases, from<br />
Singaporeans who are non-Sikhs. In its totality, this book<br />
will also bring to bear that many of the 50 Sikhs had<br />
humble beginnings and for the most part, very ordinary<br />
life experiences. In fact, their personal profiles reveal<br />
experiences that are common to an entire generation of<br />
post-independence Singaporeans. What makes these 50<br />
Sikhs extraordinary are some common threads in each<br />
of their life stories – tremendous resolve in the face<br />
of adversity, the tenacity and drive to succeed and the<br />
earnest desire to make contributions to the nation and<br />
community.<br />
Finally, it is hoped that this book will be a useful record<br />
of the role the Sikhs, as a community, have played in<br />
nation-building. In showcasing the Sikh community’s<br />
involvement in Singapore’s nation-building, an aim is<br />
also to further enhance bonds between the Sikhs and<br />
the rest of Singapore. Such documentation is necessary<br />
so that current and future generations of Singaporeans,<br />
not just Sikhs, continue to be inspired and play their part<br />
at the wider level. We hope that the stories of these<br />
50 Sikhs will serve to further strengthen Singapore’s<br />
social fabric by underscoring the important roles each<br />
community has, to ensure the continued success and<br />
progress of our nation.<br />
6
Message<br />
The year 2015 is a special one for Singapore. We celebrate 50 years of<br />
independence and achievements as one united people. Our society comprises<br />
many races and religions. Multi-racialism and meritocracy are key principles<br />
that underpin Singapore and have enabled us to build a strong nation.<br />
Every ethnic group in Singapore has progressed with the nation, including<br />
the Sikhs. Because the Sikh numbers are small, they have particularly benefitted from our multiracialism<br />
and meritocracy. Sikhs have distinguished themselves and made important contributions<br />
in many fields – academia, business, education, law, medicine, politics, uniformed services and<br />
other professions. This is a testament both to the Sikh community and the Singapore system that<br />
has enabled them to succeed through their own efforts and talents, without being oppressed or<br />
discriminated against.<br />
The Sikh culture and religion emphasise values shared by Singaporeans of other races and religions<br />
– mutual help, community service, equality, tolerance and respect for others. These values have kept<br />
our society united and remain fundamental to Singapore’s survival and progress.<br />
I am glad that Young Sikh Association (Singapore) and the Sikh community have put together<br />
this publication. It helps readers to appreciate Singapore’s past and present through the lives and<br />
contributions of the Sikhs. May the stories in the book inspire a younger generation of Sikhs to<br />
chase its aspirations and serve the wider community at the same time.<br />
MR LEE HSIEN LOONG<br />
Prime Minister<br />
Republic of Singapore<br />
7
Message<br />
I am pleased to write this message for the Sikh community’s publication on<br />
Singapore at 50 – 50 Sikhs and their Contributions.<br />
The year 2015 marks an important and significant occasion in Singapore’s history<br />
– our 50 years of independence. Without any natural resources, Singapore has<br />
pulled off a dramatic transformation to rise from a Southeast Asian backwater after<br />
independence from Malaysia in 1965 to become one of the world’s most<br />
developed countries. Today, Singapore stands proudly as a global commerce, transportation and<br />
financial hub.<br />
While the Singapore government has taken the lead to celebrate this momentous event in a number<br />
of ways, members of the public have also been contributing their ideas on community initiatives.<br />
The effort by Young Sikh Association (Singapore) [YSA] and the Sikh community to celebrate this<br />
major milestone in our nation’s history through this publication is highly laudable.<br />
I am honoured to be invited to chair the Panel of Reviewers for the publication. I have been a<br />
friend of the Sikh community in Singapore for the last 30 years. The Sikhs are an important part<br />
of Singapore’s multi-religious and multi-cultural fabric. A dynamic, hardworking, enterprising and<br />
vibrant community, it has made significant contributions to the socio-economic and political arenas<br />
over the last 50 years, despite being a minority within a minority.<br />
The process for the identification, deliberation and selection of the 50 Sikhs for the publication<br />
was detailed and comprehensive. The panel went through each and every nomination carefully<br />
and thoroughly. We spent many hours deliberating on all nominations as we wanted to give every<br />
nominee fair and careful consideration based on the criteria for selection. I am confident that we<br />
have selected the most deserving 50 Sikhs based on the nominations received by the YSA Secretariat.<br />
I commend YSA and the Sikh community on this important and meaningful effort. The contributions<br />
of these 50 Sikhs are indeed representative of the significant roles played by the Singapore Sikh<br />
community in the country’s overall development and progress.<br />
PROFESSOR TAN TAI YONG<br />
Chairman, Panel of Reviewers,<br />
Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs), Yale-NUS College, and<br />
Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Singapore<br />
8
Message<br />
On behalf of Young Sikh Association (Singapore [YSA], I am pleased to present to<br />
you an important publication, Singapore at 50 – 50 Sikhs and their Contributions.<br />
YSA launched this project in July 2014 to put wheels into motion to celebrate<br />
the marriage of two abstract and, seemingly separate, ideas – to commemorate<br />
Singapore’s jubilee year and to document the Sikh community’s contributions to<br />
the nation. We believed that Singapore’s 50th anniversary celebrations would<br />
see many ground-breaking initiatives spanning across different aspects of the nation’s history and<br />
development. And indeed, by the time I pen this message into the third quarter of 2015, we witnessed<br />
a plethora of activities during the course of the year, marking a truly remarkable year for the social<br />
fabric of the nation.<br />
Amidst such festivities, YSA felt that if we were to embark on any celebratory project, it had to be<br />
truly meaningful and reflective of our sentiments and beliefs – the ethos that shaped us collectively<br />
as Singaporeans. We cannot celebrate the notion of Singapore without recognising the values of<br />
meritocracy and multi-racialism, both of which have become synonymous with the core of the island<br />
state. As representatives of a minority group, these are the virtues of Singapore that we would like to<br />
highlight and, in so doing, celebrate.<br />
We felt that there would be no better way to do this than to highlight the contributions of members of<br />
the Sikh community, a visible minority in the country’s diverse social make-up, to Singapore’s nationbuilding.<br />
Undoubtedly, the Sikh community has benefited from both the policies of meritocracy and<br />
multi-racialism and the individuals featured in this book reflect that. For a small community to be able<br />
to produce leading and notable members of the government, uniformed services, judiciary, academia,<br />
sports, and business and professional communities, among other sectors, is as much a reflection of the<br />
strength and success of Sikhs here as it is of the openness and willingness of a system that recognises<br />
their capabilities and allows them to thrive in it, regardless of race, language or religion.<br />
We hope the publication will not only serve as a celebration of the past but also a catalyst for the<br />
future. We believe that the publication will be an inspiration for future generations of Singaporeans –<br />
for Sikhs and other minorities to know that their aspirations need not know any bounds and for the<br />
wider society to recognise and continuously preserve the virtues of meritocracy and multi-racialism in<br />
our beloved nation.<br />
MR MALMINDERJIT SINGH<br />
President<br />
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)<br />
9
Panel of<br />
Reviewers<br />
F<br />
ive individuals were invited by Young Sikh Association (Singapore) to be on the Panel of Reviewers.<br />
These members represented the different segments of Singapore society and with knowledge and<br />
understanding of the Sikh community.<br />
The Chairman of the panel was Professor Tan Tai Yong, Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs),<br />
Yale-NUS College, and Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Singapore.<br />
The key role and responsibility of the panel members was to identify, deliberate and decide on<br />
the final list of 50 Sikhs for the publication. They also advised the YSA Secretariat on the research<br />
and preparation of the publication.<br />
Professor Tan Tai Yong<br />
Professor Tan Tai Yong is a historian and currently Executive Vice President<br />
(Academic Affairs) of Yale-NUS College. Prior to this, he was Vice Provost<br />
(Student Life) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) from 2010 to<br />
2014. He is also a former Nominated Member of Parliament.<br />
Professor Tan has written extensively on South Asian history as well as on Southeast Asia and<br />
Singapore. His recent books include Singapore – A 700 Year History (2009), Creating ‘Greater<br />
Malaysia’: Decolonisation and the Politics of Merger (2008); Partition and Post-Colonial South<br />
Asia: A Reader (co-edited, 2007); The Garrison State (2005), The Aftermath of Partition in South<br />
Asia (co-authored, 2000) and The Transformation of Southeast Asia: International Perspectives<br />
on De-colonisation (co-edited, 2003).<br />
10
Mr Surjit Singh s/o Wazir Singh<br />
Mr Surjit Singh retired from the National Library Board, Singapore, as Director, Properties Division,<br />
in 2006. He continued to work as a consultant at the Board until 2011, having by then served some<br />
40 years in the Singapore civil service.<br />
His involvement in the Sikh community in Singapore began as a member of the Sikh Advisory Board (SAB) in 1993. He<br />
was appointed SAB’s Secretary from 1993 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2001. He was then appointed Chairman of the<br />
SAB from 2005 to 2014.<br />
Mr Surjit has been a member of the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony since its inception<br />
in 2006. He actively garnered support from the Sikh community to contribute towards national community engagement<br />
efforts such as participating in the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles and organising the Harmony Games in<br />
2013. He also represented Singapore and profiled her story in a number of international interfaith dialogues.<br />
Mr Surjit was appointed to the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony in Singapore for a three-year term in<br />
September 2014 and to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights also for a three-year term in April 2015. He also<br />
serves on the Pioneer Package Appeals Panel, having been appointed for a two-year term in May 2014. More recently,<br />
he was appointed Justice of the Peace for a five-year term on 2 September 2015.<br />
Dr Narinder Kaur<br />
Dr Narinder Kaur is currently working at the National Library Board (NLB), Singapore. During her<br />
eight years at NLB, she has chalked up experience in diverse areas and currently oversees the<br />
Quality Service Management and Organisational Excellence portfolios.<br />
Prior to joining the public service, Dr Kaur worked in the private sector for more than 15 years,<br />
specifically in the areas of Corporate Planning, Human Capability Development and Corporate Governance. She has<br />
always been interested in the dynamics of human relationships and has been able to pursue her lifelong interest in this<br />
area through her various career paths.<br />
Dr Kaur, who has a Doctor of Philosophy in Corporate Governance, also lectures part-time on Ethics and Corporate<br />
Governance at the Singapore Institute of Management.<br />
In spite of her active work schedule, Dr Kaur is a firm believer in giving back to society. She is actively engaged in<br />
community work and is a founding board member of the 'I Love Children' movement as well as a member of the Sikh<br />
Advisory Board since 2008.<br />
Outside of work, her hobbies include walking and trekking – being with nature clears her mind and recharges her<br />
energy levels so that she can better deal with the rigours of life.<br />
11
Mr T Raja Segar<br />
An Economics and Finance teacher by training, Mr T Raja Segar has spent 16 years in the education<br />
sector teaching and as a management staff. In that period, he has been with both government and<br />
private institutions. He also spent three years with MediaCorp as head of a channel and six years<br />
in the social services sector, namely, with Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA). His<br />
last appointment at SINDA was that of Chief Executive Officer.<br />
Currently Director of Academic Analysis and Planning at Singapore Institute of Technology, Mr Raja Segar has a deep<br />
understanding of the Indian community in Singapore. He volunteers with youth programmes at a community club. He<br />
is a Management Committee member with Singapore Indian Education Trust.<br />
His current interests are in the areas of educational technology and new ways of teaching and learning.<br />
Mr Navin Pal Singh<br />
Mr Navin Pal Singh is a Quality Control Engineer at Solstar International, a leading home appliances<br />
and consumer electronics brand based in Singapore and with global operations. As part of the<br />
engineering team, he designs and monitors the quality of products which are manufactured in<br />
factories in different parts of the world.<br />
Mr Navin has been actively involved in various Sikh youth activities through Sikh Sewaks Singapore since 1996. He<br />
started as Treasurer of the Sewaks in 2001 before going on to hold the position of President from 2004 to 2007. Even<br />
today, he enjoys working with the youth to promote personal development through Sikhi-based activities and he is<br />
actively involved in samelans and camps in Singapore, Malaysia and, more recently, Brisbane.<br />
Mr Navin is keenly interested in photography and engages in it during his leisure time. He is also an avid football fan<br />
and a loyal supporter of Liverpool Football Club.<br />
Mr Navin is husband to a wonderful wife and father of two beautiful children.<br />
12
The Sikhs<br />
in Singapore<br />
Professor Tan Tai Yong 1<br />
I<br />
n 1881, following a recommendation by a Commission of Enquiry of the Straits Settlement<br />
Police Force in Singapore, 165 Sikhs arrived on the island from the British Indian province of<br />
the Punjab to form the backbone of a new police contingent. 2 This was the first recorded<br />
case of an influx of Sikhs, in any significant number, into Singapore. Prior to this date, there<br />
was little evidence to indicate the presence of a sizeable local Sikh community in the island,<br />
although it was likely that soon after the establishment of a British settlement in Singapore<br />
in the early nineteenth century, some Sikhs had come as sepoys (`native’ soldiers of the<br />
British Indian Army), domestic servants and convicts. 3<br />
Sikh emigration out of their traditional homeland in the Punjab gathered momentum not<br />
long after the region was annexed to the British Indian empire in 1849. This outward move<br />
was motivated primarily by economic conditions following the imposition of British rule in the<br />
Punjab. British annexation had brought order and stability to the Punjab, which hitherto had<br />
been plagued by internecine conflicts. Political annexation was followed quickly by economic<br />
reforms – mainly the systemisation of land ownership and taxation – which in turn ushered<br />
in a period of prosperity to the new British province. 4 The economic fortunes of the Punjabis<br />
were further enhanced when many of them, particularly the Jat Sikhs, were recruited into the<br />
British Indian Army in the wake of the Mutiny and Revolt of 1857.<br />
In the 1870s, the effects of economic changes brought about by British rule began to be<br />
felt, and ironically, one of the results of political stability and a settled economy was peasant<br />
indebtedness. With the increased profitability of agricultural output, cultivable land, especially<br />
in the densely populated Manjha area of central Punjab, became a valued commodity, and<br />
peasants began using land as collateral to borrow cash from moneylenders. The money<br />
13
obtained was then used to purchase more land, pay off<br />
land revenue due to the state or to support ostentatious<br />
lifestyles. Thus indebted, with the risk of eventually losing<br />
their land if loans were not repaid, Sikh agriculturists had<br />
to turn to non-agricultural activities for supplementary<br />
income. Military service became a very popular vocation<br />
among the Sikhs, as military pay and pension provided<br />
a steady source of additional income. However, not all<br />
who were interested could get into the Indian Army, as<br />
the military authorities in India were very selective in<br />
their recruitment and showing a marked, and almost<br />
exclusive, preference for Jat Sikhs from certain districts<br />
in the Manjha region. Those who could not find places<br />
in the regiments but were determined to earn added<br />
income resorted to migration. Some started by moving<br />
into the newly opened canal-colony lands in western<br />
Punjab. Others, as opportunities presented themselves,<br />
went further afield. By the later half of the nineteenth<br />
century, there was a steady flow of Sikhs migrating out<br />
of the Punjab in search of employment in different parts<br />
of the world. Many went as far away as Canada and<br />
America while others travelled eastwards to Thailand,<br />
Malaya and the Straits Settlements.<br />
Most of the Sikhs who came to Singapore in the later<br />
half of the nineteenth century served in the local police<br />
and security forces. These pioneers paved the way for<br />
the subsequent influx of more Sikhs to Singapore.<br />
Several of the early émigrés who returned to their native<br />
Punjab while on vacation spoke enthusiastically about<br />
the opportunities available in Singapore. They were<br />
thus able to attract several of their fellow villagers who<br />
subsequently followed them back to Singapore.<br />
Not all who came to Singapore managed to get enlisted<br />
into the police force. Many aspirants were rejected<br />
due to filled quotas or the failure to meet stringent<br />
physical requirements laid down by the police force.<br />
The police force stipulated, for example, that recruits<br />
should be below 25 years old with a minimum height<br />
of five feet six inches and a measurement of at least 33<br />
inches for the chest. They were also expected to pass<br />
a rigorous medical examination. 5 Those who made the<br />
trip to Singapore but failed to find employment with<br />
the government security service, nevertheless, found it<br />
relatively easy to secure jobs with private employers.<br />
The `tall and sturdy’ Sikhs, with their martial reputation,<br />
were eagerly sought after by private employers as<br />
security guards and watchmen. 6<br />
By the turn of the century, there was a more or less<br />
settled, albeit very small Sikh community in Singapore.<br />
The majority of them were employed as policemen,<br />
security guards or caretakers. There were also some Sikh<br />
dairy farmers and bullock drivers who kept a few heads<br />
of cattle on the outskirts of town. 7<br />
Driven by the need to send regular remittances home,<br />
as well as the dream of eventually returning rich and<br />
successful to their homeland in the Punjab, the lives of<br />
these early Sikh migrants were characterised by hard work<br />
and thriftiness. It was not uncommon for these migrants<br />
to take on two or three jobs simultaneously. Watchmen,<br />
who found their duties fairly sedentary, were often able<br />
to carry out secondary activities. This often took the form<br />
of moneylending which subsequently became such a<br />
popular and lucrative activity that many policemen took<br />
early retirement to become watchmen-cum-moneylenders<br />
to supplement their pensions and savings. 8<br />
This employment pattern meant that the early Sikh<br />
community was concentrated in the town areas. Those<br />
employed by the Straits Settlements Police Force were<br />
housed in barracks at Pearl’s Hill. The watchmen<br />
or security guards had to live near their places of<br />
employment – go-downs, banks, offices – which were<br />
all within the municipal area. The 1931 Census of<br />
Singapore indicated that, of the 2,988 Sikhs living in<br />
Singapore, 2,666 were living within the municipal area,<br />
while only 322 were living outside the town areas. 9<br />
14
At the turn of the century, the Sikh community<br />
in Singapore was predominantly male; its female<br />
population was very small and comprised mainly<br />
wives of Sikh policemen. The kinds of work available in<br />
Singapore, living conditions and the uncertainty of life in<br />
an alien environment restricted the migration of females<br />
in any significant numbers. Most importantly, however,<br />
the early Sikh migrants were of the transitory type who<br />
had no intention of settling permanently in Singapore.<br />
It was a common practice for those who came in search<br />
of work to leave their wives behind, and for the single<br />
ones, once they had earned enough money, to return to<br />
India to get married.<br />
Although many of the Sikh migrants who came to<br />
Singapore were Jat Sikhs from the peasant classes,<br />
Sikhs from the business community also made their way<br />
here in the 1920s and 1930s as petty traders, pedlars,<br />
shopkeepers and merchants. Sikh commercial migrants<br />
successfully established themselves as wholesalers<br />
and retailers in the textile trade by catering mainly to<br />
the Indian and European communities in Singapore. 10<br />
The post-war period also saw a significant increase in<br />
the number of Sikh commercial migrants coming to<br />
Singapore and Malaya. This was due to several factors:<br />
the partition of the Punjab in 1947, which led to the<br />
displacement of many Sikhs from their homes and<br />
businesses in the urban centres of west Punjab; and the<br />
trade boom generated by the Korean War in the early<br />
1950s. 11 Many Sikh families affected by the partition<br />
chose to migrate overseas to Singapore, Malaya and<br />
Thailand where they had family and friends already<br />
settled there. 12<br />
As the community settled in Singapore, gurdwaras (Sikh<br />
temples) began appearing. The early gurdwaras were<br />
set up in areas where the community was concentrated.<br />
These temples performed a very important social and<br />
religious function for the early community. In addition<br />
to serving as places of religious worship, these<br />
gurdwaras functioned as community centres where<br />
social, educational and other charitable activities were<br />
carried out. Neighbourhood gurdwaras were popular<br />
rendezvous points, where Sikhs would converge to<br />
discuss events in the Punjab or the affairs of their<br />
community. There, they would also gather to meet new<br />
arrivals and assist them with settling into their new<br />
environment. 13 This latter function was easily provided<br />
for as the gurdwara has, as part of its set-up, a langar<br />
(communal meal) hall, which provided free food and<br />
shelter to travellers.<br />
The earliest known gurdwara in Singapore was<br />
established by the Sikh Police contingent at Pearl’s Hill.<br />
Religious services were initially held at the barracks as<br />
the gurdwara’s congregation was originally limited to<br />
the Sikh policemen and their families. 15 However, as<br />
the community grew, the temple facilities in the police<br />
barracks became increasingly inadequate. The civilian<br />
section of the community wanted their own gurdwara<br />
and a decision was subsequently taken to establish<br />
another temple outside the police premises. In 1912,<br />
a committee of Sikhs, led by a Mr Wassiamull, a Sindhi<br />
merchant, bought a small bungalow with a large<br />
compound on Queen Street. 2 Within a few months, the<br />
bungalow was converted into a gurdwara and named<br />
the Central Sikh Temple. By the middle of the decade,<br />
nearly all Sikhs in Singapore had begun congregating<br />
at this temple.<br />
Meanwhile, Sikhs from the Tanjong Pagar Dock Police<br />
Contingent decided to establish another gurdwara,<br />
partly with the intention of using its premises to provide<br />
assistance to newly arrived Sikhs or those in transit<br />
through Singapore. In the past, it was customary for<br />
Sikh migrants already here – these were mainly Sikh<br />
policemen – to house their relatives or friends who<br />
had newly arrived from India until they could find<br />
alternative accommodation or a permanent job. As<br />
the volume of migrants increased, Sikh policemen,<br />
15
themselves housed in government barracks, found this<br />
arrangement increasingly inconvenient, as there were<br />
several restraints with regard to having visitors in the<br />
barracks. 16 The need was thus expressed for a new<br />
`half-way house’. The Sikh contingent finally decided to<br />
establish this half-way house at Silat Road, a site chosen<br />
in view of its proximity to the harbour and railway<br />
station. The project was financed by donations from the<br />
Sikh policemen – many of whom pledged a month’s<br />
pay to the establishment of this institution – as well<br />
as from Sikh communities from Hong Kong, Shanghai,<br />
Thailand and Malaya. A temple was later incorporated<br />
into the premises for worship. Initially called the Police<br />
Gurdwara, the Silat Road temple was subsequently<br />
renamed Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road. 17<br />
During the first two decades of the twentieth century,<br />
the gurdwaras at Queen Street and Silat Road featured<br />
prominently in the lives of the local Sikh community. They<br />
fulfilled most of the social and religious roles discussed<br />
earlier: free food and shelter for travellers and the<br />
unemployed were always provided at the Central Sikh<br />
Temple; even non-Sikhs benefitted from such services.<br />
As an elderly member of the community recalls, “In the<br />
early years, anybody who came from India would visit<br />
the temple at Queen Street first. There, he would get<br />
assistance in terms of food, shelter until he was selfsufficient.”<br />
18<br />
Besides serving as places of worship and fraternity for<br />
the local Sikh community, these gurdwaras also doubled<br />
as centres of learning for the young and old. The Punjabi<br />
language, particularly its written form, Gurumukhi, was<br />
taught at these gurdwaras. Knowledge of Gurumukhi<br />
was considered imperative for all Sikhs as it enabled<br />
them to read and understand the contents of the<br />
holy scriptures of Sikhism – the Granth Sahib. It was<br />
little wonder that priests or scriptures readers at the<br />
gurdwaras often doubled as teachers to provide Punjabi<br />
lessons for the community.<br />
The primacy of these two gurdwaras was soon<br />
undermined by `temple politics’ which stemmed from<br />
factional differences in the local Sikh community. 19<br />
These differences, which had their origins in regional<br />
rivalries in central Punjab, had been further reinforced<br />
by British colonial recruitment policies that saw Sikh<br />
regiments grouped according to region and caste. There<br />
was intense rivalry between the Malwa Jats and Manjha<br />
Jats in the security forces as the two groups competed<br />
against each other for privileges, promotions and<br />
military honours. This regional rivalry extended beyond<br />
the security forces as rival factions started to contest for<br />
the control of key institutions, particularly the Central<br />
Sikh Temple. This rivalry came to a head in 1925, when<br />
each group broke away to form its own gurdwara with<br />
their separate congregations. 20<br />
In Singapore, the Sri Guru Singh Sabha at Wilkie Road had<br />
a Manjha-dominated following while the Malwa group<br />
built its own gurdwara, the Malwa Khalsa Dharmak<br />
Sabha, at Niven Road. The numerically smaller Doaba<br />
group formed the Pardesi Khalsa Dharmak Sabha at<br />
Kirk Terrace. 21 This factional split notwithstanding, the<br />
Central Sikh Temple remained the institutional centre of<br />
the whole Sikh community and continued to function as<br />
the symbolic focal point of the early Sikh community in<br />
Singapore.<br />
Sikh migration to Singapore and Malaya petered out in<br />
the 1950s as a result of post-war political developments<br />
in Southeast Asia. Strict immigration laws passed by the<br />
Malayan government in 1953 and again in 1959 led to<br />
a marked reduction in immigrant numbers. The post-war<br />
years also saw the rise of nationalist movements and the<br />
creation of new nation-states in Asia. Sikhs who were<br />
based in Singapore had to choose between returning<br />
home to India and making Singapore their country<br />
of domicile. Those who decided to stay on eventually<br />
became citizens of an independent Singapore. For the<br />
earlier generation of Singapore-domiciled Sikhs, regional<br />
16
loyalties formed a key aspect of their identities and this<br />
was manifested in the establishment of gurdwaras based<br />
on historically rooted regional and caste affiliations.<br />
However, with the coming of age of the Sikh community<br />
in Singapore in the later half of the twentieth century,<br />
efforts have been made to steer the community away<br />
from regional and caste-based divisions. The younger<br />
generation of Singapore Sikhs who have assumed<br />
leadership positions in the community have turned<br />
their attention to building a progressive and unified<br />
Sikh identity. The community has also focused on the<br />
transmission of the Punjabi-Sikh tradition and the<br />
revival of Sikhism among Sikh youth since the 1990s.<br />
The image of the turbaned Sikh policeman has been<br />
and continues to be a prominent feature in historical<br />
narratives on Singapore and its colonial past. After<br />
Singapore’s independence, Sikhs remained closely<br />
associated with the military service in Singapore and this<br />
has often been highlighted as an important contribution<br />
made by the community to the country. Sikhs have also<br />
established their presence in politics and the professional<br />
services in Singapore. With Singapore celebrating 50<br />
years of its independence this year, it is timely that the<br />
Singapore Sikh community too is commemorating the<br />
achievements made by its members.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Professor Tan is Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs), Yale-NUS<br />
College. He works on South and Southeast Asian history. A graduate of<br />
the National University of Singapore and Cambridge University, he has<br />
researched and written on the Sikh diaspora, civil-military relations, the<br />
social and political history of colonial Punjab, the partition of South Asia,<br />
and the history of Singapore.<br />
2<br />
Walter Makepeace, Gilbert E Brooke and Roland St J Braddell (eds.), One<br />
Hundred Years of Singapore, Vol. 1 (London, 1921), pp 250-51.<br />
3<br />
K S Sandhu, Indians in Malaya: Some Aspects of their Immigration and<br />
Settlement 1786-1957, Cambridge, 1969, pp 40-5.<br />
4<br />
During the first three years of British rule, the Punjab produced an<br />
annual surplus budget of Rs. 400,000. See Khushwant Singh, The Sikhs,<br />
London, 1953, p 83.<br />
5<br />
Amarjit Kaur, `North Indians in Malaya: 1870-1947’, unpublished MA<br />
thesis, University of Malaya, 1974, p.112.<br />
6<br />
K S Sandhu, Indians in Malaya, p 124.<br />
7<br />
Interviews with Choor Singh, June 26, 1985, and Seva Singh, October<br />
23, 1985).<br />
8<br />
Amarjit Kaur, `North Indians in Malaya’, pp.66-71. This information is<br />
also based on an interview with Seva Singh (October 23, 1985).<br />
9<br />
C A Vlieland, British Malaya: A Report on the 1931 Census and Certain<br />
Problems of Vital Statistics, London, 1932, p 208.<br />
10<br />
K S Sandhu, Indians in Malaya, p 121.<br />
11<br />
K S Sandhu, “Sikh Immigration into Malaya during the period of British<br />
rule”, in Jerome Ch’en and Nicholas Tarling, eds., Studies in the Social<br />
History of China and Southeast Asia (Great Britain: Cambridge University<br />
Press, 1970, p. 345.<br />
12<br />
Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, Vol. 2: 1839 – 1988, Delhi:<br />
Oxford University Press, 1991, pp 270 – 287.<br />
13<br />
Amarjit Kaur, `North Indians in Malaya’, p 226.<br />
14<br />
H S Tan, `The Cultural Landscape of Singapore: A Study of the Growth<br />
and Distribution of Religious Institutions in Singapore’, unpublished<br />
Academic Exercise, University of Malaya, 1962, p 35.<br />
15<br />
Interview with Choor Singh, October 22, 1985.<br />
16<br />
Datt Soam, `A Sikh Community in Singapore’ , unpublished Academic<br />
Exercise, University of Singapore, 1964, p 16.<br />
17<br />
Mehervan Singh, Sikhism East and West, Singapore, 1979, p 45; Datt<br />
Soam, `A Sikh Community in Singapore’, p 16.<br />
18<br />
Interview with Seva Singh, October 23, 1985.<br />
19<br />
The Sikh migrants in Singapore came mostly from three different<br />
localities in Central Punjab – the Manjha (the lower plains tract of the<br />
Beas and Ravi Rivers), Malwa (roughly the areas south and east of the<br />
Sutlej River) and Doaba (the plains tract of Beas and Sutlej Rivers). Sikhs<br />
from these three different localities, divided by caste and geographical<br />
cleavages, had traditionally been antagonistic to each other. It has been<br />
said that Malwa Jats have tended to look down on the Manjha Jats, and<br />
both in turn tended to look down on the Doabis. See W. H. Mcleod, The<br />
Evolution of the Sikh Community, Delhi, 1975), p 97.<br />
20<br />
Bibijan Ibrahim, `A Study of a Sikh Community’, unpublished M.Soc.Sci<br />
thesis, National University of Singapore, 1982, p 36.<br />
21<br />
H S Tan, `The Cultural Landscapes of Singapore’, p 35.<br />
17
Ajit<br />
Singh<br />
"<br />
T<br />
ry your best, be a good person and the rest will sort itself out.” 1 This is indeed sound advice,<br />
especially coming from a man who rose from humble beginnings to become Singapore’s<br />
longest-serving Sikh diplomat. Today, Mr Ajit Singh is Singapore’s Consul-General in Mumbai,<br />
with jurisdiction over the Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha,<br />
Chhattisgarh and Goa.<br />
Born in 1949, Ajit spent all of his childhood and teenage years at the former British Naval<br />
Base in Sembawang. His father was a policeman. Like any other military cantonment, Ajit<br />
remembers the family’s quarters to be clean and orderly. The government compound comprised<br />
accommodation for several hundred Asian workers. Ajit stated: “Although life was basic and<br />
simple, and money was scarce, like so many others in the compound, my family made the best<br />
of whatever was available and the experience was fun.” 2 During this time, his family moved<br />
several times – from a large one-bedroom with a section marked out as ‘kitchen’ to a small<br />
two-bedroom flat with a balcony which, for him was a luxury.<br />
The government compound was more of a village and the whole community was closely knit. As<br />
a student, Ajit walked to school with his friends from the compound and played games whenever<br />
and wherever the opportunities allowed. There was genuine warmth. Like many others, he knew<br />
the parents, brothers and sisters of friends and could walk into a friend’s home unannounced. It<br />
was normal back then. Those personal bonds of friendship have continued to this day. For him,<br />
childhood brings forth many happy memories. Most of those memories revolve around Naval<br />
Base School, where he forged some of the most enduring life-long friendships with schoolmates<br />
from different races, religious and social backgrounds.<br />
18
for Malaysia and Brunei, and Deputy Director in the<br />
Policy Planning and Analysis Directorate IV (South Asia,<br />
Middle East, Africa, Latin America and International<br />
Organisation). Ajit served in Singapore missions in<br />
Moscow, Washington, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, New<br />
Delhi, Pekan Baru and Chennai. He also held the post<br />
of Deputy High Commissioner in the Singapore High<br />
Commission in New Delhi and Consul General of<br />
Singapore in Chennai. Ajit also participated in various<br />
regional and international meetings. These included<br />
various Association of Southeast Asian Nations<br />
ministerial meetings, the Non-Aligned Movement<br />
Summit in Jakarta in 1991, the Commonwealth Heads<br />
of Government Meeting in 1982 and the Indian Ocean<br />
Rim Ministerial Meeting in 1997.<br />
The schooling system did not have the same pressures<br />
and stress frequently alluded to by most Singaporeans<br />
nowadays. However, Ajit remembers the students being<br />
extremely competitive and determined to succeed.<br />
There was a spirit of competition in the classroom and<br />
school, not to mention the pressure of staying in the<br />
same compound as many other students from the same<br />
school. Naval Base School produced several students<br />
who attained national recognition over the years. In<br />
fact, many Sikh boys and girls from the school went<br />
on to pursue tertiary education and became doctors,<br />
lawyers, teachers and senior professional staff. Ajit<br />
was one such individual. He did well in his studies and<br />
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University<br />
of Singapore in 1971. Twelve years later, Ajit obtained a<br />
Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins<br />
University in the United States.<br />
In 1974, Ajit joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He<br />
has held various posts, including Assistant Director<br />
Ajit stated: “I have been fortunate to serve my career as<br />
a diplomat and representative of Singapore. Living away<br />
from Singapore for so many years does lead to fresh<br />
perspectives.” 3 The regular postings also meant having<br />
to uproot his family every few years and starting all over<br />
again in a new country or city and a new environment. His<br />
wife and three children probably felt it far more than he<br />
did since his posting did have an impact on his children’s<br />
education. However, he accepts such disruptions in the<br />
life of a diplomat and in the service of the nation.<br />
In the last four decades in Singapore’s foreign service, Ajit<br />
has played an important role in promoting Singapore’s<br />
political and economic interests abroad. He expressed<br />
particular delight and contentment that his work has led<br />
to many other governments, business and community<br />
officials developing positive attitudes towards, and<br />
building stronger relationships with Singapore.<br />
The role and life of a diplomat is no stroll in the park – it is<br />
in fact quite far from it. However, Ajit’s work ethics have<br />
played a key role in ensuring that he has succeeded in<br />
whatever he has set out to do. During his student days,<br />
and in his professional career as a diplomat, Ajit has<br />
adopted the mantra of doing his best and never giving<br />
19
“<br />
Ajit has been a good friend and a good colleague of mine for more than three<br />
decades. I have always known him as someone who is trustworthy and can be relied<br />
on to do his best whatever the task. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has served<br />
in a wide variety of postings from Moscow to India, none easy. However, he has never<br />
faltered or given up no matter how difficult the situation.<br />
As a friend, Ajit is great company and a great raconteur with an inexhaustible fund<br />
of stories. I suspect that these qualities of steadfastness, determination and joie de<br />
vivre have something to do with Ajit’s deep commitment to Sikhism. No matter where<br />
he is posted, he always keeps his links with the Singapore Sikh community. I am<br />
very happy that Ajit’s contributions to his community and his country have been<br />
recognised. There is no more deserving person.<br />
Mr Bilahari Kausikan<br />
Ambassador-At-Large and<br />
Former Permanent Secretary<br />
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore<br />
“<br />
up. He sees setbacks as challenges and as opportunities<br />
to make a comeback. He has revolved his life around<br />
patience and humility in order to remain grounded in<br />
his lifestyle and interactions with friends. He also places<br />
significant stress on the importance of family values<br />
and orientation and believes that our daily lives must<br />
be based on strong personal values and principles. In<br />
this regard, he sees his faith in Sikhism as a pillar of<br />
strength. He is able to turn to this pillar of strength in<br />
times of need.<br />
It may surprise many that despite being out of the country<br />
for much of his career, Ajit has been able to make a<br />
telling contribution to the Sikh community in Singapore.<br />
It boils down to desire. Ajit was actively involved in<br />
the Sikh Naujawan Sabha based in Sembawang. He<br />
spearheaded the organising of many activities that<br />
created religious, social and cultural awareness for all. He<br />
was also Chairman of the Organising Committee when<br />
the Sikh Naujawan Sabha organised a Vesakhi concert<br />
in Sembawang as a national event. Singaporeans saw<br />
the event as an important marker in the promotion of<br />
the Sikh community in Singapore. While in university, Ajit<br />
was Chairman of the committee of Sikh undergraduates<br />
that organised a seminar on issues relating to the<br />
Sikh community. This allowed Sikh undergraduates to<br />
debate on the challenges for and responses by the Sikh<br />
community in Singapore. The purpose of this event was<br />
to create a spark in the undergraduates so that they<br />
would further contribute positively to the issues once<br />
they graduated.<br />
When Ajit became the Vice President of the Singapore<br />
Khalsa Association (SKA), he saw the unfulfilled<br />
potential that Sikh youth and women had in contributing<br />
culturally, socially and religiously to the community.<br />
He spearheaded the initiative to set up the youth and<br />
women wings at SKA. These two wings continue to<br />
be an important part of the Association. Despite being<br />
in India, Ajit continues his relationship with the Sikh<br />
20
community in Singapore. He is a member of the Trustee<br />
Boards at SKA and Yishun Sikh Temple.<br />
Ajit strongly believes that while there will be challenges<br />
for the Sikh community in Singapore, there will continue<br />
to be new opportunities as well for them to strive and<br />
excel. The Sikhs are hardworking and entrepreneurial<br />
people. His posting to India provided a chance for him<br />
to witness the Sikhs in India punching well above their<br />
weight in many fields despite the fact that they account<br />
for less than two per cent of India’s population. For him,<br />
Singaporean Sikhs should look beyond the traditional<br />
professions and move into new areas linked with the<br />
new economy. The Sikh community can and should<br />
remain progressive and relevant.<br />
An important factor in the Sikh community’s and<br />
Singapore’s success is the youth. As a Singaporean<br />
who witnessed the tumultuous years of the 1950s and<br />
1960s, and the uncertain 1970s, Ajit fully appreciates<br />
the need for young Sikhs and young Singaporeans not<br />
to take our vibrancy and harmony or even our survival<br />
as a nation for granted. He has every faith that the<br />
younger generation will not do so. As long as the next<br />
generation stays true to and builds on the core values as<br />
a society and nation, the future of Singapore will indeed<br />
be a bright one. However, he cautions the youth against<br />
the consequences of being too complacent and insists<br />
that a right blend of confidence and humility is the<br />
ingredient for success. Ajit spent much time in his youth<br />
contributing to the betterment of the Sikh community<br />
and is therefore well-placed to provide such advice.<br />
Despite being on the road for much of his life, Ajit has<br />
no plans to slow down just yet. He has many plans<br />
for the future. When he returns to Singapore from his<br />
overseas assignment, he plans to participate in social<br />
and community work with a national body. He also<br />
sees himself contributing further to the Sikh community<br />
by joining hands with his long-standing friends in the<br />
Sikh institutions. Finally, post-retirement, he hopes to<br />
make use of his extensive knowledge and experience<br />
in Malaysia, Indonesia and, particularly, India to assist<br />
and advise Singapore businesses in making inroads into<br />
these countries.<br />
It is a fallacy to assume that one must remain in Singapore<br />
to contribute to one’s community and society. Ajit spent<br />
much of his working life on overseas postings and<br />
travelling on the job. Yet, he has been able to contribute<br />
to the national and international arenas as well as the<br />
Sikh community. Ajit is indeed a true personification of<br />
the saying: ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Ajit Singh, August 6, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
21
Amarjit<br />
Kaur<br />
M<br />
adam Amarjit Kaur’s life did not follow any conventional educational or professional route. Her<br />
achievements – as a student, a teacher and an educational administrator – have been multi-fold<br />
and obtained not through the standard or established manner. In spite of taking the path less<br />
travelled, she succeeded, at the end of the day, in building a successful leadership career in the<br />
education sector that culminated in a 15-year stint as a Senior Quality Assessor in the School<br />
Appraisal Branch at Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE). She was one of the pioneers<br />
in the office at a time when Singapore decided to focus on a comprehensive review of the<br />
assessment process in local schools.<br />
Born in India in 1949, Amarjit hailed from an English-educated Delhi family of professionals and<br />
business persons. She moved to Singapore with her parents at the tender age of three years. Her<br />
father, a former Indian army officer, found work in a textile company while her mother busied<br />
herself as a homemaker bringing up four children in their newly-adopted country. She credits<br />
her parents for always emphasising the importance of education to their children. Amarjit has<br />
two sisters and a brother. She went to Raffles Girls’ Primary School and Saint Margaret’s Primary<br />
School, and then to Saint Margaret’s Secondary School. She was a playful and sporty child. It<br />
was her Primary Six teacher who was one of the biggest role models in her life and helped her<br />
understand the importance of working hard and doing well in school.<br />
Amarjit considers herself to be blessed to have been given the unique opportunities in her life.<br />
She started teaching with just an ‘O’ Level certificate after her mother encouraged her to go<br />
into the profession, which she had been brought up to believe was a highly honourable one.<br />
She then went on to the Teacher Training College, where she began learning how to teach<br />
while teaching at the same time. Her chance to obtain an ‘A’ Level certificate only presented<br />
22
her a good grounding for developing teaching content,<br />
pedagogy and methodology.<br />
Amarjit went on to serve three years at MOE’s<br />
Curriculum Planning and Development Division as a<br />
writer. She came up with materials for students labelled<br />
as ‘slow learners’ as part of the monolingual curriculum<br />
programme, which is now defunct. According to her, it<br />
was a challenging assignment as she had to prepare<br />
interesting and stimulating content that would be<br />
tailored to their specific needs and capabilities. 1 She<br />
then attended a one-year leadership training course,<br />
following which she fulfilled a two-year stint as Vice<br />
Principal of Yu Neng Primary School, before being<br />
appointed Principal of Haig Girls’ School, renowned<br />
in the eastern part of Singapore as one of the top<br />
primary schools in the vicinity. Amarjit stated that her<br />
greatest moment was stepping into the school as it was<br />
an honour being chosen to lead a prestigious all-girls<br />
premier government school. 2 She had done her family<br />
and friends proud. She would be the stalwart head of<br />
the school for the next eight years.<br />
itself much later. She studied privately for the national<br />
examinations only after she had gotten married and had<br />
two children. She was also well-settled in her career by<br />
then. However, she had the desire and motivation to<br />
further develop herself personally and professionally.<br />
Amarjit’s teaching career began at the then-Raymond<br />
Primary School and she later went on to spend several<br />
years teaching at various schools which included Opera<br />
Estate Primary School, Raffles Girls’ Primary School<br />
and Telok Kurau East Primary School. During that time,<br />
there was no specialisation for primary school teachers.<br />
As such, she taught all subjects, ranging from English,<br />
Maths and Science to Arts and Craft. This broad-based<br />
experience as a generalist held her in good stead during<br />
her later years in curriculum development in that it gave<br />
In 1996, Amarjit was invited by the then-Director of<br />
MOE to become an Inspector of Schools. She held that<br />
position for three years before moving to England to<br />
further her studies. Upon her return three years later,<br />
she joined the School Appraisal Branch at MOE as a<br />
Senior Quality Assessor. Her primary task was to validate<br />
the schools’ processes based on their self-assessment<br />
reports and assess the quality of their systems and<br />
processes. Her responsibilities also involved training the<br />
school leaders and Heads of Departments on the use of<br />
the School Excellence Model, training assessors for the<br />
validation process, providing consultancy to schools and<br />
the writing of materials for the assessment process.<br />
After 15 years as a Senior Quality Assessor, Amarjit<br />
retired in December 2014. However, as a result of<br />
23
“<br />
As the leader of a team of assessors and school leaders, Amarjit contributed<br />
significantly to the development and subsequent refinements of the model used by schools<br />
for their self-assessment to check on their progress. Through the process, Amarjit played<br />
an important role in helping schools to analyse their areas for improvements and build on<br />
their strengths for continued growth.<br />
Amarjit demonstrated a high level of professionalism through her commitment and<br />
high standards. She has always been generous in sharing her knowledge and her time<br />
to support others. Schools and officers will share of how they had benefitted as a result<br />
of being validated by Amarjit or being part of her validation team. It was indeed a joy<br />
to work with Amarjit and we will always value her as a colleague and friend.<br />
Mr Tham Kine Thong<br />
Director/School Appraisal and Director<br />
Programme Coordination Office, Schools Division<br />
Ministry of Education<br />
“<br />
new areas. Having previously conducted assessments of<br />
primary and secondary schools, junior colleges, as well<br />
as companies, she is now gaining familiarity with early<br />
childhood education by learning to assess pre-schools.<br />
her passion for and commitment to education, she<br />
continues to engage in consultancy work for the<br />
ministry, conducting training sessions to pass on her vast<br />
knowledge and experience to the education fraternity.<br />
Even post retirement, she continues to venture into<br />
When most people look towards winding down as they<br />
reach the 50-year mark in their lives, Amarjit decided<br />
to pursue a degree. She was 48 years old when she<br />
opted for an Honours degree in English Literature, with<br />
a specialisation in Theatre Studies, at the University of<br />
Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Although she had<br />
a slew of professional development course certificates<br />
behind her, it had continued to irk her that she did not<br />
complete her education. This motivated her to apply<br />
for professional development leave and seek out a<br />
degree qualification in England. Despite her initial<br />
apprehensions about being a mature student among<br />
the 18- and 19-year-olds in her cohort, her experience<br />
of university as an adult learner was pleasant and<br />
rewarding. Other than the learning that occurred in<br />
24
greatly to her desire to succeed. 4 She is proud of all<br />
her achievements, especially in her roles in curriculum<br />
development, as a leader at Haig Girls’ School and as<br />
an assessor in the education system.<br />
As one of the rare Punjabi-Sikh working women of her<br />
generation in Singapore, Amarjit acknowledged that<br />
there were challenges in juggling the dual roles of both<br />
a homemaker and carving out a career. She considers<br />
herself fortunate for the amount of support she has<br />
always received from her family. Amarjit divided the<br />
household responsibilities into shifts with her husband,<br />
where they both played their parts. Her late father-inlaw,<br />
also a former Inspector of Schools, always supported<br />
her in her work choices. Amarjit’s husband is a retired<br />
teacher and her personal legacy includes two children<br />
and four grandchildren.<br />
Amarjit continues to place her faith in the intrinsic<br />
worth of Singapore’s education system, as evidenced by<br />
the fact that educators from many other countries, such<br />
as the United States and China, are keen to learn from<br />
us. She believes our finished products – our students –<br />
are also well-respected internationally. “When you go<br />
abroad, it is there that you value our education system.” 5<br />
classes, she developed fulfilling reciprocal relationships<br />
with other students of all ages and considers those<br />
“the best three years of my life”. 3 Taking advantage of<br />
course flexibility at Nottingham, she was able to sit in<br />
and contribute to some Master’s courses in Education<br />
as well, which added value to her time there. Amarjit<br />
stated that those around her had high expectations of<br />
her and that motivated her to deliver and contributed<br />
Amarjit is indeed proud to have benefitted from<br />
Singapore’s education system. Perhaps even more<br />
pleasing for her is the fact that she has played an<br />
important role, as one of the pioneer assessors, in the<br />
development of the education landscape in Singapore.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Madam Amarjit Kaur, August 6, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
25
Avtar<br />
Singh<br />
H<br />
e ran and broke records. He ran and won many medals. In the process, he received several<br />
accolades. However, for 72-year old Mr Avtar Singh, his glittering track record in athletics was<br />
not about the fanfare, glory or honour. He took up running for a purely rudimentary reason – to<br />
keep fit!<br />
Avtar’s medal haul for long-distance running is indeed impressive – one silver medal at the<br />
1967 Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games (1,500 metres) and another silver medal at<br />
the 1969 SEAP Games (5,000 metres). 1 He also broke several national records during his time,<br />
most notably in the 800-metre, 1,500-metre and 5,000-metre events.<br />
Ironically, it was Avtar’s humble childhood that prepared him for his illustrious life of achievements<br />
on the running track. He was born in 1943 in Ipoh, where his grandfather worked as a priest in<br />
the Sikh temple and so young Avtar stayed with his family at the temple premises. From there,<br />
his family moved to the Johor town of Pekan Nanas, where his father worked as a Special<br />
Constabulary Officer for the Lee Pineapple factory. However, in 1953, his family sent Avtar to<br />
Singapore due to his desire to get a good education and learn English. He attended Canberra<br />
School and eventually Naval Base Secondary School. 2<br />
Avtar fondly remembers this period for it gave him the foundation for his running career, albeit<br />
unknowingly. Ever since his move to Singapore, he lived at Her Majesty's naval base, where<br />
his grandfather had by then moved to in order to become a priest at the Sembawang Sikh<br />
temple. He also had three uncles who lived at the base and two who lived outside it. Part of his<br />
daily routine saw him cycling to deliver food from his home to his grandfather and uncles, two<br />
26
His big break came when Avtar took part in the Khalsa<br />
Sports Meet to mark the opening of the Singapore<br />
Khalsa Association (SKA) in 1962. The Association<br />
had then moved from its premises at Whampoa to<br />
Jalan Bahagia. 4 He came in first in the race and was<br />
approached to ascertain if he would be willing to<br />
train with the national coach, Mr Tan Eng Yoon. As he<br />
explained this episode during the interview, the glint in<br />
his eyes reflected that he relished the opportunity to<br />
be groomed by the very best in Singapore. Avtar never<br />
looked back as he grabbed the proverbial bull by its<br />
horns and went on to ace the local tracks. His love for<br />
running became a national pursuit.<br />
of whom had a shop outside the base. He also walked<br />
to school in the mornings. For a young boy, running<br />
errands and playing with friends was a common thing.<br />
However, all of these activities, explained Avtar, helped<br />
build his stamina. 3<br />
Avtar did not, however, begin running competitively until<br />
he was in secondary school. When he did, he was quick<br />
to make his mark, coming in second in the combined<br />
schools cross-country race in 1961 and also winning a<br />
track race at the combined schools level. After his ‘O’<br />
level examinations, Avtar joined the Customs and Excise<br />
Department as a clerk to seek an income. However, he<br />
did not give up his athletic pursuits and ran at the Farrer<br />
Park football fields in the evenings after work. He was<br />
committed to and passionate about running.<br />
During this time, Avtar also made a more permanent<br />
career decision as he applied for the teaching service in<br />
1962 and underwent training to be posted to Towner<br />
Primary School. This move was a boon for Avtar for two<br />
reasons. Firstly, primary schools operated two sessions<br />
and this allowed Avtar to tend to teaching during the<br />
day and focus on his athletic training sessions in the<br />
evening. Secondly, Avtar explained, during those times,<br />
all teachers were also assigned Physical Education classes<br />
in schools. Being a national runner, this responsibility<br />
was a walk in the park for him and allowed him to also<br />
keep fit while at work. 5<br />
Throughout his track career, Avtar’s biggest motivation<br />
was to continue to do better and break records, both of<br />
which he amply did. He quipped: “The running also kept<br />
me fitter and it was not about winning medals. They<br />
were an added bonus but they were not my primary<br />
motivation for running.” 6<br />
In 1963, Avtar surprised the athletics fraternity in<br />
Singapore when he clocked a time of 11 minutes and<br />
39 seconds to beat a field of 64 runners to win the Swift<br />
Athletics Association’s two-and-a-quarter mile race. The<br />
27
ace included seasoned runners from the Singapore<br />
Police Force, Royal Air Force Changi, Gurkhas and<br />
Singapore Armed Forces. Together with Major Singh,<br />
who finished second in the race, Avtar helped his team,<br />
Swifts, win the team relay race at the event. 7 It was a<br />
remarkable feat for someone who had only decided to<br />
take running seriously less than two years earlier.<br />
Avtar continued to train hard and he was soon rewarded<br />
when he represented Singapore at the SEAP Games in<br />
Malaysia in 1965. He went on to wear the Singapore<br />
badge in two more SEAP Games in 1967 and 1969. At<br />
his first regional competition in 1965, Avtar came back<br />
home without a medal. He was naturally disappointed<br />
as he wanted to do well for his newly-independent<br />
country. However, he pointed out that at that point in<br />
time, he had only been training with the national squad<br />
for two years and so, “it was perhaps too soon” 8 for<br />
him to excel regionally. Avtar intensified his training<br />
routine and pushed himself extremely hard. He worked<br />
on his weaknesses and overcame his running flaws. His<br />
fortunes changed significantly in the next SEAP Games<br />
in Thailand. He brought home the silver medal for<br />
Singapore in the 1,500-metre race with a time of four<br />
minutes, which was a national record at that time. 9 Two<br />
years later, he repeated his silver medal feat in Burma<br />
(now Myanmar) when he clocked an impressive personal<br />
time of 15 minutes 20.2 seconds in the 5,000-metre<br />
event. 10 While Avtar participated in and won numerous<br />
local events, he treasured his participation in the SEAP<br />
Games – it allowed him to pit his running skills against<br />
the very best from the region.<br />
After the 1969 SEAP Games, Avtar decided to hang up<br />
his spikes. It was a difficult decision for him as he was,<br />
at 26 years of age, at the peak of his running career. He<br />
would have loved to continue running and bring more<br />
medals for and glory to Singapore. However, he realised<br />
that he needed to focus on several priorities in his life.<br />
He decided to settle down and got married in 1971. He<br />
“<br />
I have known Avtar since 1963<br />
when I started running. His running<br />
ability was discovered by his teachers<br />
in Naval Base Secondary School where<br />
he excelled in the 1,500-metre event.<br />
After leaving school, he was invited<br />
to join Swift Athletes Association and<br />
went on to shine at the SEAP Games<br />
in 1967 and 1969.<br />
Avtar is a straightforward, down to<br />
earth and humble human being as<br />
well as a man of integrity. He is a<br />
credit to the Sikh community and the<br />
athletics fraternity of Singapore.<br />
Mr Mirza Namazie<br />
Ex-National Record Holder and<br />
Double SEAP Games Medalist<br />
“<br />
also decided to place greater emphasis on his career in<br />
teaching.<br />
Avtar has seen the changing athletics scene in<br />
Singapore in the last forty years or so. Back then, one of<br />
the challenges he faced in his national athletic pursuits<br />
was that the training regimes in Singapore were not<br />
up to world standards. Since overseas training stints<br />
were rare, it was difficult for local runners to excel<br />
beyond a point. Today, the scenario is totally different.<br />
Athletes have the best equipment for training and<br />
are sent overseas for regular training stints. However,<br />
Avtar admitted that he does have a tinge of regret in<br />
not pursuing his running career a little longer. He could<br />
have won a few more medals and broken more records.<br />
Perhaps, due to this, he went back to run with the<br />
28
veteran runners at international tournaments for a few<br />
more years thereafter.<br />
Today, Avtar and his wife are proud grandparents with<br />
both their sons in successful careers in the United<br />
States. Avtar and his wife, both retired teachers, now<br />
spend their time between Singapore and their sons’<br />
families in the United States, and running a successful<br />
website, which was set up to help parents worldwide in<br />
the learning of Singapore Mathematics methods.Avtar<br />
also keeps himself preoccupied with his other passion<br />
in robotics and creativity – he spends time working on<br />
Lego-based compressed air-motors and other creations.<br />
It started as an effort to keep fit but it soon developed<br />
into a passion. Avtar competed hard and became<br />
Singapore’s best middle-distance runner in the 1960s.<br />
He stood tall among the region’s great middle-distance<br />
runners and brought glory to Singapore. His trailblazing<br />
pursuits have found their right place in the annals of<br />
Singapore’s athletics history.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
www.singaporeolympics.com.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Mr Avtar Singh, October 7, 2015.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
SKA was set up in 1931. It was the brainchild of a few boys from Raffles<br />
Institution who wanted to have sports and cultural activities for the<br />
Sikh community. It was forced to relocate on several occasions due to<br />
land acquisition by the government. It finally moved to its current site<br />
along Tessensohn Road in 1969. See http://www.singaporekhalsa.org.<br />
sg.<br />
5<br />
Interview with Mr Avtar Singh, op. cit.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Avtar beats 64 runners, The Straits Times, January 14, 1963.<br />
8<br />
Interview with Mr Avtar Singh, op. cit.<br />
9<br />
http://www.singaporeathletics.org.sg/.<br />
10<br />
Ibid.<br />
29
Balbeer<br />
Singh Mangat<br />
W<br />
here does one begin to talk about Mr Balbeer Singh Mangat? Should one discuss his professional<br />
foresight and business acumen, which has seen him take his Chartered Accountancy qualification<br />
and turn it into a multi-million dollar education and training business? Or should one start with<br />
his civic consciousness that has seen him do more than his fair share of society and community<br />
work? Yet still one could talk about how this man walks the talk by not just being a raving<br />
football fanatic but actually investing time and money to manage a local football team in the<br />
S-League. These are just some of the things that make Balbeer the highly respected member of<br />
society that he is today.<br />
This self-made man is a long way from the little Malaysian town that he once called home.<br />
Balbeer grew up on a farm in Kluang where his parents reared cows and sold fresh milk for a<br />
living. As such, his early education right up to the GCE ‘O’ Levels were completed there, followed<br />
by the GCE ‘A’ Levels in English College in Johor Bahru. Life changed in a big way when his<br />
parents decided to send him abroad to complete his GCE ‘A’ Levels in Newcastle Upon Tyne, in<br />
North England, instead. University, of course, followed shortly after and here is where we begin<br />
to see this captain of industry take the helm and steer himself towards a path that sets the<br />
course for the rest of his life. After a false start doing one year of mechanical engineering at the<br />
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Balbeer decided that it just was not his cup of tea. Rather<br />
than languishing quietly in that department or dropping out abjectly, young Balbeer went to the<br />
Economics Department and made an impassioned plea to the Dean on being allowed to change<br />
courses. It worked. The Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Accounting was followed with a<br />
Chartered Accountant accreditation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and<br />
Wales and the rest, as they say, is history.<br />
30
singled out by the the late Justice Choor Singh for being<br />
a “very successful medium-sized local practice”. 3<br />
Professionally, Balbeer has had a long and thriving<br />
career, the heights of which are still being charted. As<br />
a freshly qualified Chartered Accountant in 1982, he<br />
joined Arthur Young & Co. 1 In addition to being good<br />
at his principal job, Balbeer explained that he always<br />
had an interest in training and research. Whenever he<br />
could, he would be involved in imparting knowledge<br />
to colleagues in his team. For instance, whenever there<br />
was an audit or accounting problem, he would be the<br />
one to conduct the research to find a solution to the<br />
problem, and then conduct a seminar for the rest of<br />
the team. However, three-and-a-half years later, upon<br />
being promoted to the position of principal of training, 2<br />
Balbeer decided to strike out on his own and become<br />
the sole proprietor of an accounting firm in Singapore.<br />
The firm which bore his name, B S Mangat & Co, was<br />
Around that time as well, the entrepreneurial Balbeer<br />
realised that there was a “big gap in accountancy training<br />
in Singapore and in the region” and as he explained in<br />
an earlier interview: “People used to go to the United<br />
Kingdom to study accountancy. It was expensive. The<br />
training available in this part of the world was of lowquality.<br />
We thought we could fill the gap.” 4 FTMS was<br />
thus born in 1986, the brainchild of Balbeer and three of<br />
his friends and fellow Chartered Accountants. However,<br />
after a restructuring, his three partners left the business.<br />
The accolades that FTMS has chalked up since then speak<br />
of one man’s determination to succeed. Some of the<br />
highlights included FTMS being awarded the Singapore<br />
Quality Class for Private Education Organisations first<br />
in 2003 which has been renewed repeatedly, and most<br />
recently in 2014. A Business Times article 5 counts FTMS<br />
as being one of the world’s top four providers of the<br />
popular Associated of Chartered Certified Accountants<br />
(ACCA) courses. In addition, in the spirit of innovation<br />
and in pursuit of their vision to be a World-Wide<br />
Premier Education and Training Provider, FTMS was the<br />
first in the world to introduce e-learning for the ACCA<br />
courses 6 in 1999. Going from strength to strength,<br />
FTMS has expanded from its initial outfit in Singapore<br />
to 13 campuses in 10 countries in Asia and Africa 7 with<br />
15,000 students annually. 8<br />
The role of a Chief Executive Officer of a dynamic,<br />
fast-growing organisation such as FTMS may have<br />
preoccupied a lesser man to such a degree that he may<br />
have been unable or unwilling to spend time on other<br />
worthy pursuits. It was certainly not the case for Balbeer<br />
who has been a key member of the Sikh community for<br />
the last three decades. In addition to being President of<br />
the Singapore Khalsa Association for nearly six years,<br />
Balbeer was part of a committee of like-minded Sikh<br />
31
“<br />
I have known and worked with Balbeer for about 30 years. He broke the<br />
mould some 30 years ago, when he saw a pioneering opportunity to provide private<br />
sector higher education services at a time when the public sector, even in Singapore,<br />
had a virtual monopoly. Now his organisation has 13 campuses in 10 countries from<br />
Uganda to Hong Kong. His oversight of this empire remains unabated.<br />
It is a matter of some curiosity that many, but by no means all, business leaders find<br />
the time to play an active role in society. Balbeer certainly does. He is the Chairman<br />
of a successful Singaporean football club. He has chaired the Singaporean association<br />
of British Alumni and remains active in that organisation which has required him to<br />
liaise closely with the British High Commission in Singapore. He is a well-known<br />
figure within the Singapore Sikh community. His adult life has coincided with<br />
Singapore’s society building and he continues to be an effective contributor to this<br />
determined drive.<br />
“<br />
Professor Andrew Chambers<br />
Former Dean<br />
Cass Business School, London<br />
professionals who were drawn together to take charge<br />
of the need for Punjabi education in Singapore and<br />
volunteer their skills for the good of the community. He<br />
recalls the team meeting regularly to formulate plans to<br />
institutionalise the teaching of Punjabi. 9 This was the<br />
genesis of the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation.<br />
Another major local institution that Balbeer helped to<br />
spearhead is the Sikh Welfare Council. According to<br />
Balbeer, the beauty of the Sikh community in Singapore<br />
is that whenever there is a need, everyone focuses his<br />
or her energies and pitches in to help. He saw this first<br />
hand when the pioneering team started raising funds to<br />
set up the two aforementioned organisations. Balbeer<br />
was struck by individuals in the community whom the<br />
team had never met before coming forward with not<br />
just encouragement, but also resources to contribute to<br />
the worthy cause. This civic-mindedness and eagerness<br />
to involve and be involved in the community is a trait<br />
that is deeply ingrained in Balbeer and stems from the<br />
days of his youth back in Kluang. A very important part<br />
of his family’s visits to the temple was sewa (service)<br />
which would commence at two in the morning. One<br />
moment he remembers very vividly was being asked<br />
by the president of the Kluang temple to set up the<br />
Sikh Naujwan Sabha of Kluang. Balbeer gladly took<br />
on the responsibility and proceeded to raise funds for<br />
its purpose. Balbeer hopes to ignite the same spark of<br />
volunteerism in the Sikh youth of today and is constantly<br />
thinking of ways to encourage participation.<br />
The other thing that has followed him from youth<br />
through to adulthood is his love for the game of football.<br />
Although he never played football himself, Balbeer said<br />
that being in the United Kingdom for 10 years brought<br />
32
him to enjoy the game. The Co-Chairman for Balestier<br />
Khalsa in the S-League shares his position with two<br />
other men and they rotate the chairmanship. To Balbeer,<br />
the football fraternity is a big family. During his time as<br />
team manager, he recalls being in the thick of things<br />
encouraging team spirit by fostering strong working<br />
relationships through post-match meetings, gatherings<br />
and providing motivation and support for the players<br />
and their families. Balbeer enjoys the whole experience<br />
of camaraderie and human interaction and explains<br />
that this is why he continues to be involved in the local<br />
football scene.<br />
Balbeer is undoubtedly an upright member of society<br />
and, as he pointed out, his greatest contribution to<br />
society may well be his attitude to life. Indeed, there<br />
is a lot to be learned from this go-getter who seems to<br />
have cracked the code on having a work-life balance<br />
and giving back to society and his community.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
J Singh, The Sikh Community’s Contribution to the Development of<br />
Singapore (Khalsa Printers Pte Ltd, 2007).<br />
2<br />
G Ramesh, FTMSGlobal has 13 campuses in 10 countries located in the<br />
city centre, Tabla!, September 12, 2014.<br />
3<br />
Supra note 1 at 147.<br />
4<br />
P M Chuang, Making the grade, The Business Times, October 28, 2003.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
FTMSGlobal Academy family of website, Corporate Profile, 2015.<br />
9<br />
Interview with Mr Balbeer Singh Mangat, June 24, 2015.<br />
33
Balbir<br />
Singh<br />
T<br />
he two most distressing words from an Obstetrician to parents of a new-born child would possibly<br />
be ‘Down Syndrome’, coloured with the bleakest of information about the condition. Even after<br />
years of research, advances in treatment options and improvements to public education, Down<br />
Syndrome remains one of those chromosomal accidents of genetics that continues to occur in<br />
about 0.1 per cent of the population. Singapore has come a long way in recognising and treating<br />
this condition, due in large part to the work of Dr Balbir Singh, his family and peers.<br />
Balbir has devoted much of the past 33 years advocating for a better quality of life for the<br />
intellectually challenged, particularly people with Down Syndrome. In 1980, his daughter,<br />
Jaspreet Kaur, was born with Down Syndrome. Although his wife, Rabinder, their younger<br />
daughter, Parveen, and him consider themselves lucky to have had the full support and<br />
understanding of their extended families right from the time of Jaspreet’s birth, they faced many<br />
challenges at a time when not many resources were available in Singapore on finding strategies<br />
and information for bringing up a child with an intellectual disability, in an environment where<br />
damaging myths and misconceptions about the condition abounded. This propelled Balbir to<br />
educate himself and gather resources by attending conferences abroad, where he was able<br />
to meet educators, researchers, therapists and clinicians, many of whom would later help him<br />
enrich the lives of Singaporeans living with intellectual disabilities beyond the personal sphere<br />
of his immediate family.<br />
Balbir went to medical school in Amritsar, in India, as an Indian government nominee, and has<br />
worked as a corporate physician at the aviation gateway services and food solutions provider,<br />
Singapore Airport Terminal Services, for decades. He credits the travel benefits of his job for having<br />
allowed him the leeway to make valuable overseas contacts who have greatly aided his work.<br />
34
over by the National Council for Social Service (NCSS)<br />
and developed into the Rainbow Centre of today. Balbir<br />
was also the founding Chairperson of Down Syndrome<br />
Association, established in 1995 with the guidance of one<br />
of his overseas contacts – Mrs Penny Robertson, President<br />
of the Australian Down Syndrome Society at that time.<br />
Balbir joined a parents’ group at the Singapore<br />
Association for Retarded Children (SARC) [now known<br />
as the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of<br />
Singapore] when Jaspreet was growing up and started a<br />
new support group called Helping Our Parents Emerge.<br />
These groups served as a valuable starting point from<br />
which parents and caregivers of children with intellectual<br />
disabilities could come together for not just support,<br />
but also to begin serving as lobby groups to convince<br />
Singapore society that better services and programmes<br />
were needed for persons with Down Syndrome and<br />
other intellectual disabilities.<br />
Balbir eventually became an Executive Committee<br />
member of SARC and played a key role in helping SARC<br />
launch the ‘Early Intervention Programme for Infants<br />
and Young Children’ in 1990, which was later taken<br />
Some of the initiatives Balbir has lobbied and advocated<br />
for, and achieved include the formation of a national<br />
social service agency dedicated to enabling persons<br />
with disabilities called SG Enable, the implementation<br />
of special education training courses for teachers and<br />
the setting up of the Special Needs Trust Company. His<br />
efforts at getting recognition for people with intellectual<br />
disabilities at the national level have resulted in<br />
Singapore now being a signatory to the United Nations<br />
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities<br />
(UNCRPD). Among his greatest accomplishments is the<br />
introduction of the World Down Syndrome Day, which<br />
he and other international disability advocates had<br />
been proposing since 2005, and which was ratified at<br />
a United Nations (UN) conference in 2011. World Down<br />
Syndrome Day is now marked on 21 March every year.<br />
“This has really made a difference in other countries,”<br />
Balbir says. “For instance in Myanmar, it has really helped<br />
disability advocates there in gaining recognition and<br />
resources from the government.” 1 On 21 March 2014,<br />
Balbir represented Down Syndrome International and as<br />
a champion of the UNCRPD at the UN on World Down<br />
Syndrome Day and made a presentation on ‘Health and<br />
Well-being of Persons with Down Syndrome’. It was a<br />
milestone event, with support from such organisations as<br />
the UN and the World Health Organization.<br />
As a third generation Singaporean Sikh hailing from a<br />
family of cattle traders, Balbir draws much inspiration<br />
from his family which has been involved in the community<br />
and ingrained in him a certain kind of stubbornness or<br />
refusal to be held back by a few minor failures. One of<br />
35
“<br />
Balbir is passionate in advocating a better life for persons with disabilities.<br />
This is evidenced in his dedication and contribution as President of Down Syndrome<br />
Association and with MSF. Since 2012, Balbir has been a member of the Enabling<br />
Masterplan Implementation Committee 2012-16, which was set up by MSF to monitor<br />
the progress of the recommendations of the Masterplan. He provided good ideas such<br />
as the use of technology in early intervention and the need to improve support for<br />
parents and caregivers through better access to information and training. He also<br />
co-chairs a workgroup with MSF on improving healthcare access for persons with<br />
disabilities. Balbir helped steer the work group with fresh perspectives and initiated a<br />
course on improving the awareness of healthcare for persons with disabilities with the<br />
College of Family Physicians Singapore.<br />
Balbir is a keen supporter of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons<br />
with Disabilities which Singapore ratified in 2013. He has been an active advocate<br />
for persons with Down Syndrome for around 25 years. He has helped to make a<br />
difference both locally and internationally through his leadership and foresight.<br />
Ms Wong Kuan Ying<br />
Director, Disability Division<br />
Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore<br />
“<br />
the biggest challenges he faced in the early advocacy years<br />
was hearing a constant stream of “no” answers from the<br />
government every time it was approached for assistance,<br />
funding or suggestions on disability-related programmes.<br />
Despite initial resistance, Balbir’s commitment to<br />
empiricism, his willingness to share and preparedness<br />
to sometimes be laughed at and yet persevere was what<br />
helped eventually change the government’s thinking and<br />
approach towards the disability sector.<br />
The government is not the only entity that has required<br />
a mindset change. When asked about the stereotyping<br />
people with Down Syndrome face, Balbir was candid<br />
about the fact that, culturally, Singapore's society<br />
continues to hold negative views. He remembers making<br />
a conscious effort to bring Jaspreet out with the family<br />
when she was a child as he believes exposure outside<br />
the home contributes significantly to development but<br />
recalls that Jaspreet and others like her often bear the<br />
brunt of stares and gaping on the streets. However,<br />
Balbir was more taken aback by negative reactions<br />
from the medical community. He remembers hearing<br />
a lot of negativity and ‘doom and gloom’ messages<br />
from medical practitioners in the past about caring for<br />
children with Down Syndrome. He believes the medical<br />
community has come a long way in its receptiveness to<br />
new treatment options, especially with the increasing<br />
focus on early intervention.<br />
In 2009, Balbir received the Pingkat Bakti Masyarakat<br />
(Public Service Medal) 2 from the President of Singapore<br />
in recognition of his service in the disability field and<br />
36
social service sector. In 2011, United Kingdom-based<br />
charity Down Syndrome International awarded Balbir the<br />
President’s Special Recognition Award in recognition of<br />
his lifetime contributions in strengthening and enriching<br />
the lives of people with Down Syndrome. This year,<br />
Balbir was presented with the Ministry of Social and<br />
Family Development (MSF) Volunteer Award (Friend of<br />
MSF) for his valued contributions to the disability sector.<br />
He is a past President and existing Board member of<br />
Down Syndrome International. He has also served as a<br />
Board member of NCSS.<br />
Balbir often quips that with Singapore’s propensity for<br />
constantly wanting to be on the top of ‘best of’ lists and<br />
a ‘hub’ for lots of things, it is surely reasonable for it to<br />
also be a top player in the disability sector. Although many<br />
challenges remain, such as funding and lengthy waiting<br />
lists for accessing early intervention programmes, Balbir<br />
feels that these are being addressed and is thankful that<br />
outcomes are now measurable in the sector. In addition,<br />
he acknowledges that labelling and stereotyping do still<br />
exist but he is hopeful that there will be much more<br />
space for that to be overcome in the future.<br />
For Balbir, it started as a personal matter some 30 years<br />
ago but he has made it his mission to put the issue<br />
of Down Syndrome on the national and international<br />
agendas. He overcame adversity and succeeded. With<br />
disability advocates like him at the forefront of this<br />
movement, we are bound to see more positive changes<br />
in this area over the next 50 years.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Dr Balbir Singh, March 29, 2015.<br />
2<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered commendable public service in Singapore<br />
or for his or her achievement in the field of arts and letters, sports,<br />
the sciences, business, the professions and the labour movement. See<br />
http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
37
Berinderjeet<br />
Kaur<br />
A<br />
bright and responsible child from the very beginning, her parents held the strong belief that<br />
children, even girls, should focus on their studies and be given every opportunity to succeed<br />
in life. Her father was one of the Sikh pioneers of post-World War Two Singapore. Through<br />
interactions with colleagues and friends, her father picked up what he believed were best values<br />
– these were values that he wanted his children to inherit. It comes, therefore, as little surprise<br />
that Professor Berinderjeet Kaur emerged to become a successful academician.<br />
Born in the 1950s, Berinderjeet was schooled at Cedar Girls' Secondary School. Here, she<br />
developed a strong liking for Mathematics, which would eventually become her calling in life.<br />
She was an active student, taking part in several school activities. She performed exceptionally<br />
well and gained entry into National Junior College (NJC) in 1972. By the time she completed<br />
her college education, Berinderjeet fell further in love with Mathematics and was determined to<br />
read the subject at university. Before enrolling into the University of Singapore, Berinderjeet did<br />
a stint as a relief teacher and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She made up her mind that<br />
she would become a teacher when she graduated. In a sense, her career path was set for her.<br />
When she graduated from university, she joined the Ministry of Education (MOE) as a teacher<br />
and trained at the Institute of Education to be a secondary school Mathematics teacher.<br />
In 1980, Berinderjeet was posted as a trained teacher to Macpherson Secondary School.<br />
She faithfully and earnestly taught in the school till 1985. During that time, she met many<br />
colleagues who had returned to school after having completed their Master’s degree. She too<br />
felt that she would be able to better help mould the future of the nation if she furthered her<br />
own education. Her school principal was supportive of her decision and helped her significantly<br />
with the application process. Though of marriageable age, her father was very clear that she<br />
38
her to leave her young family behind. With the support<br />
of her parents and husband, she managed to pursue<br />
her passion and complete her doctoral studies in less<br />
than three years at Monash University in Australia. In<br />
1995, Berinderjeet was back at the National Institute<br />
of Education and resumed her mission of moulding the<br />
future of Singapore by training quality Mathematics<br />
teachers. She credits her development and success to<br />
Singapore being a meritocratic society, where hard<br />
work and excellence are recognised, celebrated and<br />
rewarded. In addition, she is very proud of Singapore’s<br />
achievements in the field of Mathematics and credits<br />
it to the hard work and dedication of the people at all<br />
levels of the system.<br />
should pursue her passions. With the blessings of her<br />
parents, she left for the United Kingdom where she<br />
specialised in Mathematics education at the University<br />
of Nottingham. During her time at the university, she<br />
did her dissertation on the achievement of Singapore<br />
students in Mathematics. She received a distinction for<br />
her thesis and was offered an opportunity to pursue her<br />
doctorate on a University of Nottingham scholarship.<br />
However, she reluctantly turned it down due to her<br />
commitments back home with MOE.<br />
Soon after her return to Singapore, Berinderjeet met her<br />
husband and they got married. In 1989, Berinderjeet<br />
joined the Institute of Education as a lecturer in the<br />
Mathematics department and, three years later, she<br />
was awarded a scholarship to pursue her Doctorate<br />
in Mathematics education. It was a tough decision for<br />
Apart from playing the critical role of training Mathematics<br />
teachers for Singapore schools, Berinderjeet continues<br />
to find ways to improve the quality of instruction. In<br />
this respect, she helped establish the Association of<br />
Mathematics Educators (AME). She is the founding<br />
Chairperson of the annual Conference for Mathematics<br />
Teachers in Singapore which has been going on for<br />
the last decade. Numerous renowned international<br />
academics and researchers are invited annually to speak<br />
on a range of topics at the conference. Berinderjeet is<br />
also the founding editor of the AME Yearbook published<br />
by the World Scientific press, an annual publication since<br />
2009, focusing on research for practitioners.<br />
Berinderjeet’s work has also seen her building<br />
Singapore’s and her reputation beyond the island<br />
state’s shore. Internationally, she has been working<br />
with various Mathematics educators. Among others,<br />
she was appointed as Mathematics consultant for the<br />
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study<br />
(TIMSS) 2011. TIMSS is an international benchmark<br />
study for countries to evaluate the outcomes of their<br />
schooling systems. Here, she played a significant role<br />
in the design of Mathematics tests for the participating<br />
39
countries in TIMSS 2011. In addition, she was<br />
appointed a Mathematics Expert for the Programme<br />
for International Student Assessment in 2015, a<br />
study conducted by the Organization for Economic<br />
Co-operation and Development on Mathematics<br />
Literacy. She is also Singapore’s representative to the<br />
International Commission for Mathematics Instruction<br />
(ICMI). Devoted to the development of mathematical<br />
education at all levels, the ICMI is a commission<br />
of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), an<br />
international non-governmental and non-profit scientific<br />
organisation whose purpose is to promote international<br />
cooperation in Mathematics. 1<br />
Berinderjeet is also a much sought-after speaker at<br />
local and international conferences on Mathematics<br />
education. She has delivered some 40 keynote lectures<br />
at conferences in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia,<br />
Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, China, South Korea,<br />
Denmark, Australia and the United States. In July 2016,<br />
she will deliver a plenary lecture at the International<br />
Congress for Mathematics Education (ICME) 2 in<br />
Hamburg, Germany. This conference will witness a<br />
gathering of a diverse group of global participants such<br />
as teachers and researchers in Mathematics education,<br />
teacher trainers and mathematicians, among others.<br />
Berinderjeet is the first Singaporean to be invited to<br />
deliver one of the four plenary lectures at the conference.<br />
In addition to being involved in these events, Berinderjeet<br />
has spent time as a visiting professor at Boston College<br />
in the United States.<br />
In 2006, Berinderjeet was recognised nationally for her<br />
contributions to the field of Mathematics education<br />
and awarded the Pingkat Bakti Masyarakat (Public<br />
Administration Medal) 3 by Singapore’s President, Mr S<br />
R Nathan, on Singapore’s 41st National Day. In 2010,<br />
Berinderjeet was appointed a full professor in the field<br />
of Mathematics education. She is the first full professor<br />
“<br />
Berinderjeet is best described as a<br />
doyenne of Mathematics education in<br />
Singapore. Many students in the schools<br />
have benefited and will continue to<br />
benefit from her work which motivates<br />
them to learn Mathematics in the most<br />
engaging ways. In addition, her work<br />
is internationally recognised and has<br />
brought many honours to Singapore.<br />
The Sikh community can be proud<br />
that it has a member in Berinderjeet,<br />
who has contributed significantly to<br />
Mathematics education in Singapore,<br />
as the community celebrates the<br />
nation’s 50th birthday.<br />
“<br />
Professor Lee Sing Kong<br />
Managing Director<br />
National Institute of Education International<br />
to be appointed in Singapore for Mathematics education<br />
and remains to be the only one so far.<br />
While Berinderjeet has made many sacrifices to achieve<br />
success nationally and globally, she immediately credits<br />
much of her success to her husband, parents and<br />
siblings, without whom she would not have made it as<br />
far. They provided much-needed support to her in all<br />
her academic endeavours. She is also pleased that she<br />
adopted her father’s thinking and pushed her daughter<br />
to excel in school and life as well. Her daughter has<br />
blossomed into a fine young doctor in Singapore.<br />
In addition to being actively involved in the field of<br />
Mathematics education, Berinderjeet is a strong<br />
40
eliever in giving back to society, a value she inherited<br />
from her parents who were always willing to help<br />
anyone who came knocking on their door. Having<br />
achieved her goal in life, Berinderjeet decided to<br />
spend more of her time giving back to the community<br />
and society. She is actively involved in the grassroots<br />
organisations in Kebun Baru, the constituency in<br />
which she lives.<br />
Within the Sikh community, she is currently the<br />
Chairperson of the Singapore Khalsa Association<br />
Ladies Wing. The group organises regular social,<br />
cultural and health-related activities for ladies of<br />
the Sikh community. It also works with external<br />
organisations on initiatives that benefit the larger<br />
community.<br />
Berinderjeet’s national and international success<br />
owed much to her father’s enlightened and forwardthinking<br />
approach at a time when girls were generally<br />
given lesser opportunities to educate themselves and<br />
excel in life. Coupled with her family’s support and her<br />
hard work and sacrifices, Berinderjeet is today one of<br />
the most respected and prominent women in the field<br />
of Mathematics education locally and globally.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
The ICMI offers a forum to promote reflection, collaboration and the<br />
exchange and dissemination of ideas on the teaching and learning<br />
of Mathematics from primary to university level. The ICMI works to<br />
stimulate the creation, improvement and dissemination of recent<br />
research findings and of the available resources for instruction, for<br />
example, curricular materials, pedagogical methods, the appropriate<br />
use of technology, etc. See http://www.mathunion.org/icmi.<br />
2<br />
The ICME is held every four years under the auspices of the ICMI of the<br />
IMU. The ICME presents the current states and trends in mathematics<br />
education research and in the practice of mathematics teaching at all<br />
levels. See http://www.icme13.org/.<br />
3<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyayakat was instituted in 1973. The medal is<br />
awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service<br />
in Singapore or for his or her achievement in the field of arts and letters,<br />
sports, the sciences, business, the profession and the labour movement.<br />
See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
41
Bhajan<br />
Singh<br />
I<br />
n its advances to join the ranks of developed countries around the world, Singapore selected<br />
English language as one of the main languages of the state. Due to the multitude of cultures<br />
present in the various industries, English was emphasised as being the primary language that<br />
business would be conducted in. However, in the cultural melting pot that is Singapore, on<br />
top of the four main languages, there were many different languages and dialects spoken<br />
throughout the city state on a daily basis. Recognising the need for future generations to<br />
be able to appreciate their culture and language, several Sikhs rose up to the challenge of<br />
promoting the Punjabi language and giving it greater prominence in the Sikh community<br />
and within the nation as well. One of the most prominent Sikhs to champion this cause is<br />
Mr Bhajan Singh.<br />
Born in Punjab in India in 1944, Bhajan lived with his mother and three siblings while his<br />
father was in Singapore working as a watchman. In 1953, due to the unfortunate passing of<br />
his mother, Bhajan and his siblings joined their father in Singapore. Although Bhajan topped<br />
his exams and was eligible to attend the top Singapore schools at that time, he decided to<br />
join Gan Eng Seng School so that he could work as a night watchman for a go-down just<br />
across the school. Despite the many hardships during this period, Bhajan worked hard and<br />
completed his GCE ‘A’ Level examinations. It was during this time that Bhajan started his<br />
involvement with the Sikh community. He helped out at the old Central Sikh Temple along<br />
Queen Street during his free time. 1<br />
After qualifying as a teacher from the Teacher’s Training College while concurrently teaching<br />
part time in Raffles Institution (1966-1968) and completing his national service (1969-1971),<br />
Bhajan taught at Raffles Institution for another year. He eventually obtained a Bachelor of Arts<br />
42
four years, he had gotten rid of most of the problems<br />
and restored a sense of pride in the school. Where<br />
once it was regarded as a backwater school, it was<br />
now a better-than-average neighbourhood school. 2<br />
Using this same approach, Bhajan moved on to helping<br />
the many Sikh students in Si Ling Secondary School.<br />
Some students came from broken homes while others<br />
had parents addicted to alcohol or narcotics. Bhajan<br />
assisted as many as he could. During this time, he<br />
noticed that many Sikh youth could no longer identify<br />
with their Sikh culture. They were staying away from<br />
the gurdwaras (Sikh temples), and consuming alcohol<br />
and drugs. Bhajan decided to bring together a group<br />
of Sikh professionals to look into this issue.<br />
(Honours) in History and a Master in Education from<br />
the University of Singapore. Following this, he was<br />
promoted to Principal of Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary<br />
School in 1981 and later of Si Ling Secondary School<br />
in 1984.<br />
Prior to Bhajan’s arrival, Si Ling Secondary School<br />
was notorious for its many gangsters and absentee<br />
students. Many of the students with problems came<br />
from broken homes or were abused. Bhajan realised<br />
that imposing harsh treatment would further alienate<br />
these students. As such, he placed emphasis on<br />
rewarding good behaviour and positive change. He<br />
realised that these students just needed someone to<br />
care for them and have faith in them. Bhajan’s different<br />
approach towards the students was successful. Within<br />
In 1989, Bhajan was approached to take up the position<br />
of Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board (SAB). He was<br />
encouraged by his colleagues to take this appointment<br />
as an opportunity to connect the younger Sikhs with<br />
the older Sikhs and to see them work together. Bhajan<br />
had the honour of being Chairman of the SAB twice<br />
from 1989 to 1995 and 1997 to 2003. After taking<br />
up the appointment, Bhajan embarked on a large<br />
scale campaign to educate Sikh youth on Sikh values<br />
through Punjabi education.<br />
Bhajan pioneered two Sikh organisations, the<br />
Singapore Sikh Education Foundation (SSEF) and<br />
Sikh Welfare Council (SIWEC) during his tenure as<br />
Chairman of the SAB. The SSEF was established to<br />
organise the teaching of Punjabi as a mother tongue<br />
on a large scale as well as helping to standardise<br />
the content of what these students studied so as to<br />
improve grades amongst the students. As the SSEF<br />
was being set up, Bhajan approached and persuaded<br />
the various gurdwaras to move the Punjabi education<br />
from their premises and set up a professional school.<br />
Four schools were planned – North, East, West and<br />
Centre. In March 1990, the Punjabi school system<br />
43
was established and the Singapore Khalsa Association<br />
eventually moved the management of its Punjabi<br />
school to the SSEF in 1995. 3<br />
In 1995, Bhajan was instrumental in setting up SIWEC<br />
to look after the welfare needs of the Sikh community.<br />
In this respect, he relied on his experience as a member<br />
of the task force which set up the Singapore Indian<br />
Development Association (SINDA). 4 This Council<br />
provides financial help to the needy and aids Sikh<br />
families with problems. It was through these measures<br />
that Bhajan was able to improve and strengthen the<br />
ties that bind the Sikh community together. As his<br />
primary focus was to aid and improve the immersion<br />
of the Sikh youth into their culture, Bhajan personally<br />
oversaw the SSEF as Chairman from 1989 until 2013<br />
and served as Vice Chairman of SIWEC from 1995 to<br />
2014.<br />
Bhajan also understood the importance of working<br />
closely with the Singapore government so as to bolster<br />
both the Sikh image and the image of the nation. The<br />
first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, did not want<br />
Singapore to go the way of other countries, where<br />
racial lines were drawn. He wanted the different races<br />
and religions to work together in harmony. In 1990,<br />
the government assembled the various leaders of the<br />
religious communities to legislate religious harmony<br />
in order to safeguard the many faiths of Singapore.<br />
Mr Lee was impressed by the Sikh doctrine and decided<br />
to include Sikhism as one of the five main religions<br />
of Singapore when the Religious Harmony Bill was<br />
enacted in 1992.<br />
In the post-September 11 era, the government was<br />
alarmed that religion could fan fanaticism and lead to<br />
terror attacks in Singapore. A conference was called<br />
and all the grassroots and religious leaders were<br />
assembled along with the Cabinet. As Chairman of<br />
the SAB, Bhajan addressed the attendees and stressed<br />
“<br />
I would like to convey my personal<br />
and the government’s appreciation<br />
to Bhajan for his dedication and<br />
commitment as well as his invaluable<br />
contributions which he rendered as a<br />
member and Chairman of the SAB.<br />
Under his leadership, the SAB has<br />
done a fabulous job and achieved<br />
the following – establishment of the<br />
Sikh Resource Panel, setting up of the<br />
SSEF, running of Punjabi language<br />
centres and formation of the SIWEC.<br />
Under Bhajan’s chairmanship, the<br />
SAB has also managed to mobilise the<br />
various institutions and organisations<br />
to work together for the common<br />
good of the Sikh community and to<br />
contribute to national interests.<br />
“<br />
Mr Abdullah Tarmugi<br />
Minister for Community Development, Youth and<br />
Sports (1994-2000)<br />
Singapore<br />
that Singapore could not link faith to terrorism. Any<br />
terrorist or fanatic followed no faith and his or her acts<br />
could not be linked to any racial group. His statement<br />
was so well-received that then Prime Minister,<br />
Mr Goh Chok Tong, requested that he repeat those<br />
same words during an interview with the Prime<br />
Minister’s Office. He managed to convince the<br />
government that the Sikh lifestyle was beneficial to the<br />
well-being of the nation due to the concept of service<br />
and sharing. 5 Bhajan also served on the Presidential<br />
Council for Religious Harmony for a period of 22 years<br />
from 1992 to 2014.<br />
44
Bhajan is a man of relentless determination. His latest<br />
accomplishment of introducing a common syllabus with<br />
the same textbooks for the various Indian minorities<br />
under the umbrella of the Board for the Teaching and<br />
Testing of South Asian Languages (BTTSAL) 6 is the first<br />
of its kind in the world and paves the way for further<br />
excellence in the education field. 7 Bhajan set up the<br />
BTTSAL and serves as its founding President.<br />
Bhajan knew from the start that if he wanted to serve<br />
the community and nation, he had to prepare for<br />
challenges. When asked about this, he said: “When<br />
you are doing it for the nation and the community,<br />
nothing is too hard. I believe that the harder the<br />
challenge, the greater the accomplishment.” 8 With<br />
this motto, Bhajan continues to seek ways to further<br />
the interests of the Sikh community in Singapore.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
C Singh, The Sikh Community’s Contribution to the Development of<br />
Singapore: A Collection of Essays and Personal Reminisces (1st ed.,<br />
Vol. 1). Singapore, Singapore: Justice Choor Singh, 2005.<br />
2<br />
R Veloo, Si Ling’s Miracle Worker, The Sunday Times, June 13, 1993.<br />
3<br />
C Singh, op cit.<br />
4<br />
Set up in 1991, SINDA is a self-help group that works to uplift the<br />
Singapore Indian community. Its key thrusts are in Education, Family<br />
Services and Active Collaboration. See http://www.sinda.org.sg.<br />
5<br />
B Singh, Sikhs here are puzzled by US abuse reports. The New Paper,<br />
September 23, 2001.<br />
6<br />
BTTSAL was set up in 2002 to handle the teaching and testing of<br />
five languages that are not official languages in Singapore: Bengali,<br />
Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. See http://bttsal.com.<br />
7<br />
C S Narayanan, One More Language Barrier Comes Down. Tabla,<br />
January 9, 2009.<br />
8<br />
Interviews with Mr Bhajan Singh, March 5, 2015 and April 11, 2015.<br />
45
Bhopinder<br />
Singh<br />
A<br />
s Singaporeans go about their daily lives, they find comfort that their homes are kept safe by<br />
members of the Home Team. Part of this protection includes the tireless work done by the<br />
unsung heroes of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) who keep our borders safe.<br />
ICA’s vision is to ‘Inspire Confidence in All’. Its mission is to ensure that the movement of people,<br />
goods and conveyances though its checkpoints is legitimate and lawful and to administer and<br />
uphold its laws on immigration, citizenship and national registration fairly and effectively. 1<br />
The ICA has boasted of many bright, capable and outstanding officers in the course of its<br />
history. One such officer is Mr Bhopinder Singh, who is ICA’s current Director of Operations.<br />
Bhopinder was born in Singapore in 1954. Following his graduation from the then-University of<br />
Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology, he began his career in the Ministry<br />
of Home Affairs in 1982. He started off with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) where he served<br />
for 18 years until he was appointed Assistant Director of Operations (Operations Management)<br />
at the police headquarters in 2000. During his tenure there, he was responsible for coordinating<br />
the island-wide police operations against illegal immigrants and criminal syndicates. It was not<br />
an easy task as he had to ensure proper and adequate measures were in place so that necessary<br />
action could be taken, depending on the situation.<br />
In 2003, Singapore Immigration & Registration and the checkpoints operations of Customs &<br />
Excise Department merged to form the ICA. After serving as Assistant Director of Operations in<br />
the SPF, Bhopinder moved to the newly established ICA where he was appointed Deputy Director<br />
(Operations). With his sharp analytical skills, coupled with his deep sense of responsibility,<br />
Bhopinder rose to the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner as well as Director (Operations) of<br />
46
improvements can be made. He encourages officers to<br />
always stay ahead and pre-empt issues through the use<br />
of the latest technology and methods available to the<br />
ICA as well as trusting their instincts when it comes to<br />
making decisions.<br />
Bhopinder’s leadership style, to be among his officers<br />
instead of simply directing them, ensured that his officers<br />
overcame one of Singapore’s most challenging moments<br />
in the ICA history. In February 2003, Singapore was<br />
faced with the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory<br />
Syndrome (SARS). A total of 238 people were infected<br />
by the disease which claimed the lives of 33 individuals<br />
in Singapore. Many of these casualties were healthcare<br />
providers and other frontline staff who had come into<br />
direct contact with those infected by the disease.<br />
the ICA. His position as Director of Operations increased<br />
his responsibilities significantly as he had to supervise<br />
the daily operations of the various departments to<br />
ensure that they were efficient while meeting their<br />
key performance indicators. He stated: “There was<br />
tremendous pressure on the job. We had to consistently<br />
deliver.” 2 However, with his affable personality as well<br />
as his resourcefulness and dedication, Bhopinder and<br />
his team of dedicated ICA officers took it in their stride<br />
to confront and successfully overcome all challenges.<br />
Bhopinder is a leader who firmly believes that to get<br />
the best from his officers, he has to set an example by<br />
walking the talk and being at the frontlines. It is not<br />
uncommon for one to see Bhopinder interacting with his<br />
team of officers and keeping an eye out for areas where<br />
As a regional hub and a responsible member of the<br />
international community, Singapore had to put in place<br />
effective measures to isolate and curb any uncontrolled<br />
spread of SARS. This meant that the ICA had a key role<br />
in putting into place measures to manage the entry<br />
of infected persons in Singapore and to prevent the<br />
spread of the virus. 3 Bhopinder was a member of the<br />
Whole-of-Government Integrated Risk Management<br />
put into place to fight SARS. His task was to lead the<br />
planning and preparation of all needed measures to<br />
be carried out at all checkpoints. The challenges faced<br />
by Bhopinder and his team were extreme and varied.<br />
Singapore’s globalised status meant it was a very<br />
popular holiday and business destination. It was critical<br />
that Singapore had to remain open to welcome visitors<br />
and businessmen to her shores while ensuring that the<br />
outbreak was controlled. The task was a tall order, but<br />
with the able guidance of Bhopinder, the ICA teams<br />
were able to implement the most efficient methods<br />
to ensure that the SARS outbreak was monitored. This<br />
also prevented more cases from entering Singapore<br />
and ensured that there were no infected patients<br />
47
leaving the country, thereby controlling the spread of<br />
the virus to other countries. 4<br />
Bhopinder’s planning and execution highlighted<br />
his capabilities and resourcefulness in not only<br />
formulating ICA’s crisis management plans, but<br />
also in enhancing its level of emergency response<br />
and preparedness. His stellar leadership was also a<br />
much-needed morale boost for a team which was<br />
fearful that it could become infected as well since it<br />
was at the frontlines. Looking back at the incident,<br />
Bhopinder thoughtfully shared, “The technical and<br />
operational know-how in managing the crisis was<br />
important. However, the personal experiences and<br />
shared sentiments have remained deeply etched over<br />
the years since SARS.” 5<br />
With 33 years of experience, Bhopinder’s span of<br />
leadership and area of responsibilities now covers<br />
the development of plans, policies, strategies and<br />
procedures to deal with all operational matters in the<br />
ICA. He oversees the Operations Division, which guides<br />
ICA’s frontline units on matters pertaining to checkpoint<br />
operations, investigation and repatriation of immigration<br />
offenders. In spite of his busy schedule, Bhopinder also<br />
makes service a priority. As such, he has been part of the<br />
Sikh Advisory Board since 2011 and actively contributes<br />
to its role as an advisor to the Singapore government on<br />
matters concerning Sikhism, as well as on the customs<br />
and general welfare of the Sikh community.<br />
As he completes his service to the nation, it is<br />
Bhopinder’s fervent hope that the younger generations<br />
48
“<br />
I have known Bhopinder for<br />
more than 30 years. We were university<br />
classmates and have been close friends<br />
since then. Bhopinder’s soft-spoken<br />
and unassuming manner has enabled<br />
him to negotiate challenges both in<br />
his career and personal life. He has<br />
excelled in his job and his current<br />
position as Director of Operations at<br />
ICA is a recognition of his dedication<br />
and professionalism in the service.<br />
In his personal life, he is a loving<br />
husband, a caring parent and a filial<br />
son to his elderly parents. He has made<br />
the right decisions in life because<br />
he has a strong moral compass and,<br />
more importantly, is supported by a<br />
wonderful and loving wife.<br />
Mr R Raj Kumar<br />
Director, Public Affairs<br />
Asia-Europe Foundation<br />
“<br />
of Singaporeans will augment and improve on the<br />
foundation already set in place by members of his<br />
generation of ICA officers in the areas of border security.<br />
Through avid societal involvement and a general sense<br />
of community pride, the younger generation of ICA<br />
officers will be able to spearhead newer initiatives aimed<br />
at further strengthening Singapore’s security landscape<br />
that is continuously evolving.<br />
The ICA will continue to face new challenges in<br />
the context of Singapore’s position as a global and<br />
cosmopolitan island state. It has been successful in<br />
meeting these challenges in the last 50 years, thanks<br />
to the officers at the checkpoints. Singaporeans have<br />
been able to take comfort and will continue to do so,<br />
knowing that our borders are being protected by brave<br />
men and women, led by inspiring and capable leaders<br />
like Bhopinder.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. See http://www.ica.gov.sg/<br />
page.aspx?pageid=64.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Mr Bhopinder Singh, October 3, 2015.<br />
3<br />
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, 2003. See http://<br />
eresources.nlb.gov.sg.<br />
4<br />
Press Statement on the Stepped-up Checks to Prevent the “Export” of<br />
SARS.<br />
5<br />
Interview with Mr Bhopinder Singh, op. cit.<br />
49
Bilveer<br />
Singh<br />
"<br />
I<br />
think if you have done something well and it is worthwhile remembering, that is naturally great.<br />
In my case, I am basically a teacher. So I think it may not be history that will remember or judge<br />
me, I think my students will.” 1 These were the first words of Associate Professor Bilveer Singh<br />
when he was interviewed for this piece.<br />
An immediate interpretation one can draw from the above view is the importance Bilveer places<br />
on the type of knowledge, values and character that he wants to imbibe in his students. Bilveer<br />
is extremely dedicated and focused on nurturing and developing generations of people trained<br />
in statecraft and politics. His impact has been huge and his influence has been immense. Many<br />
of Singapore’s statesmen and political thinkers have been moulded either through his tutelage<br />
or by reading his publications.<br />
The Department of Political Science at National University of Singapore (NUS) takes pride in<br />
Bilveer's career which spans three decades. He has also won 10 teaching excellence awards<br />
in NUS. “I think this year would be my 31st year in the academia and the 35th time that I am<br />
teaching this module on Singapore politics because I sometimes teach the same module twice a<br />
year. So just imagine the thousands of students who have gone through my hands and I actually<br />
have influenced them to think about Singapore’s politics passionately.” 2<br />
Bilveer was on his way to a potential career in the military where he was an instructor for the<br />
Officer Cadet School. However, he decided to continue his studies in the hope that a university<br />
education would then improve his chances of attaining a higher rank with the military. After his<br />
studies, he was headhunted by the Singapore foreign service and the intelligence agencies due<br />
to his multilingual proficiencies, especially Malay, and they already had jobs lined up for him.<br />
50
Bilveer’s belief in the value of education and the impact<br />
of a teacher on his or her students, mirror his life where<br />
his teachers from secondary school onwards constantly<br />
pushed him to excel despite his slow beginning. He<br />
has adopted this practice by constantly pushing his<br />
students to explore and confront their comfort levels.<br />
“My job is to produce good students, sharp minds. That<br />
is all. I produce good students, thinking students, good<br />
citizens, loyal citizens, people who, in time of crisis, will<br />
not run away but stand up to be counted and make the<br />
difference.” 4<br />
A chance encounter with a professor while collecting his<br />
certificate changed his life forever. As the top student in<br />
the Honours class in 1981, he was offered a scholarship<br />
to do a Master and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)<br />
programme, as well as eventual employment as a senior<br />
tutor. This, in essence, sealed his life as an academic in<br />
political science.<br />
The same professor also had a specific topic for him<br />
to specialise in – the Soviet Union. Bilveer eventually<br />
completed his Master and PhD on the Soviet Union. He<br />
quipped: “That is how I got my job. I became Singapore’s<br />
first Soviet specialist.” 3 However, the eventual collapse<br />
of the Soviet Union changed everything. Bilveer then<br />
focused specifically on Indonesia, which he also studied<br />
while working on Soviet-Asian relations. He has been an<br />
Indonesian specialist since 1990.<br />
One of Bilveer’s boldest moves in his academic career<br />
was to make the decision to teach ‘Government and<br />
Politics of Singapore’. At that point in time, it was a<br />
sensitive topic for discussion. However, he felt that it<br />
was an important module for young Singaporeans to<br />
understand Singapore’s politics in a more intimate and<br />
informed manner. He managed to pull it off, largely<br />
due to his own deep understanding of the topic and<br />
his knowledge of governance. Bilveer now also teaches<br />
such topics as foreign policy and citizenship education.<br />
He has also been involved in changes in NUS on modules<br />
on nation building and governance, not just relating to<br />
Singapore but the wider Southeast Asian region as well.<br />
His rationale for doing so is that society has become<br />
highly complex and Singaporeans need to know the<br />
world better so that they can really make a difference.<br />
Despite not choosing a career in intelligence, Bilveer was<br />
appointed Head of the Centre of Excellence for National<br />
Security at the S Rajaratnam School of International<br />
Studies at Nanyang Technological University in 2010.<br />
He reported directly to the Prime Minister’s Office on<br />
security issues such as terrorism and radicalisation. One<br />
key reason for his appointment was his deep knowledge<br />
and understanding of the region, particularly Indonesia.<br />
This knowledge, arising from decades of work and<br />
research, and resulting in numerous publications and<br />
51
papers, provided the opportunity to Bilveer to serve his<br />
country. It is an opportunity which he aptly stated as a<br />
“great honour for a scholar.” He continues to remain an<br />
Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Centre.<br />
Bilveer’s work and contributions, particularly relating<br />
to Indonesia and Singapore, are highly regarded locally<br />
and internationally. Equally impressive is the fact that<br />
he is highly proficient in Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa<br />
Indonesia. Apart from being called upon to share his<br />
views at various local and international forums and by<br />
the media, this proficiency has allowed him to contribute<br />
literature in these languages as well. He regularly teaches<br />
in Bahasa in different Indonesian universities, including<br />
the National Defence University, where he is currently<br />
an Eminent Professor. He has 10 books in Bahasa<br />
Indonesia – all dealing with security issues. This quality<br />
has naturally made him a much sought-after personality<br />
since he deals with the important issues of politics,<br />
regional security issues, Islamist terrorism, role of great<br />
powers in Southeast Asia and the domestic and foreign<br />
policies of Singapore. Describing his most important<br />
publication, Politics and Governance in Singapore,<br />
Bilveer stated: “…this is the handbook on Singapore<br />
politics. It is on politics and governance in Singapore; it<br />
is an introduction that anybody can read.” 5 The book<br />
has become a key textbook in Singapore schools.<br />
Bilveer is not just contended with writing for the purpose<br />
of education. That is important but he has also made it<br />
his mission “…to put books by Asians on the global<br />
academic shelves. At the moment, books in the academic<br />
world are dominated by the West.” 6 He tries to restore<br />
a balance in this respect in the world academic order.<br />
He exposes his students to diverse readings of different<br />
writers from different cultural backgrounds. “I think it<br />
is important to bring out books from our region and by<br />
Asian authors and make them available to our students.<br />
I write about stuff that should be part and parcel of the<br />
“<br />
I have known Bilveer for about<br />
30 years. He was my lecturer at NUS<br />
when I was an undergraduate in<br />
Political Science. He was one of the<br />
key lecturers who enthralled me<br />
with his fast-paced, informative and<br />
entertaining lectures. Frankly, he had<br />
a big influence on my own decision to<br />
subsequently become an academic in<br />
national security studies.<br />
Bilveer has certainly inspired<br />
succeeding generations of students<br />
with his infectious passion for research<br />
that influences national debates on<br />
security issues affecting Singapore. He<br />
remains an inspiration to me!<br />
“<br />
Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna<br />
Head of Policy Studies<br />
S Rajaratnam School of International Studies<br />
Nanyang Technological University<br />
students’ normal intake. That is why I work and write<br />
like there is no tomorrow.” 7<br />
Academic knowledge aside, Bilveer strongly believes<br />
in the virtues of honesty and integrity. These apply<br />
to his work, students and in direct dealings with the<br />
government. Quite naturally, this has resulted in<br />
him courting controversy with his views as he firmly<br />
believes that ‘shading’ history is wrong for if you do,<br />
“…somebody will ‘unshade’ and bring out the truth<br />
tomorrow. Historians will.” 8 His belief also stems from<br />
the fact that he directly influences and impacts the<br />
lives of future leaders who will hold key positions.<br />
It is vital for him to maintain a high level of integrity<br />
52
When asked once more on how he would like to be<br />
remembered by his students, if nothing else, Bilveer<br />
remarked: “That I told the truth, that I drove them<br />
onto a highway of passion, daring them to ask difficult<br />
questions and never shunning away from adversity. In<br />
short, I want them to become highly responsible yet<br />
caring individuals.” 9 And the truth be told – Bilveer has<br />
indeed left an indelible imprint on his students and the<br />
academic world in the last three decades. And he will<br />
certainly continue to do so in the many decades to come.<br />
Endnotes<br />
and openness. Students are highly impressionable and<br />
susceptible to various influences and the people who<br />
have that influence need to influence in a proper and<br />
positive manner. At the same time, they need to practice<br />
what they preach.<br />
1<br />
Interview with Professor Bilveer Singh, July 21, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
9<br />
Ibid.<br />
53
Choor<br />
Singh<br />
D<br />
espite his stern and uncompromising exterior, everyone knew that, deep down, here was a<br />
judge, meticulously fair and firm, with a deep sense of justice and his responsibilities. 1 This<br />
is the opinion of District Judge Sowaran Singh, then a Deputy Public Prosecutor, who had the<br />
privilege of appearing in court before the late Justice Choor Singh.<br />
Former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong also shares the same verdict on the man. 2 The latter even<br />
had a real-life example to illustrate this principled character of Choor. In a letter written to<br />
Choor’s family, the former Chief Justice recounted an old case involving an appeal from the late<br />
Harry Lee Wee, arising from his conviction for certain penal code offences (obtaining restitution<br />
in consideration of the concealment of the offence of a criminal breach of trust). Although his<br />
application of the law, as it was written led him to “reluctantly dismiss” the appeal, Choor still<br />
made known his somewhat contrary opinion of what justice in this case should have meant. The<br />
closing of the judgment he penned included his personal estimation of how “it is not dishonest<br />
for a person to try and recover his own property from one who has committed criminal breach<br />
of trust in respect of it.” Indeed, former Appeal Judge Chao Hick Tin was quoted in an article in<br />
The Straits Times as saying how he “always sought to do justice in a case, even to the extent of<br />
departing from precedents.” 3<br />
Indeed, that example was apposite as multiple sources indicate how it was as a criminal<br />
judge that Choor seemed to find his true vocation. 4 However, one need not just take their<br />
word for it, his work speaks for itself. During the time when Choor was on the Bench as a<br />
judge, the Privy Council in England still had jurisdiction over appeals arising from the local<br />
Court of Criminal Appeal. According to the former Chief Justice, one of Choor’s “proudest<br />
moments” was when, “as a civil judge,…the Privy Council restored his decision on a landlord<br />
54
that he wrote his orders in a timely fashion, Choor<br />
dedicated long hours to ensuring that his judgments<br />
were not only well-researched but weighing every<br />
word to make sure it was the right fit. Daljeet recalls<br />
waking up in the morning during the years of his youth<br />
to see the evidence of his father’s judgment writing<br />
efforts – heaps of crumpled blue foolscap papers used<br />
by the courts in those days strewn all over the table<br />
and floor. Verdicts were written and re-written by hand<br />
till he had satisfied his own high personal standards.<br />
and tenant case…which the Court of Appeal had<br />
reversed.” It must also then have been a point of pride<br />
for Choor that none of the five decisions written by<br />
him while he was a member of the Criminal Court of<br />
Appeal were overturned by the Privy Council when<br />
they were sent there to be appealed against. Notably<br />
as well, Mr T P B Menon of Wee Swee Teow & Co<br />
writes that, during his 17 years on the Supreme Court<br />
Bench, Choor wrote “countless judgments in criminal<br />
law cases…as a judge of first instance.” 5 Of these, a<br />
prolific 105 judgments were reported. 6 The quantity of<br />
Choor’s judgments, by no means, resulted in any want<br />
of quality in them. Former Chief Justice Chan noted<br />
how Choor’s “judgments pervade of common sense<br />
and practical wisdom.” 7 Choor’s son, Dr Daljeet Singh<br />
Sidhu, attests that writing judgments was a task that<br />
his father took very seriously. 8 In addition to ensuring<br />
Apart from the respected judgments passed by Choor,<br />
one other occasion also deserves mention as it stands out<br />
for being a manifestation of the esteem with which he<br />
was perceived by his peers and superiors. This occasion<br />
is none other than the time that Choor presided over<br />
the memorable “Body in the Box” murder, which has<br />
accurately been described as “a catalyst in the abolition<br />
of the jury system” 9 for criminal cases in Singapore.<br />
After judgment was passed in this case to sentence the<br />
suspected murderer to life imprisonment as punishment<br />
for a lower charge instead of the death penalty for<br />
conviction on murder, it came to Choor’s attention that<br />
there had been a fracas amongst members of the jury.<br />
There was a clear implication that, instead of basing its<br />
decision purely on the merits of the case, the decision<br />
was actually the result of the fracas that the majority<br />
of the jury had decided to sentence the suspect on a<br />
lower charge. In the words of Choor himself: “Lee Kuan<br />
Yew sent for me… I told him about the jury. He asked:<br />
“Well what do you think? Shall I abolish the jury?” I<br />
said if I tried the man alone, I would have convicted<br />
without any hesitation…Then he (Lee Kuan Yew) took<br />
steps. And he held an inquiry; questioned the jurors.” 10<br />
Jury trials were subsequently abolished in 1969. 11<br />
Personality wise, Choor has been described numerous<br />
times as being “strict”, “much feared” 12 and one who<br />
“would brook no nonsense from defence counsel.” 13<br />
55
Another criminal lawyer, the late Mr Subhas Anandan<br />
also spoke of how “he suffered no fools and thought<br />
little about berating those who wasted his time as<br />
idiots.” 14 Even Queen’s Counsels were apparently not<br />
spared from this matter-of-fact way in which Choor<br />
ran his courtroom. Former Chief Justice Chan recalled<br />
how he was not “awed” by Queen’s Counsels and on<br />
one occasion “…(which became the talk of the legal<br />
circuit) reputedly told the Queen’s Counsel that there<br />
was nothing in the facts and the law in that case that<br />
the Queen’s Counsel could tell him which he did not<br />
already know.” 15 Another more sombre moniker that<br />
Choor came to be known by was the ‘Hanging Judge’. 16<br />
This title came about as a result of his reputation for<br />
meting out capital sentences. 17 A statement he made to<br />
The Straits Times in 1996 speaks of how this title did not<br />
weigh on his conscience at all when he reflected that he<br />
was “satisfied that [he had] made no mistake and that<br />
[he had] done [his] duty according to the law.” Daljeet<br />
recalls asking his father about these ‘sobriquets’ the<br />
media had bestowed upon him and whether he had any<br />
doubts about what he had done. He too heard a similar<br />
response from his father who assured him that he sleeps<br />
peacefully at night, content with the knowledge that he<br />
has applied diligently the law to the facts presented<br />
before him. These somewhat sensationalised titles were<br />
unfortunate as they belied the wonderful father and<br />
family man that Choor was. Daljeet describes him as<br />
a soft-hearted man with an unimpeachable character. 18<br />
After 47 years in public service, Choor retired in 1980<br />
at the age of 69. This steadfast man, who without a<br />
doubt remains “one of Singapore’s most prominent<br />
Supreme Court judges”, had not always held such a<br />
lofty station in life. In his autobiography, Choor wrote<br />
how he “had no table or chair to do [his] homework.<br />
[He] did some reading under the street light.” In this<br />
context, his meteoric rise from his first job as a solicitor’s<br />
“<br />
Few men have had a longer<br />
career marked with a record of<br />
diligent and distinguished service<br />
than Justice Choor Singh. In his 17<br />
years on the Supreme Court Bench,<br />
his comprehensive knowledge of the<br />
criminal law and procedure and his<br />
wide experience in the administration<br />
of justice has been of immense help to<br />
my colleagues and me.<br />
Mr Wee Chong Jin<br />
Chief Justice (1963-1990)<br />
Singapore<br />
“<br />
clerk at the law firm, Mallal and Namazie, to becoming<br />
the “first Indian in Colonial Malaya to be appointed<br />
magistrate” and then his subsequent appointment as a<br />
Supreme Court Judge speak of perseverance, a tenacity<br />
to succeed and an uncanny ability to seize opportunities<br />
and make the most of them.<br />
In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Choor<br />
was actively involved in the Sikh community. He was<br />
particularly concerned that youth in an Englishspeaking<br />
world might be susceptible to losing touch<br />
with Sikhism. This was the impetus for one of his most<br />
major contributions to Sikh society – the penning of<br />
a number of books on the Sikh faith. Well researched<br />
and encompassing a wide range of themes, some of the<br />
titles included Bhai Maharaj Singh: Saint-soldier of the<br />
Sikh Faith, Understanding Sikhism: The Gospel of the<br />
Gurus and Who is a Sikh and other Essays. Although<br />
he only turned to writing after retirement, Choor had<br />
already been a fully participating and involved member<br />
of the local Sikh community from very early on. In fact,<br />
56
within the Sikh community. His role in the community<br />
was cemented on 14 August 1994 when the community<br />
conferred on him the highest honour by inviting him to<br />
lay the foundation stone for the then new building for<br />
Khalsa Dharmak Sabha Temple. 21<br />
Choor passed away on 31 March 2009. He composed an<br />
epitaph for himself: “I have done my duty to the state,<br />
my community and faith. I leave now as ordained by my<br />
fate.” This pithy and characteristically pragmatic epitaph<br />
perhaps best encompassed the measure of this great<br />
man who made a lasting contribution to Singapore and<br />
the Sikh community.<br />
he is one of the founding members of Singapore Khalsa<br />
Association (SKA). He was part of a group of Sikh<br />
schoolboys from Raffles Institution 19 who in the mid-<br />
1920s thought there was a gap that could to be filled.<br />
As is explained on the SKA website, the Sikh temples<br />
discharged and continue to discharge their role as<br />
places of worship and to some degree social functions<br />
as well. The establishment of SKA saw to it that there<br />
was a centre for sports for the community as well. An<br />
additional point to note is that SKA was one of the<br />
first places, apart from the Sikh temples, to teach the<br />
Punjabi language. Choor did not want Punjabi youth<br />
to lose touch with their roots and fought very hard for<br />
Punjabi to be recognised as a second language. He also<br />
made a number of generous charitable contributions<br />
to related causes. 20 He was also a great sportsman. He<br />
played hockey and cricket till he was 55 years old and<br />
he continued to golf till 86 years of age.<br />
In retirement, Choor continued to be active notably in<br />
a number of community service endeavours as well as<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Judge Choor Singh Dies, Singapore Khalsa Association, 2009.<br />
2<br />
Jesley Chua, In Memory of Justice Choor Singh, National Archives of<br />
Singapore, 2009.<br />
3<br />
Khushwant Singh, Retired judge Choor Singh dies at 98, The Straits<br />
Times. April 2, 2009.<br />
4<br />
S K Chan, CJ’s letter to retired Justice Choor Singh’s family, Supreme<br />
Court Note, 2009; G H Tan, 100 Inspiring Rafflesians, 1823 – 2003,<br />
(Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd); T P B, Menon,<br />
Justice Choor Singh. The Law Gazette, 2009.<br />
5<br />
Ibid note 4, citation 3.<br />
6<br />
Supra note 4, citation 1.<br />
7<br />
Supra note 4, citation 1.<br />
8<br />
Interview with Dr Daljeet Singh Sidhu, March 20, 2015.<br />
9<br />
Supra note 2.<br />
10<br />
Supra note 2.<br />
11<br />
Andrew Phang Boon Leong, Jury Trial in Singapore and Malaysia: The<br />
Unmaking of a Legal Institution, Malaya Law Review 25, 1990: 50-86.<br />
12<br />
Supra note 3.<br />
13<br />
Supra note 4, citation 1.<br />
14<br />
Supra note 3.<br />
15<br />
Supra note 4, citation 1.<br />
16<br />
During that period, the death penalty was mandatory for those<br />
convicted of drug trafficking or murder. It was revised in November<br />
2012 which meant that the death penalty was lifted under certain<br />
specific conditions. See www.lawgazette.com.sg.<br />
17<br />
Supra note 3.<br />
18<br />
Supra note 8.<br />
19<br />
http://www.singaporekhalsa.org.sg/cms/about-ska/evolution-of-ska<br />
20<br />
Interview with Dr Daljeet Singh Sidhu, op cit.<br />
21<br />
Supra note 4, citation.<br />
57
Daljeet<br />
Singh<br />
I<br />
n the current stable climate, one can be easily forgiven for forgetting the moments in history<br />
when Singapore was a victim of terrorist attacks and race riots. For Singapore to be able to<br />
establish itself as a sovereign state, it had to develop, among others, a formidable defence<br />
force. Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Daljeet Singh was one of the men responsible for laying the<br />
foundation of the armed forces of an independent Singapore. 1<br />
When Daljeet was growing up, Singapore was beginning to gain autonomy from the British<br />
in home affairs, education, and law and order. It was in the time of pre-independent and premerger<br />
Singapore and a young Daljeet was in the process of realising his true calling. Even<br />
when he was in school, his leadership qualities began to show. With the support of his teachers,<br />
a friend and he helped set up the National Cadet Corp Club in Gan Eng Seng Secondary School.<br />
After completing his secondary studies, and before the merger took place, Daljeet joined the<br />
armed forces, forgoing plans to pursue further studies in India or Australia. This decision was<br />
significant as it marked the start of an illustrious career in the armed forces for Daljeet.<br />
In 1963, when Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation, the armed forces of Malaya<br />
and Singapore merged to become the Armed Forces of Malaysia. Malaysia consisted of the<br />
Malaysian Peninsula, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. With respect to defending the now<br />
expanded boundaries, the four battalions from Singapore were divided between Singapore and<br />
Johor, with two each for Johor and Singapore. Each battalion was 800-men strong. The troops<br />
were a mix of both Malaysians and Singaporeans. A lieutenant now at a young age of 23 years,<br />
Daljeet was a Platoon Commander in the 2nd Singapore Infantry Regiment (2S1R) and he was<br />
responsible for southern Johor and part of Singapore.<br />
58
platoons, was sent to the jungles to hunt for an estimated<br />
60 saboteurs in a mission that lasted three months.<br />
Daljeet's platoon killed six to seven men on its own.<br />
According to Daljeet: “We had taken an oath to defend<br />
our nation. We had an obligation to fulfill. Moreover, we<br />
were angry that we had lost our own men. When you<br />
spend night and day with them, the regiment becomes<br />
your family.” 2 This incident reflected a clear example of<br />
a man who not only carried out his responsibilities as<br />
a leader but also showed loyalty and determination in<br />
protecting the dignity of his fallen soldiers.<br />
The regional expansion of Malaysia caused ripples in<br />
Indonesia. President Sukarno was keen on expanding<br />
Indonesia’s border to include Sabah and Sarawak.<br />
He waged an undeclared war along the border of<br />
Sarawak and sent infiltrators into various states of<br />
Malaysia to cause chaos through rallies and terrorist<br />
attacks. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in February 1965.<br />
Indonesian infiltrators entered the east coast of Johor<br />
and the 2SIR responsible for that jurisdiction despatched<br />
a company of soldiers to confront the infiltrators. During<br />
a rest period for the soldiers, the tailing infiltrators<br />
launched an attack on them, causing the death and<br />
mutilation of nine soldiers. Angered and humiliated at<br />
the failure of its first mission and the horrific mutilation,<br />
a platoon from 2SIR, led by Daljeet, along with other<br />
On 9 August 1965, Singapore was left to fend for itself as<br />
a sovereign nation following separation from Malaysia.<br />
The government decided that Singapore needed<br />
to implement mandatory national service to make<br />
defending the small country the business and interest of<br />
all citizens. 3 Daljeet was one of the few men handpicked<br />
to help develop methods of training for the Singapore<br />
Armed Forces. For that, the Israeli Armed Forces, one of<br />
the most elite and sophisticated forces of the world, was<br />
invited to train these handpicked men in an Instructors’<br />
Preparatory Course 4 that lasted three months and ended<br />
with the establishment of the Pasir Laba Camp, where<br />
Daljeet was appointed Alpha Company’s Second-in-<br />
Command. 5 Being a specialist in jungle warfare and<br />
weaponry, Daljeet set up a unit specialising in weaponry<br />
called the School of Infantry Support Weapons in the SAF<br />
Training Institute. 6 He helped design the jungle training<br />
course and established an overseas training facility for<br />
the SAF in Brunei. 7 He also went on to head five out of<br />
the seven infantry schools in SAFTI. 8<br />
It would not be an overstatement to say that Daljeet<br />
played a key role in shaping and developing the SAF to<br />
what it is today. Daljeet justifies his efforts by saying that<br />
anyone in his position would have done the same: “We<br />
had taken an oath and we had to honour it.” 9 A humble<br />
man by all measures, the inspiration for his national<br />
59
“<br />
Daljeet and I have been friends for more than 50 years. I met him in 1963<br />
when I was posted to 2SIR.<br />
Daljeet was a major contributor to 2SIR’s excellent record of success in military<br />
operations, a fact that is known throughout the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). In<br />
1965, we were involved in military operations in the jungle in Johor and Sabah.<br />
Daljeet has been known to have several encounters with the enemy, during which<br />
he led his men to victory in each and every one of the battles. When he posted to<br />
Infantry headquarters, his expertise in military matters was openly acknowledged by<br />
several senior foreign military advisers of the SAF and they wasted no time in taxing<br />
his knowledge and experience. That speaks volumes of him as a professional and a<br />
experienced military officer.<br />
My friendship with Daljeet blossomed over the decades and it has remained strong<br />
till today.<br />
“<br />
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) James P K Chia<br />
Singapore Armed Forces<br />
contribution was also due to the fact that he wanted<br />
to build something for the country and society that has<br />
provided the opportunity to his ethnic community and<br />
him to attain a better life.<br />
Growing up in Cairnhill with three sisters and studying<br />
at Khalsa English School, Daljeet was not alien to the<br />
struggles faced by his fellow Sikh immigrants in coming<br />
to Singapore in search of a better life. He stated: “Our<br />
grandfathers were very poor people but they worked<br />
hard and made sure their children studied hard to<br />
get somewhere in life… Singapore’s Prime Minister,<br />
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, also made sure our society allowed<br />
hardworking people to succeed and it was fair and<br />
equal with all races in Singapore.” 10 Combining the<br />
experience of witnessing the humble beginnings of<br />
many Sikh immigrants with the success stories of highly<br />
revered and recognised men such as the late Justice<br />
Choor Singh, it only made Daljeet more determined to<br />
succeed and contribute to society. He was and still is<br />
dedicated to paying his respects to efforts made by his<br />
Sikh forefathers. He contributes as best as he can to the<br />
country that established a meritocratic system to allow<br />
his ethnic community equal opportunity to succeed in life.<br />
Daljeet retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Today,<br />
his charges are his grandchildren. However, he<br />
constantly reminds young Singaporeans of the tough<br />
times Singapore faced to get to this stage of stability<br />
and security. He may no longer be leading a group<br />
of soldiers but he is more than happy to provide<br />
important words of wisdom to anyone who comes<br />
forward to learn about his success story. After all,<br />
he has always lived by these words that “To get<br />
anywhere in life or to accomplish anything at all, you<br />
need dedication.” 11<br />
60
citizens and country. Daljeet was one such special officer<br />
who was instrumental in laying the foundation for a<br />
strong defence force for Singapore and, in doing so,<br />
has occupied his rightful place in Singapore’s national<br />
military history.<br />
Endnotes<br />
This year, Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary as an<br />
independent nation. The protection of the sovereignty<br />
of a small and vulnerable nation surrounded by much<br />
larger nations, particularly in the post-independent<br />
period, was a daunting task. It took a special breed of<br />
men to dedicate their lives to defending their fellow<br />
1<br />
Leaders are simply men who choose to bear the weight of others. (ND).<br />
Retrieved on August 25, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Daljeet Singh, June 2,<br />
2015.<br />
3<br />
Koh Boon Pin and Lee Gok Boi, Shoulder to Shoulder: Our National<br />
Service Journal: commemorating 35 years of National Service,<br />
Singapore: Ministry of Defence, 2002.<br />
4<br />
Leaders are simply men who choose to bear the weight of others, op. cit.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
9<br />
Interview with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Daljeet Singh, op. cit.<br />
10<br />
Ibid.<br />
11<br />
Leaders are simply men who choose to bear the weight of others, op. cit.<br />
61
Davinder<br />
Singh<br />
I<br />
n 1972, the former head of the United Negro College Fund, Mr Arthur Fletcher, said: “A mind<br />
is a terrible thing to waste.” 1 Adopted as one of the most successful public service marketing<br />
slogans of all time, it was geared at driving home the point of the necessity of education. A<br />
member of Singapore’s legal fraternity provided an equally compelling perspective on the value<br />
of intellectual power when he stated that: “If you want to train your mind, I would advise you to<br />
study law.” 2 Well, when this advice comes from legal eagle Senior Counsel, Mr Davinder Singh,<br />
one would pay serious attention to it.<br />
Born in Singapore in 1957, Davinder is the youngest of five children. He grew up in humble<br />
surroundings along Race Course Road. He came from a relatively structured household where<br />
his father, born in Baluchistan, modern-day Pakistan, was the bread winner. He was strict while<br />
his mother, born in Malaysia, was the complete opposite and she loved to dote on her children.<br />
Davinder lived in a neighbourhood of different races and religions. He was, thus, fortunate to<br />
be exposed to the different festivals and celebrations in Singapore early on in life. According<br />
to him, mingling with everyone without prejudice and judgment helped him learn much about<br />
people and life. This played an important role in shaping his outlook. His parents promoted<br />
understanding and appreciation of others among their five children – they had an ‘open door’<br />
policy where anyone from the neighbourhood was free to visit. They were generous, as was<br />
everyone else in his neighbourhood. This is a memory that Davinder holds dear to his heart till<br />
today.<br />
Davinder was a quiet child at home. His demeanor was, however, quite different in school where<br />
he was an active and a more outspoken student. He attended Saint Joseph’s Institution and<br />
62
is acknowledged internationally at the highest levels<br />
of government and industry. 3 He joined the Litigation<br />
Department of the firm immediately upon graduation in<br />
1982 and rose through the ranks. He considers himself<br />
extremely fortunate to have an unending stream of<br />
good work and to be able to work with the best people<br />
while serving important clients.<br />
later enrolled into National Junior College. Recalling<br />
fondly, he described his schools as places of complete<br />
freedom with an all-rounded education. It was also here<br />
that he met school mates who are his closest friends till<br />
today.<br />
Following college, Davinder felt that it was time to choose<br />
his direction in life. He opted for law, for the simple<br />
reason that it would consistently and continuously train<br />
his mind. He felt that learning law would give him the<br />
mental frame to analyse issues differently – a useful skill<br />
in everyday life. He went to the National University of<br />
Singapore to pursue a degree in Law.<br />
Today, Davinder is the Chief Executive Officer of<br />
Drew and Napier LLC, one of the largest law firms in<br />
Singapore. Setup in 1889, the firm’s calibre of work<br />
Over the last 33 years, Davinder has litigated cases in<br />
almost every area of the law, including landmark cases.<br />
Each case is different in its own way and a few have<br />
generated some public interest. These included the<br />
National Kidney Foundation scandal and the Roy Ngerng<br />
defamation case. Davinder finds it difficult to pick a<br />
particular case that he found particularly compelling<br />
or challenging. Each case impacted his thoughts<br />
and emotions uniquely. Davinder also has an active<br />
international arbitration practice involving complex<br />
commercial disputes and multiple jurisdictions. Among<br />
others, he has advised and/or acted in the International<br />
Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration<br />
Centre and the United Nations Commission on<br />
International Trade Law. 4<br />
Prominent legal directory Chambers Asia-Pacific said:<br />
“The ‘Davinder Factor’ puts this [law] practice in a<br />
different league”. He is also described as “a formidable<br />
advocate with a long-standing and excellent reputation<br />
in the market”, and as “a standout figure in arbitration<br />
as well as litigation, his advocacy is smooth as silk.” 5<br />
It is, therefore, unsurprising that he has been regularly<br />
acknowledged locally and internally as a top litigator<br />
and arbitration counsel.<br />
Most recently, he was recognised as the ‘Disputes Star<br />
of the Year – Singapore’ at the inaugural Asialaw Asia-<br />
Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards 2015. 6 Last year, he<br />
received the prestigious ‘Outstanding Contribution to<br />
the Legal Profession’ award from Chambers & Partners<br />
63
for his exceptional achievements and significant impact<br />
on the regional and international market. Chambers &<br />
Partners also named him a standalone Star Individual,<br />
a category above Band 1, for five consecutive years.<br />
He was also named ‘Disputes Lawyer of the Year’ for<br />
Southeast Asia and India at the inaugural The Asian<br />
Lawyer Emerging Markets Awards in 2014. He was the<br />
only litigator in Singapore to be named External Counsel<br />
of the Year by Asian-MENA Counsel in 2012 and 2013. 7<br />
In spite of these numerous accolades, Davinder remains<br />
humble and believes that each award is recognition for<br />
his entire team. He feels that his team members are the<br />
bedrock behind every case he fights. Without them, the<br />
accolades and recognition would not be possible. He<br />
also chooses to take such moments to remind his two<br />
sons that there is recognition for honest work and, if<br />
one works hard and passionately, the opportunities will<br />
present themselves.<br />
In spite of his busy legal career, Davinder answered the<br />
call to serve the country. In 1988, he was elected as a<br />
Member of Parliament (MP) under the People’s Action<br />
Party ticket, making him the first Sikh parliamentarian in<br />
Singapore’s post-independence history. There were two<br />
reasons he took on this challenge.<br />
Firstly, he saw his MP role as an opportunity to widen his<br />
horizon and assist the less fortunate. Davinder felt his<br />
perspective of life was being shaped by his experience<br />
as a professional working in the city every day. He did<br />
not wish to lose sight of the fact that there were people<br />
who were not as fortunate and who needed help.<br />
On a more personal level, he decided to join politics<br />
because his mother wished it, and he knew it would<br />
have made his father proud as well. His family had the<br />
highest regard for Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Mr<br />
Lee Kuan Yew, and this was Davinder’s opportunity to<br />
“<br />
I have known Mr Singh for at<br />
least 20 years, since the days when<br />
he was a MP serving the residents of<br />
Toa Payoh Central branch. We still<br />
keep in touch and meet up with other<br />
branch members for meals. He is a<br />
kind man who is always willing to<br />
help the poor and needy. Despite his<br />
heavy work schedule, he looked after<br />
the residents who queued, sometimes<br />
late into the night, to meet him. He<br />
earned the trust of the various clan<br />
and merchant associations because<br />
he was always humble. He never took<br />
credit, always praising others for their<br />
good work.<br />
“<br />
Mr Chia Ah Sah JP, BBM(L), PBM, PB<br />
Vice Chairman<br />
Toa Payoh Central Branch<br />
work with him. Following Mr Lee’s passing in March<br />
2015, Davinder explained the greatness of the man<br />
in a Straits Times interview: “I sat with and talked to<br />
this genius who, more than anyone, understood human<br />
nature and societies, who had the third eye and could see<br />
trends and dangers, which we mere mortals were blind<br />
or oblivious to, and who knew with complete confidence<br />
what was best for his people and Singapore.” 8<br />
While Davinder served as MP for the Bishan-Toa Payoh<br />
Group Representation Constituency for 18 years and<br />
did his utmost to address the concerns of the residents,<br />
his political journey was not without challenges. As an<br />
MP, he faced the never-ending task of striking a balance<br />
between his professional commitments and the needs<br />
64
of his constituency while, at the same time, ensuring<br />
that he had ample time for his sons.<br />
The famous American author, poet and philosopher, Mr<br />
Henry David Thoreau, once said: “As a single footstep<br />
will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought<br />
will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep<br />
physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep<br />
mental path, we must think over and over the kind of<br />
thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” 9 In a similar<br />
vein, Davinder has unendingly trained his legal mind to<br />
emerge as one of the brightest, if not the brightest, legal<br />
minds in Singapore, marking his life with exceptional<br />
professional accomplishments and selfless service to the<br />
nation and community.<br />
When Davinder was elected into Parliament, the idea<br />
of a Sikh MP was new to the Sikh community. There<br />
was naturally much jubilance within the community on<br />
his election. As much as he chooses not to take credit,<br />
Davinder played an important role as a link between<br />
the Sikh community and the government. In 1996, he<br />
was joined in Parliament by Mr Inderjit Singh. Together,<br />
they were highly successful in presenting the Sikh<br />
community as one that punches well above its weight.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4757704.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Mr Davinder Singh, September 26, 2015.<br />
3<br />
See http://www.drewnapier.com.<br />
4<br />
See http://www.drewnapier.com/Lawyers/Davinder-Singh.<br />
5<br />
See http://www.chambersandpartners.com/asia/person/50695.<br />
6<br />
K Vijayan, Legal eagle Davinder Singh named best dispute lawyer, The<br />
Straits Times, September 26, 2015.<br />
7<br />
See http://www.drewnapier.com/Lawyers/Davinder-Singh.<br />
8<br />
Rachel Chang, Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s lawyer, Davinder Singh, remembers<br />
the man, The Straits Times, March 23, 2015.<br />
9<br />
See http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/thoreau_life.html.<br />
65
Gurcharan<br />
Singh Sekhon<br />
C<br />
olonel (Retired) Gurcharan Singh Sekhon was literally born in the cowsheds in 1937. His father<br />
was the owner of cows and buffaloes, and had a huge farm near Aljunied Road. Growing up<br />
in pre-Second World War years, life for this little young boy was rather enjoyable and relaxed.<br />
“Before the Japanese came, we were living very comfortably. I was running around and not<br />
doing much. However, when the Japanese came, my entire life changed.” 1 The tranquility that<br />
existed immediately disappeared and the whole country went into turmoil.<br />
Gurcharan’s life took a further turn for the worse during the Japanese occupation when he<br />
ended up going to a Japanese school. The teachers were strict, uncaring and unfriendly, and<br />
they mercilessly caned the students. For Gurcharan, life at home was not any different. The<br />
Japanese raided homes as they wished and took whatever they wanted and the locals were<br />
helpless to do anything about it. However, unlike the Indians and Sikhs, life was even more<br />
traumatic for the Chinese. The Japanese were extremely brutal towards them. 2<br />
The turning point in Gurcharan’s life came when the Japanese left Singapore in 1945. A year<br />
later, he joined Saint Andrew’s School. He felt extremely privileged to receive an education<br />
from the school. The school’s principal and teachers left such a significant impression on him.<br />
He fondly talked about his former principal and mentor, Mr Canon R K Adams. “He became<br />
an excellent friend for every family in the school.” 3 He gave Gurcharan multiple leadership<br />
positions in the school, something of a rarity for non-Christians in the school at that time.<br />
While the principal and teachers played a key role in Gurcharan’s life in school, his father made<br />
a significant impact on his life at home. He father was a disciplinarian and this, Gurcharan<br />
acknowledged, made him the man he is today. His childhood experiences during the pre-<br />
66
did not want to disappoint his father. Like many Sikh<br />
families, Gurcharan’s family viewed the job as one that<br />
provided stability, recognition and respect. In March<br />
1966, Gurcharan returned to Singapore from Kuala<br />
Lumpur and went for a series of recruitment tests. Three<br />
months later, he joined the Singapore Armed Forces<br />
(SAF) and it signalled the start of his contributions to<br />
the nation and the Sikh community.<br />
occupation period, during the war in Singapore and<br />
post-Japanese occupation era laid the foundations for<br />
who he was going to become when he grew older.<br />
In 1959, Gurcharan succeeded in securing a place in the<br />
university in Kuala Lumpur. Following his graduation with<br />
an engineering degree, he found a job and remained in<br />
the Malayan capital. Working with Gammons Hawaiian<br />
Dredging Pomeroy, life for Gurcharan was, once<br />
again, comfortable. He had a stable job and had little<br />
complaints about life. However, life was to change again<br />
for him.<br />
Gurcharan's father and then-Assistant Commissioner<br />
of Police Gurdial Singh rang and asked him to enter<br />
the uniformed services. He was reluctant at first but he<br />
At 29 years of age, Gurcharan was one of the most<br />
senior recruits when he joined the SAF while the<br />
majority of the recruits were only 18 or 19 years old.<br />
His seniority and educational background made him<br />
the most obvious choice for group leader. He was a<br />
senior officer cadet. He eventually became a platoon<br />
commander. One of his key roles was getting meals for<br />
his platoon since he had access to his brother’s car from<br />
time to time. One meal contribution, he recalled, as a<br />
leader, was to buy 20 packets of char kway teow (fried<br />
flat rice noodles) for his men. Such gestures helped him<br />
to gain the confidence of the men around him. It also<br />
marked the beginning of his contributions to the soldier<br />
fraternity and he saw them as an integral part of him. 4<br />
Gurcharan’s progress in the armed forces was nothing<br />
short of remarkable. When the Singapore Armed Forces<br />
Training Institute was set up in 1967 as the first military<br />
institute to train officers and and non-commissioned<br />
officers, an Engineer Training Wing was incorporated<br />
into the plan. Together with another officer, Gurcharan,<br />
then a Second Lieutenant, was selected to attend a<br />
basic engineer officer’s course in Fort Belvoir in Virginia,<br />
United States. Upon completion of the course, the two<br />
officers and the Commanding Officer, Major George<br />
Mitchell, conducted the first Engineer Commanders’<br />
Course in Singapore from April to August 1968. 5 These<br />
officers then formed the nucleus of the Singapore<br />
Combat Engineers. Gurcharan was instrumental in the<br />
birth of combat engineering in the armed forces in<br />
67
“<br />
Gurcharan is a remarkable individual who distinguished himself in school,<br />
university and the SAF. In Saint Andrew’s School, he excelled in academic studies,<br />
sports and student leadership. He represented the school in various sports and was<br />
selected for the combined schools team. He was even appointed as the School Captain.<br />
He continued to display his leadership qualities in university and was elected President<br />
of the Student’s Union.<br />
Gurcharan had a distinguished career in the SAF and was fondly referred to as the<br />
‘Father of the Engineers’. Outside of the SAF, he excelled in sports, especially hockey,<br />
rugby and cricket. At the same time, he took on several leadership roles in the Sikh<br />
community. I am sure the Sikh community, Saint Andrew’s alumni, the SAF and the<br />
sports fraternity are proud of his achievements.<br />
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Eric Lim Teck Hock<br />
Former Chief Engineer Officer<br />
Singapore Armed Forces<br />
“<br />
Singapore. He was a pioneer of the combat engineers<br />
and he was a part of it until he left in 1984. He was<br />
also the first man from the first batch to command<br />
the Command Staff College as well as the first man to<br />
command the First Division from his batch. Gurcharan<br />
was one of three Sikh colonels in a group of only seven<br />
colonels in the armed forces – there were no generals at<br />
that point in time. Gurcharan was indeed able to make<br />
his mark in the uniformed group.<br />
Gurcharan’s contributions, however, were not just<br />
limited to the SAF. Having played cricket, rugby and<br />
hockey at the highest level, he took it upon himself to<br />
give back in a meaningful way to these sports. Realising<br />
that these organisations were facing challenges since<br />
they were new, he felt that he could best make a<br />
difference by taking on leadership positions in these<br />
sports. Gurcharan held the appointment of President<br />
of Singapore Rugby Association and Singapore Cricket<br />
Club. He was also the Vice President of the Singapore<br />
Hockey Association. His involvement in the sporting<br />
arena saw Gurcharan becoming a member of the<br />
Singapore Sports Council, an achievement which he<br />
is extremely proud of. Gurcharan’s leadership traits,<br />
honed in the armed forces, played an important role in<br />
rejuvenating these organisations.<br />
Gurcharan also played a pivotal role in the progress<br />
of the Sikh community. As the President of Singapore<br />
Khalsa Association (SKA), he was instrumental in raising<br />
its standard and range of activities for its members. Being<br />
a senior and respected member of the Sikh community,<br />
Gurcharan was asked to take charge of building the<br />
Central Sikh Temple. It was no easy task for several<br />
reasons. Firstly, it was earmarked to be built in a new<br />
location and, therefore, required significant funding.<br />
Furthermore, as the location was in a residential area<br />
and on a small plot of land, Gurcharan and his team<br />
had to overcome many obstacles to build this temple.<br />
They succeeded admirably. With the experience and<br />
68
knowledge gained from building the Central Sikh<br />
Temple, Gurcharan assisted in the building of the Silat<br />
Road Sikh Temple in Jalan Bukit Merah. He remarked: “I<br />
did whatever I could for the building of our temples. This<br />
was my national service to the community and society.” 6<br />
Although Gurcharan is almost 80 years old today, he<br />
continues to lend his support to the Sikh community.<br />
He is currently a member of the SKA Board of Trustees.<br />
For Gurcharan, the Sikhs in Singapore are a dynamic,<br />
hardworking and reliable group. He feels that they have<br />
excelled in everything they have set out to do. In the<br />
recent past, Sikhs have held many important positions<br />
in the fields of defence, medicine, academia, sports and<br />
education, among others. Sikh parents should continue<br />
to encourage their children to pursue careers in these<br />
fields. As such, parents need to support them in making<br />
life’s important decisions. At the same time, Gurcharan<br />
feels that we need to ensure that young Sikhs pick up<br />
the baton from the senior members and they continue to<br />
serve the community. Only when we serve can we fully<br />
appreciate the challenges we face and devise relevant<br />
platforms to address them so that the Sikh community<br />
continues to remain a progressive, cohesive and united<br />
group.<br />
Gurcharan’s career path was, in a way, chosen for him<br />
by his father some 50 years ago. However, it turned<br />
out to be a life-changing one for him. That single most<br />
important decision has allowed him to make important<br />
leadership contributions to the Sikh community and<br />
Singapore at the national level. It has also allowed him<br />
to leave a permanent mark in the armed forces and on<br />
Singapore’s nationhood.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Colonel (Retired) Gurcharan Singh Sekhon, August 1,<br />
2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Singapore Combat Engineers, December 10, 2007.<br />
6<br />
Interview with Colonel (Retired) Gurcharan Singh Sekhon, op cit.<br />
69
Gurcharanjit<br />
Singh<br />
"<br />
T<br />
he brightest stars are those who shine for the benefit of others" – these words aptly describe<br />
the late Mr Gurcharanjit Singh. He was the star among his family and friends – a star that shone<br />
bright!<br />
Gurcharanjit grew up in a multi-racial Housing Development Board estate at Outram Park in the<br />
1970s. At that time, the Singapore government’s promotion of racial harmony was in its infancy<br />
stage and had yet to make an impression on the people. However, to this child, the campaign<br />
was irrelevant as race and religion mattered little to him in his daily interactions. He had friends<br />
from all creeds and cultures because, to him, everyone was equal, regardless of ethnicity or<br />
class. It was this belief that ultimately fashioned the thinking and life of Gurcharanjit and<br />
which led him to spend much of his time in public and community service despite working in<br />
an extremely challenging legal profession and fulfilling his responsibilities to his beloved family.<br />
Gurcharanjit possessed wisdom far beyond his age, unlike young Singaporeans of his age. He<br />
actively participated in many conversations focusing on socio-economic and political issues. This<br />
exposure to real world issues affecting Singaporeans expanded his knowledge and awareness,<br />
something that would be extremely relevant later in his life. Significantly, it was these early<br />
conversations which planted the desire in Gurcharanjit to want to make a difference to the<br />
Singapore Sikh community and all Singaporeans.<br />
Gurcharanjit graduated from the University of London and was called to the Singapore Bar as<br />
an Advocate and Solicitor in 1998. Viewed as an all-rounded lawyer, he was a consummate<br />
advocate with particular strengths in litigation and negotiations. He encapsulated the highest<br />
virtues of integrity and honesty expected of members of the Bar. In a tribute to the memory of<br />
70
Teik Soon, stated, Gurcharanjit was “his closest legal<br />
colleague and a dependable lawyer” 2 and one who was<br />
highly committed to the legal profession.<br />
Despite his hectic professional career, Gurcharanjit also<br />
found time to serve the Sikh community and the larger<br />
Singapore community. To him, time was relative to desire<br />
– if one had the desire to serve, one would find the time.<br />
Gurcharanjit was an extremely dedicated, committed<br />
and passionate volunteer. What distinguished him from<br />
those around him was his sociable and approachable<br />
nature, and his ability to relate to those around him.<br />
His best friend and fellow lawyer, Mr Jagjit Singh Gill,<br />
remarked that Gurcharanjit “had the uncanny ability to<br />
connect with all kinds of people whatever their status,<br />
race, creed or background and it, therefore, came as no<br />
surprise that he excelled in community work.” 3<br />
Gurcharanjit, his wife, Rajvant wrote: “He was always<br />
eager to share his ideas and plans and dispense words<br />
of advice. He was also not one to hold any punches. He<br />
was always frank, forthright and true to his beliefs. His<br />
presence was always felt when he was around and he<br />
invariably left his mark in everything he embarked on.” 1<br />
To Gurcharanjit, the well-being and interests of his<br />
clients were of paramount importance. He fought the<br />
cases of his clients with a great degree of passion and<br />
confidence. He respected every person whose case he<br />
advocated. Although not every outcome was in his<br />
client’s favour, he derived great personal satisfaction in<br />
doing his best for every case he undertook. The legal<br />
fraternity saw in Gurcharanjit all the great qualities<br />
of a gentleman and a lawyer. As his fellow partner in<br />
Lau & Gur, the law firm in which he practiced, Dr Lau<br />
Gurcharanjit’s involvement in grassroots activities saw<br />
him manage a range of portfolios over the years. These<br />
included being the Chairman of sub-committees under<br />
the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council and the South<br />
West Community Development Council, Vice-Chairman<br />
of the Bukit Timah Community Club Management<br />
Committee, Chairman of the Community Emergency and<br />
Engagement Committee and Inter-Racial and Religious<br />
Confidence Circle, and Immediate Past Chairman of the<br />
Bukit Timah Zone 3 Residents’ Committee.<br />
As a grassroots volunteer, Gurcharanjit’s compassion<br />
and accommodating nature were readily apparent.<br />
Although he ended up with many people’s burdens on<br />
his shoulders, Gurcharanjit’s calming nature never failed<br />
to provide assurances and resolution to his constituents.<br />
Notwithstanding his heavy involvement in grassroots<br />
activities, Gurcharanjit always had the Sikh community’s<br />
welfare at heart. He envisioned Sikh youth contributing<br />
to the cohesion of the community and, consequently, to<br />
71
the fabric of Singapore. His engagement with the Sikh<br />
community saw him spending countless hours outside<br />
the office addressing the challenges and concerns of<br />
the Sikh community. His genuine desire to promote<br />
the welfare of the Sikh community led to his active<br />
involvement in the Sikh Advisory Board, the Singapore<br />
Sikh Education Foundation, the Sikh Welfare Council<br />
and Sri Guru Singh Sabha Youth Wing. As his wife aptly<br />
stated, Gurcharanjit just wanted to make life better for<br />
his community and the people around him. 4<br />
Gurcharanjit’s contribution to the Sikh youth of<br />
Singapore is best epitomised by his role as Advisor to<br />
Sri Guru Singh Sabha Youth Wing. He took particular<br />
pride in the success of the youth. He encouraged them<br />
to do their part for the community because he felt that<br />
the youth would benefit professionally and personally<br />
through such involvement. He believed that they would<br />
become more enlightened, compassionate and caring.<br />
With his active guidance and encouragement, the youth<br />
wing became a vibrant body which organised a range of<br />
activities to meet the needs of Sikh youth.<br />
Gurcharanjit’s relentless drive to fulfill his responsibilities<br />
in the different facets of his life was truly inspiring and<br />
outstanding. His selfless service and contributions to<br />
society were recognised when he became the youngestever<br />
recipient of the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (the<br />
Public Service Star). 5 He had earlier received the Pingat<br />
Bakti Masyarakat (the Public Service Medal). 6 Quite<br />
apart from the medals, the praiseworthy comments of<br />
his fellow grassroots members attested to Gurcharanjit’s<br />
high level of rapport, harmony and fellowship with his<br />
fellow Singaporeans.<br />
Of all his achievements, Gurcharanjit’s greatest pride<br />
and joy were his wife, his three children (Roshan, Livraaj<br />
and Jasreen) and his mother. He cared deeply about his<br />
mother who single-handedly raised his two brothers<br />
“<br />
Gurcharanjit was an active,<br />
enthusiastic and aspiring lawyer who<br />
would have achieved prominence in<br />
the legal profession. He was diligent<br />
and confident in the conduct of the<br />
cases and some judges knew him well<br />
– they conveyed to me commendable<br />
remarks about him.<br />
Aside from his professional<br />
occupation, Gurcharanjit contributed<br />
unselfishly to the welfare and wellbeing<br />
of Singaporeans and his<br />
exemplary role was recognised by<br />
the state. The legal professional has<br />
lost a valuable, balanced and stable<br />
member.<br />
“<br />
Dr Lau Teik Soon<br />
Former Partner<br />
Lau & Gur<br />
and him after his father passed away when he was just<br />
seven years old. His mother’s sacrifices in raising him<br />
motivated him to excel in all he did. His wife was the<br />
pillar of strength in his life. Gurcharanjit courted Rajvant<br />
during their days in England when they were both<br />
law students. He relied heavily on Rajvant’s support in<br />
managing the home and raising the children because his<br />
involvement in grassroots activities saw him spending<br />
many hours away from the family. Notwithstanding his<br />
punishing schedule, Gurcharanjit always endeavoured<br />
to make time for his wife and his three children. They<br />
completed him.<br />
Gurcharanjit always possessed a desire to deepen<br />
his legal knowledge, resulting in his acceptance into<br />
72
the Master of Laws programme at the University of<br />
London. Gurcharanjit was to have commenced the<br />
course in October 2010. Perhaps fate had other plans.<br />
On 3 October 2010, Gurcharanjit suddenly passed away<br />
from a heart attack. The unanticipated demise of this<br />
committed, caring and loving husband, father and son,<br />
honest, helpful and hardworking lawyer, and passionate<br />
and dedicated grassroots volunteer left everyone in a<br />
state of shock and sadness.<br />
Gurcharanjit may no longer be with us physically but<br />
his spirit and ideals continue to live in us. He taught<br />
everyone whose life he impacted that the highest virtue<br />
was how one lead one’s life. Although his life may have<br />
been short, Gurcharanjit’s life was rich, full, respectable<br />
and impactful. 8 If Gurcharanjit were around us today,<br />
he would most likely say that it was not the length<br />
of time he spent on Earth that mattered; rather, it<br />
was how he lived that counted. In the words of his<br />
family and friends: “His legacy [has been] defined by<br />
his actions that will last for an eternity, where even<br />
words engraved in stone will fade away with time.” 8<br />
Gurcharanjit indeed left us a legacy – one that will<br />
forever keep his memory alive.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Rajvant Kaur, In Memory of Gurcharanjit Singh s/o Dewan Singh (PBM)<br />
(BBM) 4 February 1969 – 3 October 2010, Singapore Law Gazette,<br />
February 23, 2011.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Interview with Ms Rajvant Kaur, August 12, 2015.<br />
5<br />
The Bintang Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1963. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of<br />
Singapore; or who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
6<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973. The medal is<br />
awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service<br />
in Singapore or for his or her achievement in the field of arts and<br />
letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the labour<br />
movement. Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Rajvant Kaur, In Memory of Gurcharanjit Singh s/o Dewan Singh (PBM)<br />
(BBM), op. cit.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
73
Gurdip<br />
Singh Usma<br />
I<br />
magine navigating an entire 40-year career through Singapore’s developing business world<br />
without undergoing a job interview even once. Mr Gurdip Singh Usma has done just that and<br />
this is perhaps one of the most compelling hints at his success as an accounting professional<br />
who made the switch to corporate management early in his career. This culminated in a<br />
19-year stint as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Singapore-based manufacturing<br />
business, Crescendas MEC Group.<br />
One of five children of Punjabi migrants from Usma village close to Tarn Taran in Amritsar district,<br />
Gurdip arrived in Singapore in 1955 at the young age of six years. His father, Mr Boor Singh<br />
Usma, had become dissatisfied with the farming life after returning to India from Singapore<br />
following the Second World War and the end of the Japanese occupation, and decided to make<br />
a home for his family in Singapore. He started a retail textile business serving primarily the<br />
Sikh community while holding down a night watchman job at the Indian High Commission in<br />
Singapore.<br />
Educated at the Anglo Chinese School, Gurdip obtained his Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours)<br />
from the University of Singapore in 1975. As luck would have it, he was among the first batch<br />
of GCE ‘A’ Level students to attend national service the year the rule on doing national service<br />
before university education was implemented, which caused him to give up an Indian government<br />
medical scholarship in order to fulfill his obligations to his country. While the opportunity to<br />
pursue a medical career was lost, the door to the professions in Singapore’s corporate world<br />
opened. Gurdip was handpicked by Arthur Andersen & Co while he was still in university and he<br />
worked with the global accounting firm for five years before being enticed away by his client,<br />
Molex Singapore, one of the largest connector companies in the world.<br />
74
in Illinois. He gained recognition for the successful<br />
implementation of this project through two special<br />
awards from the company before returning to Singapore<br />
as Regional Finance Director for the Far East region. In<br />
1990, he moved to Bangkok to head the company’s<br />
Thailand operations for two years, bagging three<br />
company-wide ‘Best in Class’ awards for highest sales,<br />
profitability growth and entity of the year.<br />
When Molex partnered a local company to set up<br />
a cable assembly manufacturing business in 1992,<br />
Gurdip seized the offer to become a partner and head<br />
the joint venture. Over the next 19 years, he steered<br />
Crescendas MEC Group (previously MEC International<br />
Group) through periods of growth as well as a couple<br />
of financial crises until the successful business was<br />
sold to a Singapore Exchange-listed company for an<br />
undisclosed sum in 2011.<br />
After just a year at Molex as financial controller, Gurdip<br />
was promoted to Assistant General Manager and Head<br />
of Manufacturing Operations in 1981. For the first time,<br />
he found himself in a challenging position – a newlyminted<br />
senior manager in his early thirties in charge of<br />
subordinates who were highly-trained engineers much<br />
older than him. Earning their respect and learning<br />
how to lead them required perseverance, confidence<br />
and fortitude. A six-month operations training stint in<br />
Japan also provided a good foundational ‘crash course’<br />
to equip Gurdip with the necessary know-how on the<br />
internal workings of the industry and the company.<br />
International travel became a mainstay of Gurdip’s work<br />
life. In 1986, he was posted to the United States for<br />
two years to develop and install a worldwide standard<br />
costing system for Molex, whose head office is situated<br />
As a producer of wire harnesses, cables and other valueadded<br />
assemblies, Crescendas MEC Group served a<br />
clientele that consisted mainly of well-known American,<br />
Japanese, European and regional multinational<br />
consumer electronic end-product manufacturers of<br />
televisions, radios, computers, video recorders, printers<br />
and disk drives, among others. Under his leadership,<br />
Crescendas MEC Group won the Enterprise 50 Award<br />
for five consecutive years from 1998 to 2002. The Award<br />
recognises the 50 most successful private companies<br />
based in Singapore. Gurdip later served as Vice President<br />
of the E-50 Club from 2005 to 2007 and 2009 to 2013.<br />
At its peak in the late 1990s to early 2000s, Crescendas<br />
MEC Group had a total workforce of 1,400 employees<br />
and sub-contractors across Singapore, Malaysia,<br />
Indonesia and China, and was considered one of the<br />
largest harness and cable manufacturers in the country.<br />
As labour costs in Singapore escalated and Crescendas<br />
MEC Group’s customers began migrating to lower cost<br />
75
“<br />
I have known Gurdip since 1991.<br />
Through the years, he has been a<br />
good colleague and close friend. A<br />
very knowledgeable person, Gurdip<br />
is analytical and resourceful and<br />
can always be counted on to come<br />
up with good solutions to almost<br />
every problem. He is like a walking<br />
encyclopaedia that can add value to<br />
any organisation.<br />
Mr Lawrence Leow<br />
Executive Chairman<br />
Crescendas Group<br />
“<br />
countries in the region, the company also made the<br />
decision to venture into these previously-unexplored<br />
markets and set up operations there under Gurdip’s<br />
leadership, thus ensuring its survival. Gurdip says that,<br />
although it was a tough decision to shut down the<br />
company’s plant in China just prior to the 2008 global<br />
financial crisis, he believes it was the right decision as it<br />
helped the company stay on track to continue delivering<br />
profits and improving efficiencies.<br />
He believes that having the ability to be nimble, knowing<br />
one’s customers well and being able to respond to<br />
their needs are important values that have served him<br />
well as a business leader. In addition, he places great<br />
emphasis on using automation and computerisation to<br />
provide accuracy, reduce manpower and to ultimately<br />
help make good business decisions. For instance, as<br />
one of the first small-to-medium-sized companies<br />
in Singapore to install the Systems Applications and<br />
Products in Data Processing (SAP), a fully integrated<br />
enterprise resource planning system, Crescendas MEC<br />
Group was recognised on SAP’s website as a model<br />
case study in successful implementation and was also<br />
the subject of a Channel NewsAsia feature on the topic.<br />
Since his retirement from full-time work in 2011, Gurdip<br />
has served as an adjunct faculty member at the School<br />
of Accountancy in Singapore Management University.<br />
He teaches Corporate Financial Management to finalyear<br />
students using case studies from his real-life<br />
corporate exposure. His course is popular with students<br />
and is almost full every semester.<br />
If he has any regrets, it is that he missed out on a lot<br />
of time with his wife and three children during his busy<br />
years. The travel demands of his job and his reticence to<br />
uproot and disrupt his children’s education meant that<br />
he could only make fortnightly or monthly trips home<br />
from the United States and Thailand. He says: “I am<br />
indebted to my wife, Amreet, for taking care of the kids<br />
alone during all these periods.” 1<br />
In addition to his corporate roles, Gurdip is active in<br />
the community. He is currently Chairman of the Board<br />
76
of Trustees at Singapore Khalsa Association and Vice<br />
President of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board. In mid-<br />
2015, Gurdip was elected as Chairman of the Sikh<br />
Welfare Council. He chaired the World Schools Debating<br />
Championship in Singapore in 2002, when it was held<br />
in Asia for the first time. He was the founding Chairman<br />
of S-League team, Clementi Khalsa Football Club. He<br />
is a former Vice President of the Malaysia Singapore<br />
Sikhs Sports Council and started the Asia Pacific Sikh<br />
Golf Championship in 1998, which continues to run<br />
biennially. He was Chairman of Silat Road Sikh Temple<br />
from 2005 to 2011 and Chairman of the Sikh Centre<br />
from 2011 to 2015.<br />
Gurdip is heartened by the increasing number of<br />
Sikhs entering the commercial sector in Singapore<br />
today. “There were very few locally-trained accounting<br />
professionals in Singapore at that time. I was probably<br />
one of the first Sikhs to be the CEO of a multinational<br />
in Singapore. Now you see a number of Sikhs in top<br />
positions and they have started to shine.” 2 He hopes<br />
they too will make a strong imprint on Singapore’s<br />
national landscape.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Gurdip Singh Usma, June 17, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
77
Gurinder<br />
Singh Shahi<br />
A "<br />
re you a rebel rouser? Are you one who wants to change the world and make it a better place?<br />
If you are, then this fellowship is for you.” That poster of the Warren Weaver Fellowship at the<br />
Rockefeller Foundation caught the attention of Dr Gurinder Singh Shahi as he strolled down<br />
the hallway of Harvard University. This was during an academic year for his Master’s degree<br />
in Public Health, International Health Policy and Management. The Rockefeller Foundation is<br />
a scientific community that promotes the well being of humanity around the world and the<br />
Warren Weaver Fellows Program comprises extremely talented individuals who have contributed<br />
fresh perspectives on the Foundations’ work in specific programme areas and they are given full<br />
support to carry out any scientific project of their choice, which would be a service to mankind<br />
and the environment.<br />
Gurinder is the eldest child in the family, with a younger brother and sister. Having spent the first<br />
10 years of his life in Orchard Road, where his paternal grandfather had a shop-house, Gurinder<br />
and his younger brother would get up to mischief with the neighborhood children, running<br />
around rampant through the flood prone streets. “We were basically street urchins”, described<br />
Gurinder, with a slightly mischievous glint in his eyes, of him and his brother, Maninder. 1<br />
Having graduated as a medical doctor from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1984,<br />
Gurinder joined the teaching faculty there. Three years later, he embarked on his part-time<br />
Doctorate in Molecular Biochemistry and Biotechnology, which he completed impressively in<br />
two years. It was about this time that he had the honorable opportunity to work with the<br />
former Dean of the School of Law in NUS, international lawyer and Ambassador-at-Large at<br />
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Professor Tommy Koh. Professor Koh was the President of the<br />
Third United Nations Conference of the Law of the Sea and his work in studying the peaceful<br />
78
including the impact of human encroachment on the<br />
local flaura and fauna in the Himalayas. “We used to<br />
pretend that our actions were so insignificant that no<br />
matter how badly we mismanaged things, the earth was<br />
strong enough to recover from the damage we created.<br />
However, evidence now suggests that is not true and<br />
we have been destroying the environment and, in some<br />
instances, irreversibly.” 2<br />
use of the seabed and the ocean floor piqued Gurinder’s<br />
interest in environmental issues.<br />
Gurinder decided to undertake his Master in Public<br />
Health at Harvard University – a decision his peers could<br />
not fathom as it was, by and large, an uncommon area<br />
of study. After successfully completing his Masters in<br />
Public Health, Gurinder applied for the Warren Weaver<br />
Fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation. In spite of<br />
being among 500 applicants, Gurinder was one of the<br />
chosen five. All of them had different backgrounds and<br />
experiences ranging from finance to public health. With<br />
his experience as a medical doctor and a background in<br />
public health, Gurinder was placed in the global health<br />
division as well as the global environment division<br />
where he worked on a myriad of research projects,<br />
The global health division at the Rockefeller Foundation<br />
was keen on tackling healthcare challenges in<br />
developing countries. The initiative it had was<br />
developing public health schools without walls. The<br />
idea was to train medical personnel working in the<br />
field on the principles of public health and to provide<br />
them with the necessary skills and education needed<br />
to address challenges in their respective countries that<br />
were largely less developed. Despite being at a tender<br />
young age of 30, Gurinder was instrumental in creating<br />
a curriculum and game plans for this initiative. “There<br />
was a lot of fun doing that as I had the opportunity<br />
to share my knowledge and exchange valuable ideas<br />
with these bright people who would, in the future, bring<br />
about change for the welfare of their environment. In<br />
a way we were grooming classes of activists for social<br />
and environmental change.” 3 He then embarked on this<br />
long road to apply his in-depth scientific knowledge to<br />
the service of all.<br />
In 1993, after successfully completing his fellowship at<br />
the Rockefeller Foundation, with exemplary standards,<br />
Gurinder was invited to join the Division for Global<br />
and Inter-Regional Programmes at the United Nations<br />
Development Programme (UNDP). He spent two years in<br />
New York, where he ran various projects in partnership<br />
with the World Bank and the World Health Organization<br />
(WHO). He worked with consultative groups to produce<br />
solutions for pressing issues occurring in underdeveloped<br />
countries, ranging from global agricultural challenges,<br />
79
“<br />
Gurinder always had a deep interest in international developments and health.<br />
He decided to travel on the public health terrain at a time when there was relatively<br />
little interest in the area. He was indeed a rebel rouser who wanted the world to be a<br />
better place. In doing so, Gurinder’s labour of love proved to a massive success and<br />
enabled Singapore to become a leading regional and global player in the public health,<br />
molecular biology and biological sciences arenas.<br />
Gurinder has played a key role in the development of several major international<br />
initiatives, and served as advisor and consultant to leading international organisations,<br />
governments, corporations and foundations in such areas as healthcare, life science<br />
technology innovation and commercialisation management, and biotech industry<br />
development. He has also been actively involved in operationalising and providing<br />
strategic and management inputs to a range of entrepreneurial enterprises.<br />
Amongst other portfolios, Gurinder is an extraordinary teacher who brings a special<br />
passion and unique insight into his classroom. He has changed the way many view the<br />
world and global health.<br />
“<br />
Associate Professor Shabbir M Moochhala<br />
Distinguish Member of the Technical Staff<br />
Defence Medical & Environmental Research Institute & DSO National Laboratories<br />
and water and sanitation issues to children survival and<br />
development. His face beaming with delight, Gurinder<br />
remarked: “There would normally not be opportunities<br />
to do something like this and I was extremely excited to<br />
be given the chance to work on these projects.” 4<br />
While working with the United Nations, a portfolio<br />
was created for him to spearhead the Sustainable<br />
Health Development Division. He was tasked to join<br />
a group that was setting up a new global institution<br />
in South Korea called the International Vaccine<br />
Institute (IVI). It is dedicated to the development<br />
of vaccines for diseases in developing countries.<br />
Gurinder spent three years in South Korea playing<br />
a key development role for the institution. He was<br />
responsible for overseeing the build up of overseas<br />
partnership links between the IVI and leading centres<br />
of excellence in Asia. Today, the IVI has grown to<br />
become a 200-person strong non-profit organisation.<br />
Gurinder was then invited by several Japanese and<br />
Korean scientists to assist them in setting up another<br />
medical organisation in Singapore, the International<br />
Molecular Biology Network of Asia and the Pacific<br />
Rim. It is an organisation dedicated to promoting the<br />
development of molecular biology and biotechnology<br />
in Asia and the Pacific region. It comprises Asian and<br />
Asian-Pacific member countries, with Singapore being<br />
one of them. The initiative allowed for the exploration<br />
of Singapore’s growth potential in the molecular biology<br />
80
marketplace. Although Singapore was fast becoming<br />
the leading light in the medical arena, Gurinder insisted<br />
that it was crucial, at the same time, to be aware of<br />
relevant developments regionally and globally. At<br />
A-IMBN, Gurinder worked very closely with regional<br />
countries in developing their biotechnology industry<br />
and this has shown significant results, with countries<br />
like India, South Korea and Japan currently being the<br />
leading Asian players in this field, and China being the<br />
leading manufacturer of biotechnology.<br />
and biotechnology arena. Gurinder was appointed as<br />
Executive Director of the Asia Pacific International<br />
Molecular Biology Network (A-IMBN). He worked closely<br />
with the European Molecular Biology Organization and<br />
with regional scientists, governments and private-sector<br />
partners. This paved the way to further develop the<br />
molecular biology and biotechnology infrastructure in<br />
Singapore. A priority needs assessment committee was<br />
established to identify top concerns of each country<br />
and areas of weakness that needed to be resolved.<br />
Singapore was part of this committee and Gurinder was<br />
the representative in developing the best strategies in<br />
improving the biotechnology industry in Singapore and<br />
around Asia and Pacific region.<br />
Concurrently, Gurinder worked as a principal consultant<br />
with Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers),<br />
a multi-professional organisation, in coordinating new<br />
vaccine introduction in Singapore and Asian countries<br />
as well as assisting local and regional companies<br />
to launch their technologies and products into the<br />
marketplace. This allowed Singapore based companies<br />
to attain a significant standing in the biotechnological<br />
As a result of Gurinder being the Singapore<br />
representative, the substantial growth of these countries<br />
proved to be beneficial to Singapore with considerable<br />
resources being available to the tiny nation through<br />
transnational collaborations in research conducted in<br />
this field. These collaborative efforts further catapulted<br />
Singapore onto the global map.<br />
Locally, Gurinder has been an adjunct faculty at<br />
Singapore Management University since 2004. He was<br />
part of a committee that developed the curriculum and<br />
subsequently taught the course on 'Technology and<br />
World Change' at the university.<br />
Gurinder always had a deep interest in international<br />
developments and health. He decided to travel on the<br />
public health terrain at a time when there was relatively<br />
little interest in the area. He was indeed a rebel rouser<br />
who wanted the world to be a better place. In doing so,<br />
Gurinder's labour of love proved to be a massive success<br />
and enabled Singapore to become a leading regional<br />
and global player in the public health, molecular biology<br />
and biological sciences arenas.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Dr Gurinder Singh Shahi, August 29, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
81
Harbans<br />
Singh<br />
I<br />
t is very difficult to get Mr Harbans Singh PS to say much about his personal contributions to the<br />
Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO). This is largely due to the fact that he prefers to speak about<br />
the organisation and its values and significance. Immediately, one can begin to see that this man<br />
lives and breathes the IRO. Ultimately, it does not really matter that he does not say much about<br />
his own efforts and achievements because they are slowly revealed without him having to do so.<br />
When Harbans was approached for an interview for this article, he suggested that it take place<br />
at Ba-Alwie Mosque on Lewis Road. One would immediately be puzzled with this suggestion<br />
since the interview is with a Sikh representative for a book about the Sikh community. The<br />
second surprise came when he proposed that it take place over lunch at the mosque. The reason<br />
became quite apparent soon after. The Imam of the mosque, Imam Habib Syed Hassan Alatttas,<br />
is Harbans’ dear friend. This was to be the first inkling that the presidency of the IRO was much<br />
more than just a post for this man. It actually is a way of life. The interview was peppered<br />
with anecdotes from the Imam on Harbans’ invaluable contributions to the organisation and<br />
Singapore.<br />
The 86-year old, who has stepped down as President of the IRO, is still very much an indispensable<br />
member of the organisation. The veteran member of the non-government organisation is still held<br />
in high regard by his colleagues. As the Imam alluded to, Harbans has the ability to bring people<br />
together. In an organisation such as the IRO, where there are representatives from so many<br />
different groups, much of their undertakings are based on consensus, which does not always<br />
automatically occur. Harbans’ biggest contribution to the IRO is his patience and his ability to<br />
be a unifying factor. There are “many different groups with different thinking. If someone goes<br />
astray, he puts that person straight. Other people are afraid to speak but he is direct.” 1<br />
82
fanfare. According to the Imam, “Harbans just does<br />
work quietly…but the results speak for themselves.” 2<br />
Apart from conducting prayers and blessings, one of<br />
the main activities Harbans is involved in is giving talks<br />
on the Sikh faith as well as religion in general. The<br />
motivation for this is based on his personal ambition to<br />
ensure that people understand Sikhism.<br />
Even today, Harbans continues to be active in the<br />
IRO. He is the Chairman of the Prayer and Blessing<br />
Committee. It comprises a team of religious leaders<br />
that conducts prayers and gives blessings at important<br />
events. These prayers are requested by various<br />
organisations for a variety of purposes, ranging from<br />
the exhumations at Bukit Brown to the F1 Grand Prix<br />
races. The religious leaders pray for safety, humanity and<br />
concerns of individuals who work in these places. These<br />
sessions are not directly for religious concerns or for any<br />
commercial purpose. Harbans is easily recognisable from<br />
photographs of inter-faith leaders conducting prayers<br />
at significant events that occasionally appear in the<br />
newspaper. However, there is also an equal chance that<br />
you will not recognise him because this prolific religious<br />
leader is so humble and self-deprecating that he seems<br />
to prefer working behind the scenes without much<br />
During the interview, Harbans showed a photograph<br />
of him smartly dressed and seated on a train with an<br />
'Assisi 2002' pin smartly pinned to his blazer. He then<br />
excitedly explained that this photograph was taken on<br />
the train in the Vatican City and the Pope was on board<br />
as well. What he failed to mention until further prodding<br />
was that representatives from the Vatican had actually<br />
reached out to the IRO and sent a personal invitation<br />
in Harbans’ name. When prompted, he revealed that a<br />
representative from the Vatican had heard him speak<br />
at another interfaith event in Taiwan some time earlier.<br />
Impressed and in agreement with the values and ideas<br />
that Harbans expressed while conducting his seminar, a<br />
personal invitation was sent to him to be part of the Day<br />
of Prayer for Peace in the World held in Assisi in 2002.<br />
Such is the extent of the recognition he has received in<br />
his field of work. 3<br />
The foundation for Harbans’ attitude towards religion<br />
and how one’s faith in his own religion could be<br />
strengthened by respecting and co-existing with the faith<br />
of other religions was laid early in his childhood through<br />
people with “strong characters” who had a significant<br />
influence on him. Harbans was born in Perak in 1930<br />
and spent his early years in Malaysia. At the Tatt Khalsa<br />
School in Kuala Lumpur, he had a teacher who created<br />
a lasting impression on him and whom he says made<br />
him the person that he is today – humble but spirited.<br />
He would have continued to have a Punjabi medium<br />
education if not for the disruption to his education by the<br />
Japanese occupation. After the war, Harbans restarted<br />
83
“<br />
Harbans is an amazing gentleman who is truly likeable, patient and yet<br />
firm. A natural leader who leads from the back, he is never wasteful with words or<br />
emotions. His vast array of life exposure and experience, along with his conviction and<br />
commitment to social causes, has benefitted both the Sikh community in particular<br />
and society in general. He has travelled widely to participate in international<br />
conferences and present on Sikhism and inter-faith activities in Singapore, Asia,<br />
Europe and the United States.<br />
Despite his age, Harbans still serves society actively and tirelessly, and with great<br />
spirit, including the Inter-Religious Organisation. He is highly respected by the<br />
Muslim community and the other faiths in Singapore. His values and qualities are<br />
admirable, and he is clearly a unique role model for the next generation in more ways<br />
than one.<br />
“<br />
Mr Syed Hassan Alattas<br />
Imam and Head<br />
Ba’alwie Mosque, Singapore<br />
his education at a Methodist institution, which was the<br />
equivalent of the Anglo Chinese School in Singapore.<br />
Harbans was an over-aged pupil and, despite winning<br />
the science prize at school, his form teacher decreed that<br />
he should read Bible studies. Although, at the time, he<br />
may not have fully appreciated what he was doing, this<br />
was an unintentional boon for him. Now, as a member<br />
of the IRO, he is able to not only discourse on Sikhism,<br />
but also see parallels between Sikhism and Christianity.<br />
According to him, the Maryada, which is the Code<br />
of Conduct for the Sikhs, states that one must know<br />
enough about other religions before one can critique or<br />
appraise them. 4<br />
Harbans is well grounded in the principles he preaches<br />
and constantly uses his own life as an example of how<br />
learning about other religions only brings good things.<br />
Having studied in Methodist schools in his youth, he<br />
came to see that religion is only about one thing – being<br />
good generally. He explained time and time again that<br />
the IRO and the activities it carries out are one way of<br />
allowing people to understand the values and teachings<br />
of each religion so that “we can understand them and<br />
they can understand us.” 5<br />
On a basic level, Harbans’ embodiment of mutual<br />
understanding, trust and friendship between two<br />
different religious factions is apparent from the<br />
sentiments and anecdotes that the Imam and Harbans<br />
express about each other. With utter sincerity, Harbans<br />
highlighted the recognition received by the Imam at the<br />
National Day awards this year. However, he did not even<br />
once bother to draw a parallel of any kind and state that<br />
the PBM at the end of his name on his name card stood<br />
for Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star). 6 On the<br />
other hand, the Imam continued to stress on Harbans’<br />
important contributions to society and the IRO. Despite<br />
the immense hospitality and helpfulness of the Imam<br />
84
throughout the duration of my visit to the mosque, the<br />
extent of Harbans’ relationship with the Imam became<br />
most apparent only after lunch when Harbans, in his<br />
typical understated fashion, casually mentioned to me<br />
that I was probably the first woman who has ever had<br />
lunch in the Imam’s private room where he lunches with<br />
a carefully curated set of his friends. Only then did the<br />
extent of their friendship hit home for me. It also was<br />
perhaps a reflection of the ease with which Harbans<br />
is able to relate to the different groups of people in<br />
Singapore. He treats everyone equally.<br />
Harbans has truly found his calling with the IRO. It<br />
gave him the opportunity to speak about Sikh values<br />
on a national and international platform and share the<br />
beauty and peace of Sikhism. This year, the 66th IRO<br />
Day was held in the Istana for the very first time, in<br />
conjunction with Singapore’s 50th birthday. Singapore’s<br />
Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, attended the event.<br />
During his address, the Prime Minister stated: “The IRO<br />
symbolises the ideal of religious harmony”. 7 The same<br />
certainly applies to Harbans.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Imam Habib Syed Hassan Alattas, August 19, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Harbans Singh, August 19, 2015.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of<br />
Singapore; or who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
7<br />
Transcript of Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 66th<br />
Anniversary of Inter-Religious Organisation on 12 May 2015 at the<br />
Istana. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/.<br />
85
Harbhajan<br />
Singh<br />
W<br />
hat will you do when you are suddenly faced with the scary unknown – a faceless fiend that<br />
seems to be devouring all in its path? Will you stay and fight or flee? Well, if you are Mr<br />
Harbhajan Singh, you will dig in deep, systematically fend off and tackle the onslaught as it<br />
comes to pass minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour and day-by-day. You will emerge a hero and find<br />
your rightful place as an important contributor to Singapore’s national cause.<br />
Nearly all of Singapore will remember the scourge of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome<br />
(SARS) that befell it in 2003. However, not many were placed in the position that Harbhajan<br />
found himself in – right on the frontlines of the battle against the deadly disease. As the unit<br />
nurse manager at the Communicable Diseases Centre (CDC), Harbhajan suddenly found the<br />
small old building crowded with patients. As the CDC did not have the facilities of a major<br />
hospital, one considerable difficulty was creating as many isolation beds as possible. Despite the<br />
fact that patients were flowing in at alarming rates, 1 at the height of the epidemic “within two<br />
hours 100 patients [could] come in,” the staff had to ensure that they kept the probable cases<br />
separate from those merely suspected of having the disease. To this end, Harbhajan recalls how<br />
his team methodically created more wards by quickly refurbishing disused wards, converting<br />
facility rooms into wards, emptying existing wards of patients who were ill but could afford<br />
to go home and then finally bringing in container wards – the latter adding approximately 90<br />
additional rooms.<br />
To discuss those days now with the benefit of hindsight and the comfort of knowing that<br />
that storm has been weathered belies the arduous times those actually were. Recounting how<br />
challenging that period was, Harbhajan explains that, as the unit manager, he had to play<br />
a dual role of nursing manager (looking after the welfare of the nurses under his authority)<br />
86
written about him and several accolades to his name. As<br />
Harbhajan started telling his story, it became evident that<br />
he takes much pride in his job and is very appreciative<br />
of all the recognition he has received. Yet ironically,<br />
Harbhajan initially seemed reluctant to talk about the<br />
SARS period because, as far as he is concerned, he was<br />
just doing his job. This response is not too puzzling when<br />
one realises that it is characteristic of the man who does<br />
not dwell on the past but rather looks forward to the<br />
future. He is always hungry for a challenge.<br />
and an operations manager (being responsible for<br />
the facilities in the hospital). Apart from handling the<br />
burgeoning number of patients, there were also issues<br />
to be dealt with amongst the healthcare professionals.<br />
In addition to this battle on the inside, Harbhajan recalls<br />
how, in the early days, public bus drivers did not want<br />
to take those in hospital uniforms on board and how<br />
taxi drivers refused to go to the hospital. The danger<br />
was real – 33 individuals, including two doctors and<br />
a nurse, 2 contracted the disease and died. Naturally,<br />
Harbhajan was highly concerned and the psychological<br />
stresses weighed on his mind. However, this stalwart<br />
realized that he was a manager and he had a job to do.<br />
Harbhajan has indeed been widely recognised and<br />
lauded as a Singaporean hero for his service during<br />
the epidemic. He has had numerous newspaper articles<br />
This is currently most evident in his attitude towards<br />
ageing and retirement. Despite having officially<br />
retired in 2002, Harbhajan shares that, in actuality, he<br />
“retired on paper but physically he has not left the<br />
hospital.” 3 He now works on an annually renewed<br />
contract basis, and his contract has been renewed<br />
every year for the last 13 years. Far from being<br />
disgruntled at the shift in the focus of his job, from<br />
being on the ground taking care of patients to now<br />
taking on a more administrative role of ensuring the<br />
welfare of the nurses, Harbhajan finds his current job<br />
to be meaningful as well. He feels that, in any line of<br />
work, including his own, the important thing is that<br />
one must feel happy about coming to work and, to<br />
this end, he explains that the social interaction and,<br />
more specifically, the exchange of learning from<br />
others and also teaching others is important. The<br />
veteran nurse is something of a father figure to other<br />
nurses in his department. In fact, in a 2011 interview,<br />
the Director of Nursing at Tan Tock Seng Hospital<br />
described how Harbhajan “is like a mentor [to us]. He<br />
watches over us and is a role model.” 4 Gratifyingly,<br />
the remarkable work that he does continues to be<br />
given its due recognition. Harbhajan received yet<br />
another award just as this article was being written.<br />
He became the first nurse to be awarded the Tan Tock<br />
Seng Emeritus Fellow Award. The Emeritus conferment<br />
is the hospital’s highest distinction reserved for those<br />
87
“<br />
An inspiring mentor, an exemplary staff and a humble man with a big heart<br />
are few of the many commendable qualities that Harbhajan is well-known for. He<br />
has dedicated more than half a century to Tan Tock Seng Hospital as one of our<br />
longest serving nurses. With his unwavering spirit, professionalism and commitment,<br />
Harbhajan has brought the hospital and nursing to greater heights.<br />
Harbhajan’s tenacity is evident in his fervent appetite to develop himself, and acquire<br />
experience and knowledge in such clinical domains as thoracic, orthopaedic and<br />
emergency nursing. He remains an astute leader with his charming ways of managing<br />
and developing people. He is an icon in his own right, not only for his wisdom but<br />
also for his unrelenting energy and passion in wanting to serve. Though officially<br />
retired in 2002, Harbhajan continues to serve in Tan Tock Seng Hospital and helps to<br />
guide our next generation of nurses.<br />
171st Founder’s Day Message<br />
Tan Tock Seng Hospital<br />
“<br />
who have made a lifetime impactful contribution and<br />
serve as an inspiration for the staff. The new ‘Emeritus<br />
Fellow’ category recognises staff who are non-doctors<br />
and it is open to all family groups. 5 This throws into the<br />
spotlight yet another facet of Harbhajan’s outlook on<br />
life – he extols the virtues of life-long learning.<br />
Although he has been in the profession longer than all<br />
those he currently works with, Harbhajan remains more<br />
than receptive to learning new things on the job and<br />
excited about all the technological changes and medical<br />
advances that keep occurring. In his own words, the<br />
system is evolving and he wishes to remain a part of<br />
it for as long as possible. 6 In an interview earlier this<br />
year, Harbhajan explained how, although he initially<br />
had “zero experience and knowledge of computers”,<br />
he is today “just as well versed as the younger<br />
ones in Microsoft Word, Excel and other software<br />
programmes.” 7 Far from competing with the “younger<br />
ones” however, Harbhajan firmly believes that both<br />
groups of workers have useful knowledge to offer each<br />
other. He is of the view that, while the younger workers<br />
are technologically more adept and are doubtlessly very<br />
knowledgeable about the work that they do, the older<br />
worker has the experience and wisdom to complement<br />
those traits. And Harbhajan does walk the talk – he is<br />
a cherished member of the nursing team at Tan Tock<br />
Seng Hospital. He has managed to remain relevant to<br />
all those around him regardless of whether they rank<br />
above or below him. This is made clear through the<br />
interesting quirk of how many of his seniors were once<br />
junior nurses whom he supervised then became his<br />
“partners in rank” and went on to become his bosses –<br />
they continue to hold him in high regard.<br />
Harbhajan is a fantastic example of the success and<br />
fulfillment that hard work can bring. Reflecting on his<br />
early years, the septuagenarian explained that when<br />
88
he left school in 1959 after completing his Cambridge<br />
school certificate (equivalent of today’s O Levels), job<br />
opportunities were scarce and most parents did not have<br />
the means to enroll their children in higher education<br />
courses. Rather, older children were expected to quickly<br />
find employment and support the family. Under the<br />
employment scheme conducted by the Public Services<br />
Commission, Harbhajan selected teaching as his first<br />
choice and hospital technician/nursing as a second<br />
choice. During the interview, Harbhajan was offered his<br />
second option. He took it up. His rise through the ranks<br />
from a student of nursing to a senior nurse manager<br />
with the rare honour of being the longest serving nurse<br />
in the National Healthcare Group suggests that he has<br />
not looked back since.<br />
When asked to name a high point in his career,<br />
Harbhajan’s quick response was that it has to be the<br />
entire journey of reaching the pinnacle of the nursing<br />
profession through sheer hard work (and without a<br />
degree). With his admirable work ethic and zest for<br />
self-betterment, Harbhajan truly epitomises the saying<br />
that “work hard in silence and let success make all the<br />
noise.” His success has certainly placed him and the<br />
Sikh community proudly in the annals of Singapore’s<br />
nursing history.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Harbhajan Singh, June 24, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Dynamic Defence Display: Everyday Heroes. August 2014. See https://<br />
apps.facebook.com/dynamicdefence<br />
3<br />
Supra note 1.<br />
4<br />
X Y Chin, It showed S’pore spirit. The New Paper, July 28, 2011.<br />
5<br />
Tan Tock Seng Hospital family of websites. Teaching Awards. Web. See<br />
https://www.ttsh.com.sg/medical-professionals/page.aspx?id=2240.<br />
6<br />
Supra note 1.<br />
7<br />
R Chan, Learning Every Day. NTUC this week, June 14, 2015.<br />
89
Harbhajan<br />
Singh Loomba<br />
D<br />
ubbed the unbeatable hockey player, Mr Harbhajan Singh Loomba, even till today, is nostalgic<br />
about the moment when his last-gasped short-corner goal enabled Singapore to beat Negri<br />
Sembilan 1-0 and become the proud winner of the first-ever Tun Razak Cup in Kuala Lumpur in<br />
1963. 1 The victory was one of the many high points in the career of Harbhajan that made him<br />
a household name as a hockey player, national coach and international umpire.<br />
The sports enthusiast was born on a land 4,620 kilometres away from Singapore – Sialkot<br />
District in modern-day Pakistan. There, the young Harbhajan witnessed the manufacturing of<br />
hockey sticks in a factory located just a few kilometres from his hometown. He fell in love with<br />
the sport and almost every hockey game in Sialkot had Harbhajan as part of the crowd.<br />
Harbhajan moved to Singapore with his family in 1949 and spent most of his childhood at<br />
his home at Race Course Road, where he played in the veranda, 2 regularly hitting the hockey<br />
ball against the wall to hone his skills. His inherent love for sports, whether hockey, football or<br />
cricket, developed during his schools days at Victoria School where he played enthusiastically in<br />
several school tournaments.<br />
Upon completion of his GCE ‘O’ Levels, Harbhajan was at a crossroad. He had to decide if<br />
he wanted to further his studies or hop onto the career bandwagon. Persuaded by a close<br />
friend who was a school principal at that time, Harbhajan joined the education sector as a<br />
private school teacher for five years. As his passion for teaching intensified, Harbhajan joined<br />
the Teachers’ Training College in 1960 and completed the Certificate in Education Programme 3<br />
in 1962. Thereafter, Harbhajan was posted to several schools, including Whitley Secondary<br />
School where his teaching career spanned over 40 long years. The dynamic individual took on<br />
90
Harbhajan was an active member of the Young Men Sikh<br />
Association which was set up for young men wanting<br />
to pursue the sport and the team played against multiracial<br />
teams across all divisions. Additionally, Harbhajan<br />
played for the Singapore Khalsa Association hockey team<br />
and received the Uttom Singh Memorial Cup from Mrs E<br />
W Barker in 1966. 5 Harbhajan also played for the Indian<br />
Association and in tournaments such as the Nav Bharat<br />
Cup in Hong Kong, clinching the title on several occasions.<br />
unique and challenging roles as a Mathematics teacher,<br />
National Police Cadet Corps in-charge, hockey instructor<br />
and discipline master. Harbhajan brought immense joy<br />
to the classroom and field, forging inseparable bonds<br />
with every student – he attends birthdays and weddings<br />
of former students even till today.<br />
When he was a student, Harbhajan would pack his<br />
school materials as soon as the school bell rang and put<br />
on his sports gear, excited as ever to hit the field. His<br />
exceptional hockey skills and dedication soon saw him<br />
being selected for the national hockey team when he<br />
was only in Secondary Four. He represented the national<br />
team at left-half position for 10 years. 4 He made his<br />
international debut at the Asian Games in Jakarta in<br />
1962. This was followed by international tournaments<br />
in Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, including the<br />
unforgettable inaugural Tun Razak Cup.<br />
Harbhajan always had a strong determination to<br />
continually improve himself. When he was nearing the<br />
end of his playing career, he decided to attend a hockey<br />
coaching course in Karachi under the United Nations<br />
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization<br />
(UNESCO) 6 scheme so that he could make a move into<br />
coaching. Following an intense two-month coaching<br />
course, Harbhajan was well on his way to becoming a<br />
first class coach. He was soon appointed as the national<br />
coach for both the men and women hockey teams. He<br />
also served as a coach of the hockey teams of several<br />
schools and military organisations.<br />
In 1973, Harbhajan, together with Mr Hardial Singh<br />
from India, coached the Singapore national team<br />
during the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games in<br />
Singapore. Even before the team played its first<br />
match in the tournament, it was beset with several<br />
challenges. Firstly, those working in the private sector<br />
were not granted paid leave by their employers to<br />
play at the Games. The drinking habits of some of<br />
the player also hampered the team’s performance,<br />
compelling Harbhajan to put in place strict disciplinary<br />
measures at the expense of compromising the team’s<br />
overall strength. However, the coaches and the team<br />
performed admirably in the Games. The Jalan Besar<br />
Stadium erupted when as Singapore created history<br />
by beating Malaysia 1-0 to bag the gold medal in the<br />
hockey tournament.<br />
91
“<br />
Harbhajan was often deemed one of the most skilful left-half players in<br />
Singapore’s hockey. We won the Tun Abdul Razak Cup in the 1960s when his steely<br />
wrist slammed home the winning goal through a penalty corner. He brought national<br />
glory to Singapore. When Harbhajan became the national hockey coach, he achieved<br />
another milestone when he guided Singapore to the grand finals of the Junior World<br />
Cup when it held Asian champion, India, to a draw. It is a feat that has never been<br />
repeated. He is also a highly respected international umpire.<br />
Away from hockey, Harbhajan still continues to serve the community in spite of being<br />
in retirement. I have known him to help the needy financially without expecting any<br />
thing in return.<br />
“<br />
Mr Kesavan Kupusamy<br />
Managing Director<br />
Kesavan Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd<br />
Soon after, Harbhajan was entrusted with the mammoth<br />
task of preparing the national junior team for the Junior<br />
World Cup. In the qualifying rounds held in 1977, the<br />
Singapore team faced intense competition from stronger<br />
rival teams. In the final match of the qualifying round,<br />
the Singapore team faced the mighty Indian team. It<br />
needed a draw to qualify for the grand finals in France.<br />
Guided by Harbhajan on the side lines, the team shocked<br />
India by holding it to a draw, thereby emerging as one of<br />
the top four Asian teams to qualify for the grand finals.<br />
History was again created. Singapore has not been able<br />
to replicate the momentous achievement till today.<br />
Apart from the men’s team, Harbhajan also coached the<br />
national women’s team, preparing it for several major<br />
tournaments, including the Women’s Regional Hockey<br />
Tournament in Hong Kong in 1984. 7<br />
Harbhajan’s progress did not end with him moving from<br />
being a national hockey player to a national hockey<br />
coach. He wanted to do more with the sport he loved<br />
so much. He decided to become an umpire. His real<br />
test came during the Asia Cup in Karachi in 1982. The<br />
President of the International Hockey Federation (IHF)<br />
and several renowned technical delegates critically<br />
assessed Harbhajan’s capabilities and skills on the<br />
hockey field in not one but three matches. Although the<br />
pressure was intense, Harbhajan did exceptionally well.<br />
He passed the test to attain the highest international<br />
coaching qualification, reaching another milestone in<br />
his hockey career. He was appointed an international<br />
Grade One umpire by the IHF. He umpired numerous<br />
international matches. Thereafter, Harbhajan served as a<br />
technical delegate at top matches in New Zealand and<br />
Malaysia, observing and assessing other umpires.<br />
Passionate to promote his favourite sport in the local<br />
community, Harbhajan organised courses under the<br />
aegis of Singapore Sports Council for both men and<br />
women interested in taking on coaching responsibilities.<br />
His undying spirit inspired several individuals to pursue<br />
their dreams and perform at the national stage.<br />
92
Today, Harbhajan is retired. However, his passion for<br />
hockey remains unabated. He has been representing<br />
Singapore in several veteran tournaments in Australia,<br />
Malaysia and Hong Kong as well as playing locally from<br />
time to time.<br />
Harbhajan’s passion often took him away from Singapore.<br />
However, he still found time to serve the community. For<br />
several years, Harbhajan served in the National Police<br />
Cadet Corps, conducted tuition classes at Singapore<br />
Indian Development Association and performed the role<br />
of a liaison officer in the Neighbourhood Watch Zone.<br />
He was recently presented with the Grand Award for<br />
Community Service, in appreciation of his 25 years of<br />
dedicated voluntary service to the community. Currently,<br />
Harbhajan sits on the Marine Parade Residents<br />
Committee and is actively involved in community<br />
development events and activities. He has also served<br />
on the Sikh Advisory Board, which oversees Sikh related<br />
issues, acting as a bridge between the government and<br />
the Sikh community.<br />
Harbhajan attributes his success to his wife, daughter<br />
and God who lent him tremendous support and<br />
encouragement in achieving his dreams. His philosophy<br />
in life is simple: “Pursue your dreams, regardless of how<br />
unattainable they may seem at first glance. Do not be<br />
paralysed by fear. Do what you love best and where your<br />
heart lies.” 8 Harbhajan did exactly that and he brought<br />
glory to country and self in international hockey.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
H S Loomba (left-half) 1957-1966, The Straits Times, February 10,<br />
1980.<br />
2<br />
It is a a roofed platform along the outside of a house and it normally<br />
level with the ground floor<br />
3<br />
National Institute of Education (N D). Retrieved from http://eresources.<br />
nlb.gov.sg/infopedia<br />
4<br />
H S Loomba (left-half) 1957-1966, op.cit.<br />
5<br />
Tan, Tai-yong, Singapore Khalsa Association, The Association by Times<br />
<strong>Book</strong>s International, 1988.<br />
6<br />
UNESCO is a specialised agency of the United Nations system. It was<br />
created more than a half century ago is to build the defences of peace<br />
in the minds of men. See www.unesco.org/education.<br />
7<br />
Women’s Regional Hockey Tournament (18th-22nd December 1984),<br />
Hong Kong Hockey Association and Urban Council, 1984.<br />
8<br />
Interview with Mr Harbhajan Singh Loomba, March 8, 2015.<br />
93
Harjeet<br />
Singh<br />
A<br />
s soon as one starts listening to Mr Harjeet Singh’s life story, the movie, Speedy Singh, 1<br />
immediately comes to mind. Like the lead character in the movie, Harjeet is passionate about<br />
sports. And as in the movie, this passion unfortunately has not been equally shared by his parents,<br />
especially in his early years. However, unlike the reel, the real is much more monumental than a<br />
film could offer. A list of accolades is tagged to Harjeet’s name and he has become synonymous<br />
with hockey in Singapore.<br />
Born to a welder and a housewife, and the younger of two children, Harjeet was subjected<br />
to a firm upbringing. This also meant tough love especially when his passion for hockey<br />
was not shared by his parents as he first began playing sports. Once in primary school, he<br />
injured his wrist while playing football with his friends under the void deck. The firm father<br />
threw out his only pair of football boots and the only pair of running shorts. However, the<br />
determined son continued playing football whether in slippers or barefoot. Resilience runs<br />
deep in Harjeet.<br />
When in secondary school, Harjeet tried his hand at badminton before he had his first<br />
shot at hockey when he was 14 years old, upon the encouragement of a teacher and<br />
classmate. The rest it is said is history. It did not take long for Harjeet to be recognised for<br />
his finesse and prowess in hockey. Less than two years later, he began his sports journey<br />
as a national player. He secured a place at the National Under-16 trials and was selected<br />
for the national junior squad. Having succeeded here, Harjeet then had to convince his<br />
parents who viewed hockey as a dangerous sport.<br />
94
Karnataka State Hockey Academy in Bangalore and play<br />
in several other overseas competitive hockey leagues in<br />
such places as Malaysia, Hong Kong and England.<br />
Harjeet, who at this time was captain of Singapore’s<br />
Asian Games squad, also played the role of Hockey<br />
Ambassador for Singapore, representing the island<br />
state in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, India and<br />
Australia. At the international arena, Harjeet made<br />
a name for himself as being an accomplished and<br />
versatile athlete.<br />
Harjeet also served Singapore by grooming the nation’s<br />
next generation of athletes. As captain of the national<br />
team, he ensured excellence on the field even if it meant<br />
he had to be hard on the players. The rationale behind it<br />
was simple as he said: “My objective was to push each<br />
player to play at his level best. I made it a point to get<br />
to know all the players and understand their personal<br />
characteristics so I knew which buttons to push. Each<br />
time I trained or played with the national team, I did<br />
my best to apply the learning I gained from my seniors.<br />
I took training sessions and matches very seriously.” 2<br />
Harjeet did very well with the junior side and soon, he<br />
found himself training with the national senior team<br />
and playing for Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) in the<br />
Premier League. For the next few years, a typical day<br />
for Harjeet started at five in the morning. He would<br />
shoot off to school, then attend training and he would<br />
only return home late into the night. Members of the<br />
national senior team attest to his dedication and grit<br />
that, even on days when he was unwell, he would still<br />
turn up to watch them train and play. Harjeet realised<br />
early on that he had to make sacrifices if he wanted to<br />
succeed in the sport.<br />
Harjeet’s talent in hockey, coupled with his hard work,<br />
also opened up opportunities for him to train in the<br />
Apart from his commitment to the national team,<br />
Harjeet also gave his time to popularise hockey with<br />
the youth in Singapore. For instance, SRC started the<br />
practice of adopting local secondary schools with its<br />
coaches leading the schools’ hockey teams. Harjeet<br />
took the lead in coaching the students although this<br />
added to his already gruelling schedule. Despite the<br />
supposed disciplinarian style adopted by Harjeet, he<br />
was clear, whether with his team or students, that they<br />
were equals on the field. Off the pitch, he was a friend<br />
to all the players.<br />
SRC's coach, Mr Jude Felix, 3 who had been on some<br />
of the world's greatest stages such as the World Cup,<br />
Olympics and Commonwealth Games, approached<br />
95
“<br />
When Harjeet joined SRC’s hockey team in 1997, he showed enormous potential<br />
and was immediately drafted into the Premier League team. His contributions as a<br />
player and eventually SRC’s captain were exemplary. The SRC team won the Premier<br />
League title for 11 consecutive years from 2001 to 2012 and Harjeet was instrumental<br />
in this successful run. Along the way, he won numerous ‘Best Player’ awards.<br />
Off the field, Harjeet is a well-liked person and he is humble and jovial. He is quick<br />
to help anyone in need and his leadership qualities have gained the respect of his<br />
peers. His passion shines in all his undertakings and it is with the same passion that<br />
he excelled in his beloved sport.<br />
Mr Lawrence Lim<br />
Convenor, Men’s Hockey Section<br />
Singapore Recreation Club<br />
“<br />
Harjeet for a stint in England. The six-month stint<br />
made him the first Singapore national player to play in<br />
England.<br />
The experience was extremely valuable. Harjeet stated:<br />
"It was an eye-opener as European hockey is played<br />
very differently compared to Asian hockey. Athletes<br />
in the former are more agile and aggressive." 4 This<br />
however did not keep Harjeet from shining. In his first<br />
match, he scored two goals for the team and, needless<br />
to say, many more during the league. In England,<br />
Harjeet also met his future wife – another victory for<br />
him albeit off the hockey field. Since then, they have<br />
settled in Australia.<br />
The rather shy Harjeet chooses to be humble when<br />
describing the types of qualities he personifies. Rather<br />
than providing a laundry list of attributes which made<br />
him a household name in Singapore and overseas, he<br />
earnestly divulged: “Nothing will be presented to you<br />
on a silver platter. If you want something badly, you<br />
96
have got to make it happen for yourself.” 5 He further<br />
stated that “I do not think I am good at what I do,<br />
because if you think you are good, there will always<br />
be someone better than you.” 6 Needless to say, these<br />
views highlighted the virtues of a true leader.<br />
Fortunately, back then, Harjeet’s determination, coupled<br />
with some degree of persuasion, ensured that Singapore<br />
eventually benefitted from a Sikh hockey star who helped<br />
to raise Singapore’s hockey profile internationally.<br />
Harjeet started playing hockey in spite of reservations<br />
from his parents who were worried about him getting<br />
hurt. He shared: “The funny thing is that, till today,<br />
even after I am married; my parents still ask me when I<br />
am going stop playing hockey.” 7 As such, his advice to<br />
parents is that they should support the passion of their<br />
children. In fact, they should learn the sport themselves<br />
so as to engage with their children more directly and<br />
meaningfully.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Directed by Robert Lieberman, it is about a young man who is torn<br />
between his traditional Indo-Canadian family expectations and his<br />
dreams of playing hockey. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1736552/.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Mr Harjeet Singh, August 25, 2015.<br />
3<br />
Mr Jude Felix started his national hockey career with the Indian national<br />
team in 1983 and eventually led the squad in the 1994 World Cup. He<br />
then shifted to Singapore in 1995 as a player and coach and took<br />
charge of youth development at SRC. See http://post.jagran.com<br />
4<br />
Interview with Mr Harjeet Singh, op. cit.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
97
Harnek<br />
Singh<br />
H<br />
ow do business units build on their strengths and ensure sustainable growth for the business<br />
as a whole? “The business excellence framework is the answer because the business excellence<br />
categories address everything – leadership, customers, strategy, people, processes, knowledge<br />
and results”, Mr Harnek Singh, Vice President and Director of Business Excellence at Singapore<br />
Technologies Engineering Ltd., pointed out.<br />
Harnek’s outstanding career in promoting business excellence has been anything but planned.<br />
He came to Singapore from Malaysia with an ‘O’ Level certificate in hand. He joined the Republic<br />
of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) in 1973 as an aircraft mechanic. The industrious young man<br />
took the initiative to study simultaneously, obtaining a Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering<br />
(Operational Technology) and Personnel Management, pursuant to which he was made an Air<br />
Maintenance Officer. While working in the RSAF, he also actively promoted productivity and<br />
teamwork. He fondly recollected that his 140 Squadron was always ranked highly in the RSAF.<br />
This was due to the critical role that “taking good care” of team members and colleagues<br />
played in ensuring peak levels of performance.<br />
As a result of his work ethic and good performance at the RSAF, Harnek was headhunted to<br />
lead the Productivity Development Unit at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Not only did he<br />
successfully push for the adoption of programmes to enhance productivity during this stint,<br />
he also concurrently served as the Secretary for MINDEF’s Productivity Committee and several<br />
other productivity related committees. At MINDEF, Harnek oversaw the implementation of<br />
programmes to engage the full-time national servicemen and regular servicemen on a deeper<br />
level and strengthen their sense of belonging to the Singapore Armed Forces. He was the<br />
Secretary of the inaugural PS21 ExCEL (Excellence through Continuous Enterprise and Learning)<br />
98
In 1995, Singapore Technologies (ST), with its stable of<br />
companies, was keen to embrace the PS21 ExCEL initiative<br />
that Harnek had facilitated as well as other programmes<br />
that MINDEF had successfully implemented. Harnek was,<br />
once again, headhunted for the job and he joined ST<br />
in 1995. He has been instrumental in introducing and<br />
sustaining the relevancy of business excellence standards<br />
in ST such as by the QUEST (Quality and Excellence in<br />
Singapore Technologies) programme. As a result of these<br />
efforts, all the business units within ST embarked on the<br />
business excellence journey in 1997. Devoted to learning<br />
and personal development, Harnek obtained a Master in<br />
Business Administration during his time at ST.<br />
Committee. The PS21 proposal, which was initiated by<br />
the Prime Minister’s Office, was aimed at positioning<br />
Singapore’s public service for the 21st century.<br />
Throughout his career, Harnek espoused the philosophy<br />
that no job is difficult if one sets his or her heart and<br />
mind to it. He proved this personal philosophy time<br />
and again to the extent that no one harboured second<br />
thoughts about the quality of his work. Accordingly,<br />
he proceeded to earn both national and international<br />
acclaim for it. He very candidly acknowledged that,<br />
right from the beginning, he was not trained for all the<br />
productivity promotion and business excellence jobs<br />
that he undertook. 1 This, however, was no hurdle for<br />
him. He acquired the necessary skills along the way as<br />
he continued to put his best foot forward and went from<br />
developing one capability after another.<br />
In 2001, Harnek joined ST Engineering Corporate<br />
headquarters as Head of Department facilitating<br />
the process of all business units embracing business<br />
excellence and working synergistically as an integrated<br />
engineering group. This yielded better coordination<br />
within the ST group and enhanced its business<br />
performance. The initiatives that Harnek spearheaded<br />
facilitated ST Engineering’s attainment of numerous<br />
awards including the Singapore Quality Award in 2002,<br />
Singapore Innovation Excellence Award in 2003, the<br />
first public listed company to be bestowed this pinnacle<br />
award, the Inaugural Singapore Quality Award with<br />
Special Commendation in 2007, and the Asia Pacific<br />
Quality Organisation Global Performance Excellence<br />
Award (World Class) 2011. 2 Today, ST Engineering is<br />
an integrated group with a global presence in 46 cities<br />
across 24 countries and is one of the largest companies<br />
listed on Singapore Exchange by market capitalisation.<br />
Productivity and innovation have been the key enablers<br />
of its success and Harnek has had a key role in it.<br />
In addition to working at ST Engineering, Harnek works<br />
closely with SPRING Singapore at the national level<br />
to promote the business excellence initiative among<br />
Singapore companies and the public sector. In addition<br />
99
“<br />
Harnek has been a great pillar of support to SPRING’s business excellence<br />
initiative since 1998. He has made significant contributions to ST Engineering’s<br />
business excellence journey, notably facilitating the organisation’s successful attainment<br />
of the Singapore Quality Award in 2002, the Singapore Innovation Excellence Award<br />
in 2003, and the SQA with Special Commendation in 2007.<br />
In addition, he participates actively as a business excellence assessor in both certificate<br />
and award level assessments. The quality of his work has been highly commended by<br />
fellow assessors and the organisations he assessed.<br />
His invaluable contributions, high competence, and knowledge are well regarded<br />
by the business excellence fraternity. He is truly an inspiration for other business<br />
excellence assessors and the community.<br />
Mr Sauw Kook Choy<br />
SQA Administrator<br />
SPRING Singapore<br />
“<br />
to helping companies assess their performance and<br />
identify opportunities for improvement, the programmes<br />
also help companies align their operations to their<br />
mission and vision, and meet customer requirements.<br />
He has played a significant role in facilitating numerous<br />
public and private sector organisations towards<br />
attaining and maintaining various certifications, such<br />
as the Singapore Quality Award (SQA), 3 and Singapore<br />
Quality Class (SQC). 4<br />
As a result of his unparalleled experience, Harnek<br />
regularly represents Singapore’s interests at multiple<br />
international fora. He has led many certification<br />
assessment teams locally and overseas for awards such<br />
as the SQA, SQC, Business Excellence Niche Awards<br />
(namely Innovation, People and Service Excellence), and<br />
the Singapore Service Excellence Medallion. He has also<br />
represented Singapore at the Global Human Resources<br />
Forum in 2006 and as member of the Strategic Advisory<br />
Group for ISO9001. 5 He was also was invited to join the<br />
International Academy for Quality (IAQ) as an Associate<br />
Academician. He is recognised as a Technical Expert by<br />
Asia Productivity Organisation and Asia Pacific Quality<br />
Organisation and has been invited to provide advice and<br />
training to various Asian government bodies, including<br />
Iran and Fiji on business and service excellence. He<br />
represents Singapore on the ISO TC 176 6 and has<br />
contributed to the introduction of the revised ISO 9001<br />
2015 version. In this process of Harnek’s international<br />
engagement, Singapore’s efforts and achievements<br />
in business excellence are evidenced by the fact that<br />
SPRING Singapore was designated as a Centre for<br />
Excellence (COE) for business excellence by the Asian<br />
Productivity Organisation (APO) 7 in 2009, this being the<br />
first time that the APO has appointed a COE.<br />
Within the Sikh community, Harnek was part of the<br />
pioneer team that facilitated the registration of Sikh<br />
Sewaks Singapore as the first Sikh youth group in<br />
Singapore. Harnek served in the Public Relations<br />
100
function as and Secretary for Sikh Sewaks Singapore<br />
from mid-1978 to early 1984. The groups adopted<br />
various innovative approaches to reach out to Sikhs<br />
youths. These included evening to dawn prayers with<br />
the use of projection screens to project hymns, public<br />
highlighting of Sikh festivals and celebrations, debates,<br />
camps, sports events and blood donations drives. These<br />
efforts inspired many to take time to better understand<br />
the Sikh beliefs and way of life. Sikh Sewaks Singapore<br />
can also be credited with organising the Veskahi Di<br />
Raat at the National Theatre in 1983. It included an<br />
all-Singaporean performance by volunteers comprising<br />
students, teachers and youth. The event was graced<br />
by then-Minister for National Development, Mr S<br />
Dhanabalan.<br />
In the early 1980s, Singapore schools began teaching<br />
Religious Studies. Sikh Sewaks Singapore started the<br />
process of having Sikhism included in the curriculum.<br />
It reached out to various learned sources, including in<br />
the United Kingdom, to develop a quality curriculum<br />
benchmarked against similar programmes to ensure<br />
quality and consistency. The group then organised a<br />
Sikh Studies Forum and invited various stakeholders<br />
to discuss the proposed curriculum. The proposed<br />
curriculum was presented to the Ministry of Education<br />
and Sikh Studies was introduced in schools in 1983.<br />
The sincerity with which Harnek has always approached<br />
his commitments is truly inspiring. It is this sincerity<br />
that has allowed him to become a leader in business<br />
excellence and make his mark at the national and<br />
international levels.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Harnek Singh, June 26, 2015.<br />
2<br />
The GPEA is administered by the APQO. It is a non-profit organisation<br />
that serves as an umbrella group that brings together all of the leading<br />
quality professional societies from countries that border on the Pacific<br />
Ocean or are considered Asian/Pacific Rim nations. See http://www.apqo.<br />
org/gpea_profile_cycle2016.htm.<br />
3<br />
The SQA is the highest national award given to organisations which have<br />
achieved all-round business excellence. See http://www.spring.gov.sg/<br />
Building-Trust/Business-Excellence/.<br />
4<br />
The SQC is national recognition for organisations with management<br />
systems and processes in place to achieve all-round business excellence.<br />
See https://www.enterpriseone.gov.sg/.<br />
5<br />
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9001 is the title<br />
of a document (standard) that outlines the requirements an organisation<br />
must maintain in their quality system for ISO 9001 certification. There are<br />
several different documents in the ISO 9000 family of standards, but ISO<br />
9001-2008 is the only ISO standard that requires certification. See www.<br />
iso9001.com/.<br />
6<br />
The ISO/TC 176 is Technical Committee 176 of the ISO responsible for<br />
quality management and quality assurance – the ISO 9000 family of<br />
standards. See www.iso.org/iso/iso_technical_committee.<br />
7<br />
The APO was established on 11 May 1961 as a regional intergovernmental<br />
organisation which promotes productivity for sustainable<br />
socio-economic development. See http://www.apo-tokyo.org.<br />
101
Harpajan<br />
Singh Dhillon<br />
S<br />
ingapore has always been a football loving nation. Be it a match between Manchester United<br />
and Liverpool or a match between Singapore and Malaysia, thousands of Singaporeans will<br />
watch these matches with avid and undivided attention. Often times, they remain oblivious<br />
to the unsung hero of any match – the referee. These are the men who are responsible for<br />
presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on-the-fly decisions that<br />
enforce the rules of the sport. Singapore had its fair share of great referees throughout its short<br />
sports history. Mr Harpajan Singh Dhillon, Singapore’s first turbaned Sikh referee, counts among<br />
one of them.<br />
Harpajan was born in Singapore in 1934. He began his education at McNair Primary School.<br />
However, his studies were disrupted by the Second World War. Following the war, he resumed<br />
his education at Rangoon Road Primary School. He then enrolled at Victoria School.<br />
After his GCE ‘O’ Level examinations, Harpajan wanted to further his studies. However,<br />
faced with pressure from his parents to find a job, he decided to join the police force. As<br />
the interview for that job was some months away, he took up teaching instead at Bartley<br />
Primary School in 1954. Besides teaching, he was also in charge of the football extracurricular<br />
activity (ECA). After eight years, he was transferred to Telok Kurau West Primary.<br />
Again, he was put in charge of the football ECA. While at Telok Kurau, he had his first taste<br />
of success when his team won the ‘A’ Division and post-primary titles. During this period,<br />
Harpajan was encouraged to go for upgrading courses so that he could better manage the<br />
team. One of these courses was a referee course and, in 1962, Harpajan received his Class<br />
102
the governing world body for all national football<br />
associations, which also manages and sets guidelines<br />
for international referees. In 1969, Harpajan reached<br />
the pinnacle when he was appointed a FIFA referee. This<br />
was a huge accomplishment for Singapore as Harpajan<br />
was one of Singapore’s youngest FIFA referees. To him,<br />
it was also a personal accomplishment as he became<br />
the only turbaned Sikh referee in the world then, and<br />
would go on to be so for several years more.<br />
3 Referee Certificate. His subsequent school posting<br />
was to Serangoon Garden Technical School where he<br />
continued to play a big part in managing the school<br />
football team while refereeing matches in that area.<br />
One of the star players in his school was his captain,<br />
Mr Samad Allapitchay, who went on to captain the<br />
Singapore national football team for many years.<br />
While refereeing for the schools, he also refereed<br />
the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) matches.<br />
The experience was extremely useful. Between 1962<br />
and 1967, Harpajan was upgraded several times and<br />
reached the rank of Class 1 Referee. However, Harpajan<br />
wanted more and decided to become an international<br />
referee. This accreditation could only come from the<br />
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA),<br />
Harpajan was the Honorary Secretary of the Football<br />
Referees’ Association of Singapore (FRAS) for about 10<br />
years. While FAS chose the referees for all the matches,<br />
FRAS ensured that all referees had equal opportunity<br />
to officiate a match. In 1975, Harpajan became<br />
President of FRAS. During his tenure, he implemented<br />
several measures to improve the quality and standard<br />
of referees as well as to enable them to have greater<br />
representation in FAS. One of the key initiatives was<br />
ensuring the referees had sufficient referee assignments.<br />
During that time, the bigger teams only preferred a<br />
selected few referees. As a result, some referees hardly<br />
had any assignments in a month while some had as<br />
many as three or more assignments. 1 Harpajan and<br />
his committee members addressed the imbalance and<br />
ensured that all registered referees had at least two<br />
assignments a month.<br />
On top of that, Harpajan strongly believed that the<br />
referees needed to be well trained and they had to<br />
know the rule book from cover to cover. He organised<br />
frequent courses and quizzes for the referees within the<br />
organisation. FRAS also competed with other national<br />
referee associations to see how the Singapore referees<br />
fared against their counterparts from neighbouring<br />
countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. 2 His leadership<br />
raised the standard and profile of FRAS as it became a<br />
more professional and well respected outfit.<br />
103
During the 1960s and 1970s, it was not uncommon<br />
for players or fans to assault the referees due to their<br />
unhappiness over their decisions. Harpajan himself<br />
was assaulted or confronted by unhappy players. One<br />
significant incident happened during his refereeing<br />
of the match between Malacca and Selangor in the<br />
Malaysia Cup 1976. The latter side was led Malaysian’s<br />
football captain, Soh Chin Ann. His unhappiness with<br />
a decision by Harpajan resulted in him deliberately<br />
kicking the ball at the referee. Although he regretted his<br />
decision afterwards, Chin Ann was banned from football<br />
for a year. Harpajan felt that the decision, though harsh,<br />
was necessary as it showed the players that they could<br />
not accost the referees and expect to get off lightly,<br />
regardless of whoever they were. 3<br />
During his presidency, FRAS worked closely with FAS and<br />
other football associations to ensure that the referees<br />
could do their job in a safe environment and supported<br />
the idea of firm but fair punishments for infringements.<br />
On his part, Harpajan took the effort to conduct lectures<br />
for the players on the laws of the game so that they<br />
could better understand the referee’s decisions during<br />
matches. Such efforts helped to drastically reduce the<br />
assaults on referees.<br />
In 1984, Harpajan decided to retire from refereeing<br />
after years of outstanding service. He was 50 years old<br />
then. As a result of FIFA’s age restriction of 50 years<br />
for international referees, Harpajan could not referee<br />
any international tournament. However, he could have<br />
continued refereeing locally but he chose to hang up<br />
his boots. By then, Harpajan had created a national and<br />
international reputation for himself. He had refereed<br />
in major tournaments such as the Olympics qualifiers,<br />
World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup in 1974.<br />
One of Harpajan’s most unfortunate moments as a<br />
referee was when he was excluded from the referees’<br />
“<br />
Regarded as one of the finest<br />
pioneer FIFA referees during his era,<br />
H S Dhillon, as he is affectionately<br />
called, refereed numerous international<br />
games in Singapore and<br />
abroad. As an international referee,<br />
he was strict but firm and fair. Being<br />
an elite referee, he was bestowed with<br />
numerous awards and accolades,<br />
which he truly deserved.<br />
He was elected president of FRAS<br />
which he led for almost three decades.<br />
Under his able leadership, FRAS<br />
flourished to even greater heights.<br />
His distinctive, eloquent personality<br />
and historical role created a legacy<br />
that endures till the present time.<br />
Mr K S Maniam<br />
Former Class 1 Referee and<br />
Former Secretary, FRAS<br />
“<br />
list for the Asian Games in 1982. He had high hopes<br />
as he had been performing admirably at the point<br />
in time. However, while he was refereeing a match<br />
during the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines,<br />
he badly injured his ankle. In an effort to recover as<br />
soon as possible, Harpajan pushed himself hard during<br />
rehabilitation. Unfortunately, in spite of his best efforts,<br />
he was not able to recover in time and had to miss the<br />
Asian Games and with that, the opportunity to put<br />
another tournament in his already impressive list.<br />
Today, Harpajan finds the game of football and<br />
refereeing a totally different proposition. The array of<br />
104
technology available as well as the updated FIFA and<br />
FAS guidelines put a lot more pressure on the men in<br />
the middle but these have also enabled them to have<br />
greater support in making the correct decisions. At<br />
the same time, the football field has become a safer<br />
environment for referees since there are cameras all<br />
over the stadium. The introduction of additional referee<br />
assistants and goal-line technology has only made<br />
the task of the referee more efficient. However, at the<br />
end of the day, the referee must ensure that he is the<br />
right man to officiate the match. In this respect, a good<br />
referee must have the 3 ‘Fs’ – Fit, Fair and Firm. He<br />
or she should always be fit and healthy so that he or<br />
she is always abreast of the play. The decision should<br />
always be unbiased and there should be no personal<br />
affiliations during a match. Lastly, the referee should<br />
always anticipate the fouls and mete out firm but fair<br />
punishment.<br />
Harpajan took the path less travelled by most Sikh<br />
sportsmen then when he decided to focus on football<br />
instead of hockey. As a referee, he was extremely<br />
dedicated and hardworking, and he was always ready<br />
to represent Singapore when duty called. He not only<br />
created history as the first turbaned Sikh referee from<br />
Singapore on the world stage but he also changed the<br />
face of refereeing in Singapore. Well, hockey’s loss was<br />
football’s gain – and it certainly gained immensely from<br />
this man in black!<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Percy Seneviratne, There’s only one word for this situation: Shambles.<br />
The Straits Times, August 22, 1978.<br />
2<br />
Bernard Pereira, Referees in Bangkok Contest, The Straits Times,<br />
December 6, 1979.<br />
3<br />
Chin Ann Banned, Sunday Nation, March 25, 1976.<br />
105
Hernaikh<br />
Singh<br />
A<br />
filial son, a supportive husband, a doting father, an affable uncle, a caring brother, Head of the<br />
South Asia and Southeast Asia Desks at Singapore Management University (SMU), a pioneer<br />
member of Young Sikh Association (Singapore) [YSA] – these are just a few of the many roles<br />
that Mr Hernaikh Singh currently has on his personal and professional resumè.<br />
The youngest son amongst four children, Hernaikh grew up in a humble household – a village<br />
in the vicinity of Kampung Glam. Having lost his father at a young age, his siblings and he had<br />
a difficult childhood. Despite the challenges, he vividly remembers that some of his fondest<br />
memories were from his early years.<br />
Contrary to his achievements in life, Hernaikh was a late starter. In his early years, he was more<br />
athletically inclined and actively participated in his schools’ hockey and football teams. However, he<br />
seriously began to focus on his studies when he had to contend with a Sikh teacher in secondary<br />
school – Mr Harbhajan Singh Loomba. Not only was Mr Loomba his form teacher, he was also the<br />
school’s disciplinary teacher. He was strict and ensured that Hernaikh did not slip behind in his<br />
studies. Today, they are good friends and often joke about the good old days. Upon completing his ‘A’<br />
Levels in Jurong Junior College, Hernaikh went on to pursue his Bachelor of Arts and, subsequently,<br />
his Master of Arts (Southeast Asian Studies) from the National University of Singapore, where he<br />
received the Dr Benjamin Batson gold medal for being the top student in his cohort.<br />
Hernaikh started his career with the then-Trade Development Board (TDB) in 1989 and moved<br />
on to fulfilling various roles at the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) from 1994 to 2004. 1<br />
106
Ishtiaq Ahmed, probably best sums up Hernaikh’s role in<br />
ISAS’ growth when he said in his book that he is “greatly<br />
indebted to Hernaikh Singh. He was the bedrock of the<br />
ISAS Administration.” 2<br />
Thereafter, he started his stint with the Institute of South<br />
Asian Studies (ISAS), an experience that he considers<br />
the most wonderful of his working life.<br />
ISAS was set up in July 2004 and Hernaikh was effectively<br />
its first employee. Being new, ISAS had to measure up<br />
fast with the other established institutes. Less than six<br />
months after its formation, the Institute had a new<br />
logo, corporate literature, website and newsletter. It<br />
then held its inaugural signature conference where it<br />
was also officially launched. Hernaikh vividly remembers<br />
burning the midnight oil to ensure that the Institute<br />
started on the most promising footing. It has come a<br />
long way since its beginning and is now a known brand<br />
in the academic fraternity locally and in South Asia.<br />
Hernaikh played a key role in its development in the five<br />
years that he was there. His former colleague, Professor<br />
In 2010, Hernaikh bid adieu to ISAS and took on the role<br />
of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Singapore<br />
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI)<br />
– the first Sikh CEO of the 86-year old institution. At<br />
SICCI, he set about revamping its corporate image to<br />
make it more relevant to its members. He came up with<br />
a newly-designed newsletter, revamped the website,<br />
refined the corporate logo, designed the logos for each<br />
of the subsidiaries and re-presented the Annual Report.<br />
Almost immediately, the corporate image of SICCI<br />
underwent a transformational change. Hernaikh also<br />
had to shift his attention to internal policies. He spent<br />
much time focusing on improving employee welfare.<br />
He introduced a number of staff benefits, including a<br />
comprehensive employee booklet, organised events and<br />
trips to encourage team bonding and, played a handson<br />
role at SICCI’s events. His outlook on staff welfare:<br />
“Once you succeed winning over the staff, it becomes<br />
easy meeting the needs of clients and constituents”<br />
proved to be his winning formula and SICCI witnessed a<br />
sea change under his tenure.<br />
Hernaikh left SICCI to join SMU in late 2012 and he<br />
is currently Head of the South Asia and Southeast Asia<br />
Desks at the International Office. Here, he is instrumental<br />
in developing SMU’s brand name in the two regions<br />
through partnerships with academic institutions and<br />
corporates.<br />
There is little doubt that his professional stints at TDB,<br />
SIF, ISAS, SICCI and SMU played a significant part in<br />
Hernaikh’s contributions to the country – locally and<br />
internationally. However, his greatest contribution to<br />
the national landscape was perhaps borne out of his<br />
107
“<br />
I have known Hernaikh for around two decades now. We worked closely when<br />
he was with SIF, promoting Singapore’s internationalisation efforts. We continued<br />
our working relationship when I became Chairman of Mercy Relief. Hernaikh has a<br />
strong sense of service to his community and Singapore society. He has been actively<br />
participating in various national-level initiatives.<br />
When he decided to set up YSA, it came as no surprise to me really! He strongly<br />
believed that young Sikhs needed to plug into national discourse so that they not<br />
only contribute actively to Singapore society but also benefit professionally and<br />
personally from their participation. He has been able to make a telling contribution<br />
to the national landscape through YSA as well as in his professional capacity over the<br />
years.<br />
“<br />
Mr Zulkifli Baharudin<br />
Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and<br />
Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Singapore<br />
passion in wanting to serve the community and the less<br />
fortunate. It was this passion that propelled his group<br />
of committed friends and him to launch YSA, a nonprofit<br />
organisation dedicated to fulfilling the aspirations<br />
of young Singaporeans. He was elected the founding<br />
president and remained in this position till 2012.<br />
He was instrumental for what YSA has become today<br />
– an integral part of the Sikh community and youth<br />
landscape in Singapore.<br />
Over the last decade, YSA planned, executed and<br />
delivered a myriad of events and activities to get youth<br />
involved in the Sikh community and on the national<br />
stage. Under his term, YSA initiated, or was directly<br />
involved in, more than 120 activities or programmes.<br />
This amounted to approximately one event per month,<br />
a phenomenal feat given that the activities and<br />
programmes were spearheaded by YSA’s Executive<br />
Committee, comprising entirely of volunteers.<br />
Under Hernaikh’s leadership, YSA can be credited<br />
with many firsts. It initiated the Ministerial Dialogue<br />
to provide the opportunity for young Singaporeans<br />
to engage Singapore ministers in frank and open<br />
discussions. It also launched the Khwaish Lecture<br />
series in which eminent local and international<br />
personalities are invited to share their views on local<br />
and international developments. YSA is the only<br />
Sikh organisation in Singapore that has undertaken<br />
community service projects in India annually. The<br />
much-lauded Khwaish projects are in their 15th<br />
year. The Khwaish projects have not only received<br />
tremendous support and recognition from the Sikh<br />
community and youth organisations but also from<br />
Singapore’s Prime Minister. 3 Through the annual<br />
Sikh Graduates Tea Reception, YSA initiated the<br />
practice of celebrating the educational achievements<br />
of young Sikhs. It also started the ‘Racial Harmony’<br />
football tournament to foster better understanding<br />
across the ethnic groups through fun and sport.<br />
108
Singapore played host to a Regional Bhangra<br />
Competition for the first time when YSA organised a<br />
major multi-ethnic regional competition involving six<br />
top bhangra dance teams from across Australia, India,<br />
Malaysia and Singapore. YSA also took bhangra to the<br />
heartlands of Singapore through Bhangra Bonanza to<br />
showcase the rich, vibrant and colourful Punjabi culture<br />
and tradition to the wider Singapore society. The less<br />
fortunate has always been a key pre-occupation of YSA<br />
under Hernaikh’s tenure. It organised charity events such<br />
as visits to children and aged homes, fund-raising for<br />
needy Singaporeans as well as for victims of disasters<br />
overseas, and refurbishing and painting the homes of<br />
low-income families.<br />
Apart from YSA, Hernaikh has also contributed to<br />
community and public service in several other notable<br />
ways. Unknown to many, he was Aide-de-camp to both<br />
President S R Nathan and President Ong Teng Cheong<br />
– a special honour he holds dear. He was also a member<br />
of the Feedback Groups on Community Development<br />
and Political Development; the Programme Quality<br />
Resource Panel of OLI 96.8 FM of the Radio Corporation<br />
of Singapore; and the Economic Planning Committee<br />
(Ministry of Trade and Industry). At the same time,<br />
he was a member of the Taxpayer Feedback Panel<br />
of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore; the<br />
Youth Network Committee (National Youth Council);<br />
and the Singapore Youth Award Selection Panel on<br />
Entrepreneurship). Currently, he keeps his association<br />
with ISAS through his appointment as an Associate<br />
Member.<br />
Hernaikh’s passion and drive to never stop learning<br />
and to continually give back to his community and<br />
society have created a sweet recipe for success for<br />
him. A down-to-earth individual, his humility comes<br />
as a breath of fresh air, as he explains animatedly<br />
how his favourite thing is to “spend time with my<br />
stress relievers (my children).” However, on a more<br />
serious note, his rationale for contribution to the Sikh<br />
community and Singapore society is that he wants<br />
to leave the world a better place for his children’s<br />
generation and beyond.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
SMU Provost team, http://provost.smu.edu.sg/about-office-provost/team.<br />
2<br />
Ishtiaq Amed, Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia, Routledge,<br />
United Kingdom, 2011.<br />
3<br />
Mr Zainul Abidin graces certificate presentation ceremony for Project<br />
Khwaish VII, Khwaish, Young Sikh Association’s newsletter, April 2008.<br />
109
Inderjit<br />
Singh<br />
H<br />
e is the son of a watchman and lived in simple and sparsely decorated quarters in the factory<br />
where his father worked. However, his determination to succeed in life saw him overcome all<br />
odds to become one the most successful Sikh entrepreneurs in Singapore and the country’s<br />
longest-serving Sikh parliamentarian.<br />
Mr Inderjit Singh grew up in a Malay village near Jalan Eunos. Like most families then, the choice<br />
of his primary school was determined by its proximity to home. Being a predominantly Malay<br />
school, it was no surprise that Inderjit was the only non-Malay in his class in Kaki Bukit Primary<br />
School. He had much fun then. He recounted: “Every time Hari Raya Puasa came, I spent the<br />
whole day visiting my friends’ homes and collecting ‘ang pows’ 1 from each household. It was<br />
a very fun thing to do". 2 To him, the village was one big happy family.<br />
Following his education in Broadrick Secondary School, Inderjit entered Temasek Junior College.<br />
He then went on to pursue his Bachelors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Nanyang<br />
Technological University (NTU). He graduated with honours from the university in 1985. After<br />
earning his bachelor’s degree, Inderjit enrolled in the University of Strathclyde in Scotland where<br />
he received his Master in Business Administration in 1991.<br />
Inderjit started his career as an Engineer with Texas Instruments in 1985. He climbed the<br />
corporate ladder to become the Director of Operations of the Singapore plant from 1996 to<br />
1998. After 13 years, he left the company and began a career of entrepreneurship. He founded<br />
the United Test and Assembly Center (UTAC), a semi-conductor firm, in 1998, with his Taiwanese<br />
friends. UTAC was a S$2 billion company with more than 1,000 employees when he left in 2001.<br />
In 1997, together with his brothers, Inderjit started Tri-Star, a consumer electronics distribution<br />
110
the university’s Enterprise Committee, which is tasked<br />
to oversee entrepreneurship education and enterprise<br />
development in the university.<br />
In 1984, Inderjit became an active grassroots leader<br />
at the age of 24 years. Less than three years later, he<br />
was appointed the Residents’ Community Chairman.<br />
In the mid-1990s, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Minister<br />
for Community Development, Youth and Sports,<br />
and a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedok Group<br />
Representation Constituency (GRC), persuaded Inderjit<br />
to take his service to the next level by considering politics<br />
and becoming an MP. Adopting the belief that politics<br />
is national service at a different level, Inderjit decided<br />
to enter politics in 1996 under the banner of the ruling<br />
People’s Action Party (PAP) at Ang Mo Kio GRC, which<br />
is helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 3 Inderjit<br />
served four terms in Parliament and stepped down in<br />
2015.<br />
and services company, by pouring in much of their<br />
family's savings. Today, the company can be counted as<br />
one of the largest distributors of electronic products in<br />
Africa, with presence in more than 39 countries. It has<br />
its own offices in 12 countries and continues to grow<br />
its local presence in Africa. In 2001, Inderjit started his<br />
second high-technology company, Infiniti Solutions,<br />
based in the Silicon Valley, which he still currently runs.<br />
Inderjit and his brothers attribute their entrepreneurial<br />
spirit to their mother, who was the first entrepreneur<br />
in the house when she ran her own small business to<br />
supplement their family income.<br />
The desire to be involved in community service started<br />
early for Inderjit. While in NTU, he founded the Electrical<br />
and Electronics Engineering Club and was the first<br />
chair of the Students Union Council. Today, Inderjit is<br />
a member of NTU’s Board of Trustees. He also chairs<br />
During his term in parliament, Inderjit was known to be<br />
a frank and vocal MP. He questioned and challenged<br />
policy proposals in the strong belief that only through<br />
rigorous discussions and debate can the best policies be<br />
developed. He was also not afraid to make suggestions<br />
that were not always in tandem with the general<br />
consensus among his fellow parliamentarians. He stated<br />
that: “I had to present my arguments to our Ministers<br />
and that was not always an easy thing to do. At times,<br />
their unhappiness with me was quite visible” 4 . While the<br />
welfare and well-being of his constituents was foremost<br />
on his mind, he also spoke passionately on issues that<br />
had broader implications for the Singapore society. The<br />
two debates that he will probably be most remembered<br />
for in Parliament are on the ‘Population White Paper’ 5<br />
during which he argued against the target population<br />
size and contended that the government’s approach<br />
towards it needed to change, and his opposition to<br />
‘Early Streaming’ in schools where he also proposed<br />
111
emoving it altogether from primary school. For the<br />
former, Inderjit won many admirers for speaking openly<br />
and passionately on a highly sensitive issue. In the case<br />
of the latter, he faced many hurdles, including battling<br />
several Ministers. Despite the slow progress initially,<br />
Inderjit noted proudly that things have since changed<br />
significantly.<br />
Inderjit also actively pursued policy changes to create<br />
a more conducive business environment for small and<br />
medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship in<br />
Singapore. He felt that many of the pro-business policies<br />
focused on the multinationals and government-linked<br />
companies. There was a strong need to nurture home<br />
grown enterprises for long-term economic sustainability.<br />
He took the lead in driving the transformation of the<br />
entrepreneurship landscape in Singapore to better<br />
support SMEs and start-ups. His efforts bore fruits<br />
with the creation of numerous financing schemes by<br />
government agencies such as SPRING Singapore. He,<br />
in fact, chaired the Investment Committee of SPRING<br />
Startup Enterprise Development Scheme, a government<br />
fund which invests in early-stage start-ups. He was<br />
the Deputy Chairman of the Action Community for<br />
Entrepreneurship, a national movement responsible for<br />
spearheading entrepreneurship development, for seven<br />
years. He also served as President of the Singapore<br />
Chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs, a network of<br />
entrepreneurs and professionals founded in 1992<br />
in Silicon Valley, California. At the moment, he is the<br />
co-President of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, a<br />
world organisation dedicated to the development of<br />
entrepreneurship around the world. Inderjit is also an<br />
inventor with three patents to his name.<br />
Staying true to his passion of helping the community,<br />
Inderjit has contributed significantly to the Sikh<br />
community in a myriad of ways. Unknown to many,<br />
behind closed doors, he debated with then-Singapore’s<br />
“<br />
Inderjit has been extremely<br />
successful because he wears his heart<br />
on his sleeve. He is honest, committed<br />
and dedicated to his work. He always<br />
has the welfare of his constituents<br />
in particular and Singaporeans in<br />
general in his mind. The ready stream<br />
of people during the meet-the-people<br />
sessions, many more meetings in the<br />
office with persons and groups and<br />
greetings from people on the street is<br />
a strong endorsement of the people’s<br />
tremendous respect and trust in him<br />
to make life better.<br />
“<br />
Mr Tan Tau Chang<br />
Long-term working colleague<br />
Education Minister on providing recognition to the five<br />
non-Tamil languages, namely, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati,<br />
Bengali and Urdu, and extending financial support to<br />
each of these languages. His attempts were met such<br />
replies as “How do you expect us to recognise the<br />
languages when uncles and aunties are teaching nieces<br />
and nephews?” 6 As such, there was a need to raise<br />
standards and ensure conformity of the five languages.<br />
This led to the tough process of communicating with<br />
community leaders from each of these language groups.<br />
Eventually, a group comprising members of the five<br />
communities was formed and it paved the way for the<br />
establishment of the Board for the Teaching and Testing<br />
of South Asian Languages. It was made responsible for<br />
standardising the curriculum and examination model<br />
for all five languages. The next step was to secure full<br />
government funding for these languages. Inderjit wrote<br />
to Prime Minister Lee on the plight of the Board, arguing<br />
the case for government recognition and funding. This<br />
112
led to the government announcing in 2007 that it will<br />
fully recognise and fund the five languages. It was an<br />
important victory for the five communities.<br />
Apart from Punjabi language education, Inderjit has<br />
also been active in various Sikh institutions. He provides<br />
guidance and support to the leaders of the institutions<br />
and acts as an important link between the Sikh community<br />
and the Singapore government. He is also currently<br />
an Advisor to Young Sikh Association (Singapore). In<br />
addition, his family and he have contributed financially<br />
to various community causes over the years.<br />
While juggling his entrepreneurial ventures,<br />
parliamentary duties and community engagements,<br />
Inderjit has still managed to find time to write which<br />
is one of his passions. He is the author of The Art and<br />
Science of Entrepreneurship, a popular book capturing<br />
his entrepreneurial experiences. It was sold out when it<br />
was published and has become an important read for<br />
budding and experienced entrepreneurs alike.<br />
Born in India and raised a village boy in Singapore when<br />
he was only 10 months old, Inderjit’s success story is<br />
nothing short of phenomenal. He had the desire to want<br />
to excel and contribute to society. This resulted in him<br />
making significant contributions in the areas of national<br />
discourse, business and entrepreneurial promotion,<br />
and community development. He has, indeed, made a<br />
lasting impression on Singapore’s socio-economic and<br />
political landscapes.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
In Chinese and other Asian societies, a red envelope, red packet or<br />
hongbao (ang pow) is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or<br />
special occasions such as weddings, the birth of a baby or graduation.<br />
See www.fengshuiweb.co.uk/advice/redenvelope.htm.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Mr Inderjit Singh, April 9, 2015.<br />
3<br />
Parliament of Singapore. See http://www.parliament.gov.sg/mp/inderjitsingh?viewcv=Inderjit%20Singh.<br />
4<br />
Interview with Mr Inderjit Singh, op. cit.<br />
5<br />
MP Inderjit Singh confronts Singapore’s hard truths. See https://sg.news.<br />
yahoo.com/pap-mp-inderjit-singh-confronts-singapore-s-hard-truths-inwide-ranging-facebook-post-090404111.html.<br />
6<br />
Interview with Mr Inderjit Singh, op. cit.<br />
113
Jagjit<br />
Singh<br />
F<br />
rom the outset, he was attracted to the complex world of law enforcement and criminal<br />
investigation. Therefore, it came as little surprise when Mr Jagjit Singh decided to join the<br />
Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1967 as an Assistant Superintendent of Police. He rose rapidly<br />
through the ranks and held such posts as Director (Planning), Commander Areas, Director<br />
of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Deputy Commissioner (Operations) before<br />
retiring in 2000. He is the only Sikh officer to have held these posts and was the second<br />
most senior Sikh officer in the Force, second only to the Commissioner of Police.<br />
Jagjit was born in 1940 in the town of Batu Gajah in Perak in Malaysia, where he received<br />
his early primary education. After his family moved to Singapore in 1952, Jagjit continued his<br />
education at Outram Primary School. He then joined Raffles Institution where he completed<br />
his GCE ‘O’ and GCE ‘A’ Levels, emerging as the top GCE ‘A’ Level student in the Arts stream<br />
in 1959. The bright young man, who devoured readings beyond the prescribed curriculum<br />
during his GCE ‘A’ Level years, graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the<br />
University of Singapore. Upon graduation, his family and friends encouraged him to pursue<br />
a career practicing law. However, he followed his heart and instead joined the SPF.<br />
Jagjit elaborated: “The job was extremely taxing and the pressures to deliver quick and<br />
good results were intense. The hours of work were long, stretching into several days in the<br />
office with little rest on many occasions.” 1 These included the communal riots in May 1969<br />
when Jagjit was with the Internal Security Department. As Director of CID, he handled high<br />
profile murders, kidnappings and firearm robberies that demanded fast results. He also<br />
led investigations into the Hotel New World collapse in 1986. 2 He made many personal<br />
sacrifices throughout his years of service because of his single-minded determination to<br />
114
of whether the case occurred during the day or<br />
night. I wanted to know the facts first hand so that<br />
I could better direct my officers during the fortnightly<br />
meetings to review the progress of major cases.” 3 Out<br />
of such back-breaking effort came enormous rewards<br />
that not only included effective national crime control<br />
but also a strong bond and team spirit among his<br />
officers.<br />
deliver in his various roles and capacities during his<br />
years in the SPF.<br />
As Director CID from early 1984 to late 1987, Jagjit was<br />
in charge of policies pertaining to criminal and crime<br />
investigations. He supervised and directed the CID’s<br />
specialist units dealing with major crime, organised<br />
crime, secret societies, gambling, commercial crime<br />
and criminal intelligence. Crime at that time was<br />
relatively high, with Singapore witnessing around 70<br />
murders per year. Yet, the CID was able to maintain<br />
a clearance rate of 80 percent, which was high by<br />
international standards. To produce the best results,<br />
Jagjit was unflinching in his resolve and, in doing so,<br />
place tremendous pressure on himself. He stated that,<br />
“I made it a point to personally go to the scene of<br />
every murder and firearm robbery case, regardless<br />
In the area of gambling, several major problems in<br />
the mid-1980s were brought under control through<br />
the operations of the CID, helmed by Jagjit. One such<br />
operation was against the Mini Turf Clubs (MTCs). The<br />
MTCs were operated by illegal bookies mainly at the<br />
void decks of Housing and Development Board (HDB)<br />
blocks during weekends when horse races were in<br />
progress. They operated at more than 400 locations<br />
and were attended by large crowds of punters. Their<br />
presence irked the residents and prompted public<br />
complaints to the government. The first step taken<br />
by the SPF was to make illegal betting laws more<br />
stringent so that the police could deal more effectively<br />
with the MTCs. Then, as Director CID, Jagjit planned<br />
an eight-weekend police operation involving the CID<br />
and other police units to crack down on the MTCs.<br />
At the end of the operation, the MTCs practically<br />
disappeared. Jagjit was also instrumental in another<br />
six-week operation to clear the Singapore Turf Club<br />
(STC) 4 of illegal activities by bookies and their runners<br />
who were arrested or chose to cease operations at<br />
the Club. The results were remarkable – the quantum<br />
of legal betting at the STC, which stood at S$6 million<br />
per race day prior to the operation, increased threefold<br />
after the operation.<br />
Whilst Deputy Commissioner (Operations), Jagjit<br />
shouldered additional important responsibilities as the<br />
Head of the Command and Control Group (CCG) in a<br />
wide range of operation plans dealing with sensitive<br />
115
“<br />
I have known Jagjit since 1958 in school, university and in the course of<br />
our working lives in the uniformed services. Jagjit’s rise through the officers’ ranks<br />
to Deputy Commissioner of Police was due to his exceptional grasp of the law, in<br />
which he has a degree, and his strong leadership traits.<br />
He was consistently able to focus on essentials when dealing with the complex<br />
dynamics of law enforcement in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-cultural<br />
environment. He effortlessly commanded the respect of his civilian and uniformed<br />
colleagues and subordinates.<br />
“<br />
Colonel (Retired) Ramachandran Menon<br />
Director<br />
Public Affairs and MINDEF Spokesman (1991-1995)<br />
security operations such as aircraft hijacking. As Head<br />
of the CCG, he worked directly under the Executive<br />
Group made up largely of Permanent Secretaries.<br />
The Executive Group made the policy decisions while<br />
the CCG translated these decisions into action. In<br />
the Singapore Airlines flight SQ117 hijacking in<br />
1991, 5 Jagjit was in command of operations from the<br />
outset until the culmination of the incident when the<br />
Executive Group decided on storming into the plane.<br />
Through a coded message, Jagjit then conveyed the<br />
storming in instructions to his ground commander<br />
who immediately activated the Singapore Armed<br />
Forces (SAF) commandos. The operation was highly<br />
successful – the four terrorists were killed and there<br />
were no other fatalities among the passengers and<br />
crew of the flight.<br />
As Deputy Commissioner (Operations), Jagjit also<br />
had command and control responsibilities in a<br />
number of other major and security sensitive events<br />
such as the National Day parades and the General<br />
Elections. He also chaired the Airport Bomb Warning<br />
Committee and was in control of air crash operations.<br />
For some 10 years, Jagjit was also the Co-Chairman<br />
of the Explosives Safety Committee of Singapore. His<br />
Co-Chairman was the then-Chief Defence Scientist,<br />
Professor Lui Pao Chuen. 6<br />
Over the years, Jagjit represented the SPF at multiple<br />
international forums as well. These included the annual<br />
Interpol General Assembly meetings in Nice, Lyon and<br />
Rome, and the Interpol Asia Regional Conference in<br />
Seoul. He also led SPF delegations to 12 Singapore-<br />
Malaysia CID liaison meetings. At the same time,<br />
he led an SPF team to Tokyo to study the Japanese<br />
system of community policing which was subsequently<br />
implemented, with modifications, in Singapore<br />
as the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system. 7<br />
Jagjit retired from the SPF in 2000. Not one to<br />
remain idle, the very next day, he started working<br />
with CISCO. 8 He led a project to enable CISCO<br />
to undertake a new area of work, namely, law<br />
enforcement and investigation on behalf of statutory<br />
boards and government departments. This effort was<br />
accomplished in three years. Jagjit then worked with<br />
116
In recognition of his outstanding service to Singapore,<br />
Jagjit has received several medals from the SPF.<br />
He was also honoured with national awards on<br />
three occasions. These awards were the Pingat<br />
Berkebolehan (Efficiency Medal), 9 the Pingat Bakti<br />
Setia (Long Service Award) 10 and the Bintang Bakti<br />
Masyarakat (Public Service Star). 11 He is thankful for<br />
the excellent teams of officers with whom he worked<br />
in the SPF. Above all, he values the unwavering support<br />
and understanding of his wife – without her, success<br />
would not have been possible.<br />
the Public Utilities Board (PUB) in 2003. He headed the<br />
security unit responsible for planning the protective<br />
security of PUB’s water supply infrastructure in<br />
Singapore and in Johor. He continued to work in PUB<br />
until 2013 before retiring at 73 years of age.<br />
It has been some two years since Jagjit finally<br />
stopped full-time work. In his thirty-three year<br />
service with the SPF, he enjoyed a rewarding and<br />
enriching career. At the same time, he overcame<br />
numerous challenges and trying occasions to<br />
contribute significantly and successfully to effective<br />
crime control in Singapore.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Jagjit Singh, June 13, 2015.<br />
2<br />
The Hotel New World collapsed due to structural faults and poor-quality<br />
construction. The collapse left 33 people dead and was considered<br />
one of the worst disasters in post-war Singapore. A rescue operation<br />
involving more than 500 personnel from the SPF, the Civil Defence<br />
Force, the Fire Service, the SAF and foreign experts lasted for four days,<br />
and the rescuers pulled out 17 survivors from the rubble. See http://<br />
eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Jagjit Singh, op. cit.<br />
4<br />
The STC was founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club. It is<br />
now one of the premier racecourses in the world that provides worldclass<br />
quality horse racing. It is also an efficient, effective and socially<br />
responsible organisation. See http://www.turfclub.com.sg/Corporate/<br />
AboutUs.<br />
5<br />
SQ117 was hijacked on 26 March 1991 shortly after it took off from<br />
Kuala Lumpur. The hijackers were four passengers who claimed to be<br />
members of the Pakistan People’s Party. The plane landed at Changi<br />
Airport at 10.24pm. SAF commandos mounted a rescue operation at<br />
6.50am on 27 March 1991. See http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia.<br />
6<br />
Professor Lui was appointed to the newly-created post of Chief Defence<br />
Scientist, Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in 1986. He retired in 2008 after<br />
serving 41 years in MINDEF and 22 years in the appointment as Chief<br />
Defence Scientist.See http://www.sutd.edu.sg/board_of_trustees.<br />
7<br />
The NPP was introduced in 1983 to allow police officers on the ground<br />
to perform community policing. It helped to reduce crime rates and<br />
perceived positively by the general public. It was replaced by the<br />
Neighbourhood Police Centre, a mid-sized police station, in 1997.<br />
See www.police.gov.sg.<br />
8<br />
CISCO Security Private Limited has its roots as a department of the<br />
SPF which branched out as the Commercial and Industrial Security<br />
Corporation, a statutory board with a monopoly over most areas of the<br />
local private armed security industry. It is now called Certis CISCO. See<br />
www.cisco.com.<br />
9<br />
The Pingat Berkebolehan was instituted in 1969. It is awarded to any of<br />
the following persons for exceptional efficiency or exceptional devotion<br />
to duty or for work of special significance: public officer; officer<br />
employed by any statutory authority; any person who in the service of<br />
any organisation, association or body rendering services in the field of<br />
education; or any person employed in any company which is whollyowned<br />
by the government and which is carrying on business mainly as<br />
an agent or instrumentality of the government. See http://www.pmo.<br />
gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
10<br />
The Pingat Bakti Setia was instituted in 1962. It is awarded to any<br />
person who has completed 25 years of continuous service in the service<br />
of the government; any statutory board; any organisation; association<br />
or body rendering service in the field of education or any company<br />
which is wholly owned by the government and which is carrying on<br />
business mainly as an agent or instrumentally of the government. Ibid.<br />
11<br />
The Bintang Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1963. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of<br />
Singapore; or who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. Ibid.<br />
117
Jagjit<br />
Singh Sekhon<br />
O"<br />
kay dear, where shall I send my ambulance?” These are the oft-spoken first words of Mr Jagjit<br />
Singh Sekhon when he receives a phone call either at his office or on his mobile phone. Founder,<br />
Director and Chairman of Nightingale Nursing Home, Jagjit is a man larger than life and a man<br />
who has given so much to life – to the lives of many others, to be more precise!<br />
Known endearingly to community members as JJ, Jagjit grew up in Potong Pasir. Born into a<br />
family which owned cattle, he too helped in grazing and cleaning them. What took up most of<br />
his time, however, was walking around the village, especially during floods, to see how what he<br />
could do to help his neighbours. His commitment to this cause landed him the opportunity to<br />
serve as Chairman of the Welfare Clinic in his neighbourhood. Service towards others featured<br />
very early in Jagjit’s life and it was here that he decided to embark on a career of a care-giver.<br />
Recalling his school days, Jagjit candidly stated: “After Secondary Four, my father certified me<br />
unfit for higher education.” 1 However, he did pursue his higher education in a field of his choice<br />
and emerged with impressive results. First, he attended a course as a Hospital Assistant at the<br />
Singapore General Hospital (SGH), which earned him recognition as a State Registered Nurse.<br />
He then trained in Psychiatric Nursing at Woodbridge Hospital (now, Institute of Mental Health)<br />
and went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for training in Tuberculosis Nursing. Finally, he returned<br />
to SGH to complete a Ward Administration Course. This marked the beginning of 17 years of<br />
service as a nurse and earned him the title of Singapore’s home-grown nurse leader.<br />
However, life as a nurse was no lap of luxury. Jagjit was assigned to the operation theatre where<br />
working hours were excruciating and 20-hour shifts were the norm. Jagjit added that the public<br />
kept the operating theatres so busy that he and his colleagues spent nights sleeping on the<br />
118
e a happy resolution for the nurses who received pay<br />
revisions and clearer definitions of their responsibilities.<br />
Jagjit also helped win arbitration for recognition of nurses<br />
who continued to develop themselves professionally<br />
with courses so that better services could be rendered<br />
to patients. Monetary incentives were given to nurses<br />
who adopted life-long learning through professional<br />
upgrading. Looking back at the whole episode, Jagjit<br />
categorically stated: “I think the strike could have<br />
finished me off. The media was quite ruthless and the<br />
government could have put me behind bars. ‘Home’<br />
could have been Changi or St John’s Island. However,<br />
I am glad that the government engaged us fairly.” 3<br />
Jagjit’s role as the champion for nurses then witnessed<br />
a sea change in the way the nursing profession was<br />
viewed in Singapore.<br />
hospital grounds in their on-duty uniforms. Analysing<br />
the situation before him, with the welfare of his<br />
colleagues in mind, Jagjit, together with other nurses,<br />
issued a notice of a pending strike to the Ministry of<br />
Health. It was only on the third day of the strike that<br />
then-Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, engaged the<br />
striking nurses. Jagjit came forward and asked the<br />
nurses to quieten down so that discussions could<br />
proceed and signalled to them to stop their agitation.<br />
Thereafter, Jagjit passed the floor to Mr Lee who told<br />
the nurses to prepare for arbitration.<br />
Thus began six months of preparation of documents<br />
consisting of duty rosters, responsibilities, incidents and<br />
dissatisfactions of the nurses. Jagjit added: “We piled<br />
up all the papers and they were stacked higher than<br />
our tallest nurse who was six feet.” 2 It turned out to<br />
While working as a nurse, Jagjit’s father fell ill and<br />
slipped into a coma. A day before passing on, his father<br />
told him: “I can hear all that you and the nurses are<br />
doing for me. When I go, do something useful.” 4 It<br />
was then that Jagjit decided to run his own nursing<br />
home. The entrepreneur in him established Nightingale<br />
Nursing Home in 1980 as Singapore’s first professionally<br />
operated nursing home with emphasis on care of the<br />
aged, chronic sick and convalescing. Two years later,<br />
Jagjit introduced Singapore’s first ambulance service<br />
operated by nurses, which has now grown to a fleet<br />
of 20 ambulances in Singapore and three in Malaysia.<br />
Not surprisingly, Jagjit has also extended his ambulance<br />
services for medical evacuation abroad in places such<br />
as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia for Singaporeans<br />
who meet with unfortunate incidents and need to be<br />
brought back to Singapore. This service is also extended<br />
to other nationalities who would like to seek medical<br />
treatment in Singapore.<br />
On many occasion, Jagjit has provided his medical<br />
services free of charge. Apart from offering<br />
119
“<br />
I have known Jagjit for almost 30 years. He has always come across as a colourful,<br />
generous and warm-hearted person. He has devoted most of his life to the community<br />
at large and the Sikh community in particular. He is a firm believer in helping the sick<br />
and less fortunate. He has always put service to the community before self.<br />
Jagjit’s calling to the field of nursing saw him single-handedly establish Nightingale<br />
Nursing Home from a humble single-level home to a multi-storey complex offering<br />
residential care for the sick and aged. He has been the lamp who brought light with<br />
dedicated care to the lives of countless aged, aged-sick and disabled individuals whom<br />
he served with total compassion so that they could lead lives of dignity. In this respect,<br />
he ranks among the pioneers to offer holistic nursing care to the sick and aged. His<br />
has indeed been a life of inspiration that many young Singaporeans should strive to<br />
emulate.<br />
“<br />
Mr S Thavaneson<br />
Chairman, Balestier Khalsa Football Club, and<br />
Chief Executive Officer, Sports Equipment Holdings Pte Ltd<br />
complimentary ambulance service to the needy as well<br />
as accommodation at his nursing home to the destitute<br />
and those without families, Jagjit has also allowed<br />
the use of his ambulance for national, community and<br />
charitable causes at no cost. At the same time, he makes<br />
generous donations to the Down Syndrome Association<br />
(Singapore) as well as other related organisations.<br />
Jagjit has also been active in serving the Sikh community.<br />
In his capacity as Chairman of the Sikh Welfare Council<br />
(SIWEC), 5 he made it his personal mission to visit every<br />
needy family supported by SIWEC so as to ensure<br />
that help rendered was congruent with the needs<br />
of the families. This groundwork also revealed that<br />
funding was grossly lacking. Jagjit decided to harness<br />
the resourcefulness of those within and outside the<br />
community to raise funds. One such instance was Jagjit<br />
engaging Singapore’s ex-President, Mr S R Nathan,<br />
to raise funds for the community. Mr Nathan’s book,<br />
Winning Against the Odds, was sold at S$10,000 a copy.<br />
A total of S$170,000 was raised to support needy Sikh<br />
families under the SIWEC banner. His other initiatives<br />
included the Welfare Day at the Sikh temples and Flag<br />
Days as well as supporting events such as the annual<br />
Ride-for-Charity cycling from Malacca to Singapore,<br />
which raises funds for SIWEC.<br />
Jagjit is currently President of Khalsa Dharmak Sabha<br />
temple. One aspect of his leadership that is particularly<br />
striking is in how he galvanises every member of the<br />
congregation to do his or her part. For instance, he<br />
succeeded in achieving a win-win situation with the<br />
youth in the Sikh community by getting them to do<br />
their part with kitchen chores and cleanliness of the<br />
temple’s premises. It is now a common sight to see<br />
these youth at the temple doing sewa (service). As in<br />
120
the case with his service to the larger society via his<br />
professional portfolio, Jagjit also lends his support to<br />
various socio-educational and charitable causes within<br />
the Sikh community.<br />
When Jagjit was the President of the Singapore Khalsa<br />
Association, he reached out to the other communities<br />
by opening up sporting events to non-Sikhs. In his effort<br />
to project the Sikh community’s name in the sporting<br />
arena, Jagjit has been lending his support to Balestier<br />
Khalsa Football Club since its entry into the S-League. He<br />
is the current Vice-Chairman and Treasurer of the club.<br />
Jagjit’s message of service is so simple yet so profound:<br />
“Everyone can help everyone.” 6 Jagjit started his service<br />
to the community and nation almost half a century ago.<br />
His father’s final words of being of service to others<br />
spurred him to do even more. Even today, his father’s<br />
last words continue to ring loud in his ears and he<br />
continues to do useful things for those in need.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Jagjit Singh Sekhon, August 9, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
SIWEC was set up in 1995 to formulate the overall community policies<br />
in respect of Sikh welfare services in Singapore. See http://www.siwec.<br />
org/.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
121
Jagrup<br />
Singh<br />
O<br />
ne fine morning, a military land rover drove up to the front of his house. He boarded it and soon<br />
after, together with two other persons, he was sworn into service in the Singapore Armed Forces<br />
(SAF) at Port Dickson in Malaya. Colonel (Retired) Jagrup Singh’s application to join the army<br />
was approved and it marked the beginning of his long and fulfilling military career, one which<br />
enabled him to make telling contributions to the nation.<br />
Jagrup was born in 1938. At that time, his father was attached to the police force and the<br />
young Jagrup spent most of his childhood at the police training school at Thompson Road.<br />
When he was four years old, he vividly recalled seeing the Japanese marching in from<br />
the MacRitchie Reservoir area and life drastically changing for him during the Japanese<br />
occupation. 1 Back at the police training school barracks, Jagrup’s father had a small plot<br />
of land where he planted rambutans and beans for his family. Jagrup’s family was later<br />
transferred to the Hill Street Police Station. They made a home for themselves there on a<br />
vacant plot of land at the premises. With his knowledge of farming, Jagrup’s father planted<br />
vegetables on the land.<br />
Around that point of time, tragedy befell the family. One of his brothers was taken gravely<br />
ill. The doctor could do little beyond providing vitamins to his ailing brother. Given the<br />
limited resources, there was little his family could do to help his brother. Jagrup recounted,<br />
“Food was scarce and difficult to come by during the years of the occupation. My mother<br />
would cook rice when available and if possible but this was extremely rare. However, what<br />
we really needed was milk for my brother in order for him to recover.” 2 His family prayers<br />
were somewhat answered when his father managed to rear a cow with the help of some<br />
Indian commissioned officers. The plan was to provide the commissioned officers with<br />
122
When Jagrup neared the completion of his education<br />
at Raffles Institution, his parents wanted him to enter<br />
the university. However, he was apprehensive, especially<br />
given his family’s constraints. He knew that if he went<br />
to university, his siblings would likely lose out. Instead,<br />
he wanted to become a planter in a rubber estate in<br />
Malaya. As his parents had shown him early in life their<br />
capacity for sacrifice, he wanted to become a planter so<br />
that he could earn an income and support his family.<br />
He completed his GCE ‘A’ Levels, which in itself was an<br />
achievement at that time.<br />
milk in exchange for their help. At the same time,<br />
the family was very grateful to the Tamil community<br />
for providing space to keep the cow at no cost. To<br />
his family’s joy, his brother recovered, though not fully.<br />
This episode was just part of the travails endured by<br />
the family which made many sacrifices to ensure its<br />
collective well-being. Such travails were also important<br />
lessons of life for Jagrup.<br />
During the years of the Japanese occupation, Jagrup<br />
enrolled in a Japanese school. All the subjects were<br />
taught in Japanese. It was difficult for the local students<br />
to adapt to these changes as many, if not all, could not<br />
understand Japanese. Jagrup recalled: “I learnt nothing<br />
there.” 3 Fortunately, life eventually improved when the<br />
Japanese left Singapore in 1945.<br />
When Jagrup was in the first year in the GCE ‘A’<br />
Level programme, national service was introduced in<br />
Singapore. While attending part-time national service<br />
in a camp at Beach Road, a military officer approached<br />
him to consider joining the SAF. Jagrup confessed:<br />
“I did not know anything about the SAF. (The Major)<br />
explained it to me and passed me an application<br />
form. My parents left the decision to me and assured<br />
me that they would support my decision. Despite<br />
the uncertainties, I chose the SAF.” 4 That marked the<br />
turning point in Jagrup’s life.<br />
Jagrup’s first posting in the SAF was to the 1st<br />
Singapore Infantry Regiment. He was briefed on his<br />
reporting details upon his arrival at the then-Tanjong<br />
Pagar railway station. However, he would soon return to<br />
Port Dickson to be trained as an officer in the SAF. After<br />
undergoing training for two years, he passed out as a<br />
commissioned officer.<br />
In the course of his duty, Jagrup was posted as<br />
an instructor to Command and Staff College. He<br />
ensured that his unit was efficient in its training. More<br />
importantly, he ensured that his soldiers were always<br />
operationally-ready. On various occasions, his unit<br />
emerged victorious in these competitions. He recalled:<br />
“During one exercise, a top Israeli General was invited<br />
123
“<br />
I have known Jag, as he is fondly known, since our primary school days.<br />
We were in the same standard. We separated during our secondary school days but<br />
met again when I reported at the Federation Military College for my military officer<br />
training. He was then in his second year. Jag went on to have a distinguished career in<br />
the SAF. During his service, he had a high degree of perseverance and discipline, and<br />
he expected that as well from his soldiers and those who worked with him. Although<br />
a senior officer, he never abused his authority.<br />
Jag came from a humble family. His compassionate and caring nature is reflective of<br />
his family’s environment. He is a good friend and is full of humour. We have a round<br />
of golf on Sundays when we are free. I bring along my son, Andrew, and we have a<br />
wonderful breakfast at his house before setting out to the golf course.<br />
All in all, Jag and I have been friends for about 65 years and the friendship is still<br />
going strong.<br />
“<br />
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Kesavan Soon<br />
Singapore Armed Forces<br />
124<br />
to inspect my unit. The General left impressed with<br />
the work of my team, especially the high standards<br />
expected of and delivered by the personnel in the<br />
unit.” 5<br />
During his time in the SAF, Jagrup was also deployed<br />
on several overseas posts and tours in various<br />
significant capacities. He was also sent to represent<br />
Singapore and the SAF on various occasions. Some<br />
notable examples of such postings and his experiences<br />
included the 62nd Regimental Signal Officers Course<br />
in the United Kingdom; the Jungle Warfare Course<br />
in Kota Tinggi (Malaysia) and Australia, the Military<br />
Accounts Course in Perak (Malaysia) and the<br />
Command and Staff College Course in Australia. An<br />
important highlight in Jagrup’s military career was<br />
the privilege of being sent to England in 1963 to<br />
represent Singapore at the Queen’s birthday. Jagrup
was additionally also Singapore's Military Attaché in<br />
Manila in the Philippines and attended the United<br />
States Army Familiarisation Course in the United States.<br />
When he retired, it was no surprise that Jagrup was<br />
well suited, with his vast experience, to continue to be<br />
involved in military work undertaken by the Singapore<br />
Ministry of Defence. This included the sale of military<br />
equipment to overseas partners. He then started his<br />
own enterprise dealing in military equipment. Finally<br />
calling it a day, Jagrup decided to look after his family<br />
full time.<br />
Jagrup’s motto in life is “One should persevere and also<br />
be a keen learner. This applies to many, if not all aspects,<br />
of life. Only then will one realise one’s dreams”. He<br />
made sacrifices for the family, persevered in the face<br />
of adversity and took a leap of faith to join the SAF.<br />
He eventually went on to realise his dreams and in the<br />
process, made significant contributions to the nation.<br />
As Jagrup laps up his retirement years, he recapitulates<br />
that the Japanese occupation was the one event which<br />
left an indelible impression on him. “I watched, saw and<br />
learnt lessons from the Japanese occupation. The same<br />
Japanese who were masters suddenly became prisoners<br />
of war. My father used to say that this is life. Today, you<br />
may be the top man but tomorrow you may go down.<br />
My circumstances were what made me different.” 6<br />
Having gone through some trying times, his advice to<br />
young Sikhs is simple, “Work hard! Chardi kala! 7 Look<br />
forward to the future. If you are a Sikh, you are special.<br />
We are now much better off. Maintain your faith. This<br />
is very important. Maintain your beliefs. Work hard.<br />
Success is only a stone’s throw away.” 8<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Colonel (Retired) Jagrup Singh, October 6, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Chardi Kala is a concept in Sikhism that refers to a mental state of<br />
optimism and joy. Sikhs are ideally expected to be in this positive state<br />
of mind as a sign of their contentment with the will of God, even during<br />
the times of adversity. See http://searchsikhism.com.<br />
8<br />
Interview with Colonel (Retired) Jagrup Singh, op. cit.<br />
125
Jarmal<br />
Singh<br />
A "<br />
nything and everything can be managed. If others can do it, so can you!” 1 ‘Difficult’ is a word<br />
that is non-existent in the vocabulary of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired) Jarmal<br />
Singh. Whether it was defending against a stronger opponent on the rugby pitch, dealing<br />
with convicts, managing two jobs in a day or communicating the needs of the community to<br />
officialdom, Jarmal has not even once held the view that these were unachievable. This is the<br />
mantra adopted by Jarmal throughout his life.<br />
Born in India in 1948, Jarmal landed in Singapore as an eight-year old in 1956. His early life<br />
was shrouded by challenges. Jarmal’s traits of working hard and never giving up were inherited<br />
from his father who played a major role in shaping his character. Growing in a zinc structure<br />
called home and situated just behind the warehouse his father guarded as a watchman, Jarmal<br />
witnessed his father holding two jobs to make ends meet. On his part, Jarmal tried his best<br />
to help. He paddled daily on a bicycle to school instead of taking the bus so as to save a few<br />
cents. While other watched movies in the cinema, he would stare intently at the entrance of<br />
the cinema with vague imaginations of the interiors of a cinema. He took up a part-time day<br />
job to earn a few dollars while studying the night away for crucial examinations. And he settled<br />
for handmade spiked running shoes instead of those that were commercially produced due to<br />
the latter’s hefty price of S$20. The many hardships that Jarmal witnessed his father and family<br />
having to deal with constantly reminded him to work hard.<br />
Jarmal’s perseverance and determination saw him surpassing all expectations and entering<br />
the University of Singapore. He graduated with a Bachelor in Science degree in 1971. He then<br />
applied for employment in the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Little did he know then that he<br />
would spend the next 40 years of his life with the police force! During his time with the SPF,<br />
126
with the police. He was an exemplary officer who rose<br />
through the senior police officer ranks through hard<br />
work, self-belief and commitment.<br />
While at the Police Academy, Jarmal received the<br />
prestigious Public Service Commission scholarship to<br />
do his Master of Business Administration degree at<br />
the National University of Singapore. In spite of having<br />
to manage work and studies at the same time, Jarmal<br />
completed his degree and graduated in 1984.<br />
When Jarmal was the Director of Special Projects<br />
(NPC Redesign), he was tasked with building the<br />
Neighbourhood Police Centres throughout Singapore<br />
so as to strengthen crime prevention efforts across<br />
the island. As the Commander of the Volunteer Special<br />
Constabulary, Jarmal spent his evenings administering<br />
and managing a team of volunteers from all walks of life<br />
who selflessly worked after office hours and weekends<br />
to assist the police officers in discharging their duties.<br />
During the day, Jarmal performed his duties as the<br />
Commander of the CISCO Auxiliary Police Force.<br />
he held numerous important positions. These included<br />
Director at the Police Academy, Officer-in-Charge at<br />
Jurong Police Division, Head of the Commercial Crime<br />
Division at the Criminal Investigation Department,<br />
Director at the Police Academy (for a second time) and<br />
concurrent Director of Training at Police Headquarters,<br />
Commander of the Airport Police Division, Deputy<br />
Director of Operations at the Police Headquarters,<br />
Director of Special Projects (NPC [Neighbourhood<br />
Police Centre] Redesign), Deputy Director of Operations<br />
and concurrent Commander of the Volunteer Special<br />
Constabulary (VSC), Commander of the CISCO Auxiliary<br />
Police Force and concurrent Commander of VSC, Director<br />
of the Police Custodial Department, and Director of<br />
Sustaining Cost Optimisation and Policing Efficiency,<br />
among others. Jarmal has had a distinguished career<br />
Jarmal’s hard work, contributions and dedication did not<br />
go unnoticed. He received numerous awards during his<br />
career with the SPF. These included the Pingat Pentadbiran<br />
Awam (Public Administration Medal) (Bronze) (Bar), 2<br />
Pingat Bakti Setia (Long Service Award), 3 Minister’s Award<br />
for Home Team Achievement and Singapore Police Long<br />
Service and Good Conduct Medal. Jarmal also received the<br />
Commissioner of Police’s commendation for his impressive<br />
investigation work on the Robinson’s Department Store<br />
fire that occurred in 1972. 4<br />
Jarmal’s contributions were not limited to Singapore.<br />
In 1993, he was handpicked to represent Singapore<br />
on a Commonwealth Observer Mission to South<br />
Africa during the tension-stricken period just prior<br />
to the end of apartheid. He was part of a team that<br />
127
“<br />
Jarmal was elected by the players as national captain in 1978. His election<br />
was amazing as he was from a non-traditional rugby playing secondary school and he<br />
started to play rugby as a senior police officer and late into his adulthood. Under his<br />
captaincy, Singapore won the Malaysian Rugby Union Cup after 44 years and we were<br />
awarded three of the four top awards during the Singapore National Olympic Council<br />
annual ceremony in 1978.<br />
Jarmal was a highly respected utility player – small in size but strong in discipline,<br />
teamwork and role modeling. He was known as the ‘flying Sikh’ for his sprinting<br />
and tackling prowess. He was the only Singaporean to score a try against the mighty<br />
Western Samoa during the quarterfinals of the Main Cup at the Hong Kong Sevens in<br />
1979. We are proud of Jarmal’s contributions to our national cause.<br />
Mr Natahar Bava<br />
Former National Coach<br />
Singapore Rugby Union<br />
“<br />
comprised representatives from Australia, Botswana,<br />
Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.<br />
Jarmal was awarded the Overseas Service Medal in<br />
recognition of his international service.<br />
Jarmal’s national and international contributions<br />
extended beyond his employment with the SPF. He had<br />
a keen interest in sports and was actively involved in<br />
athletics, football and hockey since his school days. It is<br />
perhaps interesting to note Jarmal only picked up rugby<br />
in 1971, the year he graduated from the university and<br />
on joining the SPF. However, this sporting activity was<br />
to give him fame and glory far beyond his imagination.<br />
Jarmal played rugby for the next 10 years. He was a<br />
fast learner and was able to muster the sport so well<br />
that, in 1973, he was selected for Singapore’s national<br />
rugby team where he played in various tournaments<br />
with Malaysian states. Jarmal’s impressive rugby skills<br />
were clearly evident and, soon after, he was elected<br />
the captain of the national team. Under his captaincy,<br />
Singapore experienced its best years in rugby history. In<br />
the Asian Rugby Championship, Singapore beat Thailand<br />
to emerge third in the intense tournament. One of the<br />
key contributors to the team’s success was Jarmal who<br />
received loud cheers from the crowd when he outran<br />
several Thai players for a try, bringing Singapore 7-3<br />
up at halftime. 5 Likewise, the strong fighting spirit in<br />
Jarmal and his fellow players led the Singapore rugby<br />
team clinching the silver medal at the Southeast Asian<br />
Peninsular Games in 1977. 6<br />
However, the best was yet to come for Jarmal in the<br />
rugby arena. In the Malaysian Rugby Union Cup against<br />
Malaysia, Australian Air Force Royal and the New Zealand<br />
and Infantry Regiment in 1978, Singapore emerged<br />
champions, winning the title for the first time after 44<br />
years of competition. As a result of the triumph, Jarmal’s<br />
rugby team bagged three out of four top trophies on<br />
hand at Singapore sports award ceremony that year<br />
128
to his wife for his success. She took good care of his<br />
three sons while he was away on his career pursuits<br />
and sporting tournaments as well as encouraged him<br />
to pursue his dreams. Despite retirement, Jarmal still<br />
has the passion to serve. Recently, he authored a paper<br />
titled Crime Prevention: The Singapore Approach 8<br />
to<br />
share his valuable insights and knowledge from his long<br />
years of experience in the police force. He also provides<br />
consultancy services with the Ministry of Home Affairs.<br />
– the Team of the Year, the Coach of the Year and the<br />
Player of the Year under the Singapore National Olympic<br />
Council (SNOC) umbrella. 7 Humbly, Jarmal attributed<br />
the victory of his team to the ability and competency of<br />
the players instead of his captaincy brilliance. In 2014,<br />
Jarmal added another accolade to his glittering sporting<br />
career when he was recognised by the government as a<br />
National Sports Pioneer.<br />
Beyond his career and sporting passion, Jarmal has<br />
also contributed to the community and society. An<br />
example of this service is his 26-year commitment<br />
on the School Advisory Committee of Gan Eng Seng<br />
Secondary School. Jarmal has also been active in the<br />
Sikh community. About 20 years ago, he became part<br />
of the first resource panel to consider issues relating<br />
to the Sikh community. He currently serves as the<br />
Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board, which acts as an<br />
intermediary between government bodies and the Sikh<br />
community.<br />
Today, the retired Jarmal smiles to himself as he speaks<br />
fondly about his two grandchildren. He remains indebted<br />
He lived through tough times but those challenges made<br />
him what he is today. Jarmal’s philosophy of humility,<br />
hard work, commitment, honesty and determination<br />
has stood him well over the last 40 years or so. These<br />
attributes have also enabled him to leave an indelible<br />
mark at the national and international levels through a<br />
glittering police and sporting career.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Jarmal Singh, February 28, 2015.<br />
2<br />
The Pingat Pentadbiran Awam was instituted in 1963. There are three<br />
grades of the medal, namely, gold, silver and bronze. The medal may<br />
be awarded to any of the following persons for outstanding efficiency,<br />
competence and industry – any person who is or has been a public<br />
officer; any person who is or has been an officer employed by any<br />
statutory authority (other than a Town Council); any person who is<br />
or has been in the service of any organisation, association or body<br />
rendering services in the field of education; or any person who is or<br />
has been employed in any company which is wholly-owned by the<br />
government and which is carrying on business mainly as an agent<br />
or instrumentality of the government. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/<br />
nationaldayawards.<br />
3<br />
The Pingat Bakti Setia was instituted in 1962. The medal may be<br />
awarded to any person who has completed 25 years continuous<br />
service in the service of the government, any statutory authority, any<br />
organisation, association or body rendering services in the field of<br />
education, or any company which is wholly owned by the government<br />
and which is carrying on business mainly as an agent or instrumentality<br />
of the government, and whi is of irreproachable character. Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Robinson’s Department Store fire at Raffles Place (n.d.). Singapore<br />
Infopedia. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/<br />
articles/SIP_797_2004-12-30.html.<br />
5<br />
They unwrap their guts to beat the Thais, The STAR, November 25,<br />
1978.<br />
6<br />
Stars of the year, New Nation, December 25, 1977.<br />
7<br />
Atmosphere filled with nostalgia, The Straits Times, May 12, 1979.<br />
8<br />
Jarmal S, Crime Prevention: The Singapore Approach. National Criminal<br />
Justice Reference Service Abstracts Database, 2000. Retrieved from<br />
https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=191486.<br />
129
Jaswant<br />
Singh Gill<br />
O<br />
ne could easily mistake Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Jaswant Singh Gill for a man in his early<br />
eighties instead of his actual young age of ninety two. He still carries the stern authority and<br />
proud bearing from his Singapore Navy and teaching days. When he speaks, one realises that<br />
here is a man who has witnessed not only the many turbulences and challenges faced by<br />
Singapore in its fight for independence, but also contributed greatly to the position in which<br />
Singapore is today.<br />
Jaswant was born in Punjab, in India, in 1923 to a farmer. He began his education at Khalsa<br />
School in Moga, which was one of the few schools that taught English language at that time.<br />
At the tender age of six, Jaswant relocated to Singapore with his uncle who was then working<br />
as a clerk in the Singapore Police Force.<br />
Jaswant started his formal education shortly after arriving in Singapore. Being knowledgeable<br />
in English beforehand, he was able to do well in his examinations to obtain a place in the<br />
prestigious Raffles Institution.<br />
To secure a proper job, Jaswant pursued a two-year course in commercial studies where he<br />
picked up valuable skills such as book-keeping and typing. He eventually joined the government<br />
clerical service where he met Justice (Late) Choor Singh and struck up a long lasting friendship<br />
with him despite the latter being 15 years his senior. 1<br />
One of the first Sikh institutions that Jaswant was affiliated to was Singapore Khalsa Association<br />
(SKA). The Association was started in the 1920s as a means for Sikh boys to meet for friendly<br />
sport games, with cricket and hockey being the two most popular sports among Sikhs at that<br />
130
Building Committee to collect donations. As President,<br />
he also went around raising funds. He emphasises that,<br />
without the support of the gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and<br />
the sangat (congregation) who donated willingly, the<br />
donations would have been harder to secure. 3<br />
After purchasing the building, there were some funds<br />
leftover. Jaswant and some of the more foresighted<br />
members created the SKA Trust Fund. This was used to<br />
make some very wise investments and the initial sum<br />
of S$25,000 has now become about S$15 million. This<br />
sum is kept by a group of Trustees, including Jaswant.<br />
time. 2 He first became interested in SKA during his time<br />
as a student in Raffles Institution. Once he started<br />
working in 1941, he joined the Association where he<br />
helped collect donations for its various events as well as<br />
for the building fund.<br />
During the Second World War, the Japanese took over<br />
the SKA premises at Jalan Bahagia. At the end of the war,<br />
the building had been looted and needed much repair.<br />
However, when the government requisitioned the land in<br />
the 1960s, SKA had to scramble to acquire another piece<br />
of land for a new building. This land was at Balestier<br />
Road, where the current SKA building stands. As Jaswant<br />
was elected as the President of SKA continuously from<br />
1966 to 1981, the burden of the new building fell on<br />
him. The new building would cost S$750,000 which, at<br />
that time, was a very big sum. The Association set up a<br />
From very early on, Jaswant had a passion for teaching.<br />
After the war, he went back to his old job in the clerical<br />
service but he did not stay there for long. In 1948, he<br />
was transferred to the Ministry of Education (MOE) as a<br />
teacher. He first taught at Outram Primary School and<br />
moved on to various other schools, including Raffles<br />
Institution. His passion for the job soon led him to<br />
being promoted to school principal. In this position, he<br />
oversaw several schools such as Sungei Kadut Primary<br />
School and Dunearn Secondary School. He took great<br />
pride knowing that many of his former students went<br />
on to become successful. Some of his brightest minds<br />
eventually entered politics and have served or are<br />
serving as ministers. After retiring from MOE in 1973<br />
at the age of 50, Jaswant went on to teach commercial<br />
subjects at the United World College.<br />
While teaching, Jaswant took an interest in the Teachers<br />
Union. He was the General Secretary from 1959 to 1963<br />
and eventually Vice President from 1963 to 1964. During<br />
this period, the communists were trying to capture as<br />
much political power as they could in Singapore. They<br />
attempted to take over the Teachers Union. However,<br />
Jaswant, along with other colleagues, prevented the<br />
Teachers Union from falling into their hands. He recalls<br />
being heckled by members of the Barisan Socialis, the<br />
131
“<br />
The words of Andrew Carnegie that “No man will make a great leader<br />
who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it” exemplifies Jaswant’s<br />
effort in mobilising the Sikh community behind his vision and leadership. Despite<br />
his countless achievements, he has always remained humble, accepted collective<br />
leadership and stayed resolute in ensuring that Singaporean Sikhs do not forget their<br />
roots.<br />
I have known him for more than 30 years. A lasting legacy of Jaswant’s leadership is<br />
the significant role that SKA plays in the lives of the Sikhs. As a founding member, he<br />
remains synonymous with the building which has provided the Sikh community with<br />
an important place to celebrate its rich and vibrant culture, tradition and language in<br />
cosmopolitan Singapore.<br />
Mr Philip Tan Kee Seng<br />
Director<br />
Former SKA Billiard Saloon<br />
“<br />
communist inspired party as they tried to subvert the<br />
authority of the Teachers Union and win its members to<br />
their side.<br />
As an educator, he recognised the importance of<br />
knowing one’s own culture and language. Jaswant<br />
placed an emphasis on the Punjabi education. The first<br />
Punjabi school, Khalsa Punjabi School was set up in the<br />
new SKA building. This allowed for the centralisation<br />
of the classes. With the introduction of the Singapore<br />
Sikh Education Foundation, SKA handed over its Punjabi<br />
school to the Foundation.<br />
Another important milestone achieved by Jaswant is<br />
his service in the Singapore navy. From a young age, he<br />
had acquired a love for history and freedom struggles.<br />
Reading up on the Indian Freedom movement as well<br />
as Sikh history, he became so riled up. After the Second<br />
World War, when the British came back in 1945, he felt<br />
that he had to do something to prepare himself to serve<br />
an independent Singapore. While teaching, he met a<br />
senior colleague who was serving as an officer in the<br />
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) Singapore. He<br />
approached his colleague and asked him about the RNVR.<br />
On the promise that he would become a naval officer,<br />
Jaswant joined the RNVR. After a year of scrubbing the<br />
decks and cleaning latrines, he was commissioned Acting<br />
Sub Lieutenant in 1951. At that time, he was the first<br />
and only Sikh officer and only the second Asian officer<br />
among a force of 100 British officers and 900 sailors.<br />
When Singapore abruptly gained full independence in<br />
1965, the Royal Navy pulled out of Singapore leaving<br />
a small group of local officers and sailors. Jaswant was<br />
then the highest ranking officer and he was made the<br />
Commanding Officer of the Singapore Naval Volunteer<br />
Force (SNVF). The SNVF was the pioneer of the modern<br />
day Republic of Singapore Navy. The SNVF had two old<br />
ships, RSS Panglima and RSS Bedok. Jaswant and the<br />
pioneers of the SNVF utilised them proudly during the<br />
132
Indonesian Konfrontasi. Commanding from the Panglima,<br />
Jaswant led the SNVF to Sarawak where his team and<br />
the Indonesians exchanged fire from their territory.<br />
As the British began pulling out of Singapore, important<br />
bases were being handed over to local senior officers.<br />
When Tengah Air Base was handed over to Singapore<br />
in February 1971, as one of the highest ranking officers<br />
at that time, Jaswant was made its Commander. In<br />
December that year, Changi Air Base was handed over to<br />
Singapore. This was the biggest RAF base outside of the<br />
United Kingdom at that time and was very important to<br />
the British. Jaswant was made Commander of the base.<br />
In 1972, he retired from the Armed Forces. 4<br />
When asked how the youth of today can serve Singapore<br />
and continue the hard work of the pioneers, Jaswant<br />
said: “Stay loyal to the nation and always train in what<br />
you are good at – be it sports, military or education.<br />
By upgrading yourself and always learning, you do<br />
not only benefit yourself, you also benefit your nation<br />
as you contribute in ensuring Singapore’s excellence.”<br />
Jaswant followed this mantra throughout his life and<br />
succeeded in everything he set out to. He is indeed an<br />
officer and a gentleman – one the Sikh community and<br />
Singapore can be proud to call their own!<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
C Singh, The Sikh Community’s Contribution to the Development of<br />
Singapore: A Collection of Essays and Personal Reminisces (1st ed., Vol.<br />
1). Singapore, Singapore: Justice Choor Singh, 2005.<br />
2<br />
Singaporekhalsa.org.sg. ‘About Singapore Khalsa Association’. N P,<br />
2015. Web.<br />
3<br />
Singaporekhalsa.org.sg, ‘Building History’. N P, 2015. Web. August 12,<br />
2015.<br />
4<br />
Mindef.gov.sg, ‘MINDEF-History-1966-The Early Years of the RSN<br />
(Volume 10 Issue 1)’. N P, 2015. Web.<br />
5<br />
Interview with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Jaswant Singh, August 5,<br />
2015.<br />
133
Jeswant<br />
Singh Bandal<br />
B<br />
orn in December 1929, Mr Jeswant Singh Bandal lost his mother when he was just four years<br />
old. His early childhood was also rather unsettling as he spent his early years living in different<br />
parts of the region. When he finally settled in Singapore, he embarked on a life journey that saw<br />
him carving a name for himself in Singapore society and the Sikh community.<br />
As an infant, Jeswant was raised in Tronoh in Perak, Malaya. His grandfather, Mr Ran Singh,<br />
was brought from India to Taiping in Malaya as part of the British military police to control the<br />
communists operating in that area. He finally retired in Tronoh and soon after, settled in India.<br />
Jeswant recalled his early years, “My father, Mr Assa Singh, served as a priest first in Sumatra<br />
and then in Kuala Lumpur. We moved with him.” 1 When Jeswant lost his mother, the family<br />
decided to move to India. After a year, Jeswant and his family returned to Malaya.<br />
In 1935, Jeswant started his education in Sentul in Kuala Lumpur where he attended the Loyola<br />
Institute. Subsequently, he moved to Kedah and enrolled into Sultan Abdul Hamid College for<br />
another two years before finally moving to Singapore and enrolling in Rangoon Primary School<br />
to complete his primary education.<br />
The Japanese occupation of Singapore took place in 1942 when Jeswant was only 13 years<br />
old. For all Singaporeans, the arrival of the Japanese was a time of pain and suffering. However,<br />
Jeswant took advantage of the situation and started learning the Japanese language and over<br />
time, honed his knowledge of the language and culture. This led to a recommendation for him<br />
to be a language interpreter initially for the municipal office and then with the Inspector General<br />
of the Japanese Police Commissioner. Jeswant continued to further study the language and was<br />
among one of only two Singaporeans who passed the ‘Tokkyu’ – the Highest Special Grade<br />
134
Jeswant decided to enter the teaching profession. By<br />
the age of 23 years, he was a qualified teacher and he<br />
started his teaching stint as a teacher demonstrator<br />
for two years before becoming a Mathematics teacher<br />
at Outram Secondary School. Jeswant was appointed<br />
principal of a primary school when he was 30 years old.<br />
Thereafter, he was seconded to the Singapore Police<br />
Force as a Police Education Officer for three years. Such<br />
career progressions were the first of many for him and<br />
he took each and every posting professionally, believing<br />
that it was an opportunity to further enrich himself. He<br />
went on to serve as the principal of Charlton Primary<br />
School and finally took on the task of guiding senior<br />
students who were dispassionate when it came to<br />
their studies in his role as the principal of Baharuddin<br />
Vocational Institute. 3<br />
Examination. The other individual is Singapore’s former<br />
President, Mr S R Nathan.<br />
With the help of his uncle, then a senior teacher at<br />
Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Jeswant was able<br />
to secure a place at Raffles Institution. He realised<br />
that he was performing rather poorly in Mathematics<br />
and needed help if he were to pass his examinations.<br />
He approached his Mathematics teacher, Mr K M R<br />
Menon, for additional help. Through his guidance,<br />
Jeswant graduated with a credit average in the<br />
Cambridge Examinations. Unfortunately, his desire to<br />
study further was cut short when he could not pay the<br />
tuition fee. He stated that, “I was superannuated to<br />
the effect that I was suspended from classes for not<br />
paying my tuition fees.” 2<br />
Taking a break from his teaching and leadership stints,<br />
Jeswant took up a Public Service Commission scholarship<br />
and pursued a training course in the United Kingdom.<br />
During the two years, he trained to be a specialist<br />
Mathematics teacher at the Institute of Education in the<br />
University of Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire. Upon his<br />
return to Singapore, he was appointed as an Assistant<br />
Inspector of Schools (Mathematics). He was eventually<br />
promoted to the post of Inspector of Schools at the<br />
Ministry of Education (MOE). This would be Jeswant’s<br />
longest serving post – it lasted 22 years. In 1989, at<br />
the age of 60 years, Jeswant retired from the education<br />
service. Not one to sit idle, he continued to lecture parttime<br />
at the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board 4<br />
for another eight years before finally deciding to devote<br />
most of his time to his family.<br />
Throughout his life, while Jeswant advanced in his<br />
professional career, he was also committed to giving<br />
back to the nation and community. In 1987, he formed<br />
the Board of Visitors (Drug Rehabilitation Centres)<br />
under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Through this<br />
135
initiative, he carried out inspection visits at various Drug<br />
Rehabilitation Centres to assess their conditions. He<br />
stated: “I had the strong desire to continue serving on<br />
the Board of Visitors for as long as possible. It was a<br />
noble effort.” 5<br />
At the same time, he was part of the Management<br />
Committee of Ashram, a half-way house for drug<br />
offenders under the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB). 6<br />
He also held the position of Chairman of the Sikh<br />
Advisory Board and was actively involved in fundraising<br />
efforts for community projects, including for the Central<br />
Sikh Temple. He is currently a Member of the Council of<br />
Elders in the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation.<br />
Jeswant's social and community contributions have<br />
not gone unnoticed. He is the recipient of various<br />
medals. In 1989, he received the Pingat Berkebolehan<br />
(Efficiency Medal) 6 for his service in MOE, the Pingat<br />
Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) 7 in 2006 and<br />
the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) 8 in<br />
2013 for long and outstanding service on the Board<br />
of Visitors, and the Pingkat Bakti Setia (Long Service<br />
Award) 9 in 2009 for his service to the Ministry of<br />
Community Development, Youth and Sports.<br />
“<br />
I am blessed to have been associated<br />
with Jeswant for more than 30 years.<br />
Both of us have been active volunteers<br />
in our nation's fight against drug abuse<br />
through SANA and on the Board of<br />
Visitors (Drug Rehabilitation Centres)<br />
under MHA. We have also been in the<br />
Management Committee of Ashram, a<br />
half-way house for drug offenders under<br />
the HEB, for many years.<br />
The nation-building role Jeswant played<br />
as an eminent personality in Singapore's<br />
education service is remarkable. He is an<br />
honest and straight forward gentleman<br />
with an analytical mind. He mixes well<br />
with people and has a golden heart, ever<br />
ready to help others irrespective of their<br />
race or religion.<br />
“<br />
Dr Ramasamy Karunanithy PBM<br />
Former Professor of Pharmacy<br />
National University of Singapore<br />
136
In spite of his achievements, Jeswant remains a humble<br />
and unassuming person. Today, he is 86 years old and<br />
he still lives by the belief that “you must keep on trying<br />
persistently and you are likely to succeed.” 10 Such a<br />
belief system cannot possibly be wrong – Jeswant<br />
kept on trying with determination and persistency and<br />
despite hurdles along the way, he achieved success in<br />
the education and social services sectors in Singapore.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Jeswant Singh Bandal, August 13, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Baharuddin Vocational Institute was part of the Vocational and<br />
Industrial Training Board which was the predecessor to the Institute<br />
of Technical Education, a post-secondary institution that provides<br />
pre-employment training to secondary school leavers and continuing<br />
education and training to working adults. See www.moe.gov.sg.<br />
Baharuddin Vocational Institute was the first tertiary school dedicated<br />
to manual and applied arts in Singapore. See http://www.queenstown.<br />
org.sg/heritage-2.<br />
4<br />
The PSB was formed from the merger of the National Productivity<br />
Board and the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research<br />
in 1996. It was the national agency for productivity and standards. See<br />
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_26_2005-01-09.<br />
html. Today, it is called SPRING Singapore, an agency under the Ministry<br />
of Trade and Industry responsible for helping Singapore enterprises<br />
grow and building trust in Singapore products and services. See https://<br />
www.mti.gov.sg.<br />
5<br />
Interview with Mr Jeswant Singh Bandal, op. cit.<br />
6<br />
The HEB is a statutory body set up under the Hindu Endowments Act in<br />
1968. Its role, as set out in the Act, is to administer those endowments<br />
placed under its administration. See http://heb.gov.sg.<br />
7<br />
The Pingat Berkebolehan was instituted in 1969. It is awarded to any of<br />
the following persons for exceptional efficiency or exceptional devotion<br />
to duty or for work of special significance: public officer; officer<br />
employed by any statutory authority; any person who in the service of<br />
any organisation, association or body rendering services in the field of<br />
education; or any person employed in any company which is whollyowned<br />
by the government and which is carrying on business mainly as<br />
an agent or instrumentality of the government. See http://www.pmo.<br />
gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
8<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973. The medal is<br />
awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service<br />
in Singapore or for his or her achievement in the field of arts and<br />
letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the labour<br />
movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
9<br />
The Bintang Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1963. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of<br />
Singapore; or who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. Ibid.<br />
10<br />
The Pingat Bakti Setia was instituted in 1962. The medal may be<br />
awarded to any person who has completed 25 years continuous<br />
service in the service of the government, any statutory authority, any<br />
organisation, association or body rendering services in the field of<br />
education, or any company which is wholly owned by the government<br />
and which is carrying on business mainly as an agent or instrumentality<br />
of the Government, and who is of irreproachable character. Ibid.<br />
11<br />
Interview with Mr Jeswant Singh Bandal, op. cit.<br />
137
Kanwaljit<br />
Soin<br />
M<br />
ost people would be proud to have been recognised for their accomplishments in just one<br />
major field in their lives. However, it takes an exceptional person to be recognised for his or<br />
her achievements in several fields. One such exceptional person is Dr Kanwaljit Soin. She is<br />
Singapore’s first female orthopaedic surgeon, first female Nominated Member of Parliament<br />
(NMP) and, as a founder member of gender equality organisation, Association of Women for<br />
Action and Research (AWARE), is one of the most well-known feminists in the country. To date,<br />
she remains the only Sikh woman in Singapore’s history to have entered parliamentary politics.<br />
The eldest of four siblings born into a relatively well-to-do family in Gujranwala in present-day<br />
Pakistan, Kanwaljit’s birth in 1942 led her straight into the violence and conflict of the partition<br />
of India and Pakistan, of which she retains some horrific memories. Her family initially fled<br />
Gujranwala as refugees to Delhi, following which her father decided to move them to Jakarta,<br />
Indonesia, where he started a sports goods business to sustain the family. Kanwaljit started<br />
her education late because of all the upheavals of history she lived through in her formative<br />
years. She only began her formal education in school at the age of eight or nine, and was sent<br />
to Singapore in 1952 for better quality education. She attended St Margaret’s Boarding School,<br />
then Tanjong Katong Girls School and Victoria School, before obtaining her MBBS (Honours) in<br />
1966 and a Master of Medicine (Surgery) in 1970 from the University of Singapore. In 1972, she<br />
was the recipient of a Colombo Plan scholarship to train in hand surgery in Australia.<br />
The 73-year-old Kanwaljit says that she decided to be a doctor when she was 10 years old –<br />
she met a very kind and humane doctor in Indonesia who inspired her to want to heal people.<br />
According to her, at that point in time, many did not believe that women were up to the task<br />
of becoming specialist doctors. She cites marriage pressure and the Singapore government’s<br />
138
that she feels she has imbibed subconsciously and<br />
regrets that this aspect of Sikhism is never emphasised<br />
enough.<br />
Feminism to Kanwaljit means equal respect and<br />
consideration for both sexes and she is unashamed<br />
about calling herself a feminist. In 1984, she was invited<br />
to speak at a forum on women’s issues called ‘Women’s<br />
Choices, Women’s Lives’ organised by the National<br />
University of Singapore Society. She then began hosting<br />
follow-up meetings at her clinic that eventually led to<br />
the formation of AWARE a year later. Kanwaljit was<br />
AWARE president from 1991 to 1993 and remains a life<br />
member of the organisation.<br />
previous one-third cap on female medical students<br />
(abolished in 2003) as additional obstacles for women<br />
wanting to pursue a medical career. However, female<br />
doctors rarely give up their careers even when they<br />
train as specialists where the demands are higher –<br />
this is evident in her pursuits and life experiences.<br />
Kanwaljit is married to prominent lawyer and judge, Mr<br />
Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, and they have three children.<br />
She says maintaining a balance between her career,<br />
social activism and family has required a lifetime of<br />
negotiation and cheekily adds that combating a “head<br />
of the household” mentality with constant reminders<br />
that, “we have a roundtable in this home” helps. This<br />
is where the old feminist adage that “the personal is<br />
political” comes in. 1 She believes Sikhism is unique in<br />
its egalitarianism and focus on gender equality, values<br />
After some initial attempts to convince a few women<br />
she knew to stand for the NMP post, Kanwaljit decided<br />
she should apply for it, and this paved the way for her<br />
foray into the political realm from 1992 to 1996. She<br />
entered parliament with very little preparation at a time<br />
when civil society was not so vocal and describes it as<br />
“plunging into the deep end of an icy cold pool.” Even<br />
so, she stood up to ask a question (on childcare centres)<br />
on her very first day in parliament and never looked<br />
back. To this day, she has the reputation for being the<br />
NMP who has asked the most number of questions in<br />
parliament. However, a cap has now been placed on the<br />
number of questions one can ask.<br />
Kanwaljit did not ask questions for the sake of it. Her<br />
constant questioning was a valuable way to obtain<br />
information and statistics on important issues –<br />
knowledge that individuals and civil society could<br />
then use to help enact social change. She refuses to<br />
be pigeonholed by critics who felt she was dabbling<br />
in too many different issues and feels that all citizens<br />
should have the right to be interested in all aspects of<br />
their country’s governance and socio-economic policies.<br />
139
“<br />
My wife and I have known<br />
Kanwaljit for many years. She was<br />
my wife’s contemporary at Medical<br />
School. My wife recalled that<br />
Kanwaljit topped her class and won<br />
all the prizes. Her husband, Amarjeet,<br />
and I were classmates at the Law<br />
School. I have had the privilege of<br />
seeing her function in her many roles<br />
– as a medical practitioner, NMP and<br />
President of AWARE, as well as the<br />
founding Chairman of WINGS.<br />
Although the Family Violence Bill she tabled in parliament<br />
in 1995 was defeated, many of its provisions dealing<br />
with the problem of violence against women were<br />
later incorporated into the government’s review of the<br />
Women’s Charter, including the introduction of Personal<br />
Protection Orders for survivors of domestic abuse. In<br />
addition, two of her parliamentary suggestions – an<br />
educational account for every adult Singaporean and a<br />
medical savings account for each elderly Singaporean<br />
– have now been implemented in the form of the<br />
SkillsFuture Credit scheme and the Pioneer Generation<br />
Package. These measures give her immense satisfaction.<br />
Kanwaljit has won recognition in various spheres<br />
for her achievements. She won the Woman of the<br />
Year award Singapore in 1992, Women Who Make<br />
a Difference award presented by the International<br />
Women’s Forum in Washington DC in 2000, Lifetime<br />
Achievement award presented by the United Nations<br />
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Singapore in<br />
2006 and Singapore Good Samaritan award presented<br />
by the Rotary Club in 2008. She is currently a council<br />
member of the Washington University International<br />
Advisory Council for Asia, a global ambassador of<br />
Kanwaljit is a brilliant doctor and an<br />
important leader of Singapore’s civil<br />
society. She was an outstanding NMP.<br />
One of her legacies is the amendments<br />
to our Women’s Charter to protect<br />
women from domestic violence.<br />
Kanwaljit is an outstanding human<br />
being. The Sikh community should be<br />
very proud of her.<br />
“<br />
Professor Tommy Koh<br />
Ambassador-at-Large<br />
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore<br />
HelpAge International, and immediate past president<br />
of the Singapore Orthopaedic Association. She was<br />
also a founder member of UNIFEM Singapore and the<br />
Association of Women Doctors.<br />
Not content to retire quietly, Kanwaljit continues to<br />
practice at her clinic in Mount Elizabeth hospital and,<br />
in 2007, set up and became the founding President<br />
of women’s active ageing non-profit organisation,<br />
140
Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully (WINGS).<br />
Her book, Our Lives to Live: Putting a Woman’s Face to<br />
Change in Singapore, which was co-edited with fellow<br />
AWARE founder Margaret Thomas was published in<br />
early 2015. 2<br />
Kanwaljit balks at having to choose her greatest<br />
accomplishment, suggesting that she may not have<br />
achieved her best work yet. She draws enormous<br />
gratification from the synthesis of ways in which she has<br />
been able to make her contributions on an individual<br />
level through her medical work, at the systemic level<br />
through her activism and political work and on a<br />
personal level through her familial, friendship and social<br />
networks.<br />
Kanwaljit is an optimistic person and believes that<br />
there is no insurmountable difficulty in today’s context.<br />
She states: “There is strength in numbers. If you put<br />
your heart and mind to it, and if you have a group of<br />
people to brainstorm and network, you come up with<br />
great ideas, great strategy, and there should be no<br />
reason why you cannot get ahead. If you really want to<br />
achieve something, you just have to find the route to<br />
do it.” 3 It seems that this lady is all geared up for more<br />
achievements in her life.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Dr Kanwaljit Soin, June 24, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Our Lives to Live: Putting a Woman’s Face to Change in Singapore. World<br />
Scientific, 2015, Soin & Thomas<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
141
Karan<br />
Singh Thakral<br />
I"<br />
should have gotten a doctoral degree. That is a regret that I have in my life. I feel if I had<br />
university education, my thinking and perspectives would have been different.” These words<br />
would evoke some degree of regret and a feeling of lost hope for any other person but, in this<br />
case, the person is none other than Mr Karan Singh Thakral – successful entrepreneur, respected<br />
diplomat and a well-regarded member of the Sikh community in Singapore. It may come as a<br />
surprise to many that someone like Karan has regrets. Well, that just goes to show the man’s<br />
desire to aim as high as possible in life and be the complete man.<br />
Born in Singapore and raised in Thailand, Karan joined the business started by his grandfather<br />
that was eventually transformed by his father into the massive enterprise of the Thakral Group<br />
today. It used to deal mainly in the export and import of textiles and electronic appliances.<br />
Now, it has grown into a diversified business conglomerate with numerous business activities,<br />
including life-style products, information technology products and services, manufacturing<br />
and export of yarn and branded readymade garments, luxury watches, hospitality, real estate<br />
development and management and infrastructure services, among others.<br />
Karan represents Thakral Group as an Executive Director. Recollecting the massive strides<br />
Singapore has made over the last five decades, Karan said: “Singapore has changed from a<br />
small village to a global city. Business wise, it is one of the most attractive places for people to<br />
do business and invest. As a business concept, Singapore has done very well. We did not have<br />
malls then; we had small shops. High Street was one of the main places to shop at. Now, 50<br />
years later, there are no more such shops left on High Street. It is more of a tourist attraction.<br />
The Thakral Group has been able to remain viable because we evolved with the changing times<br />
and adapted accordingly.” 1<br />
142
Under Karan’s tenure, TiE Singapore also became more<br />
prominent worldwide. The parent chapter in the Silicon<br />
Valley was quick to acknowledge the tremendous<br />
progress made by TiE Singapore under Karan’s<br />
leadership. The fact that Karan is an internationallyknown<br />
businessman and that he had strong business<br />
ties with many global personalities at a personal level<br />
certainly provided the fillip in transforming TiE Singapore<br />
into an entity far greater than its size and status could<br />
justify. Also, apart from reaching out and serving the<br />
needs of local businesses, Karan also worked with<br />
academic institutions such as the National University<br />
of Singapore (NUS) and SP Jain School of Management<br />
to promote entrepreneurship among students. “When<br />
I took over as Chairman, we decided to have a booth<br />
at the annual meet of TiE in the Silicon Valley and NUS<br />
participated in the booth. It showed the level of interest<br />
and trust our local university had in TiE Singapore.” 3<br />
While the activities of the Thakral Group occupy a<br />
considerable amount of Karan’s time, he has still<br />
managed to find time to contribute to various national<br />
and community initiatives. One of his key contributions<br />
is the revival of the Singapore chapter of The Indus<br />
Entrepreneurs (TiE). 2 Karan took over the leadership of<br />
TiE Singapore in 2008 and totally revamped the once<br />
exclusive organisation. He opened its membership to<br />
individuals of non-Indian origin based in Singapore. He<br />
strongly believed that this would allow the organisation<br />
and its members to gain from the wider and more<br />
diverse networking possibilities.<br />
The ambitious overhaul of TiE Singapore, with its diverse<br />
membership base and global emphasis spearheaded<br />
by Karan made the organisation an important partner<br />
of the Singapore government in its efforts to promote<br />
entrepreneurship here. At the same time, it provided far<br />
greater avenues for TiE Singapore members to explore<br />
business opportunities through regular networking<br />
sessions, events, business trips and meetings with<br />
international business personalities. Karan stated: “I<br />
wanted to develop TiE Singapore into a grouping that<br />
was more representational and heavily focused on<br />
entrepreneurship education. The key goal was to nurture<br />
a whole new generation of potential entrepreneurs and<br />
grant them access to business opportunities previously<br />
unavailable.” 4 Today, Karan is Chairman Emeritus of TiE<br />
Singapore and Member Emeritus of TiE’s Global Board<br />
of Trustees.<br />
In his efforts to further promote entrepreneurship locally<br />
and regionally, Karan served as one of the judges on the<br />
reality TV series Angel’s Gate, which began broadcasting<br />
on Channel NewsAsia in February 2012. The show<br />
provided the opportunity for budding entrepreneurs in<br />
Asia to pitch business ideas to investors. Karan’s desire<br />
to share his entrepreneurial acumen led him to mentor<br />
143
“<br />
Karan is a dynamic, eclectic, energetic and astute leader who is well known for<br />
being successful in both the private business sector and for his invaluable contributions<br />
to public service.<br />
He has played key roles in the Thakral Group, the South Asian Business Group of the<br />
Singapore Business Federation and TiE Singapore. He currently serves as Singapore’s<br />
NRA to Denmark, and previously as the NRA to Sri Lanka. He has served with distinction<br />
in all his posts and we owe him a debt of gratitude.<br />
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan<br />
Minister for Foreign Affairs<br />
Singapore<br />
“<br />
young entrepreneurs. He soon established Singapore<br />
Angels Network Pte Ltd to invest in start-up enterprises.<br />
Karan’s son works full time with him on this venture.<br />
To-date, the company has invested in about 80 start-up<br />
enterprises.<br />
When Karan took over the helm of the South Asian<br />
Business Group (SABG), 5 a unit under the Singapore<br />
Business Federation (SBF), 6 in 2010, he was involved<br />
in ensuring the organisation, which already boasted<br />
of a firm and solid foundation, continued its growth.<br />
Particularly, he helped to boost the SABG’s ties with the<br />
South Asian nations through business trips and missions<br />
that opened business possibilities for SBF members. His<br />
understanding and knowledge of the South Asian and<br />
Singaporean markets, and socio-economic and politics<br />
landscapes have been extremely relevant to the SABG.<br />
However, the national role that gives Karan most pride<br />
is that of being Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador<br />
(NRA), first to Sri Lanka during a period when the country<br />
hosted the Commonwealth Games and currently to<br />
Denmark. He said proudly: “It is indeed a great honour.<br />
In my life, I could not imagine taking this on. When the<br />
Singapore government asked me to become Singapore’s<br />
Ambassador to Sri Lanka, I could not say no. I felt it is<br />
my duty to serve the country. The government now has<br />
appointed me Ambassador to Denmark. It has been an<br />
enriching experience for me.” 7<br />
Karan is a firm believer in God and his philosophy of life,<br />
as well as that of his family, is to extend assistance to the<br />
needy and less fortunate in society. He said: “I grew up<br />
in a ‘giving’ family so this was my natural path. Giving<br />
back is a part of my family’s tradition. My grandfather,<br />
father and brothers – all of us have served or are serving<br />
in different roles in different countries.” 8<br />
Among his many community roles is serving in the<br />
committees of Tanjong Katong Girls School and St<br />
Hilda’s Primary School. In addition, Karan has served or<br />
is serving as Chairman and/or Trustee of a number of<br />
charitable/not-for-profit organisations in India.<br />
Whether it is focusing on the wider national economic<br />
landscapes, serving the country, fostering a conducive<br />
144
usiness environment to nurture entrepreneurial minds<br />
or just helping his community, Karan has proven that<br />
the lack of educational qualifications is no impediment<br />
at all. At the end of the day, one must have the desire<br />
to want to serve. One must be determined and most<br />
importantly, one must want to give back to society and<br />
do one’s best.<br />
In Karan’s words: “The person who knows how to<br />
give is a happy person when compared to a person<br />
who takes.” 9 Looking at his accomplishments, Karan is<br />
certainly a happy and contented man.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Karan Singh Thakral, June 15, 2015.<br />
2<br />
TiE was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful<br />
entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots<br />
in the Indus region. There are currently 13,000 members, including over<br />
2,500 charter members in 61 chapters across 18 countries. TiE’s mission<br />
is to foster entrepreneurship globally through mentoring, networking,<br />
education, incubating, and funding. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of<br />
wealth creation and giving back to the community, TiE’s focus is on<br />
generating and nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs. See<br />
http://tie.org/about-us/ for details.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Karan Singh Thakral, op cit.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
The SABG is part of the Global Business Groups at SBF. It is a platform<br />
for the Singapore business community and their counterparts in South<br />
Asia to share business-related information. See http://www.sbf.org.sg/<br />
about-us/business-groups-committees for details.<br />
6<br />
SBF is the apex business chamber championing the interests of the<br />
Singapore business community in the areas of trade, investment and<br />
industrial relations. It represents 21,500 companies, as well as key local<br />
and foreign business chambers. See http://www.sbf.org.sg/about-us/<br />
overview-about-us for details.<br />
7<br />
Interview with Mr Karan Singh Thakral, op cit.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
9<br />
Ibid.<br />
145
Kartar Singh<br />
Dalamnangal<br />
T<br />
he story of the late Mr Kartar Singh Dalamnangal is fraught with a number of perilous occasions.<br />
Like any outstanding individual worth his or her salt, Kartar always prevailed in the end.<br />
Moreover, it seemed that the compassionate man undoubtedly had superhuman powers, given<br />
his proclivity for making the most of his circumstances.<br />
Hard work and the spirit of enterprise featured prominently in Kartar’s life story. At the young<br />
age of just eight years, his mother made the difficult decision of sending him to Singapore with<br />
his uncle in the hope that he would get an education and make a better life for himself. She bet<br />
on his prospects and future being better in Singapore than if he stayed on to become a farmer<br />
in Dalamnangal, a small village in north-western Punjab. His hopes of attending school were<br />
quickly dashed when, shortly after arriving in Singapore, his aunt fell ill and was incapacitated<br />
until the time of her death. As his uncle had to work full time to support the family, Kartar took<br />
over the responsibility of caring for his two younger cousins. The lack of a formal education did<br />
little to dampen the spirits of the young Kartar, as his later life would attest.<br />
In 1942, Kartar was only 17 years old when the Japanese occupied Singapore during World War<br />
Two. His wife, Bibi Mendro recalled that her bold and bright husband started serving the tea<br />
her mother made to the Japanese. Eventually, he found favour with them and got a permanent<br />
position as a ‘coffee boy’ for a Japanese trading firm. 1 The street smart young man quickly<br />
realised that if he was going to make any progress, he would have to learn to speak the<br />
language of the Japanese and that was precisely what he did. Before long, he had impressed his<br />
bosses with not just his linguistic abilities, but also his trustworthiness and work ethic. He was<br />
then given a promotion with an assignment to start providing labourers for the construction<br />
of the Jurong shipyard. It was here that Kartar first displayed his business acumen – while the<br />
146
1957, he had saved up enough money to make a down<br />
payment on his first house. On one account, this is how<br />
his real estate business started. Despite now owning<br />
his own house, Kartar continued to live in the British<br />
quarters, choosing instead to rent out his house to earn<br />
some additional income. On another account, his real<br />
estate business started after he lost everything he had<br />
for the second time when an earlier family home, with<br />
all his hard-earned savings and belongings, was razed<br />
to the ground on Diwali day and the family was left with<br />
nothing but the clothes on their back.<br />
other suppliers were only paying labourers on a monthly<br />
basis, Kartar paid them on a daily basis. It is no surprise<br />
then that he became the agent of choice for many of<br />
the labourers and this just at the fresh young age of 20<br />
years. In a short period of time, he became responsible<br />
for a few hundred workers.<br />
Unfortunately, after the surrender of the Japanese, all<br />
the money he had prudently acquired during the war<br />
was worth nothing. However, this did not get him down<br />
at all. His keen sense for creating opportunities meant<br />
that he would rise again through determination and<br />
self-belief. Just after the war, Kartar decided that he<br />
wanted a job that would sustain him beyond peace time<br />
just in case war broke out again. He became a mechanic<br />
with the British Army and slowly built up his savings. In<br />
Before long, however, Kartar bounced back from this<br />
tragedy and never look back. Bibi Mendro shared that<br />
when the house burned down, they met a Mr Raju who<br />
ran a junk store. In order to furnish their new house, they<br />
bought furniture from him cheaply and then cleaned,<br />
varnished and restored the furniture till it looked good<br />
as new. 2 In typical fashion, this crystallised into another<br />
business plan for the savvy entrepreneur. He and his<br />
wife began to repeat this process en masse and started<br />
a small concern furnishing houses in the Fu Yong Estate.<br />
Eventually, from just looking to him to help furnish their<br />
houses, the owners entrusted him with finding tenants<br />
to rent and then sell their properties. And these were<br />
the humble beginnings of Kartar Singh Realty Pte Ltd.<br />
At the height of his success, Kartar owned more than 10<br />
properties and held a portfolio of over 200 properties all<br />
over Singapore. In 1985, he built the now iconic Kartar<br />
Apartments (or Kartar Ghar) which still stands proud<br />
along Thomson Road.<br />
Another important facet of Kartar’s personality was<br />
his insight into the notion that education was a key to<br />
bettering one’s self so that one would be able to achieve<br />
the maximum out of life. It was this that led Kartar to<br />
finally enroll in adult education classes in his twenties.<br />
Bibi Mendro recounted that her husband would go to<br />
class, learn new English words and then diligently come<br />
147
home and teach her all those new words. 3 She admitted<br />
though that she was not always as patient as him when<br />
it came to understanding the more difficult ones. Beyond<br />
that, he also ensured that each of his four children<br />
acquired tertiary education. In fact, the forward-thinking<br />
man ensured that all his children studied Mandarin. On<br />
their part, his children understood his belief in the value<br />
of education and the insistence that everyone should<br />
strive to better themselves. Mr Jagjit Singh, one of his<br />
sons, shared an account of a time after Kartar had<br />
passed away: “A Malay man came to the house to pay<br />
his respects. The family did not know who he was at all.<br />
On speaking to him, they found out that in his younger<br />
days, the visitor had been lost in life but had crossed<br />
paths with Kartar, who had motivated him to go back<br />
to school. The man then went on to make something of<br />
himself.” 4<br />
Throughout all the ups and downs in Kartar’s life, the<br />
one unshakeable constant would undoubtedly be his<br />
staunch faith in God. His favourite verse from the Sri<br />
Guri Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy <strong>Book</strong>, is ‘If God is<br />
above you, who can harm you?’ This manifested itself<br />
in a number of ways, including the immense amount of<br />
sewa (service) he did throughout his life. In the words<br />
of the late Justice Dr Choor Singh, “Since the end of<br />
“<br />
I met Mr Kartar in the early<br />
1980s through one of his daughters.<br />
I am a paraplegic and wheelchair<br />
bound. Right from the start, he<br />
welcomed me into the family and<br />
treated me like his own. He felt that<br />
it was very important for me to be<br />
independent and, as such, supported<br />
me in my business venture. When<br />
I went into insurance, he bought<br />
insurance from me for his family as<br />
well as introduced his friends to me.<br />
He did not just serve those in his<br />
community, but also those outside his<br />
community.<br />
Mr Kartar was also a generous<br />
donor to the Society for Aid to the<br />
Paralysed (now known as Society for<br />
the Physically Disabled). Like me, he<br />
inspired many of my disabled friends<br />
through his support and his ability to<br />
relate to them.<br />
“<br />
Englebert Eagle Alan Ho<br />
Society for the Physically Disabled<br />
the Second World War, he put his heart and soul in<br />
sewa at this [Silat Road] gurdwara (temple).” 5 The Silat<br />
Road Temple held a special place in the heart of Kartar<br />
because he personally supervised the reconstruction and<br />
renovation of the temple. In fact, the conceptualisation<br />
and construction of the Bhai Maharaj Singh 6 shrine,<br />
containing his samadh (tombstone), was Kartar’s idea. 7<br />
According to the late Justice Choor Singh, he was politely<br />
addressed as jathedar (leader of the community). Far<br />
148
eyond the sizeable donations he made to the building<br />
fund for the temple, he volunteered much of his time<br />
to serve the community. However, his community work<br />
was just not confined to his later days when he was<br />
comfortable in his own life and enjoying the fruits of<br />
his hard work. Bibi Mendro attested that, from the<br />
onset, for every S$100 they made selling refurbished<br />
furniture, S$25 would be set aside to be donated to<br />
needy individuals. 8<br />
In an article written on the Silat Road Temple, the late<br />
Justice Choor Singh concluded: “Men like him [Kartar]<br />
serve to inspire.” 10 He forsook his studies to look<br />
after his young cousins, exercised ingenuity to survive<br />
the Japanese occupation, built and then rebuilt his<br />
business and contributed selflessly in the service of his<br />
fellow beings. Long after his passing, the jarabanwala<br />
continues to remain an inspiration in and outside the<br />
Sikh community.<br />
Kartar was truly a selfless man who lived his life in<br />
the service of others. There are stories abound of the<br />
numerous times that he benevolently gave freely so<br />
that others would have a roof over their heads. The<br />
moniker he earned of jarabanwala (the stocking man)<br />
immediately conjures the image of his humble all-white<br />
attire, complete of course with the knee-high socks,<br />
which was essentially the uniform of a British Admiral.<br />
His family shared that the success in the form of wealth<br />
he had achieved personally “was never as important to<br />
him as the good that he could do with it.” 9<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Bibi Mendro, June 16, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Interview with Mr Jagjit Singh, June 16, 2015.<br />
5<br />
History of Silat Road Sikh Temple. See http://www.sikhs.org.sg.<br />
6<br />
Bhai Maharaj Singh was a Sikh saint-solder and hero of the<br />
Sikhresistance to the British occupation of Punjab. He was tortured by<br />
the British and exiled to Singapore where he died in captivity in 1856.<br />
See http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia.<br />
7<br />
Interview with Bibi Mendro, op. cit.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
9<br />
Interview with Mr Jagjit Singh, op. cit.<br />
10<br />
http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/world-gurudwaras/gurdwara-sahibsilat-road-singapore.<br />
149
Kartar<br />
Singh Thakral<br />
T<br />
enacity, humility and great foresight, built upon immense faith and divinity – these ingredients<br />
have been key to the recipe of success for Mr Kartar Singh Thakral, Chairman of Thakral Group<br />
of Companies and Executive Director of its Singapore-listed Thakral Corporation.<br />
One of the most distinguished and recognisable personalities in the Singapore business fraternity<br />
and the global Sikh diaspora, Kartar’s list of achievements in the field of business are illustrious<br />
and inspiring. The genesis of a multi-million dollar and worldwide group of companies started<br />
from humble beginnings and steeped in divinity.<br />
Kartar’s father, the late Mr Sohan Singh, became an orphan at the age of nine years when the<br />
family was wiped out by an epidemic that hit the Sialkot district in modern-day Pakistan, leaving<br />
behind his younger brother and him. Having no relatives to fend for them, the young Sohan<br />
worked in a sweets shop in a nearby village serving tea. There, a man by the name of Mr Kirpa<br />
Singh used to frequent the shop for almost a year and noticing the young hardworking boy,<br />
asked him to work for him in his textile shop in Bangkok. Starting from there, Sohan did his<br />
own textile peddling and worked hard enough to open his own shop in Bangkok in 1905 – the<br />
Punjab Store – which gradually expanded into Japan and India and laid the foundation for the<br />
international Thakral Group.<br />
Born in Bangkok in 1933, Kartar was sent by his father to Singapore in 1952 when he was<br />
19 years old to help his brother expand the fourth branch of the family’s textile business. 1<br />
After a year, his brother returned to Thailand and Kartar was left facing several challenges. His<br />
command of English was limited, while he had no knowledge of Mandarin or Malay. However,<br />
starting out afresh in a foreign and alien land did not deter Kartar. He had learnt business<br />
150
Many in Asia had shunned doing business in China and<br />
Russia in the 1960s due to their political regimes. But not<br />
Kartar! He saw opportunity where others did not as he<br />
developed a strong partnership with Chinese Resources<br />
Ltd while also securing non-exclusive distribution rights<br />
for Russian textiles, realising the growing demand for<br />
these goods. The company became a leading distributor<br />
of Chinese textiles in the region during the 1960s.<br />
Kartar’s knack for identifying business trends made<br />
him realise that the textile trade would soon become<br />
overcrowded and he diversified the company into the<br />
consumer electronics business, as Thakral Brothers<br />
started an electronics division in Singapore in 1975,<br />
while also opening up an office in Hong Kong at the<br />
same time. 3 Through successful partnerships with Casio<br />
and Panasonic, among other electronics companies, over<br />
the next 20 years, the Thakral brand grew to become a<br />
household name in the region.<br />
principles from his father and brothers (Mr Harbans<br />
Singh Thakral and Mr Kuldip Singh Thakral), which<br />
Kartar applied effectively and strategically. Starting<br />
with a small wholesale textile shop under the Thakral<br />
Brothers’ name, at the corner of High Street and Hill<br />
Street, where the Treasury Building currently stands,<br />
he succeeded in building, over time, a conglomerate<br />
of offices in 25 countries, including several emerging<br />
markets such as Ukraine, Serbia and Romania, as<br />
well as those in Asia such as Laos and Myanmar. 2<br />
A pro-business environment and a strategic port<br />
location in Singapore helped build the momentum<br />
of trade through the island as Kartar captured these<br />
opportunities, remaining ahead of the curve.<br />
Under the guidance of Kartar, the group decided to<br />
invest significantly into selected real estate projects, for<br />
which he has a personal passion. Kartar and his capable<br />
management team saw opportunity in Australia and<br />
Japan, both of which he was familiar with. He started<br />
another public-listed entity known as Thakral Holdings<br />
Group, focused on Australian hospitality real estate assets.<br />
For a considerable period of time, the Thakral Holdings<br />
Group was one of the largest foreign owners and<br />
operators of hotels in Australia, following its acquisition<br />
of a distressed portfolio of seven major hotels there in<br />
1994, as well as its acquisition of the management rights<br />
of the All Seasons Hotel Group. When it was delisted in<br />
2012, the Thakral Holdings Group’s total assets were<br />
valued at AUD$1.064 billion.<br />
Today, the family-run business is a hallmark of the spirit<br />
of enterprise, spanning across five sectors. These are in<br />
151
“<br />
An exemplary man in more ways than one, Mr Kartar Thakral built an extremely<br />
successful commercial empire with his business acumen but never allowed it to change<br />
his modest and unassuming personality.<br />
A true visionary, he identified China as an area of growth and commenced trading<br />
operations and built lasting relationships with its leaders several decades before the<br />
international community realised its full potential. A leading member of the Singapore<br />
business community, his advice was sought for and tapped by many government and<br />
private organisations, which he served faithfully for many years.<br />
A compassionate humanitarian and a dedicated philanthropist, he helped many causes<br />
connected with the welfare of the disadvantaged by contributing generously by way of<br />
time and money for the building and maintaining of schools, hospitals and religious<br />
institutions in Singapore, China and India.<br />
A natural leader and mentor, he has passed on his values to his family, friends and<br />
employees which will ensure that he and his business empire will have a permanent<br />
place in the history of Singapore.<br />
“<br />
Mr Natarajan Subramaniam<br />
Independent Non-Executive Chairman and Director<br />
Thakral Corporation Ltd<br />
property investment and development, built on Kartar’s<br />
own passion and expertise, in the textile industry as<br />
the group is a majority shareholder in a yarn spinning<br />
mill in Indonesia and hires about 4,000 people there<br />
and the distribution and retail of consumer lifestyle<br />
products across emerging markets in Asia, including<br />
authorised Apple retail stores. In addition, it represents<br />
major timepiece and luxury brands in emerging<br />
markets across Indochina, including Myanmar. The<br />
group distributes technology products across Asia, and<br />
provides technology consulting services to major public<br />
and private enterprises. Kartar still remains a key part<br />
of the decision-making process of the group’s ventures,<br />
especially when it comes to investments.<br />
The group and Kartar have both been recognised for<br />
their achievements. He was awarded the Businessman<br />
of the Year award in 1995 while Thakral Brothers was<br />
ranked the top private company in Singapore in the<br />
same year in the first ever Enterprise 50 list compiled<br />
then by Andersen Consulting and The Business Times.<br />
Kartar’s achievements did not go unnoticed by the<br />
Singapore government. During an era when Singapore<br />
was developing its own economy and building the<br />
Singapore Inc. brand name globally, the Thakral group’s<br />
success in evolving into a diversified company, with its<br />
own innovation and manufactured products, as well as<br />
its track record of gaining large presence in markets<br />
152
around the world, proved relevant. The government<br />
tapped onto Kartar’s expertise and wisdom as he<br />
was appointed a Director of the then-Singapore Trade<br />
Development Board by the Minister for Trade and<br />
Industry for a period of four years until 31 December<br />
1998. 4 He was also a member of the Committee to<br />
Promote Enterprise Overseas and a member of the<br />
Regional Business Forum, both appointments made by<br />
the government. 5<br />
Besides his economic and business contributions to<br />
Singapore, Kartar has also played a key role in the Sikh<br />
community and wider society through his philanthropic<br />
and community service work. His selfless contributions<br />
have helped realise many key projects and initiatives in<br />
the Sikh community in Singapore and overseas.<br />
Kartar has also been helpful to community organisations<br />
which seek his advice and guidance in other strategic<br />
matters. He has served as a Trustee of the Singapore<br />
Indian Development Association from 1991 to 2006. In<br />
the Sikh community, he continues to serve as a Trustee<br />
to the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation and the Sri<br />
Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha 6 and as a Patron to the Sikh<br />
Welfare Council and Singapore Khalsa Association.<br />
His principles of integrity, resilience and humility, and<br />
community service can be traced back to his focus on<br />
developing his spirituality and living a Sikh way of life. In<br />
2008, he was Singapore’s 30th richest person, according<br />
to Forbes, but despite all these achievements, Kartar<br />
remains humble as he attributes all of this success to<br />
divine blessings rather than personal traits. Prayers, he<br />
added, have helped him gain a lot of blessings from<br />
God and these are the very values he has instilled in his<br />
family which keeps them and their enterprise grounded.<br />
This focus on faith and spirituality also helped him<br />
overcome a very difficult period in his life. In 1986, he<br />
was diagnosed with stomach cancer and, in February<br />
that year, he had a major surgery to remove 80 per cent<br />
of his stomach. “With perseverance and prayers, I was<br />
healed and able to live till now. I remain to have strong<br />
faith in God,” he shared. 7<br />
In spite of being a successful businessman and leading<br />
figure in Singapore’s economic landscape, particularly<br />
during its developing years, Kartar stated: “It is faith and<br />
prayer that have gotten me through to here as I have<br />
no education or talent.” 8 This is indeed a hallmark of a<br />
remarkably humble, grounded and selfless man.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
The Next Leap Forward, The Business Times, April 28, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Thakral Brothers: From trading to manufacturing, The Business Times,<br />
February 10, 1996.<br />
4<br />
www.thakralcorp.com.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Interview with Mr Kartar Singh Thakral, October 16, 2015.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
153
Kernial<br />
Singh Sandhu<br />
U<br />
pon finishing his Doctor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, the late Professor<br />
Kernial Singh Sandhu, a rising academic from Southeast Asia, was appointed Director of the<br />
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in 1972. The institute was set up in 1968 by<br />
Dr Goh Keng Swee, then-Singapore’s Minister for Defence, to become the leading hub for<br />
interdisciplinary research for the region. 1 Many found the move wasteful of crucial monetary<br />
resources. 2 Singapore had then just acquired independence and was a third world country<br />
that needed all the resources it had. Furthermore, Southeast Asia was a poor region and the<br />
western world was at its peak. All in all, there appeared to be little reason to study the region<br />
extensively. Given this, Kernial had two key challenges. The first was for ISEAS to produce highly<br />
prized and relevant literature on the region. Secondly, and more importantly, he had to spark<br />
interest and help others realise the underlying potential of Southeast Asia. In his 20 years at the<br />
institute, Kernial transformed it.<br />
An interview with Dr Sharon Siddique, then-Deputy Director of ISEAS, offered an integral insight<br />
into the world of the institute under Kernial’s leadership. First and foremost, Kernial ensured<br />
that ISEAS operated with a regional mindset and not just a national one. 3 He implemented<br />
a regional culture through nurturing and retaining Southeast Asian talent at the institute. He<br />
fully appreciated the concerns of many regional scholars who faced financial constraints in<br />
completing their research and extended ISEAS’ funds to help them complete their work.<br />
Putting financial support aside, Kernial was also a man who had time for everyone. He saw equal<br />
importance in the work of prominent senior scholars and newly-graduated researchers. “He<br />
gave everyone the benefit of doubt for producing good pieces of work. He would continuously<br />
allow extension of deadlines. I was amazed by his patience and honestly," 4 Sharon noted.<br />
154
the library stood in its own glory and was known to be a<br />
regional information centre, hosting more than 300,000<br />
materials. It had increased its usership by 5,330 people<br />
in the same year, whereby usership was not exclusive to<br />
just researchers of the institute. 7<br />
Courtesy of ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore<br />
Kernial’s effort to make ISEAS a regional body with an<br />
international appeal was highly successful. By 1992, it<br />
had researchers from all over the world, with 40 per<br />
cent of them comimg from Southeast Asia. 5 Also, by<br />
1992, ISEAS had published over 640 titles and was<br />
the region’s largest publisher of scholarly material on<br />
the Asia Pacific region 6 . It is clear, this was a man who<br />
believed in anyone who walked through his door and<br />
it was a quality that is still remembered and deeply<br />
appreciated by researchers and ISEAS alike.<br />
Kernial was also behind the movement to develop a<br />
world-class library at ISEAS. He believed in equipping<br />
the library with excellent updated material and filling<br />
it with relevant material. He worked very closely with<br />
the librarian to make sure that researchers could get<br />
whatever they needed from the library itself. By 1992,<br />
Under Kernial’s guidance, ISEAS grew tremendously.<br />
However, he had even greater ambitions for the<br />
institute and the region. He foresaw a great potential<br />
in Southeast Asia and understood the role ISEAS had<br />
to play in helping everyone realise the same. To do this,<br />
the institute needed to expand much more rapidly in<br />
size and reputability. He used his high stature with the<br />
government and international scholars to help acquire<br />
funds and academic freedom that would further hone<br />
ISEAS’ legitimacy as a reputed source of information on<br />
Southeast Asia. Kernial succeeded in acquiring funding<br />
from renowned organisations like Volkswagen and<br />
Ford Foundation. 8 In fact, by the late 1980s, Konrad<br />
Adenauer Foundation was one of ISEAS’ main financial<br />
supporters, contributing more than S$400,000 in 1989-<br />
90, second only to America’s Ford Foundation. 9 In<br />
addition, Australia contributed S$917,633 towards 21<br />
ISEAS research fellowships. 10<br />
Kernial also saw the value of dialogue in plugging the<br />
institute into issues that mattered to the government<br />
and the public. Numerous conferences, seminars, public<br />
lectures and workshops were conducted throughout the<br />
year. He invited former congressmen, ministers and even<br />
ex-presidents like Mr George W Bush to deliver public<br />
lectures on various topics. 11<br />
Kernial also sought to make ISEAS a “public education<br />
tool” through journals. 12 Some of these journals included<br />
The ASEAN Economic Bulletin and Contemporary<br />
South East Asia and Trends. 13 These journals comprised<br />
materials contributed by scholars at the institute as well<br />
as ministers, policy-makers and senior research fellows<br />
155
“<br />
Professor Sandhu was one of the brightest minds of his time. He had an astute<br />
understanding of regional and global affairs. A wonderful intellectual, he was muchsought<br />
after by local and international institutions for his views on geo-political issues<br />
confronting Singapore and the region at that time. Above all, he was generous with<br />
funding, advice and time – he was always willing to help fellow colleagues and young<br />
academics who wanted to understand his thoughts and perspectives.<br />
Professor Sandhu spent much of his life at ISEAS and transformed it into one<br />
of the most, if not the most, respected institutions in Southeast Asia. When I<br />
took over as Director of ISEAS in 2002, some 10 years after Professor Sandhu,<br />
I inherited an organisation that owed so much of its progress to him. His<br />
unfortunate demise in 1992 shocked all of us who knew him. He left a huge void<br />
in the academic arena.<br />
“<br />
Mr K Kesavapany<br />
Adjunct Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy<br />
National University of Singapore, and<br />
Former Director, ISEAS<br />
from all over the world. The willingness of so many big<br />
names to contribute to the journals published by ISEAS<br />
again demonstrated the institute’s growing reputability<br />
and its positive reputation amongst an international<br />
crowd. These publications were distributed in 73<br />
countries, 53 per cent of them in Asia. 14<br />
Despite having so much on his plate, Kernial also<br />
continued with his own research and authored seven<br />
books centred mainly on migration of Indians to<br />
Southeast Asia and the rise of Melaka in the 18th<br />
century. 15 According to Sharon, Kernial’s books are<br />
still highly regarded and known as classics till today.<br />
In particular, his book, Management of Success: The<br />
Molding of Modern Singapore even caught the attention<br />
of Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.<br />
A joint effort by Kernial and Professor Paul Wheatley,<br />
Sharon explained that no one has been able to beat the<br />
1,134-page reference material till today, some 26 years<br />
later. 16<br />
The professor’s most prominent contribution to<br />
Singapore and Southeast Asia, however, lies in building<br />
economic cooperation which eventually led to the<br />
establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian<br />
Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Agreement 17 in 1992. He<br />
led the way by organising annual ASEAN roundtables<br />
and invited officials and ministers from ASEAN to<br />
discuss economic potential of and possible challenges<br />
to ASEAN cooperation. By 1992, a new chapter was<br />
opened by the region with the free trade agreement.<br />
Not surprisingly, towards the end of his tenure at ISEAS<br />
in 1992, Kernial showed no signs of slowing down. He<br />
was preparing the launch of another compilation called<br />
the ASEAN Reader 18 when he suddenly passed away of<br />
156
he was taking his wife to see the Christmas lights in<br />
Orchard Road.” 24<br />
Kernial was a man who dedicated his life to service,<br />
believed in breaking scholarly boundaries and lived for<br />
the unification of ASEAN countries for economic success.<br />
He was also one of the most respected academics of his<br />
time. His legacy lives on.<br />
Courtesy of ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore<br />
a heart attack on 2 December 1992. Suggestions were<br />
made to put the book launch on hold. Instead, Sharon<br />
explained that the book launch was used as a platform to<br />
celebrate the legendary professor’s magnificent career.<br />
She stated: “It is, to-date, one of the most moving book<br />
launches I have ever been to.” 19 Guests flew down<br />
from all parts of the world for the launch and memorial<br />
service for Kernial. Among the guests were former Senior<br />
Minister, Mr S Rajaratnam, Distinguished Senior Fellow<br />
at ISEAS, 20 and Justice Punch Coomaraswamy, Chairman<br />
of the ISEAS Board of Trustees. His Excellency Dato’ Ajit<br />
Singh, ASEAN Secretary General-designate, delivered a<br />
moving speech where he said: “It is a tragedy that the<br />
one man to whom we owe it all is not with us today. This<br />
would have been one of Kernial’s proudest moments for<br />
I know how much it meant to him.” 21<br />
An active member in public service, Kernial was<br />
awarded the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Public<br />
Administration Medal) (Gold) 22 in 1985. 23 Sharon also<br />
revealed that Kernial was one of the most respected<br />
members of the Sikh community, taking part in many<br />
Sikh committees to lend support to members of the<br />
community. However, she added that he was, first and<br />
foremost, a devoted husband, stating: “In fact, on the<br />
evening of the 2 December 1992, he left office early as<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
A Chen, What other Singapore think tanks do, The Straits Times,<br />
February 19, 1991, Factiva.<br />
2<br />
K James, Research Institute Worth Backing, The Straits Times, November<br />
19, 1989, Factiva.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Interview with Dr Sharon Siddique, May 6, 2015.<br />
5<br />
ISEAS Annual Report (1992-1993), 1993, 1-73.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
9<br />
Dr Seet awarded fellowship to do research at Iseas, The Straits Times,<br />
September 28, 1991, Factiva.<br />
10<br />
Australian government gives fellowship grant, The Business Times, July<br />
3, 1991, Factiva.<br />
11<br />
Bush to give Singapore Lecture in January, The Business Times,<br />
December 17, 1991, Factiva.<br />
12<br />
P Daniel, Returned émigré pays tribute to human spirit, The Straits<br />
Times, November 14, 1989, Factiva.<br />
13<br />
ISEAS Annual Report, op cit.<br />
14<br />
Ibid.<br />
15<br />
K James, The Business Times, December 4, 1992, Factiva.<br />
16<br />
James, The Straits Times, op cit.<br />
17<br />
P Imada, In AFTA, the way ahead, Singapore: ASEAN Economic Research<br />
Unit, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1992.<br />
18<br />
Iseas book in memory of Sandhu, The Straits Times, December 11,<br />
1992, Factiva.<br />
19<br />
Interview with Dr Sharon Siddique, op cit.<br />
20<br />
Daniel, op cit.<br />
21<br />
Iseas book in memory of Sandhu, op cit.<br />
22<br />
The Pingat Pentadbiran Awam was instituted in 1963. There are three<br />
grades of the medal, namely, gold, silver and bronze. The medal may<br />
be awarded to any of the following persons for outstanding efficiency,<br />
competence and industry – any person who is or has been a public<br />
officer; any person who is or has been an officer employed by any statutory<br />
authority (other than a Town Council); any person who is or has<br />
been in the service of any organisation, association or body rendering<br />
services in the field of education; or any person who is or has been<br />
employed in any company which is wholly-owned by the government<br />
and which is carrying on business mainly as an agent or instrumentality<br />
of the government.<br />
23<br />
K James, The Business Times, op cit.<br />
24<br />
Interview with Dr Sharon Siddique, op cit.<br />
157
Kirpal<br />
Singh<br />
A "<br />
literature defines its people, a literature defines a nation.” 1 For this reason and more, poet,<br />
writer, cultural critic and academic Associate Professor Kirpal Singh remains one of Singapore<br />
literature’s foremost proponents.<br />
Kirpal has published four books of poetry, two collections of stories and several scholarly<br />
books. He has more than 200 articles, academic papers and a miscellany of essays and reviews.<br />
His research focuses on post-colonial literature, Singapore and Southeast Asia, literature and<br />
technology, and creative thinking. He is currently an Associate Professor of English Literature<br />
and Director of the Wee Kim Wee Centre at Singapore Management University (SMU). Around<br />
the world, he is well-known as a creativity guru and a futurist.<br />
Kirpal is the child of a Punjabi father and a Scottish-Jewish mother. His cross-cultural<br />
background, rare at the time of his birth, has made him keenly aware of how ethnicity and<br />
religion are powerful drivers in human beings. The impact of this on his work is evident, with<br />
multiculturalism and diversity being recurring themes he grapples with. Kirpal is convinced that<br />
deep-seated biases need to be discussed and actively engaged with if we are to live in harmony<br />
and peace in a world that is increasingly becoming conflict-ridden.<br />
Kirpal’s paternal grandfather was a burly policeman, brought to Singapore (along with his<br />
pregnant wife) by the British in the late 19th century to help deal with Chinese gangsters. His<br />
father, born in 1921 as one of 18 children in the family, became well-known throughout Malaya<br />
as an athlete, a marathoner and, later, a champion boxer in the bantamweight category. His<br />
parents met ringside while his 16-year-old mother, fresh out of high school in Glasgow, was<br />
on a trip to Singapore to visit her property agent brothers, who were fans of his boxer father.<br />
158
Kirpal and used his cane to tickle his nose and tease<br />
him while all the other villagers stood quietly by and<br />
watched. The resentment at that unquestioned power<br />
relationship, in part due to a language barrier, made an<br />
impact on his decision to pursue the English language<br />
and post-colonial psyche. It is Kirpal’s long-standing<br />
conviction that colonialism has to be analysed and<br />
understood fully if we are to liberate ourselves from its<br />
long-term tyranny. In this respect, mastering the colonial<br />
language, English, plays a crucial role.<br />
The couple legitimised their marriage shortly after at the<br />
gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Queen Street. Kirpal was born<br />
a year later in 1949.<br />
Following his mother’s return to Scotland, Kirpal was<br />
sent to live with his grandmother from the age of<br />
six months to six years in Batu Gajah and Ipoh. He<br />
acknowledges that the absence of his mother has been<br />
significant in his life. Still, Kirpal recalls the cow-herding<br />
and river-wading Malay village part of his childhood<br />
with fondness and many of his poems about Malaya<br />
express warmth and nostalgia for that period.<br />
During his childhood, an Orwellian incident in which<br />
his friends and him were made to dress up and greet a<br />
young British district officer on a village inspection made<br />
an indelible impression on him. The officer stopped at<br />
Kirpal was brought back to Singapore by his uncle<br />
once his schooling years began. He attended the<br />
experimental Jalan Daud School in Eunos, then Tanjong<br />
Katong Technical Secondary School (now Tanjong<br />
Katong Secondary School) and Raffles Institution. He<br />
received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master<br />
of Arts (English) from the University of Singapore. In<br />
1976, he was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship<br />
to complete his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the<br />
University of Adelaide in Australia. Kirpal could have<br />
gone to Cambridge (United Kingdom) or to Cornell<br />
(United States of America) for his PhD but chose<br />
Adelaide because he wanted to be close to his sick<br />
uncle. Looking back, he muses that perhaps if he had<br />
gone to Cambridge, his life’s journey might have been<br />
very different but he has no regrets. Kirpal was the first<br />
Asian to receive a PhD in English from the University of<br />
Adelaide. While in Adelaide, he took the opportunity to<br />
immerse himself in the city’s rich literary and cultural life<br />
while writing his thesis on Aldous Huxley, an intellectual<br />
who remains one of his greatest inspirations today.<br />
Kirpal was also conferred the Distinguished Alumni<br />
Award by the University of Adelaide – an honour given<br />
to only a handful from around the world.<br />
Upon graduation, Kirpal was faced with a choice of<br />
entering the administrative, foreign or academic services.<br />
He heeded the advice of much-admired Professor<br />
159
“<br />
Kirpal always has an eye for capturing the vagaries of life beautifully in the<br />
written word. His respect for literature is evident in his repertoire of writings which<br />
have contributed significantly to the diversity and flourishing of the Singapore<br />
literature scene. Alongside his literary peers, his dedication to the craft has inspired<br />
many aspiring writers to scale greater heights and bring Singapore literature to the<br />
forefront of our society. As an academic, his wisdom and sharp insights on Singapore’s<br />
culture and the arts has been influential in nurturing generations of Singaporean<br />
literary and critical thinkers.<br />
I have known Kirpal for many years. What comes out clearly in all my interactions<br />
with him is his ability to convey the subtleties and nuances of everyday life in the most<br />
comprehensible manner for all to enjoy.<br />
Associate Professor Yaacob Ibrahim<br />
Minister for Communications and Information<br />
Singapore<br />
“<br />
Maurice Baker and chose academia because of his<br />
enormous love of books and his passion for writing.<br />
After lecturing at National University of Singapore from<br />
1978 to 1991, he moved to Nanyang Technological<br />
University (NTU) as founder of its Literature and Drama<br />
department, which he then headed for seven years. In<br />
1999, he was asked by the founding team of SMU to<br />
join it in creating a different, bold, new university. In<br />
2000, he left NTU to become Associate Professor of<br />
Communication Skills and Creative Thinking at SMU,<br />
where he still teaches. 2<br />
Many of Singapore’s/Malaysia’s early writers, such as<br />
Edwin Thumboo, Lee Tzu Pheng, Ee Tiang Hong, Wong<br />
Phui Nam and K S Maniam, have been influential in<br />
Kirpal’s literary growth. Professor Thumboo, in particular,<br />
played a significant role as a mentor in shaping his<br />
development as a writer, and he readily acknowledges<br />
this despite them having grown distant and divergent<br />
in their views over the years. Likewise, on his own time,<br />
Kirpal has influenced many of the younger writers in<br />
Singapore and continues to act both as a mentor and<br />
an inspiration.<br />
Although Kirpal explained that he was approached twice<br />
to see if he would be keen to enter politics, once when<br />
he was 25 or 26 years old and again after his return<br />
from Adelaide when he was asked to be the first Sikh<br />
Member of Parliament, he declined both offers, stating<br />
that he values his privacy and feels he may be better<br />
able to serve Singapore, even in political matters, from<br />
outside the political realm. This has, indeed, been true<br />
as Kirpal’s views have been regularly sought by policy<br />
makers on a diverse range of issues but more commonly<br />
on Singapore’s arts, cultural and literary priorities. He<br />
has also been featured in the world’s major media such<br />
as CNN, CNBC, ESPN, BBC, Times, Wall Street Journal<br />
and New York Times, among others.<br />
160
Kirpal is an internationally acclaimed academic. He was<br />
a founding member of the Centre for Research in New<br />
Literatures, Flinders University, in 1977, the first Asian<br />
Director for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 1993<br />
and 1994, and Chairman of the Singapore Writers Festival<br />
in the 1990s. He attended the prestigious University of<br />
Iowa International Writing Programme in 1997. In 2004,<br />
he became the first Asian and non-American to be<br />
made Director on the Board of the American Creativity<br />
Association (ACA), of which he is now Vice President.<br />
He is also Chairperson of ACA International. Kirpal has<br />
conducted seminars, workshops and classes at a host<br />
of universities, including leading institutions such as<br />
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale, Columbia,<br />
New York University, Oxford and Cambridge. His works<br />
are taught in various university courses, nationally and<br />
internationally. He has been invited to perform and<br />
speak at some of the world’s most highly-valued arts<br />
and literary festivals such as the Edinburgh, Adelaide,<br />
York and Toronto.<br />
As an educator, Kirpal believes the hallmark of the<br />
strength of his teaching is when a student outshines<br />
him in his achievements. He is cognisant of the power<br />
dynamics between him and his students, staff, colleagues<br />
and administrators, and power is another very present<br />
theme in his literary work. Kirpal believes that, by and<br />
large, if a society functions on fear as the basis for<br />
respect, it can only be pushed to a certain extent before<br />
the human spirit becomes resistant and rebels against it.<br />
Kirpal states: “Literature gives human beings the<br />
capacity to think in alternate ways. In Singapore, we<br />
tend to be overemphatic about the hard sciences and<br />
our post-colonial condition has caused us to respect<br />
the literature of other countries more.” 3 However, he<br />
firmly believes that literature makes and defines its<br />
people. He is concerned that ever since it was dropped<br />
as a compulsory subject in schools, the level of English<br />
language ability in Singapore has been deteriorating. He<br />
has advocated for the mandatory teaching of Singapore<br />
literature and believes that we should study it first<br />
because it will give us a stronger sense of identity.<br />
Literature talks about joy and sorrow, it makes you laugh<br />
and makes you cry. Writers often venture into domains<br />
that are between the knowing and the unaccepting.<br />
Kirpal is one Singapore’s writers who has, indeed,<br />
ventured in virtually all domains in his lifetime – in<br />
Singapore and around the world. He remains true to the<br />
undaunted spirit of his forefathers – voyaging beyond<br />
the known, in both reality and imagination.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Associate Professor Kirpal Singh, August 3, 2105.<br />
2<br />
SMU website, http://www.smu.edu.sg/faculty/profile/56571.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Associate Professor Kirpal Singh, op cit.<br />
161
Mancharan<br />
Singh Gill<br />
O<br />
ne of the oldest military formations in Singapore is the Singapore Artillery. With a rich history<br />
since its conception in 1888, the Singapore Artillery has played a crucial role as a deterrent<br />
against any threat to Singapore’s sovereignty. Although command of the unit has changed<br />
countless times since its formation, one commander particularly stands out from all these great<br />
leaders. He is the late Colonel (Retired) Mancharan Singh Gill. Living true to the motto of the<br />
Artillery formation, ‘In Oriente Primus’, which means ‘First in the East’, 1 Mancharan was the<br />
first Chief of the Singapore Artillery and he played a critical role in the rise of modern-day<br />
Singapore Artillery.<br />
One of 11 children, Mancharan was born in Muar in Malaya in 1934. He completed his early<br />
education in Malaya. Despite the Japanese invasion of Malaya during the Second World War,<br />
which led to a disruption of his studies, Mancharan persevered and continued studying after<br />
the war, graduating from Saint Xavier’s College in Penang. Following the completion of his early<br />
education, Mancharan came to Singapore in 1952 and enrolled in the University of Malaya.<br />
In 1955, Mancharan graduated from the university and became a teacher before joining<br />
Singapore’s Metrological Service. During his stint at the metrological service, the Indonesian<br />
Konfrontasi broke out and Mancharan joined the Singapore Volunteer Artillery where he served<br />
to protect Singapore and Malaysia which had merged at that time. In 1965, when Singapore<br />
separated from Malaysia, Mancharan was in Sabah. Along with the other officers in the army,<br />
he was given the option to choose between the Singapore and Malaysian armies. Although<br />
most of his family members were in Malaysia, Mancharan chose to remain in Singapore. His<br />
time spent here, his interactions at university (where he was housemate with Singapore’s former<br />
President, Mr S R Nathan, and others) and thereafter imbued in him a sense of commitment<br />
162
sophistication needed by the troops. His men were also<br />
not trained well and many did not know how to handle<br />
the artillery pieces properly. His first tenure as the Chief<br />
of the Artillery formation was from the end of 1969 till<br />
May 1971. In this short time, Mancharan built up the<br />
Artillery formation from scratch. He utilised many of his<br />
old comrades from the volunteer artillery as instructors<br />
in the Singapore Artillery units and they trained the<br />
pioneer batches of soldiers in handling the various types<br />
of artillery pieces effectively and confidently. Mancharan<br />
also knew that, on top of his men being well-trained, to<br />
defend Singapore effectively, they needed modern guns.<br />
As such, he approached several countries to discuss the<br />
sales of artillery to Singapore. 2<br />
to the newly-independent country and he wanted<br />
to contribute to its development. As the Singapore<br />
Armed Forces (SAF) had not been formed at that point<br />
in time, Mancharan served in the precursor of the SAF,<br />
the Singapore Military Force, where he held the rank<br />
of Captain. When the SAF was formally set up and the<br />
various units were formed, Mancharan was appointed<br />
Singapore’s first Chief of the Singapore Artillery in 1969.<br />
He was a committed, experienced and highly capable<br />
ground officer.<br />
When Mancharan became the Chief of the Artillery<br />
formation, he was faced with many challenges. The British<br />
had left Singapore in a hurry and did not leave any proper<br />
equipment for use by the Artillery. The Singapore Artillery<br />
consisted of simple mortars, which lacked the range and<br />
At the end of his first tour, Mancharan was sent to<br />
Fort Leavenworth in the United States for training at<br />
the Command and Staff College where he excelled in<br />
his batch and was promoted to the rank of Colonel.<br />
Upon his return to Singapore in 1973, Mancharan was<br />
appointed the Chief of the Artillery formation for the<br />
second time. He had the opportunity to further carry on<br />
his work in developing Singapore’s artillery capability.<br />
During his two tours as the Singapore Artillery Chief,<br />
Mancharan set in place plans, policies and processes<br />
for the modernisation of the Singapore Artillery. 3 At<br />
that point in time, the Singapore Artillery used a simple<br />
‘aim the mortar tube and fire’ system. Having personally<br />
experienced the Second World War, Mancharan was fully<br />
aware that for Singapore to avoid such a catastrophic<br />
scenario again, the SAF needed to be a top-notch entity<br />
with modern equipment and well-trained men.<br />
When it came to his men, Mancharan was extremely<br />
disciplined but fair. It was very common to see him<br />
mingling with his men as often as he could so that he<br />
could build rapport with them, and motivate and push<br />
them to their limits. To his officers, Mancharan was a hard<br />
taskmaster who was always demanding the maximum<br />
163
from them at all times. Mancharan was convinced that<br />
the Singapore Artillery officers’ leadership was crucial<br />
to the effectiveness of the formation and he expected<br />
much more from them. His officers acknowledged that<br />
his methods were highly effective and those under his<br />
charge were willing to go that extra mile to ensure that<br />
the formation excelled in the quickest time possible.<br />
It was due to his dedication, efforts and contributions<br />
that he became famously known as the ‘Father of the<br />
Singapore Artillery’.<br />
After completing his second tour, Mancharan took up<br />
various positions in the SAF. From 1976 to 1979, he<br />
served as the Assistant Chief of General Staff (Logistics)<br />
and the Assistant Chief of General Staff (Training). From<br />
1979 to 1982, he was Commander of the 3rd Singapore<br />
Infantry Division. During his tour here, alongside other<br />
officers from the various SAF formations, Mancharan was<br />
a core member of the Combined Arms Division planning<br />
team. This Division housed the various units of the SAF<br />
which worked together to achieve full effectiveness on<br />
and off the battlefield. His last command was Deputy<br />
Chief of General Staff from 1982 until his retirement in<br />
1986.<br />
After leaving the SAF, Mancharan joined the Chartered<br />
Industries of Singapore (CIS), known today as ST<br />
Kinetics. He focused on the artillery aspect within CIS<br />
and was heavily involved with artillery equipment<br />
development for the SAF. One particular weapon<br />
system that Mancharan helped developed was the<br />
FH-2000 gun system. This was an advancement of<br />
the existing FH-88 system, which was fast becoming<br />
outdated. Mancharan saw the FH-2000 system as a<br />
critical factor in the defence of Singapore as it was one<br />
of the most modern gun systems at that time. He was<br />
aware that one of the reasons Singapore fell to the<br />
Japanese was due to its ineffective or outdated guns so<br />
he strongly believed that the FH-2000 would change<br />
that. In addition to helping with production of the<br />
164
“<br />
Mancharan was the first Chief<br />
of the Artillery in the SAF. Armed<br />
with little knowledge, he built up<br />
Singapore Artillery, together with the<br />
Artillery formation pioneers. This<br />
marked the development of modernday<br />
Singapore Artillery.<br />
He worked very hard, never seemed<br />
to rest and was a real hard taskmaster.<br />
He strove for excellence and always<br />
demanded the best from those under<br />
his command. As his officer, I learned<br />
greatly from him. He remained dedicated<br />
and committed to his job<br />
and his position till he retired. He<br />
was a great officer.<br />
“<br />
Colonel (Retired) Chan Jwee Kay<br />
Former Chief of Artillery<br />
FH-2000 system, Mancharan acted as a representative<br />
of CIS to other governments and arranged for the sales<br />
of Singapore manufactured arms and equipment to<br />
them. 4<br />
Mancharan finally called it a day in the late 1990s.<br />
He felt that he had contributed immensely to the SAF<br />
and Singapore, and that it was time for the younger<br />
generations to carry the torch forward. After years of<br />
working constantly and always on the go, he finally<br />
could sit back and enjoy his free time doing activities<br />
that interested him, such as reading.<br />
Over a period of 40 years, Mancharan was instrumental<br />
in transforming the Singapore Artillery both when he<br />
was in charge of it and as part of the CIS establishment.<br />
When some of the systems he implemented were<br />
replaced with more modern ones, rather than feeling<br />
aggrieved, Mancharan was extremely proud that the<br />
Singapore Artillery was always upgrading itself based<br />
on the principles of the early years of its formation.<br />
Importantly, to continue to remain a potent force, it must<br />
have the best equipment to bring out the best in the<br />
soldiers. In spite of being out of the army, Mancharan<br />
kept abreast of developments in the Artillery formation.<br />
Sadly, Mancharan passed away in 2008. However,<br />
his legacy lives on in the Singapore Artillery. He firmly<br />
believed in a strong sense of principle, discipline and<br />
pride, and he infused these values into the Singapore<br />
Artillery. For Mancharan, failure was not an option<br />
in matters concerning the defence of the nation. He<br />
practiced what he preached and led from the front. Today,<br />
the Singapore Artillery plays a crucial part in the defence<br />
of Singapore. It is highly indebted to the ‘Father of the<br />
Singapore Artillery’ for its development and success.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/resourcelibrary.<br />
2<br />
Evan Teo, In Oriente Primus B – First in the Orient, 2005. See http://<br />
www.mindef.gov.sg.<br />
3<br />
Tan Chong Lee, Army News Special Supplement #7, 2011. See http://<br />
www.mindef.gov.sg.<br />
4<br />
ST Engineering, FH2000 155mm 52 Calibre Field Howitzer, 2015. See<br />
http://www.stengg.com.<br />
165
Manmohan<br />
Singh<br />
T<br />
all, strong, sturdy, confident, friendly and sociable, he was endearingly called the ‘Gentle Giant’<br />
by those who knew him. Always wearing a smile, the late Captain Manmohan Singh was ever<br />
ready to provide a helping hand to anyone in need. However, when he wore his black belt<br />
and took to the judo mat, he became an unbeatable fighting machine who had few equals in<br />
Singapore and the region.<br />
Manmohan was born in Ipoh in Malaysia in 1951. His father, Mr Sardool Singh, was a<br />
Superintendent of Prisons while his mother, Madam Narindar Kaur, was born and raised in<br />
India. Along with his siblings, Manmohan grew up in a close knit and supportive family. A keen<br />
interest in sports characterised all members of the family. An active participation in sporting<br />
events defined the household, with Sardool leading the way for the young Manmohan and<br />
his brother. The family offered active encouragement by attending the many sporting events in<br />
which the father and sons trio participated.<br />
Manmohan, or Mohni as he was affectionately known to family and friends, attended Anglo<br />
Chinese School right from primary education. According to his sister, Mrs Rajpal Kaur: “As a<br />
boy, although Manmohan was endearingly playful and at times, even mischievous around his<br />
family and friends, he was in fact well behaved and obedient in school. He was never a bully.” 1<br />
Manmohan's discipline could be attributed to the considerable time he spent participating<br />
in sports meets in school and at the national level throughout his youth. The sportsman<br />
matured to become a responsible young man who was extremely protective of his parents and<br />
siblings and who continued to be anchored by the nurturing environment and close bonds of<br />
his family.<br />
166
his fellow officers and soldiers as a man of impressive<br />
qualities.<br />
It was this outlook, attitude and the desire to excel<br />
that enabled Manmohan to hone his skills and become<br />
an all-rounded sportsman. He dabbled and proved to<br />
be a successful athlete at track and field events, race<br />
walking, hockey and rugby, winning many awards and<br />
medals in these sports. However, it was in judo that he<br />
would go on to truly excel and carve a niche for himself.<br />
He took up the sport in his early teens and trained<br />
extremely hard every day. His efforts and determination<br />
paid off. At the age of 18 years, Manmohan became the<br />
youngest champion on record to win the National Light<br />
Heavyweight Judo Championship in 1969. Thereafter,<br />
he qualified first for the Black Belt (1st Dan), rising later<br />
to the coveted 4th Dan, both awarded by the Kodokan<br />
Judo Institute of Japan. 2 The 4th Dan 3 is rare among<br />
Singaporeans even till today.<br />
When it was time to choose a career, Manmohan decided<br />
to join the SAF. He was commissioned as an officer in<br />
1972 and rose to the rank of Captain in 20 Singapore<br />
Artillery (20SA). He held a number of appointments<br />
in the formation, including that of Manpower Officer,<br />
Training and Operation Officer (S3) and Logistics Officer<br />
(S4). During his service with the SAF, Manmohan won<br />
numerous awards. This included the ‘Top Trainee’ award<br />
in several of the courses that he attended. He was also<br />
very popular in the SAF, given his friendly disposition<br />
and his unhesitant willingness to help those around<br />
him. His dedication, determination, loyalty, honesty and<br />
sincerity were qualities that stood out. He always had<br />
an extremely positive outlook of life and was viewed by<br />
While in the SAF, Manmohan was able to combine<br />
his passion for the green uniform and the judogi. 4<br />
He made the effort to promote judo in the SAF and<br />
organised several judo competitions. He also became<br />
the undisputed judo champion in the SAF, winning the<br />
Heavyweight title for an extended period of time.<br />
Manmohan’s favourite sport soon took him to the<br />
national and international stages, where he carved<br />
out a name for himself and, in the process, brought<br />
glory to Singapore. In 1973, Singapore hosted the<br />
Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games. Manmohan<br />
represented his country in the Heavyweight category.<br />
Not one to disappoint, Manmohan worked extremely<br />
hard to prepare for the Games. His toil and sweat were<br />
aptly rewarded when he won the silver medal at the<br />
Games. He continued to impress and won silver and<br />
bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Games (formerly<br />
called the SEAP Games) in Malaysia in 1977 and in<br />
167
1983 in Singapore respectively. It was a remarkable<br />
achievement for Singapore, a nation then not known<br />
in the region for its martial arts prowess. Together with<br />
other judokas like Mr Low Chee Kiong, Mr Stephen Loh<br />
and Mr Low Sai Gek, Manmohan helped change that<br />
perception.<br />
In 1976, Manmohan competed in the first ASEAN<br />
Judo Championship in Penang in Malaysia. He did<br />
remarkably well and improved on his 1973 SEAP<br />
Games showing by clinching the gold medal and, in<br />
the process, becoming the region’s Heavyweight judo<br />
champion. He repeated the feat in Jakarta in 1981. At<br />
that point in time, he was the top judoka in Singapore<br />
and it was no surprise that he was Singapore’s sole<br />
representative at the Asian Judo Championship in<br />
Kuwait in 1985.<br />
Manmohan’s love for judo saw him making contributions<br />
in other areas of the sport as well. He became a qualified<br />
judo judge, in addition to being a race walking judge.<br />
He took the lead in promoting judo in schools as well<br />
as volunteering to organise sports and judo events in<br />
schools, at athletic associations, at the Singapore Judo<br />
Federation and at other judo associations in the region.<br />
He also held committee positions, including Honorary<br />
Secretary in the Singapore Judo Federation for many<br />
years.<br />
Manmohan displayed great compassion to his friends<br />
and fellow beings. According to his brother, Professor<br />
Kulwant Singh: “He was always willing to go out of his<br />
way to assist many of his current and former soldiers.<br />
He usually did this informally as he did not seek any<br />
rewards or limelight for doing so.” 5 A further example of<br />
his empathy was when he was on an overseas posting.<br />
Realising the plight of the poor in the area, Manmohan<br />
organised the provision of food for poor children in the<br />
village bordering his camp.<br />
By the mid-1980s, Manmohan was riding high in both<br />
his professional and sporting careers. However, he was<br />
diagnosed with cancer at an advanced stage in 1986.<br />
Any lesser being would have had difficulty overcoming<br />
such a setback. However, Manmohan remained resolute<br />
and continued to live a normal personal and working<br />
168
“<br />
Manmohan was truly a 20SA<br />
thoroughbred who held numerous<br />
appointments in the formation.<br />
Through his career in the SAF, he<br />
was well remembered as a man of<br />
remarkable qualities. He was also one<br />
of the most likeable persons, both as<br />
an officer and a gentleman.<br />
Manmohan’s keenness in sports<br />
did not go unnoticed – he brought<br />
numerous honours to his unit and<br />
the Artillery Formation as well as<br />
Singapore. His extreme love for judo<br />
was a fact well known beyond the<br />
Artillery formation.<br />
The Legend<br />
SAF Publication (1989)<br />
“<br />
life. He also continued to contribute to the community<br />
whenever possible. He remained active in his advocacy<br />
for sports events, organising and volunteering at events<br />
in schools and at several other platforms. He refused to<br />
be held down by what was not within his control.<br />
since the passing of Manmohan. Even today, the ‘Gentle<br />
Giant’ continues to remain an inspiration to those who<br />
are close to him, the judo fraternity, the Sikh community<br />
and the wider Singapore society.<br />
In 1989, despite his strength and determination,<br />
Manmohan succumbed to his illness and passed on<br />
when he was only 38 years old. He is survived by his<br />
wife, Madam Samrita Kaur and son, Mr Arvind Singh,<br />
who now reside in Perth in Australia.<br />
Hailing from a family of sports persons and sports<br />
enthusiasts, Manmohan was able to excel in a number of<br />
sports. Eventually, he decided to take up judo, a decision<br />
which resulted in him attaining glory for Singapore on<br />
the international stage. It has been more than 25 years<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mrs Raspal Kaur, October 9, 2015.<br />
2<br />
The Kodokan Judo Institute of Japan is the headquarters of the<br />
worldwide judo community. See http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org.<br />
3<br />
There are ordinarily 10 Dan ranks, which are ranked in ascending<br />
numerical order, though in principle, there is no limit to the number of<br />
Dan ranks. Ibid.<br />
4<br />
The judogi is a loose-fitting judo uniform worn by the judoka. It consists<br />
of pants, a jacket and a belt tied at the waist. See www.olympic.org.<br />
5<br />
Interview with Professor Kulwant Singh, October 9, 2015.<br />
169
Mehervan<br />
Singh<br />
H<br />
e had a difficult start to his educational life and professional career. He faced many hurdles in<br />
then-tumultuous Singapore. However, the late Dr Mehervan Singh doggedly overcame each<br />
one of them to emerge a stalwart in the Singapore accountancy sector as well as in the interreligious<br />
circles nationally and internationally, and the Sikh community.<br />
Born in Patiala in Punjab, Mehervan moved to Singapore with his father, Mr Nand Singh, the first<br />
priest of the Silat Road Temple. Mehervan was just 10 years old then. He studied in Radin Mas<br />
Primary School before gaining entry into Raffles Institution where he emerged as the top student<br />
in his class. He was awarded a scholarship by the Indian government but it was withdrawn as<br />
he could not prove that he was a British subject, being born in the princely state of Patiala. 1 It<br />
was for the same reason he was denied a job at the Government Clerical Services. Naturally<br />
disappointed but undeterred, he eventually secured employment as a clerk at the British Air<br />
Ministry in Singapore. He then went to work with the Inland Revenue Department in 1948, after<br />
excelling in Accountancy in the Higher London Chamber of Commerce Examination. 2 There, he<br />
decided he wanted to be an accountant and persevered for six years through a correspondence<br />
course to pass the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants examination. He became the<br />
first Sikh accountant in Singapore and started his firm, Mehervan Singh & Co. It eventually grew<br />
from its humble beginnings to a highly successful venture. It also became a household name in<br />
the Sikh community, with many Sikh institutions, companies and individuals using its services.<br />
Apart from his professional affiliation to the Sikh community, Mehervan was socially and<br />
religiously connected to it as well. He cared for it and was always keen on being involved<br />
in community-based projects. He was particularly interested in educational development and<br />
wanted to create greater awareness of Sikhism among non-Sikhs. He strongly believed that<br />
170
oard the Bahais and the Taoists. He felt that, for the IRO<br />
to be successful, it must involve all the religious groups<br />
in Singapore.<br />
with awareness came appreciation and with that,<br />
greater camaraderie and brotherhood. His extensive<br />
involvement in community service eventually resulted<br />
in him becoming a founding member of the Inter-<br />
Religious Organisation (IRO) – it was formed in 1949.<br />
He was also its Honorary Secretary from 1963 to 1983.<br />
According to his son, Mr Gurmit Singh: “He was very<br />
passionate about the IRO. I think that was the one and<br />
only passion he had so he really immersed himself in<br />
it.” 3 For the IRO, in general, and Mehervan, personally,<br />
it was imperative that the different religious groups in<br />
Singapore came together to promote greater awareness<br />
and understanding of one another so as to avoid any<br />
recurrence of racial conflicts in Singapore. When the IRO<br />
first started out, it did not have all the major religions as<br />
part of its landscape. Mehervan succeeded in bringing on<br />
The racial riots in 1964 tested Mehervan’s resolve<br />
as well as the significance of the IRO. As he was in<br />
the IRO, he was issued a permit to go out during the<br />
curfew to mediate between the groups. His family<br />
worried for him as there were cases of murder and<br />
bashing. However, Mehervan knew that he could not<br />
succumb to fear as it would mean the failure of the<br />
IRO. Eventually, peace was restored and it was a major<br />
achievement for the IRO and him. Gurmit attested<br />
to the fact that his father never saw any issue as an<br />
obstacle. “It is very difficult to say when he had a<br />
challenge. The interesting thing about him was that<br />
he breathed and lived his religion – Sikhism. He would<br />
always say it is not a challenge, it is always chardi<br />
kala’. 4 He always strived forward. So if anybody were<br />
to ask what some of the challenges are, he would say<br />
there are none. There was no such thing as it cannot<br />
be done. You simply strive to do it.” 5<br />
The race riots further convinced Mehervan of the<br />
importance of harmony among all the diverse religious<br />
groups in Singapore. He used speaking opportunities<br />
at various events to further push the good work of the<br />
IRO. He also attended numerous conferences worldwide<br />
that focused on issues of religious tolerance and ways<br />
to bridge the gap between different faiths. One such<br />
conference was the four-yearly World Conference on<br />
Religion and Peace (WCRP), which he attended in 1970,<br />
1974, 1979, 1984, 1989 and 1994. The WCRP led to<br />
the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace, which held<br />
its first assembly in Singapore in 1976. Mehervan was<br />
appointed its Secretary-General, re-appointed in 1981<br />
and then again from 1986 to 1991. 6<br />
171
Apart from the IRO, Mehervan was also active in a number<br />
of charitable and voluntary organisations. They included<br />
the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the Leprosy<br />
Relief Organisation, the Aftercare Association, the<br />
Ramakrishna Mission, the Singapore Indian Educational<br />
Trust, the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and the<br />
National Kidney Foundation. 7 His selfless service was<br />
recognised by the Singapore government when he was<br />
awarded the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service<br />
Star) 8 in 1966.<br />
Mehervan’s resolve and whole-hearted commitment<br />
to the Sikh community’s cause earned him the title of<br />
‘Roving Ambassador of the Sikh Faith’. 9 He took every<br />
opportunity to represent the Sikhs and speak about<br />
Sikhism. He had an audience with a number of world<br />
political and religious leaders, including Dr Michael<br />
Ramsay, Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Paul VI, United<br />
States’ President Jimmy Carter, Cardinal Cooke at St<br />
Paul’s Cathedral and Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. He<br />
also had a meeting with Pakistan’s President, General<br />
Zia Ul Haq, in 1979 to discuss the maintenance of<br />
Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of the first Sikh Guru, Sri<br />
Guru Nanak Dev Ji.<br />
“<br />
It was my privilege to be<br />
acquainted with Dr Mehervan Singh<br />
when I became a member of the IRO.<br />
When working with him, I found<br />
him to be an extremely open-minded<br />
individual. His thoughts and interfaith<br />
activities were an inspiration to<br />
me and many others.<br />
For his selfless inter-faith and social<br />
work, he was given the Public Service<br />
Star at the National Day Awards<br />
ceremony in 1966. With regard to<br />
his role as the roving Ambassador<br />
of the Sikh faith and his inter-faith<br />
work, Mehervan will be missed by<br />
not only the Sikh community but<br />
also by non-Sikhs.<br />
Mr Noor Marican<br />
Advocate and Solicitor<br />
Marican & Associates<br />
“<br />
On top of his work and travels, Mehervan found time<br />
to write books on the Sikh faith and his trips. A tireless<br />
writer, he even wrote a book after suffering a heart attack<br />
and while convalescing in hospital. His books included<br />
Religious and Cultural Heritage of Singapore, Whither<br />
Singapore Sikhs? and Daedal Decades: Autobiographical<br />
Essays. He recorded his memories and thoughts as he<br />
wanted young Sikhs and young Singaporeans to know<br />
their history. He strongly believed that they must have a<br />
stake in the country and never take things for granted,<br />
especially since they now enjoy peace and did not live<br />
through the tumult and troubles faced by the previous<br />
generations.<br />
Mehervan was also known to be a revolutionary in the<br />
Sikh community and was ahead of his time. He was not<br />
afraid to be unorthodox, particularly on his views on the<br />
engagement of the youth. For instance, he wanted to<br />
introduce joint youth camps for Sikh boys and girls so that<br />
they could meet and learn about their faith and community.<br />
While such an idea was initially shunned, such camps have<br />
now become regular events in the Sikh community. In fact,<br />
they cater not just to the youth but also to anyone keen to<br />
have a better understanding of Sikhism.<br />
Mehervan also stressed on the importance of providing<br />
more direct opportunities for other faiths to better<br />
172
appreciate the Sikh community. He allayed fears that<br />
progressive thinking would lead to forsaking one’s<br />
beliefs. Such forward thinking resulted in the opening<br />
up of the gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and the langar<br />
(communal meal) halls to people of other faiths. In<br />
doing so, it enabled people of all faiths to meet and<br />
interact, thereby encouraging a greater understanding<br />
of the Sikh community and its beliefs and practices.<br />
Mehervan passed away on 2 January 1999. According to<br />
Gurmit, his father’s open-minded nature shone through<br />
in every stage of his life. He gave serious consideration<br />
to ideas that may not conform to the norms when he<br />
saw the ultimate good that could be derived by the<br />
country and the Sikh community. It was this openness<br />
that resulted in Mehervan overcoming all challenges<br />
with his chardi kala attitude to become synonymous<br />
with inter-religious harmony and the progress of the<br />
Sikh community in Singapore.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
http://fateh.sikhnet.com//sikhnet/discussion.nsf/<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Gurmit Singh, August 15, 2015.<br />
4<br />
Chardi Kala is a concept in Sikhism that refers to a mental state of<br />
optimism and joy. Sikhs are ideally expected to be in this positive state<br />
of mind as a sign of their contentment with the will of God, even during<br />
the times of adversity. See http://searchsikhism.com.<br />
5<br />
Interview with Mr Gurmit Singh, op. cit.<br />
6<br />
http://fateh.sikhnet.com//sikhnet/discussion.nsf/<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
The Bintang Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1963. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of<br />
Singapore; or who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
9<br />
This was started by the late Justice Choor Singh – Interview with Mr<br />
Gurmit Singh, op. cit.<br />
173
Pakir<br />
Singh<br />
H<br />
e is fondly known as the father of Singapore’s hospitality training and a leading driver of tourism<br />
cooperation in the region. An intelligent and articulate visionary, the late Mr Pakir Singh was<br />
the man behind the setting up of the Singapore Hotel Association Training & Education Centre<br />
(SHATEC), 1 which has emerged to become the primary educational institution for individuals<br />
keen on a career in the hotel industry and the food and beverages sector.<br />
Pakir was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) 2 and the CEO<br />
of SHATEC for a combined period of 26 years from 1979 to 2005.<br />
Pakir set up SHATEC in 1983, making it the region’s first dedicated hotel school. In an earlier<br />
interview, he explained, “There was an urgent need in the 1980s for Singapore to develop skilled<br />
manpower for the hotel trade and industry. Singapore needed workers for the many hotels that<br />
were being built and I wanted to help solve the problem.” 3 SHA contracted the world-renowned<br />
Swiss Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (Lausanne Hotel School) to develop its courses. 4<br />
In a book to commemorate SHATEC’s 30th anniversary in 2013, well-known hotelier Jennie<br />
Chua, said: “Pakir was unique in his passion to grow SHATEC… and he did it not to make a<br />
name for himself but to fulfill the needs of the industry. He could have done other things in life<br />
but SHA and SHATEC were his whole life.” 5<br />
Ms Chua described Pakir as a “visionary with killer persuasive powers and the gift of the gab”<br />
in her tribute chapter on him in the commemorative book. She stated that she knew Pakir from<br />
her time as Director at the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (now Singapore Tourism Board<br />
[STB]) and at a time when he was looking to start SHATEC, recalling his commitment that<br />
174
to teach its students, despite his busy schedule, but<br />
he also personally trained the trainers at the school. 8<br />
He strongly believed that in order for SHATEC to train<br />
good and capable services sector staff, it needed to<br />
have highly-qualified people who totally imbibed in<br />
the values and philosophy of SHATEC and focused on<br />
service excellence.<br />
Pakir’s vision on the needs of the services sector was<br />
far-sighted. Back in the early 1980s, he already saw<br />
the need for trained manpower, not only in terms of<br />
quantity but also in quality. In most of his speeches and<br />
presentations, he made an impassioned call for greater<br />
productivity in the sector – a good 30 years before<br />
training and productivity would become buzzwords for<br />
the hotel and tourism industry in Singapore today. 9<br />
“SHATEC will be to Singapore what the Lausanne Hotel<br />
School is to Switzerland… within the decade.” 6<br />
Indeed, Pakir led SHATEC to transform the hoteling<br />
sector in Singapore within years as the institute began<br />
plugging the manpower for the sector here at a critical<br />
time when the country positioned itself as a key tourist<br />
destination in the region. “[He] dreamed big with<br />
SHATEC. A good hotel school that churned out welltrained<br />
staff was not good enough for him; it had to be<br />
the best hotel school in Asia-Pacific and recognised as<br />
the centre for regional training in hospitality and service<br />
excellence.” 7<br />
Pakir's commitment to building SHATEC as a centre for<br />
excellence was such that he not only found the time<br />
Pakir was also ahead of his time in envisioning a critical<br />
and prominent role for the Asian hoteling industry as he<br />
firmly believed that Asians could rise to top positions<br />
in the sector. Perhaps he recognised, much before most<br />
people that Asia would soon become the centre for<br />
global economic and business activity and therefore<br />
needed to be ready for this role. The key player in this<br />
role would be the services sector.<br />
In his role as Secretary General of the ASEAN Tourism<br />
Association for many years, Pakir advocated closer<br />
cooperation among the countries in the region to push<br />
for tourism collaboration. He personally also led the<br />
development of the industry in countries around the<br />
region as a consultant and project leader of systematic<br />
human resource development efforts in Thailand (Dusit<br />
Thani College), the Philippines (Hotel and Tourism<br />
Institute of the Philippines), Malaysia (Malaysian<br />
Association of Hotels Training and Education Centre),<br />
Indonesia (Puriwisata Academy), Nepal (Department<br />
of Tourism, Government of Nepal), Mauritius (Hotel<br />
School of Mauritius) and China (Poly Property Hotel<br />
175
“<br />
I have been very fortunate to have worked with Mr Pakir. He was an excellent<br />
and inspiring boss – the kind of boss whom everyone would love to have. A fantastic<br />
mentor with a keen sense of humour, he was highly respected by the industry for his<br />
knowledge and insights. In the local and international arena, he was much sought<br />
after as a speaker and a thought leader for his views.<br />
Mr Pakir was a staunch proponent of human resource development. A visionary who<br />
was ahead of his time, he was already into ‘Skillsfuture’ for the hospitality industry<br />
way back in the early 1980s. His foresight and commitment in this area led him to<br />
successfully set up SHATEC in 1983, a pioneer school in hospitality training and<br />
development. It was his strong belief in learning and outstanding leadership that<br />
helped to propel SHATEC to the forefront as an industry school in Singapore as well<br />
as in the region.<br />
“<br />
Ms Margaret Heng<br />
Chief Executive<br />
Singapore Hotel Association Training & Education Centre<br />
Management). 10 According to Mr Chanin Donavanik,<br />
CEO of Dusit Hotels & Resorts Thailand, whose Dusit<br />
Thani College was set up with SHATEC’s expertise,<br />
“Pakir believed in training and education. He believed<br />
in the future of the Asian travel industry. He believed in<br />
the young people of Asia.” 11<br />
Pakir’s keen interest and ability to engage human<br />
resources can perhaps be traced to his humble<br />
beginnings. Born in 1945 to a watchman father who<br />
migrated from Punjab, Pakir was the second of three<br />
sons as he studied under streetlights and corridor lamps<br />
to work his way to university. He received his Bachelor<br />
of Arts (Honours) and Master of Arts (History) from<br />
the University of Singapore. He also graduated with a<br />
Bachelor of Law from the University of London and a<br />
Master of Human Resource Development from George<br />
Washington University. Pakir worked as the Assistant<br />
Editor to the New Nation newspaper in Singapore in<br />
the 1970s. In an article in Travel Weekly Asia in July<br />
2015, Ms Yeoh Siew Hoon wrote, “He had a sharp,<br />
analytical mind that could cut through any clutter<br />
and he could synthesise the most complex issues into<br />
simple, succinct ideas. He gave as good as he got. If<br />
you asked him a tough question, which he thought was<br />
taking journalistic licence, he would challenge you.” 12<br />
His nature and character made him a household name<br />
and laid the foundation for an illustrious career.<br />
His efforts in helping to build a key pillar of Singapore’s<br />
economy did not go unnoticed as he served on several<br />
government committees, including the National<br />
Crime Prevention Council, and won several awards.<br />
These accolades included STB’s Special Recognition<br />
Award (2005 Tourism Awards), the UBF Foodsolutions<br />
Lifetime Achievement Award, 13 (World Gourmet<br />
176
Summit Award of Excellence – 2004), the TTG Travel<br />
Personality of the Year Award (Pakir was the first<br />
to win the award when it started in 1989) and he<br />
was also bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate in<br />
Business Administration in Hotel Management from<br />
Dusit Thani College.<br />
Pakir was a luminary who was blessed with the guts and<br />
gumption to turn vision into reality. His passing away<br />
in July 2015 leaves a void in the thought leadership in<br />
the hoteling sector here, even though he had been less<br />
active for several years due to medical reasons. He leaves<br />
behind a lasting and continuing legacy for the hotel and<br />
services sector not only in Singapore, but also in parts<br />
of Asia, especially Southeast Asia. His loving wife and<br />
three children are proud of his accomplishments and<br />
contributions. They are not alone as the Sikh community<br />
and certainly many in the hotel and services sector<br />
continue to benefit from Pakir’s vision, tenacity and<br />
contributions.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
On 2 July 1983, a milestone was set in the history of the Singapore<br />
hotel industry when SHA launched its very own industry school,<br />
SHATEC. A not-for-profit hospitality school, it aims to provide training<br />
and education to fresh school leavers and career switchers for the hotel<br />
and food and beverages sectors, as well as to up-skill and upgrade the<br />
existing talents in the hospitality industry. See http://www.shatec.sg.<br />
2<br />
SHA is the umbrella body for hotels in Singapore. Its membership is<br />
made up of hotel entities which are represented by proprietors of hotels<br />
or appointed representatives. Its current membership comprises 143<br />
hotels which accounts for more than 90 per cent of total gazetted room<br />
count. See https://sha.org.sg.<br />
3<br />
www.ttgasia.com.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
1983-2013: Developing Hospitality Talent, Raini Hamdi, 2013.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
50 Years of Singapore Hotels: Pakir’s Legacy, Margaret Heng, TTG Asia,<br />
June 2011.<br />
9<br />
A Tribute to Pakir Singh”, Margaret Heng, SHA Update, July 2011.<br />
10<br />
www.wgsawards.com.<br />
11<br />
www.ttgasia.com.<br />
12<br />
Pakir Singh, a man of few words and great deeds, Travel Weekly Asia,<br />
Yeoh Siew Hoon, July 3, 2015. See http://www.travelweekly-asia.com/<br />
Travel-News/Hotel-News.<br />
13<br />
This award seeks to recognise an individual whose significant<br />
contributions, over a minimum span of 15 years, have led to the<br />
promotion and growth of excellence within the food and beverage<br />
industry. See www.wgsawards.com.<br />
177
Param Ajeet<br />
Singh Bal<br />
B<br />
orn in 1936 to a father who was a military contractor, Mr Param Ajeet Singh Bal grew up<br />
helping his father in his trade. Like many other Singaporeans, life for his family was simple and<br />
the standard of living was not very high. He fondly remembers visits to places like the Botanic<br />
Gardens as a key form of entertainment for the family.<br />
However, Param Ajeet did not spend too much of his childhood in Singapore. Before the<br />
outbreak of the Second World War, his family left for India where it lived off a piece of land.<br />
It was perhaps a blessing in disguise for this young Sikh and his family. He stated: “During<br />
the Japanese Occupation, we were extremely lucky not to be in Singapore. We managed to<br />
escape the atrocities and deprivation which other people suffered then.” 1 While Singaporeans<br />
in Singapore suffered under Japanese reign, Param Ajeet and his family lived comfortably in<br />
India. 2<br />
As soon as the Japanese left Singapore, Param Ajeet and his family decided to return to<br />
Singapore. It was another blessing in disguise for him as he narrowly avoided becoming a victim<br />
of the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. An estimated hundreds of thousands of people<br />
died, as Hindus and Sikhs fled to India, Muslims to Pakistan, and many others were caught up<br />
in a chaotic transition. 3 Although back in Singapore, Param Ajeet still had a strong attachment<br />
to India in his early days and clearly remembers the pride he felt when he sang India’s national<br />
anthem at the Indian High Commission in Singapore once India announced its Independence.<br />
Fortune soon changed for Param Ajeet as he started his life back in Singapore. With the<br />
help of the Sikh community, Param Ajeet succeeded in enrolling into Khalsa English School.<br />
He did extremely well in his studies and joined Raffles Institution. There, he was an all-<br />
178
challenging and where I could make a contribution at<br />
the highest level possible.” 4 For him, the experiences<br />
in the civil service significantly shaped him as a person<br />
and created anchors for him to hold on to in times of<br />
hardships.<br />
In 1963, Param Ajeet was offered a job in the<br />
Singapore Administrative Service. For the next 11 years,<br />
he worked judiciously with the Ministry of Finance to<br />
devise multiple forward-looking policies relating to<br />
Singapore’s fiscal and revenue structure that helped<br />
to shape its economy. A year earlier, Singapore had<br />
held its first general election that marked the first step<br />
towards self-government. This made Param Ajeet’s role<br />
and that of his colleagues at the ministry even more<br />
relevant as Singapore needed to ensure that it had<br />
sound fiscal and revenue policies in an effort build its<br />
economy. His work was considered a pioneer in its area<br />
and led to him receiving the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam<br />
(Public Administration Medal) 5 in 1969.<br />
rounded individual – he played hockey and joined<br />
the sea-cadet core. He was also an outstanding<br />
student at Raffles Institution and performed admirably<br />
to secure a place in University of Malaya where he<br />
received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History. He<br />
then went on to obtain a Master of Arts (Honours)<br />
in Economics from Australian National University in<br />
Canberra. For his academic excellence, Param Ajeet<br />
received the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship<br />
and Fellowship award.<br />
Param Ajeet was an assured, focused and ambitious<br />
young man. He was clear about the purpose of his<br />
education – he wanted to join the highly regarded<br />
Singapore Administrative Service – and he put all<br />
his effort in ensuring that he succeeded in his quest.<br />
“I wanted to be in a position where I found the job<br />
Param Ajeet’s career then took him to the newly<br />
formed Ministry of Environment. Again, this was an<br />
important appointment since Singapore faced acute<br />
environmental challenges, particularly relating to the<br />
slums and the Singapore River. It was indeed challenging<br />
times for Param Ajeet as he astutely used his social and<br />
communications skills to tackle the many complains and<br />
issues faced by the Ministry. As Param Ajeet looks at<br />
the clean and green landscape of Singapore today, he<br />
cannot but help appreciate the work his Ministry did to<br />
start Singapore onto this path by taking hard decisions<br />
in the 1970s.<br />
Param Ajeet’s achievements at the Ministry of<br />
Environment brought him into the spotlight and he was<br />
approached by the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation<br />
to be one of the heads of the Department of Broadcasting.<br />
Due to his strong economic background, Param Ajeet<br />
179
“<br />
Param Ajeet and I belong to the pioneer generation which was given many<br />
opportunities in the then newly-independent Singapore. I like to believe think that<br />
we did make some contributions under the radar towards <strong>SG50</strong>! I got to know Param<br />
Ajeet well in the early 1960s when we were fellow students in Canberra, Australia.<br />
Thereafter, Param Ajeet joined the Singapore civil service where his Economics<br />
training was put to good use in the Economic Planning Unit of the Ministry of<br />
Finance, Ministry of the Environment and Singapore Broadcasting Corporation.<br />
We saw each other more frequently after we had retired. I became more aware of his<br />
involvement in community affairs such as in my former Ulu Pandan constituency<br />
as well as in Indian and Sikh matters. I hope that younger Singaporeans, who enjoy<br />
opportunities to contribute towards SG100, will also enjoy the kind of friendship<br />
that Param and I, and those of our generation, have had for over half a century.<br />
Dr Chiang Hai Ding<br />
Former Member of Parliament for Ulu Pandan and<br />
Singapore's Ambassador (1971-73 & 1978-94)<br />
“<br />
was also placed in charge of creating sound financial<br />
policies and welfare schemes for the corporation.<br />
Param Ajeet rose to become Senior Vice President of<br />
the Television Corporation of Singapore (the successor<br />
of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation) where he<br />
oversaw various divisions.<br />
In spite of his highly challenging job with the Singapore<br />
government, Param Ajeet also found time to contribute<br />
to the Sikh community. In fact, even before he joined the<br />
workforce, he had been active in the Sikh community<br />
and he was credited with bringing culture to the<br />
community. Together with a few Sikh undergraduates<br />
and young educated Singapore Sikhs, Param Ajeet<br />
established the Singapore Sikh Cultural Group (SSCG)<br />
during his time at the university. His team organised<br />
the Vesakhi Mela in the 1960s and it turned out to a<br />
massive success. However, Param Ajeet faced several<br />
challenges during his time as a Secretary of the SSCG<br />
as some members of the Sikh community were not in<br />
favour using the SSCG’s funds for cultural activities.<br />
However, being a visionary, Param Ajeet saw great<br />
value in promoting the Sikh culture and in it becoming<br />
the bedrock of the identity of Singapore Sikhs in the<br />
future. He was indeed right!<br />
At the same time, Param Ajeet was also involved in<br />
the construction of the Singapore Khalsa Association<br />
(SKA) building through his efforts on the Fundraising<br />
Committee. “Funds were not easy to come by but we<br />
had to do our best and to construct the building”, 6 he<br />
explained. Eventually, this effort, too, became a success.<br />
He proudly exclaimed: “We made SKA into a cultural<br />
organisation, not just a sporting organisation. For me,<br />
that was an important achievement.” 7 In addition to<br />
SKA, Param Ajeet was a member of the Sikh Council of<br />
180
Elders, the Sikh Gurdwara Board and the Sikh Welfare<br />
Council. For him, being involved in the Sikh community,<br />
despite his hectic work schedule, was never an issue.<br />
He belonged to the Sikh community and had a duty to<br />
ensure that it progressed with the rest of Singapore<br />
society. For him, it has always been country and<br />
community before self.<br />
Today, Param Ajeet is retired but still keeps abreast<br />
of developments in the various Sikh institutions. He<br />
expressed great confidence in the future of the Sikh<br />
society in Singapore. Sikhs now have a better standard<br />
of living and this provided them with an opportunity<br />
to advance themselves in life and to make more telling<br />
contributions to the community in particular and society<br />
in general. He expressed the hope that Singapore Sikhs<br />
today, like their ancestors who came to Singapore<br />
with very little in their pockets, will continue to make<br />
important financial contributions and create time to be<br />
involved in the Sikh institutions. He also believes that<br />
Sikhs can start their communal and societal contributions<br />
on a small scale such as helping at the Sikh temple or<br />
community clubs. This will help them gain the value of<br />
service. He feels that, only with the combination of value<br />
of service, time and money will the Sikh community in<br />
Singapore fulfill its full potential as part of the larger<br />
society.<br />
Param Ajeet has great hope for young Sikhs as<br />
they are the vanguard of the Sikh community. He<br />
stressed the need for them to capitalise on the<br />
opportunities Singapore provides to educate and<br />
upgrade themselves. He expressed his delight at the<br />
establishment of Young Sikh Association (Singapore),<br />
stating that it is a great initiative by Mr Hernaikh<br />
Singh, Mr Satwant Singh and several other likeminded<br />
and forward-thinking young Sikhs. It is<br />
an important platform to connect young Sikhs to<br />
developments around them.<br />
Param Ajeet’s early life journey took him from Singapore<br />
to India and back as he avoided two major catastrophes<br />
in the process. He personifies the true values of<br />
perseverance, hard work and determination – traits<br />
that saw him taking advantage of the opportunities<br />
that came his way as he went on to make significant<br />
contributions to Singapore’s national landscape and the<br />
Sikh community.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Param Ajeet Singh Bal, August 6, 2015.<br />
2<br />
V Kor, Simple Living and High Thinking, The Vine, 1(5), 1997, p 20.<br />
3<br />
See http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/indo-pakpartition2.htm.<br />
4<br />
Interview with Mr Param Ajeet Singh, op. cit.<br />
5<br />
The Pingat Pentadbiran Awam was instituted in 1963. There are three<br />
grades of the Medal, namely, gold, silver and bronze. The Medal<br />
may be awarded to the following persons for outstanding efficiency,<br />
competence and industry – a public officer; officer employed by any<br />
statutory authority; any person who is or has been in the service of any<br />
organisation rendering services in education; or any person employed<br />
in any company which is wholly-owned by the government and which<br />
is carrying on business mainly as an agent or instrumentality of the<br />
government. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
6<br />
Interview with Mr Param Ajeet Singh Bal, op cit.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
181
Ravinder<br />
Singh<br />
H<br />
e lost his father at the tender age of four years and was raised and supported by his mother and<br />
sisters. His biggest influence, his mother, taught him to be resilient and strong, and ride through<br />
life’s ups and downs. Major General [MG] (Retired) Ravinder Singh took his mother’s sound<br />
advice and eventually went on to become the highest-ranking Sikh officer in the history of the<br />
Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).<br />
Ravinder’s entry into the SAF was the exception rather than the norm. While many young<br />
Singaporean males look towards serving their SAF obligations when they are enlisted, Ravinder<br />
decided to apply for a scholarship from the SAF even before he enlisted and he eventually<br />
decided to sign on permanently in the SAF. This was not his first experience with a uniformed<br />
group as he was a member of the National Cadet Corps while in school. He enjoyed the<br />
experience of wearing the green uniform.<br />
In the SAF, Ravinder’s stellar display provided the opportunity for him to study abroad through<br />
the SAF Overseas Training Award. He received his Bachelor and Master of Arts in Engineering<br />
from Oxford in the United Kingdom. He went on another post-graduate scholarship later on<br />
in his career and graduated with a Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts<br />
Institute of Technology in the United States. 1<br />
Ravinder’s career in the SAF has seen him stationed overseas. This included being deployed<br />
as a United Nations military observer in Kuwait in 1991 during the Gulf War. The experience<br />
allowed him to appreciate the value of his service to his nation and the notion of always being<br />
prepared and ready when trouble comes about. 2 In a testimony given to the Public Service<br />
Commission, Ravinder said, “When we flew into Kuwait City, it had just been liberated from<br />
182
force, it was about protecting absolutely and capably<br />
a way of life Singapore and Singaporeans have built.<br />
He said: “The most important lesson for all of us that<br />
we can learn from Kuwait is that whatever we can’t or<br />
are not prepared to defend is not ours even if we have<br />
all the financial resources. It takes will and sacrifice to<br />
defend ourselves, our families and our country. Nobody<br />
will do it for us.” 4<br />
In 2011, Ravinder became the Chief of the Singapore<br />
Army, holding the rank of Major General. He was the<br />
first non-Chinese in nearly 30 years of the SAF history<br />
and the first Sikh to hold this leadership position. His<br />
duties allowed him to further improve the SAF in its<br />
efforts to confront modern challenges. At the same time,<br />
he built relationships with regional countries, making<br />
trips to India, amongst other countries, to cement ties<br />
and develop peaceful partnerships. 5<br />
Iraq. I vividly remember landing at the airport, which<br />
had been destroyed by the war. The city was destroyed,<br />
homes were pillaged and many lives lost. Even though<br />
they wanted to protect their families and friends, young<br />
Kuwaiti men could do nothing because they were not<br />
trained, not equipped and not organised. That was<br />
a poignant reminder for me. If I don’t do my part for<br />
Singapore now, there would be no second chance. I<br />
realised then that serving in the Army was not just a job<br />
but it was a sacred duty, to protect our country and our<br />
way of life.” 3<br />
The experience formed one of Ravinder’s core beliefs on<br />
the military that, much more than being an offensive<br />
Ravinder’s experience in the SAF imbued in him a<br />
lifelong yearning for challenges, as only through<br />
challenges is one able to solve problems. As a<br />
result, he was instrumental in implementing new<br />
technologies and developments to constantly upgrade<br />
the SAF’s capabilities. He played a key role in the<br />
implementation of the Integrated Knowledge-based<br />
Command and Control capabilities for the SAF. This<br />
initiative allows for the seamless integration across the<br />
board for the SAF despite the complexities of different<br />
systems. 6 At the same time, Ravinder oversaw the<br />
development and implementation of third generation<br />
army capabilities and, in continuance with the SAF’s<br />
commitment to peacekeeping, orchestrated the peace<br />
support operations in Afghanistan, which included the<br />
deployment of Imagery Analyst Teams, Medical Teams<br />
as well as Military Institutional Trainers. 7 His experience<br />
in Kuwait aided him in this task as it allowed for the<br />
growth of experience, operational readiness and being<br />
constantly vigilant to all threats.<br />
183
“<br />
I have had the honour to serve alongside MG (Retired) Ravinder Singh as a<br />
friend and colleague for many years. MG (Retired) Singh, who served the SAF<br />
with distinction for 27 years, and who led the Army as its Chief for three years,<br />
maintained the Army in a high state of operational readiness. He orchestrated the<br />
Army’s peace support operations in Afghanistan, which included the deployment<br />
of Imagery Analyst Teams, Medical Teams as well as Military Institutional Trainers,<br />
which contributed to the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. He also oversaw the<br />
operationalisation of significant Army capabilities such as the Motorised Infantry<br />
Battalion and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which brought the Army<br />
closer to its 3rd Generation transformation goals. He strongly supported efforts to<br />
strengthen National Service and enhance recognition for National Servicemen. A firm<br />
believer in public engagement, MG (Ret) Singh implemented numerous initiatives to<br />
strengthen the public’s commitment to and appreciation of defence.<br />
It is because of strong leaders like MG (Ret) Singh who have served with a strong<br />
sense of duty, honour and country that the SAF continues to be operationally ready at<br />
all times so that Singapore can remain stable and secure.<br />
Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman<br />
Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs<br />
Singapore<br />
“<br />
The concept of duty to a cause beyond one’s own<br />
personal desires has had significant influence on<br />
Ravinder’s beliefs and leadership in the SAF. His<br />
determination and desire to serve his country are best<br />
summed up in a testimony by him on what he does and<br />
why he does it, “Being in the SAF and the public service<br />
is really about serving the nation, and putting country<br />
and community before self. Being in the SAF requires<br />
you to be committed and prepared to sacrifice for an<br />
ideal greater than yourself. This ideal is to protect and<br />
defend our nation.” 8<br />
Ravinder also strongly believes that the defence of the<br />
country should be every Singaporean’s responsibility. His<br />
stint in Kuwait taught him that ordinary Singaporeans<br />
need to understand the importance of national defence<br />
and nation-building so that they too are able to defend<br />
the country when the need arises. He implemented<br />
several initiatives to expose ordinary Singaporeans<br />
to the military. These included having the Army Open<br />
House at the F1 Pit Building and bringing the SAF to the<br />
heartlands by holding exhibitions and events in various<br />
parts of Singapore. Among others, the military was able<br />
to share its experiences and operations in Afghanistan<br />
at these platforms. 9<br />
Ravinder’s years and knowledge in technology and<br />
infrastructure in the SAF enabled him to take on the role<br />
of President of ST Kinetics, following his military stint.<br />
The organisation is, amongst other businesses, in the<br />
184
development and production of military hardware and<br />
technology for the SAF. He mentioned: “Technology is<br />
a significant combat multiplier. For a small nation like<br />
Singapore, this is very important, as we will always be<br />
limited by the people that we have. The SAF has been<br />
proactive in introducing and exploiting technology to<br />
strengthen our defence.” 10 ST Kinetics currently has<br />
an international profile and customer base although<br />
its main client remains the SAF, for which it is heavily<br />
involved with the Third Generation forces and upgrading<br />
of its present arsenal. 11<br />
Looking at the youth of today, Ravinder commented:<br />
“With more opportunities and more options, there<br />
is always the challenge of too much choice for young<br />
people, and this can be confusing and distracting.<br />
The challenge is to find a clear consistent direction<br />
that resonates with your interest, talents and skills,<br />
and pursue it vigorously. It is also important to be<br />
well anchored in values. Values define character and<br />
character will always shine through in the long run.” 12<br />
Ravinder’s values have certainly defined his character<br />
well, thereby allowing him to shine throughout his life.<br />
Ravinder’s recipe for success in life is simple: “Always do<br />
the right thing and do it as well as you can.” 13 He took<br />
his mother’s advice years ago and did the right thing<br />
by joining the military service. He served the nation to<br />
the best of his abilities for nearly three decades and<br />
eventually succeeded in embedding his name in the<br />
SAF’s record books.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Change in Chief of Army, MINDEF, February 20, 2014. See
Sarbjit<br />
Singh<br />
P<br />
lanes cannot take off or land if the runway is hit by mortars and rockets. A damaged runway that<br />
is not repaired in time can single-handedly curtail an air force’s operations. A seemingly minor<br />
hygiene lapse in the kitchen can similarly jeopardise the entire mission if pilots, technicians,<br />
security forces, are down with food poisoning. Issues like these were starkly clear to Brigadier<br />
General (Retired) Sarbjit Singh during his tenure as the Commander of the Air Power Generation<br />
Command (APGC), the position with which he culminated an illustrious career of almost 32<br />
years of service in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).<br />
Having clearly recognised the breadth of such issues, Sarbjit set out to address them with an<br />
equal measure of clear-headedness. For a long time, the general view harboured by many across<br />
the various APGC communities was that only the aircrew conducted operations while the rest<br />
merely played supporting roles. Naturally, this yielded lackadaisical attitudes on the part of<br />
those who believed themselves to be such. Together with his commanders, Sarbjit set out to<br />
change this mindset. He made the different communities across APGC realise how they too<br />
were “doing operations in their own right” and that should Singapore ever face hostilities, they<br />
too would be “at the frontline of operations, fighting the war.” 1<br />
While the officers in his headquarters were regularly blazed with doctrines and concepts,<br />
Sarbjit’s efforts were targeted at energising all the communities in APGC and getting them on<br />
the bandwagon of an operational mindset. He went the whole nine yards, from visiting units to<br />
better understand ground realities to renaming squadron names to better reflect the operational<br />
roles that they undertake, and even initiating a “tribal dance” that unified all vocations of the<br />
APGC. As a consequence of his efforts, he has been highly commended for shaping APGC into<br />
a command that truly is capable of generating and sustaining effective and robust air power.<br />
186
years, (he) knew that (he) wanted to be a pilot”. 2 He<br />
vividly recollects an incident that is etched into his<br />
memory from days even before primary school. He was<br />
so taken by chasing planes in the sky that he did not<br />
even notice a drain and fell into it. It cost him a broken<br />
nose.<br />
With full support from his parents to pursue his passion,<br />
Sarbjit started applying to the then-Singapore Junior<br />
Flying Club to obtain a private pilot’s licence while he<br />
was still studying at Catholic Junior College. He did<br />
this in order to “get a leg up to enter the air force.” 3<br />
However, his applications were rejected because he<br />
could not get past the medical examinations. What held<br />
him back was his heart rate, which refused to come<br />
down, due to the sheer thrill he felt of being so close to<br />
realising his dream of flying during these medical tests.<br />
Despite this enduring legacy that Sarbjit leaves the RSAF<br />
with, his colleagues attest to how he always redirected<br />
the credit to his people. He was driven not by the promise<br />
of self-acclaim but by the sincere desire to reduce<br />
Singapore’s vulnerability by ensuring that the people at<br />
APGC understand their operations and have the capability<br />
and confidence to do what it takes if they are ever called<br />
into action. His ability to get things done is matched by<br />
his abiding humility. While good-natured about it, Sarbjit<br />
gently avoided discussion of his strengths.<br />
As much as he is respected as a leader, Sarbjit also<br />
occupied an enviable position as an ace fighter pilot. His<br />
superb flying skills eearned him respect and admiration.<br />
Sarbjit recalls how as a young boy, he “was very<br />
interested in planes” and that “somewhere along the<br />
Unfazed by the rejections, Sarbjit then applied directly to<br />
the RSAF. This time, however, he went for the selection<br />
process equipped with the breathing tips that his father<br />
had shared with him to calm down and control his<br />
heartbeat. Sarbjit was duly accepted into the RSAF well<br />
before finishing the first year of junior college. Soon<br />
after completing junior college, he joined the force on<br />
17 January 1983, which marked the first date of his<br />
long-standing romance with the RSAF. Sarbjit emerged<br />
as the top trainee graduating from the 48th Fixed Wing<br />
Course, which had a success rate of only 13 percent for<br />
fighter pilots. He went on to emerge as the top trainee –<br />
and the only graduate – in yet another course, the 15th<br />
Tiger Conversion Unit Course.<br />
Sarbjit went on to serve as an operational pilot on<br />
the F-5 and later the F-16 aircraft. He progressed on<br />
to become a Pilot Attack Instructor and an Officer<br />
Commanding before attending the Air Command &<br />
Staff College in Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama, in<br />
1996. On his return, he took over command of the 144<br />
187
“<br />
Throughout his illustrious<br />
career in the Republic of Singapore<br />
Air Force, Sarbjit has proven himself<br />
to be a strong commander, with<br />
excellent leadership abilities. He<br />
is meticulous, sharp and possesses<br />
strong interpersonal skills. His<br />
drive and resilience can be relied<br />
on in challenging situations. While<br />
being strict and firm, Sarbjit is<br />
caring and nurturing. He is highly<br />
respected by his superiors, peers and<br />
subordinates.<br />
“<br />
Major General Hoo Cher Mou<br />
Chief of Air Force<br />
Republic of Singapore Air Force<br />
Squadron in Paya Lebar Air Base and, thereafter, became<br />
a Branch Head of the Operations Planning Group in<br />
Air Operations Department. He attended the Air War<br />
College in the United States in 2002 and returned to<br />
assume the appointment of Deputy Head Air Operations<br />
(Operations Planning) in 2004. Subsequently, he<br />
assumed the appointment of Deputy Commander of the<br />
Tengah Airbase before becoming the first Commander<br />
of the UAV Command when it was stood-up in February<br />
2007. Sarbjit played an instrumental role in the<br />
standing up of this brand new command within the<br />
RSAF, an unprecedented command which had surprised<br />
and bemused many, and has even stirred international<br />
interest.<br />
Sarbjit graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Political<br />
Science), summa cum laude, from Auburn University<br />
Montgomery, Alabama, United States. In recognition<br />
of his outstanding contributions and dedicated<br />
service, Sarbjit has been awarded several military<br />
medals throughout his career, including the Public<br />
Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military) in 2008.<br />
Sarbjit’s deep passion for people under his command<br />
was reflected in the length of his debrief sessions. His<br />
penchant for lengthy debrief sessions, which were, at<br />
times, dreaded, but on the whole appreciated, showed<br />
how his fighter-pilot sharpness did not leave him when<br />
he left the cockpit. His constructive dissatisfaction during<br />
meetings ensured that he upheld the most stringent<br />
standards, expecting nothing short of the best from his<br />
teams. Not only did he hold others to high standards,<br />
188
ut also did he lead by example: it is in Sarbjit that<br />
meticulousness and clarity of expression, so prized in<br />
most jobs, find their fully expressed potential. He took<br />
pains to undertake detailed reviews of mundane things<br />
which were important to his people, ranging from<br />
ensuring high standards in both the work and the rest<br />
environments to reviewing individual posting plans. As<br />
part of the effort to forge the Air Force tribe, Sarbjit led<br />
his team in the successful organisation of the SAF Day<br />
Parade 2009 and 2013, the RSAF Open House 2011,<br />
the National Service 45th Anniversary Dinner, the RSAF<br />
45th Anniversary Parade, the RSAF45@Singapore<br />
Airshow and the RSAF45@Heartlands events.<br />
As the leader that he was, who always had his people<br />
close to heart, Sarbjit introduced multiple initiatives to<br />
nurture individuals into competent airmen. He instituted<br />
an engagement framework to raise the commitment<br />
and competency of national servicemen through<br />
meaningful employment, dedicated training roadmap,<br />
and empowerment of the individual. He also initiated<br />
a Family-at-Work programme, which allowed family<br />
members to witness what their loved ones do while at<br />
work. The initiative also sought to express gratitude for<br />
the families’ love and support – the love and support<br />
that Sarbjit is only too familiar with in the form of his<br />
wife, Bhupinder Kaur, their two daughters, Namjot Kaur<br />
and Anand Kaur, and son, Mohkam Singh.<br />
Sarbjit retired from the RSAF on 29 October 2014. He<br />
has made history as the first Sikh in the world to have<br />
become an operational pilot on the F5 and F16 aircraft,<br />
the first Sikh in Singapore to have commanded a fighter<br />
squadron initially and later two commands, and the first<br />
Sikh in the RSAF to have attained the rank of a Brigadier<br />
General.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Brigadier General (Retired) Sarbjit Singh, August 28,<br />
2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
189
Sarjit<br />
Singh<br />
M<br />
r Sarjit Singh’s first introduction to community service was as a little boy. His father, the late Mr<br />
Sarmukh Singh, was the Citizens’ Consultative Committee Chairman of their neighbourhood.<br />
When his father suffered a stroke on the right side of his body, Sarjit accompanied him on his<br />
walks through the neighbourhood and helped him write down issues that needed to be resolved<br />
for the residents. The following day, he would listen to his father calling the relevant authorities<br />
to resolve these issues. Subsequently, when Sarjit followed him through the neighbourhood, the<br />
residents would come up to thank him for his help. Sarjit would see the happiness on their faces<br />
and this was the start of his interest and sense of fulfilment in serving the community.<br />
Sarjit credits these formative years to his father where he learnt to solve problems effectively,<br />
connect with people and care about their issues. He carried these lessons through his early<br />
years to the man he is today.<br />
Sarjit graduated with an Accountancy degree from the National University of Singapore. Thereafter,<br />
he was fortunate to receive an overseas graduate scholarship from PricewaterhouseCoopers<br />
(PwC), one of the largest professional services firms in the world. Sarjit spent 16 years with the<br />
firm. At PwC, he played a strategic role in developing the firm’s thought leadership and business<br />
development initiatives for the Asia Pacific financial services sector. His work in Asia Pacific led<br />
PwC winning the Asia Insurance Service Provider of the Year award in 2007. 1<br />
The long association with PwC led to Sarjit being headhunted to join AIA Singapore. He was<br />
attached to the Global Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in New York through the CFO leadership<br />
programme. He became the youngest CFO for AIA in Singapore where he was responsible for<br />
a business that generated over S$4 billion in annual revenues. He was also responsible for<br />
190
for what you do. If you have the passion, you will enjoy it<br />
and you will surely do well.” 3<br />
Sarjit is the Executive Chairman of Ardent Associates<br />
LLP, a firm of Chartered Accountants and a member of<br />
Kreston International. Ardent was honoured with two<br />
business excellence awards at the recent inaugural<br />
Singapore Accountancy Awards. Ardent was the<br />
‘Winner for Practice of the Year’ award in recognition<br />
of the firm’s high quality service standards, healthy<br />
growth and engagement in meaningful corporate social<br />
responsibility. Ardent was also the ‘Winner for Excellence<br />
in People Development’ for championing human capital<br />
development and creating the infrastructure that<br />
supports the professional development of their staff.<br />
While his professional pursuits placed him amongst<br />
the leading CFOs in Singapore, Sarjit has also made<br />
significant contributions to the nation through<br />
community service.<br />
formulating and implementing financial, investment and<br />
commercial strategies for AIG’s diverse businesses in<br />
Singapore, including AIG Global Investment Corporation,<br />
AIG Global Real Estate and AIG Private Bank. 2 Sarjit was<br />
appointed the Designated Officer of AIA Singapore by<br />
the regulators during the global financial crisis in 2008,<br />
and tasked with safeguarding AIA Singapore assets and<br />
policyholders’ interests.<br />
Sarjit later went on to serve as the CFO of Aviva Asia.<br />
His key responsibilities included formulating and<br />
implementing financial, investment and commercial<br />
strategies for Aviva's diverse businesses in Singapore,<br />
Hong Kong and the Middle East. His long association with<br />
the global financial sector can be best summed up by one<br />
word – passion. He remarked: “You must have a passion<br />
At the Central Singapore Community Development<br />
Council, Sarjit was appointed the Chairman of both the<br />
Finance and Capability Building Committees where he<br />
led a team to raise over S$1 million with the help of<br />
corporate partners to support various causes towards<br />
helping the poor and vulnerable in the community.<br />
According to him: “I find a sense of fulfillment when<br />
I see a smile on someone’s face. I know I have done<br />
the right thing.” 4 At the Singapore Indian Development<br />
Association (SINDA), following his stint on the Resource<br />
Panel and Audit Committee, Sarjit was appointed as<br />
Honorary Secretary on the Executive Committee of<br />
SINDA. He helped strengthen procurement, processes<br />
and policies at SINDA. This led to SINDA becoming<br />
the first recipient of the Special Commendation<br />
Award for Corporate Governance Policies and Strong<br />
Management in 2013, which was conferred by the<br />
Charity Council. 5<br />
191
In 2007, Sarjit was invited to be a member of the<br />
Singapore government-appointed National Longevity<br />
Insurance Committee which aimed to strengthen the<br />
Central Provident Fund (CPF). The committee was<br />
responsible for introducing the landmark CPF Lifelong<br />
Income for the Elderly (LIFE) 6 in 2008. In a letter from Dr<br />
Ng Eng Hen, then-Minister for Manpower, the minister<br />
commended the Committee: “As a result of your efforts,<br />
the CPF system has been significantly strengthened with<br />
the CPF LIFE Scheme. Your proposals in the report have<br />
enjoyed widespread support from the public.” 7<br />
In 2011, Sarjit was appointed by the Minister of Culture,<br />
Community and Youth to the Football Association of<br />
Singapore (FAS) as an Honorary Treasurer, Executive<br />
Committee and Council Member. At FAS, he succeeded<br />
in improving its financial governance and accountability,<br />
which led to an improvement in FAS financial results<br />
in the past four years and the creation of the Football<br />
Development Fund.<br />
Sarjit’s contributions to the nation did not go unnoticed.<br />
In 2007, he was awarded the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat<br />
(Public Service Medal). Four years later, he was awarded<br />
the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star). 8<br />
Sarjit is also the elected President of the Nanyang<br />
Business School Alumni Association, comprising over<br />
38,000 members. His passion for education came from<br />
his paternal grandfather. A watchman in Singapore, his<br />
grandfather worked very hard and even sold his house<br />
in Singapore to start an English medium school in his<br />
village in India. His grandfather’s selflessness is a great<br />
inspiration to him. Taking a page from his grandfather’s<br />
book, Sarjit decided to make a contribution to the<br />
education field. Sarjit and his wife, Kiran, have set up<br />
a named Endowment Fund in Nanyang Technological<br />
University (NTU) to inspire final-year outstanding<br />
students in NTU Business School.<br />
“<br />
There are at least two things<br />
about Sarjit that have impressed me.<br />
First, he has a thoroughly multiracial<br />
outlook. He is deeply involved in<br />
Indian and Sikh community issues,<br />
but also volunteers in various nonethnic<br />
based initiatives and has close<br />
friends of all races. Second, Sarjit<br />
has passion. He puts much personal<br />
effort and thought into communitybuilding.<br />
In the Singapore Indian<br />
Development Association, this was<br />
clear in his work with youth and in<br />
our focus groups with community<br />
partners, religious organisations<br />
and professional groups as we<br />
worked on our strategies for the<br />
decade ahead.<br />
“<br />
Mr Tharman Shanmugarathnam<br />
Deputy Prime Minister, Singapore, and<br />
Chairman, Board of Trustees<br />
Singapore Indian Development Association<br />
Sarjit was appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor<br />
by NTU in 2010 for his expertise in the Corporate<br />
Governance, Risk Management and Auditing realms. He<br />
is regularly invited to speak at NTU’s Master of Business<br />
Administration programmes as well as at the Institute<br />
of Singapore Chartered Accountants and Singapore<br />
Exchange.<br />
Sarjit was awarded the Nanyang Alumni Achievement<br />
Award in 2012 in recognition of his professional<br />
achievements as a CFO, and his outstanding contributions<br />
to the community and his alma mater. Sarjit is regarded<br />
192
y NTU as a ‘Financial Industry Talent and Outstanding<br />
Community Leader’.<br />
Within the Sikh community, Sarjit served on the Central<br />
Sikh Gurdwara Board for nine years. He also helped set<br />
up the IT Literacy Programme at the Sikh Centre for<br />
senior citizens and homemakers. It was the joy of seeing<br />
senior citizens making electronic ‘Thank You’ cards for<br />
their teacher that drove him to work even harder for the<br />
community. It was through his selfless service that he<br />
got the opportunity to serve on the Sikh Advisory Board<br />
for five years.<br />
Sarjit attributes his success to his family as it was always<br />
a source of strength and support for him. Coupled with<br />
hard work, passion and love for his community, Sarjit<br />
was able to make great strides in his professional<br />
career as well as significant contributions to the Sikh<br />
community and society.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
http://www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg/SiteCollectionDocuments/Alumni/EX-<br />
CO20092011MrSarjitSingh.pdf.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Sarjit Singh, March 27, 2015.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
http://issuu.com/mysinda/docs/sinda_july2014_web<br />
6<br />
The CPF LIFE is an annuity scheme that provides them with a monthly<br />
payout for as long as they live. They can receive their monthly payout<br />
from their payout eligibility age, which is currently at age 65. See<br />
https://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/members/faq/schemes/retirement/cpf-life.<br />
7<br />
Letter of Commendation for CPF Longevity Committee.<br />
8<br />
The Bintang Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1963. It is awarded to<br />
any person who has rendered valuable public service to the people of<br />
Singapore; or who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973.<br />
The medal is awarded to any person who has rendered commendable<br />
public service in Singapore or for his or her achievement in the field of<br />
arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the<br />
labour movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
193
Sarjit<br />
Singh<br />
I<br />
n an article written for the Straits Times in January 2014, Singapore’s then-Minister for Culture,<br />
Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong, referred to the vision of Singapore’s former Foreign<br />
Minister and one of the nation’s pioneer leaders, the late Mr S Rajaratnam, which called for<br />
Singapore to be a “democracy of deeds and not words”. 1 One Singaporean who has truly<br />
embodied that vision is Mr Sarjit Singh, who inspires many through his multiple roles in<br />
strengthening the nation’s social fabric.<br />
An engineering consultant, Sarjit currently serves as the Chairman of the Inter-Racial and Religious<br />
Confidence Circle (IRCC) at Radin Mas, a position he has been holding since 2008. His efforts to<br />
promote racial harmony have also seen him serve as a Member of the OnePeople.sg 2 Management<br />
Committee from 2011 to 2014, where he also served on its community engagement subcommittee<br />
over the same period.<br />
Sarjit explained that his motivation to promote racial harmony comes from his personal experience<br />
during a troubled time in Singapore’s history. “The racial riots and tension in Singapore when<br />
I was still young showed me the importance of strong inter-racial relations in Singapore.” 3<br />
Moreover, his exposure to different races and cultures when he was younger is another factor<br />
behind his efforts in promoting racial harmony. He added: “I was born into a village where all<br />
my neighbours were Malay but I studied at Christian schools like Saint Joseph’s Institution. I<br />
grew up with people who had different beliefs.” 4<br />
Deservingly, Sarjit was recognised as a champion by the Ministry for Culture, Community and<br />
Youth in inter-racial and religious harmony at the inaugural IRCC Awards Night earlier this year<br />
when he received two honours – the Colours Award for being an outstanding IRCC Chairman,<br />
194
2012, Secretary of the Community Arts and Culture<br />
Committee since 2012 and, currently, the Vice Chairman<br />
of the Community Sports Club. An active sportsman,<br />
Sarjit also assists in organising the ‘Harmony’ bowling<br />
tournament every year. He has also, in the past, played<br />
in inter-constituency hockey and other tournaments. He<br />
was previously a Management Committee member of<br />
Singapore Khalsa Association and helped to organise<br />
overseas hockey tours.<br />
Sarjit has, incredibly, been able to still find time to be<br />
a Trainer for the Community Engagement Programme<br />
(a Ministry of Home Affairs programme), a registered<br />
Mediator with Central Community Mediation Centre<br />
since 2007, a Family Life Champion for Radin Mas from<br />
2005 to 2008 and a licensed Solemniser for marriages<br />
since 2004. He also served on the advisory committees<br />
of two Institute of Technical Education (ITE) campuses<br />
from 1990 to 2001.<br />
along with the Harmony Award for Radin Mas IRCC for<br />
the Best Project, ‘Race with Faith 2015’. 5<br />
However, Sarjit’s contributions do not just end there.<br />
He has also been actively involved in several grassroots<br />
organisations and committees. He was the Chairman<br />
of the Bukit Merah Central Residents’ Committee (RC)<br />
from 1987 to 2003 and, presently, the Vice Chairman<br />
of the Bukit Merah Community Club Management<br />
Committee. At Radin Mas, he serves in multiple<br />
roles. These include being a Member of and Silver<br />
Ambassador for the Radin Mas Community Emergency<br />
and Engagement Committee, Member of the Town<br />
Council Neighbourhood Standing Committee for 2011-<br />
With such an incredible list of contributions under his<br />
belt, two questions come to mind – how does Sarjit find<br />
the time to do this amount of public service work and<br />
what motivates him to contribute so much time and<br />
resources in this regard?<br />
The 69-year old grandfather explained that his entry into<br />
grassroots work was the result of a chance meeting. He<br />
was working for the General Electric Company (GEC) in<br />
1977 when he ran into former Singapore minister, Mr Lim<br />
Chee Onn, who was then Member of Parliament for Bukit<br />
Merah and worked for Keppel Corporation. The express<br />
lifts in Keppel Corporation’s then-Ocean Towers Building<br />
were installed and maintained by GEC. Recognising Sarjit<br />
as one of his residents, Mr Lim approached him to come<br />
forward and serve in the grassroots. This chance invitation<br />
turned into a lifetime of public service. He was appointed<br />
to the advisory committee of the Bukit Merah ITE and<br />
started off as a Secretary at the RC.<br />
195
“<br />
Sarjit has been an active and dedicated grassroots leader with Radin Mas<br />
constituency for 29 years. A man who wears many hats, he currently holds four<br />
grassroots appointments in Radin Mas constituency. He is also a licensed solemniser,<br />
a registered mediator and a Silver Ambassador among the many portfolios that he is<br />
currently holding.<br />
He has been the Chairman of Radin Mas IRCC since 2008 and plays an important<br />
role to roll out activities and programmes to build and establish deeper understanding<br />
and trust among the various religious communities in Radin Mas.<br />
It is not an overnight success for him, as it all started with a single step to contribute<br />
something back to the community 29 years ago. Just as every little drop contributes<br />
to an ocean, every effort goes a long way in making a difference to the community one<br />
lives in. I am glad to see his involvement receiving recognition and look forward to his<br />
continued contributions toward the community.<br />
Mr Sam Tan<br />
Minister of State<br />
Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Manpower<br />
Singapore<br />
“<br />
Tragedy struck Sarjit a few years later though as his first<br />
wife unexpectedly passed away. However, that episode<br />
also taught him an important lesson – the value of the<br />
social circles that he had made through his grassroots<br />
involvement. “The support of my grassroots colleagues<br />
during that difficult time inspired me to want to come<br />
out and contribute more as I realised how important it<br />
was to do things for others.” 6<br />
Sarjit admitted that the biggest challenge he faced in his<br />
public service involvement was time management as he<br />
had to juggle his work, family and multiple community<br />
roles. “As a result, family time was sacrificed as I missed<br />
many family functions. However, it was well worth it!” 7<br />
To help him address this issue, Sarjit often brought<br />
his family along for many of his grassroots activities.<br />
He explained with pride that his two children then<br />
and, more recently, his second wife, have been party<br />
to his community service involvement. For his public<br />
service contributions, Sarjit was awarded the Pingat<br />
Bakti Masyarakat (the Public Service Medal) 8 in 1994,<br />
the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award for<br />
Community Service in 2000 (for ITE Alumni) and the<br />
Outstanding Community Award by Radin Mas Citizens<br />
Consultative Committee in 2009.<br />
Besides his contributions, Sarjit also inspires others in<br />
continuously upgrading themselves through his own<br />
actions. He started his education at the Vocational<br />
and Industrial Training Board (VITB) 9 at its Balestier<br />
Road campus. Upon graduation, he joined the Public<br />
Utilities Board (PUB) as an In-Plant-Trainee, which<br />
196
Sarjit described as somewhat of “an apprenticeship<br />
scheme”. At the same time, he attended night classes<br />
to complete an Advance Craft Certificate and sat<br />
for exams conducted by the City & Guilds (United<br />
Kingdom) through distance learning. 10 After two years<br />
at PUB, Sarjit joined GEC, where he again upgraded his<br />
qualifications through a four-year diploma course at<br />
the Management Development Institute of Singapore,<br />
completing it in 1986. His desire to further upgrade<br />
himself saw Sarjit completing a Master in Business<br />
Administration programme at the Victoria University<br />
of Technology in 2001 and also being awarded a<br />
Certificate in Academic Excellence in International<br />
Logistics and Business Strategy. After he was retrenched<br />
in 2000 when GEC was acquired by General Electric,<br />
Sarjit did not give up and used his qualifications and<br />
experience to start his own consulting firm, Engineering<br />
and Management Services. 11<br />
In his article, Mr Wong further commented that Mr<br />
Rajaratnam’s vision is a “…high goal worth striving<br />
for, which gets to the heart of what makes for a<br />
healthy democracy – an active citizenry, engaged<br />
in the community, working together for the public<br />
good.” 12 Well, through his never-say-die attitude and<br />
determined spirit, Sarjit has certainly contributed<br />
significantly towards a healthy democracy of deeds in<br />
Singapore.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Towards a ‘democracy of deeds’ for Singapore, Lawrence Wong, The<br />
Straits Times, June 3, 2014.<br />
2<br />
OnePeople.sg was established in 1997 to promote racial harmony and<br />
spearhead programmes and initiatives to bring the different ethnic<br />
communities together. It was launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien<br />
Loong as an organisation that champions racial harmony initiatives in<br />
Singapore. See http://www.onepeople.sg.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Sarjit Singh, October 7, 2015.<br />
4<br />
Racial Harmony Champion wins Award, The New Paper, August 1, 2015.<br />
5<br />
As part of its efforts to expand its outreach to engage the youth, Radin<br />
Mas IRCC has been organising youth-centric events annually since<br />
2013. In 2015, it organised the ‘Race with Faith 2015’ which was<br />
modelled after The Amazing Race concept where participants had to<br />
complete tasks at designated stopover stations which were the various<br />
religious organisations in Radin Mas division. Ibid. See also https://<br />
www.ircc.sg/en/Programmes/2015/Jan/Radin.<br />
6<br />
Interview with Mr Sarjit Singh, op. cit.<br />
7<br />
Ibid.<br />
8<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973. The medal is<br />
awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service<br />
in Singapore or for his or her achievement in the field of arts and<br />
letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the labour<br />
movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
9<br />
The VITB was the predecessor to the Institute of Technical Education,<br />
a post-secondary institution that provides pre-employment training<br />
to secondary school leavers and continuing education and training to<br />
working adults. See www.moe.gov.sg.<br />
10<br />
It boils down to passion, time management, The New Paper, September<br />
8, 2014.<br />
11<br />
Ibid.<br />
12<br />
Towards a ‘democracy of deeds’ for Singapore, op. cit.<br />
197
Sarvindar<br />
Singh Chopra<br />
"I<br />
t is a funny little story, really! I was bored of class and it just so happened that the athletics<br />
heats were going on that day. I skipped class and decided to take part in the heats.” 1 And this<br />
marked the beginning of an illustrious sporting career that seemed to be made up of a number<br />
of these funny little stories.<br />
Mr Sarvindar Singh Chopra grew up in a village in Kim Keat Avenue in Singapore during what<br />
he describes as some of the “best parts of [his] life”. The second of three boys, he was the son<br />
of a businessman and a volunteer social worker mother. Although Sarvindar’s father was an<br />
avid sportsman, none of his children inherited his interest in cricket or hockey. Amongst the<br />
three boys, only Sarvindar expressed an interest and seemed to possess a prowess in sports.<br />
The funny little story he describes above resulted in Sarvindar, who had never thrown a javelin<br />
or hurled a discus in his life finishing third in the javelin heats and qualifying for the discus<br />
finals to be held on Sports Day. With some guidance from his father, Sarvindar went on to win<br />
discus medals at the district level first and then nationally. He was not only a national schools<br />
champion for three consecutive years but also clinched a gold medal at an invitational event<br />
in Ipoh.<br />
The real highlights of Sarvindar’s career were however yet to come. To get to that, there is<br />
another funny little story that must be told. Although he equalled the national record for<br />
discus in 1971, Sarvindar’s achievements in this event began to plateau after that. Around<br />
then, a friend he knew from the printing press gave him a lead. This friend turned out to be<br />
Mr Michael Koay, Secretary of the Singapore Amateur Weightlifting Federation and this lead<br />
was an introduction to none other than Mr Tan Howe Liang, Singapore’s weightlifting silver<br />
medalist at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He then began to train with weights under Howe Liang<br />
198
At the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur<br />
in 1977, Sarvindar was granted leave to compete in<br />
two distinct events – his pet event of discus and the<br />
new one, weightlifting. By a twist of fate, another funny<br />
little thing happened. In his first outing as a weightlifter,<br />
Sarvindar clinched two silver medals and a bronze<br />
medal while finishing fifth and without a medal in the<br />
discus event. When asked which of the two sports is<br />
his favourite, Sarvindar grins teasingly and answers: “It<br />
is obviously the one in which I excelled.” 4 This line of<br />
thought led Sarvindar to discard his discus and focus his<br />
efforts on competitive weightlifting.<br />
at the Evergreen Body-Building Centre. At this point,<br />
weightlifting training, as Sarvindar put to The Straits<br />
Times in 1981, was purely “for a selfish motive” 2 – he<br />
wanted to build up strength and flexibility for discus and<br />
shot put, which at that time were the events in athletics<br />
that he was actively pursuing. Sarvindar explains: “The<br />
classic weightlifting events of snatch and jerk, for<br />
instance, build up co-ordination and involve very similar<br />
motions and lifts that you would do when training for<br />
discus.” 3 Additionally, the elements of speed and power<br />
were the other commonalities shared by both sports.<br />
Through his hard work at training, Sarvindar was soon<br />
doing respectably enough at weightlifting for Michael<br />
to decide to enter him for competitions in that event.<br />
Before long, he was good enough to be selected to<br />
represent Singapore.<br />
Juggling a full-time day job with his family business and<br />
training as a professional sportsman at the same time<br />
were certainly not easy but there was no turning back<br />
now. Sarvindar was enthralled. He recalls: “In those<br />
days, sportsmen were never paid for their sport. We did<br />
it out of love and passion for our sport – and to win.” 5<br />
Although love and passion alone do not equate to<br />
winning, it surely helped Sarvindar be committed to and<br />
be disciplined about the grueling training sessions he<br />
had to endure in order to be competition ready. These<br />
sessions were held almost daily, and generally in the<br />
evenings as a result of having a day job. Still, Sarvindar<br />
recalls that he would try to fit some light callisthenic<br />
exercises into his day schedule. Actual lifting practice<br />
was reserved for the evenings. Although each of these<br />
sessions was demanding, Sarvindar estimates that, on<br />
average, he lifted over 10,000 or 12,000 kilogrammes<br />
daily or 250,000 kilogrammes of weights per month, 6<br />
it came to a point where “the day I did not train, it felt<br />
like something was missing in my life.” 7 On account<br />
of the success he had seen in the local and regional<br />
weightlifting competitions, Sarvindar was invited by the<br />
then-President of the Indonesian Federation to train in<br />
Tawangmangu in Central Java. He fondly recalls this<br />
three-week training camp in the cool weather up in the<br />
hills, which was conducted by a former weightlifting<br />
199
world champion from Poland. Again Sarvindar explains<br />
that athletes like him in those days were likely to<br />
spend more of their own money on training than from<br />
sponsorships or award monies of any kind. Although<br />
some supplementary money was granted to the<br />
weightlifters for the trip to Indonesia, they had to raise<br />
their own money for overseas trips.<br />
The first culmination of Sarvindar’s intensified training<br />
efforts with weightlifting was at the SEA Games in<br />
Jakarta in 1979. Although he performed well, walking<br />
away with silver medals, Sarvindar still recalls these<br />
Games as something of an unexpected setback in his<br />
plan. He explains that weightlifting is one sport where<br />
you know who your competition is and you know what<br />
you are up against. At the 1979 Games, Sarvindar<br />
knew that his competitor from the Philippines was<br />
more powerful than him. As such, Sarvindar sought<br />
to raise his personal body weight at the last minute<br />
in order to compete in a different category from him<br />
– to move from the Heavyweight category (over 105<br />
kilogrammes) to the Super Heavyweight category (over<br />
110 kilogrammes). Alas, despite gorging himself on<br />
food, Sarvindar was unable to do so and wound up<br />
coming in second to the Filipino. This close brush with<br />
glory spurred him on to work even harder as he “knew<br />
then that a gold medal was within [his] reach.” 8 It is<br />
at this point where Sarvindar made one of the biggest<br />
sacrifices for the sake of his sport.<br />
Given the fixed number of hours in a day, Sarvindar’s<br />
job, and the number of hours he had to put into<br />
practice, something had to give. This unfortunately was<br />
the amount of time he could spend with his wife and<br />
son. An articles in The Straits Times article in 1981,<br />
chronicling Sarvindar’s preparation efforts, tells a story<br />
of how there were fierce quarrels over the time he was<br />
spending with the weightlifting team. A decision was<br />
made and he sent his wife and only son to her family in<br />
“<br />
Sarvindar was a great sportsman<br />
who received many accolades<br />
during his sporting career which span<br />
from 1973 to 1983.<br />
As a close family friend, I remember<br />
Sarvindar as a young lad determined<br />
to make Singapore proud of his<br />
contributions. Once he set eyes<br />
on something, he would go all out<br />
to achieve that goal, regardless of<br />
obstacles in his way. Determination<br />
was his mantra and that carried him<br />
to greater heights in his life.<br />
Mr S A Nathanji<br />
Former Managing Editor/Columnist<br />
Indian Movie News Magazine<br />
“<br />
India for two months. This was, of course, by no means,<br />
an easy decision to make and once they were gone,<br />
Sarvindar found himself wondering if he had made a big<br />
mistake. Ultimately, he sought solace in the knowledge<br />
that what he was doing was for his country, and, after<br />
all “it was only for two months.” As the 1981 article<br />
proclaimed in its headline, this is without a doubt a fine<br />
exemplification of the notion “Nation Before Self”.<br />
All of Sarvindar’s efforts and sacrifices came to fruition<br />
in Manila in 1981 when he became Singapore’s “twogold<br />
hero” 9 at the SEA Games. Sarvindar’s gold medals<br />
were the first that any Singaporean competitor had<br />
won during the SEA Games. It was also during these<br />
games where he made it into the Singapore record<br />
books 10 for lifting a combined 252.5 kilogrammes in<br />
the Super Heavyweight event. He managed to repeat<br />
his feat on home soil again in 1983 when the SEA<br />
200
Games were held here. Sarvindar won his third gold<br />
medal in two SEA Games competitions. These wins were<br />
undoubtedly the zenith of his career. Tears came to his<br />
eyes as he described how he felt, standing at the top of<br />
the podium, hearing the notes of ‘Majulah Singapura’<br />
resonate around him. Finally, all the “blood, sweat and<br />
tears and more blood” had paid off.<br />
All this came to a swift end in 1983 itself when Sarvindar<br />
was hit by a bus while riding his motorcycle and broke<br />
his arm. He was just 31 and his weightlifting career<br />
came to a screeching halt. Raising his arm to show the<br />
long white scar that is still visible on the underside of<br />
his arm, this sanguine man declares that the accident<br />
was a blessing in disguise. It allowed him to leave his<br />
beloved sport on a high. However, he continued to be<br />
involved with the local sporting scene. He was a referee<br />
at the Asian Games in New Delhi in 1982 and at the<br />
Second South Asian Federation Games in Dhaka in<br />
1985. He also sits on the boards of a number of athletic<br />
associations.<br />
Sarvindar’s parting message to aspiring sportsmen<br />
and women is simple – dare to dream and chase your<br />
dreams. Sarvindar should know best for he dreamt big<br />
and he chased his dream to become a national sporting<br />
icon.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Sarvindar Singh Chopra, March 11, 2015.<br />
2<br />
High and Mighty, The Straits Times, December 1981.<br />
3<br />
Interview with Mr Sarvindar Singh Chopra, op cit.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
H Rai, Nation before Self, The Straits Times, December 1981.<br />
7<br />
Supra note 2.<br />
8<br />
Ibid.<br />
9<br />
D Singh, P Siow and H Rai, Lifter Sarvindar is our two-gold hero, The<br />
Straits Times, December 10, 1981.<br />
10<br />
P Goh, Weight-lifting: Leg-up for S’pore weightlifters, TODAY, August,<br />
10, 2011.<br />
201
Satwant<br />
Singh<br />
"<br />
T<br />
he minute you are down, you pick yourself up and continue.” He said this in reference to his<br />
Mercy Relief 1 mission to Nepal following the earthquake in May 2015. However, this is a motto<br />
Mr Satwant Singh has embodied from the age of 16 years.<br />
Satwant is the eldest son in a family of eight children. He could not continue his education after<br />
his GCE ‘O’ Levels due to financial constraints. Despite the disappointment and initial setback,<br />
Satwant took it in his stride and landed a job first as an office boy and then as a clerk. Having<br />
impressed his superiors, he became a Manager in retail in the span of only two years. Just as he<br />
tasted success in the corporate world, Satwant had to enlist for national service, where with the<br />
encouragement of his parents, he signed on with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to become<br />
a Physical Training Instructor (PTI), known endearingly as “PTI Singh” by many of his recruits.<br />
Asked to recount some memories of his days at SAF, Satwant burst into laughter when he said,<br />
“Many of my classmates were my recruits...even my cousins were my recruits!” and “I had a<br />
great time in the SAF but I wanted to get a degree like all my other friends.” 2<br />
It was not long before Satwant picked up where he left off in his studies and began studying<br />
law. It was a challenging time as Satwant still had to support his family. However, he made a<br />
promise to himself that he was going to get that law degree. Satwant said that it was with<br />
God’s grace that he was able to manage both. During that period, he got married and soon<br />
had to juggle work, post-graduate law and welcoming his two children in 1992 and 1994.<br />
During this time, Satwant’s daily routine was to go for classes in the day and then worked as a<br />
security guard through the night at Methodist Girls’ School. Sleep was scarce but Satwant was<br />
determined to succeed. He recalls that his lecturers were very concerned about his lack of sleep<br />
but he assured them that even physical constraints would not deter him from his goal. In 1997,<br />
202
triggered the desire to reach out to the underprivileged,<br />
Satwant was quite emotional when he said: “It was<br />
perhaps the experience of being denied an education.<br />
I loved studying but I had to stop. I remember I cried<br />
the whole night when my father told me he could not<br />
afford to educate me anymore. Therefore, I will go all<br />
out to help others.” 4 And go all out he has. Satwant was<br />
one of the founding members of Youth Sikh Association<br />
(Singapore) [YSA] and had become synonymous<br />
with Project Khwaish – an annual community service<br />
expedition which Satwant has been leading since YSA’s<br />
inception in 2003. In December every year, Satwant<br />
closes his firm and heads off to Punjab. Together with<br />
between 15 and 20 Singaporean youth, he develops<br />
libraries and refurbishes village school infrastructure to<br />
improve the studying conditions for the school children.<br />
This YSA project has gained significant recognition at<br />
the community and national levels.<br />
Satwant’s hard work came to fruition as he was called<br />
to the Singapore Bar. Today, Satwant runs his own law<br />
firm, Satwant and Associates, where apart from civil,<br />
criminal and commercial litigation, he also fights cases<br />
pro bono. One such instance was when some members<br />
of the Sikh community were facing discrimination in<br />
their organisations for donning turbans. “I will not think<br />
twice if I need to help someone and if I know that I<br />
can. I will just do it.” 3 Satwant is also a member of the<br />
Law Society of Singapore and member of the Singapore<br />
Academy of Law.<br />
It is not only his personal struggles and achievements<br />
that make Satwant so intriguing and inspirational. He<br />
has a big heart for the underprivileged and engages<br />
them whenever he gets the chance. When asked what<br />
In addition, Satwant is Secretary of the Board of Directors<br />
in Mercy Relief. His missions have brought him to Aceh,<br />
the Gaza border, Sri Lanka, China, Philippines and<br />
most recently, Nepal. During such missions, he provides<br />
assistance and caters to the needs of the people in the<br />
wake of disasters. He is not exempt from experiencing<br />
disasters himself. Satwant experienced an earthquake<br />
at the airport in Nepal just as he was about to depart.<br />
Knowing that he still had colleagues in Nepal, he<br />
chose to stay on to ensure that they were safe as well.<br />
Satwant is firm in his belief that overwhelming as these<br />
experiences may be, they make him a better person and<br />
are a constant reminder that there is so much more to<br />
which he can contribute. Satwant is quick to add that<br />
this work would not be possible without the love and<br />
encouragement from his wife and two children. “I really<br />
salute my family,” he said, affirming his appreciation for<br />
the support they give him. Their support has also seen<br />
him contributing at the national level where he was<br />
Vice-Chairman at the People’s Action Party Policy Forum<br />
203
“<br />
Apart from being a busy lawyer, Satwant is also busy serving the community,<br />
both here and abroad. Since 2001, he has been active in grassroots work, serving the<br />
constituents of Kolam Ayer. As a young, active and successful member of the Sikh<br />
community, he has led YSA on its community projects to Punjab since 2003. As a<br />
Director on the Board of Mercy Relief, Singapore’s home-grown disaster relief nongovernment<br />
organisation, since 2003, Satwant has participated in Mercy Relief’s<br />
relief and rehabilitative operations in places as far as Cairo and Jerusalem, and nearer<br />
to home in Aceh, during the tsunami, and in the recent Nepal earthquakes.<br />
Satwant believes in living life to the fullest and he adds meaning to it by serving<br />
and contributing to not only his own Sikh community, but also to his fellowmen no<br />
matter who they are or where they live. The Sikh community should be proud of him<br />
and this country is enriched by having citizens like him.<br />
Mr Abdullah Tarmugi<br />
Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (1994-2000)<br />
Singapore<br />
“<br />
204<br />
from 2006 to 2008 and then Chairman from 2008 to<br />
2012. He has also been actively involved in Kolam Ayer<br />
Community Club.<br />
Satwant is also of the view that the Sikh community<br />
has contributed much to the national progress that<br />
Singapore has made in the last 50 years. “The Sikhs in<br />
Singapore are close-knitted in that they will go out of<br />
their way to help you and, at the same time, are a very<br />
open community. We invite one and all to our gurdwaras<br />
(Sikh temples) and will not stand for criticisms of other<br />
communities.” 5 Satwant feels that it is this characteristic<br />
of the Sikh community in Singapore that has allowed it<br />
to make its presence felt but also blend in harmoniously<br />
with the multi-racial fabric of Singapore. He said the Sikh<br />
community is very forthcoming in rendering support,<br />
both financially and emotionally. Satwant was very<br />
proud when the community raised a total of S$50,000<br />
for victims of the Nepal earthquake, which further
attests to their charitable nature. The Sikh community<br />
had previously taken part in other national fund-raising<br />
efforts for disaster relief in several other countries.<br />
While Satwant has deep admiration for the pioneers in<br />
the Sikh community, he says that there is always more<br />
that can be done by the Sikhs in Singapore. His hope<br />
for the Sikh community in the next 50 years is that<br />
community leaders engage the youth more intensely and<br />
directly so that Sikhs can contribute to nation building<br />
on a larger scale. One way he suggests this can be<br />
done is by engaging them through community projects<br />
or seminars with a focus on national and international<br />
developments, akin to what he has been doing in the<br />
last decade of so. Satwant's advice to the youth in<br />
Singapore is: “Believe in yourself! Come forward and<br />
make a difference. I hope that more Sikhs will step up<br />
to join organisations such as YSA. We will go very far<br />
when we stand together as a community and society.” 6<br />
Certainly, there is no better time than now to “pick up<br />
and go.”<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Mercy Relief is Singapore’s only home-grown independent non-governmental<br />
humanitarian charity, established to respond to human<br />
tragedies in Asia. Its aid programmes include providing timely and<br />
effective assistance to disaster-stricken communities; and longer-term<br />
development projects to uplift the lives of the impoverished and disadvantaged,<br />
focusing on water and sanitation, shelter, sustainable livelihoods,<br />
healthcare and education. Mercy Relief serves the less fortunate<br />
and needy regardless of country, culture or creed. Officially launched<br />
by then-Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in September 2003, it<br />
also seeks to promote a civic life of compassion, care and volunteerism.<br />
It is an Institution of Public Character since 2003. Please see http://<br />
mercyrelief.org/.<br />
2<br />
Interview with Mr Satwant Singh, June 27, 2015.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
205
Sukhvinder<br />
Singh Chopra<br />
A<br />
ttending school, playing football barefoot on the streets and scraping toe nails and catching<br />
fish in drains with the children in the neighbourhood is how Colonel (Retired) Sukhvinder Singh<br />
Chopra remembers his early childhood years.<br />
Growing up in his early years in Jalan Setia off Macpherson Road, Sukhvinder spent most of his<br />
childhood in a carefree village-like lifestyle. Apart from roaming around his estate, Sukhvinder<br />
was an avid reader. This was probably due to his exposure to a wide range of books as his father<br />
was a publisher. One of his favourite collections was the Enid Blyton series. Fortunately for<br />
Sukhvinder, in his formative years, he was guided by his parents, particularly his father, whose<br />
clear thinking and no-nonsense attitude shaped Sukhvinder’s outlook on life.<br />
At the age of 18 years, Sukhvinder decided to sign a pensionable service/life-long contract<br />
with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Although it was then rare for the eldest son from a<br />
business class family to make such a move, his father was very proud of his decision and said:<br />
“You will go through many ups and downs but stick to it and see it through with conviction”. 1<br />
Sukhvinder can still visualise his father giving him this important advice.<br />
When he was 24 years old, Sukhvinder was given the honour and challenge of being the<br />
Commanding Officer of a warship even though he had only served six years in the RSN and<br />
was the most junior of all the Captain-ranked officers on similar ships. This was an important<br />
recognition of his capability and leadership. Although humbled by the experience, it was only<br />
the first of many milestones in his career as a naval officer. A combined international Task<br />
Force, led by the United States invaded Iraq to overthrow President Saddam Hussein’s regime.<br />
The aftermath of the 21-day war witnessed the highlight of Sukhvinder’s naval career and one<br />
206
The mission was fraught with dangers. Following the fall<br />
of the Iraqi president, the country went into turmoil and<br />
the sea lanes and oil refineries had become targets of<br />
sabotage by those loyal to the deposed president.<br />
Sukhvinder's Task Group, working closely with the<br />
Task Force, was steadfast in its mission, which was<br />
extremely successful and paved the way for subsequent<br />
deployments by the RSN in the Gulf. Sukhvinder’s<br />
leadership was recognised by the SAF and the United<br />
States navy which led the multinational force. For his<br />
role in the Gulf, Sukhvinder was awarded the SAF<br />
Overseas Service Medal. 2<br />
that put Singapore’s navy on the global map. Singapore<br />
was invited to contribute to the reconstruction efforts in<br />
Iraq. Sukhvinder was chosen to command a Task Group<br />
as part of a multinational force in the Arabian Gulf in<br />
2003. The mission was unprecedented for the RSN and<br />
the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).<br />
Sukhvinder commanded the Task Group on Singapore’s<br />
RSS Endurance, a multi-purpose ship which was the<br />
largest in the RSN fleet. Sukhvinder and his team were<br />
responsible for providing security and protection to<br />
Iraq’s sea-borne assets and provide logistics support to<br />
the many assets operating in the Northern Arabian Gulf.<br />
The Al-Basrah Oil Terminal, a deep-sea offshore crude<br />
oil terminal, was one of these key assets as it was a lifeline<br />
for Iraq. Their other operational activities included<br />
managing anti-smuggling operations.<br />
Sukhvinder continued to play an active role in the RSN<br />
and rose through the ranks. He went on to discharge<br />
other principal duties in the RSN. By the time he retired<br />
in 2006, he had attained the rank of Colonel and<br />
commanded a squadron of ships. In recognition of his<br />
exemplary skill in leadership and management during<br />
his military career, Sukhvinder was awarded the Pingat<br />
Pentadbiran Awam (Public Administration Medal) 3<br />
for distinguished and meritorious service in military<br />
command and staff work.<br />
Although Sukhvinder witnessed many successes in his<br />
naval life, he experienced tragedy early in his personal<br />
life. He became a widower at a young age of 33<br />
when he lost his sweetheart to cancer. His one and<br />
only child, his son Karan, was just short of two years<br />
old then. His son is one of the most important people<br />
in his life. And just like his father did decades ago,<br />
Sukhvinder beamed with pride when his son became<br />
an SAF officer.<br />
Following his military service, Sukhvinder was appointed<br />
as the Director of Administration and member of<br />
the leadership team at the Lee Kuan Yew School of<br />
Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of<br />
207
Singapore. The school was only two years old, and<br />
for five years thereafter, he helped to strengthen the<br />
administrative foundation of the School in a variety of<br />
functions, ranging from human resource management<br />
to finance and donor relations. Whilst the environment<br />
and scope of work was quite different from the RSN,<br />
he adapted and contributed – the School gained<br />
global recognition as a leading school of public policy.<br />
After leaving LKYSPP, he went to work with the<br />
Temasek Management Services Group, a whollyowned<br />
subsidiary of Temasek Holdings. He now<br />
collaborates with international development advisory<br />
and implementation firms. He has worked in<br />
Afghanistan on a World Bank project to spearhead the<br />
development of a roadmap to build the country’s civil<br />
service capacity and he oversaw its implementation in<br />
phases.<br />
Sukhvinder has been busy on many fronts. He has<br />
become a qualified Executive Coach and an Associate<br />
Leadership and Change Management Trainer at<br />
various Institutes in Singapore and abroad, and<br />
collaborates with international development advisory<br />
and implementation firms. He believes deeply that<br />
“<br />
Sukhvinder’s significant<br />
contributions in commanding<br />
naval operations in the Gulf laid<br />
the foundations for further such<br />
deployments by Singapore. United<br />
States Admiral James Stavridis, the<br />
Force Commander in the Gulf then,<br />
described Sukhvinder as a highly<br />
capable commander and a super star.<br />
Sukhvinder served the SAF with<br />
distinction over a span of 28 years<br />
and he personified the Sikh virtues<br />
of truth, compassion, contentment,<br />
discipline and contemplation.<br />
“<br />
Rear Admiral (Retired) Sim Gim Guan<br />
Former Chief of Staff – Naval Staff<br />
Republic of Singapore Navy<br />
mind-set change, a never ending process, is at the core<br />
of change management. Deep conviction, more than<br />
knowledge or skills, is needed to bring about change.<br />
When all is said and done, Sukhvinder's view is that<br />
one has to accept the current realities, not be-labour<br />
the past, learn earnestly and forge ahead together.<br />
Sukhvinder has been an active volunteer for over 20<br />
years. He is a member of grassroots organisations and<br />
holds leadership positions. He has also served with<br />
the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, a Ministry<br />
of Education's School Advisory Committee and various<br />
fund raisers.<br />
He is also committed to reducing poverty through<br />
his work as a board member of a non-government<br />
organisation called Solutions to End Poverty (STEP)<br />
208
which focuses on community development of the very<br />
poor in Asia through customised systemic change<br />
programmes that empower the community to sustain<br />
the developments. As part of the initiative, Sukhvinder<br />
supports the Change Makers Pathway (ChaMPs) for<br />
youth which aims to develop enterprising community<br />
leaders. ChaMPs participants immerse in the<br />
‘Smile Village’, STEP’s ‘ground-zero’ pilot project in<br />
Cambodia and they return to Singapore impassioned<br />
and equipped to serve the community here. The final<br />
outcome is to nurture life-long learners and volunteers<br />
in Singapore.<br />
Sukhvinder grew from a young boy scrapping his<br />
toenails on the road whilst playing football to become<br />
a commander of a warship. Although he has gone<br />
through his share of ups and downs, he went on and<br />
about to do his best and serve. Professionally through<br />
his tour in the Singapore Navy, Sukhvinder's name is<br />
etched in the annals of the SAF as the first officer and<br />
first Sikh to assume a significant command role in the<br />
conduct of naval operations in the Gulf.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Colonel (Retired) Sukhvinder Singh Chopra, June 3,<br />
2015.<br />
2<br />
This award is given to a member of the SAF who has served in an area<br />
outside Singapore after 9 August 1970 when engaged in operations<br />
involving the keeping of peace, restoring of law and order, provision<br />
of humanitarian aid or rescue, or relief operations in support of any<br />
foreign government. See www.mindef.gov.sg.<br />
3<br />
The Pingat Pentadbiran Awam was instituted in 1963. There are three<br />
grades of the Medal, namely, gold, silver and bronze. The Medal<br />
may be awarded to the following persons for outstanding efficiency,<br />
competence and industry – a public officer; officer employed by any<br />
statutory authority; any person who is or has been in the service of any<br />
organisation rendering services in education; or any person employed<br />
in any company which is wholly-owned by the government and which<br />
is carrying on business mainly as an agent or instrumentality of the<br />
government. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
209
Surjan<br />
Singh<br />
A<br />
lthough Mr Surjan Singh was born in Amritsar in India in 1931, he spent most of his growing<br />
up years in Raub in Pahang, Malaysia. There, he lived a fun and happy childhood in his village<br />
until the Japanese Occupation in 1942. Schools were forced to teach Japanese, which the local<br />
teachers were incapable of doing so. Surjan subsequently did not go to school and his education<br />
was interrupted for about five years. He took his GCE 'O' Level examinations in 1952 and<br />
obtained a Grade 1 Certificate.<br />
Surjan’s father was an ambulance driver in Raub. Surjan took the initiative to come to Singapore<br />
to join the Teachers' Training College in April 1953 and graduated in August 1955. He took<br />
his GCE 'A' Level examinations in 1956 and Standard Three Malay in 1964. He then enrolled<br />
as an external student with the University of London and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts<br />
(Economics and Geography) in 1971.<br />
Surjan held various significant positions throughout his teaching career. These included Senior<br />
Subject teacher for Geography at Queenstown Secondary School, Senior Subject teacher for<br />
Economics at Raffles Institution and Senior Head of Student Affairs at Raffles Junior College.<br />
Surjan left the teaching profession in 1986 when he 55 years old.<br />
Surjan’s innate desire to contribute to society extends well beyond the years he devoted to his<br />
teaching career. He became involved with probationary work as he wanted to help those at<br />
risk and wayward youth. There were not many probationary officers during that time. Surjan<br />
joined the ranks of the second batch. In fact, while he was still teaching, he became a Volunteer<br />
Probation Officer (VPO) in 1972 and was put on the job placement committee where he would<br />
find and match jobs for delinquents placed under his care. He juggled probationary work and<br />
210
to work in a Japanese retail store. The effort by Surjan<br />
helped turned their fortunes around and they are doing<br />
well in life now.<br />
teaching – a testament to his desire want to contribute<br />
to society.<br />
One of the cases he handled as a VPO and which<br />
remains etched in his mind is that of a young Indian<br />
boy on whom he also wrote a case study. Caught for<br />
committing a petty crime, the boy was placed under<br />
Surjan’s care and he had to counsel the boy and help<br />
him find a job. He spent a considerable amount of<br />
time with the boy and forged a bond with him. Surjan<br />
managed to find him a job as a ship electrician. Surjan<br />
did not stop there. He learnt that the boy’s older sisters<br />
were unemployed and clearly not the best of role models<br />
while their father had a drinking problem. Despite it not<br />
being his responsibility, he found employment for the<br />
oldest siblings in Yaohan. She became the first Indian<br />
The second memorable case that Surjan handled was<br />
when he joined the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association<br />
(SANA) as a counselor and Volunteer Aftercare Officer<br />
(VAO) in the Sikh Aftercare (Counselling) Services. He<br />
eventually became the Secretary of the organisation. The<br />
case involved a young Sikh boy who had just finished<br />
his national service and was served a drug consumption<br />
conviction by the courts. He was placed in the SANA<br />
Sikh Aftercare (Counselling) Services under the care<br />
and guidance of Surjan. He counselled the young Sikh<br />
and found him a job as a relief teacher as the young<br />
Sikh had academic credentials. However, his job stint<br />
did not last long when another Sikh VAO breached<br />
confidentiality and leaked that the young Sikh was a<br />
former drug user. Surjan was terribly upset. In Surjan’s<br />
words: “Confidentiality is something every probation<br />
officer needs to respect. It is crucial because it allows<br />
for trust to be built”. 1 After investigation, the VAO was<br />
dismissed by the SANA Sikh Aftercare (Counselling)<br />
Services. Surjan continued counselling the young Sikh<br />
who had found employment as a food inspector by<br />
then. Surjan found out that the boy’s elder sister was<br />
unemployed despite being educated. Surjan helped to<br />
secure a job for her. She worked hard and eventually<br />
settled down in Australia where she got a job as an<br />
education officer. She then brought her younger brother<br />
to Australia and he completed his Bachelor degree<br />
there. From what seemed to be a dark and destructive<br />
path into the life of drugs, Surjan managed to help the<br />
young Sikh turn over a new leaf. For his voluntary work<br />
in the area of probation, Surjan was awarded the Pingat<br />
Bakti Masyarakat (the Public Service Medal) 2 in 1994.<br />
Surjan’s exemplary work in community service saw<br />
him receiving a Certificate of Honour for Outstanding<br />
211
“<br />
I first met Surjan in 1978 when he was a Volunteer Aftercare Officer at SANA where<br />
I was working as the Senior Volunteer Programme Coordinator managing aftercare<br />
programmes for ex-drug addicts placed on probation following their release from<br />
the drug rehabilitation centres. Surjan provided aftercare counselling and practical<br />
assistance to ex-drug addicts assigned to him and ensured that they completed their<br />
probation successfully.<br />
He was well regarded by his charges, their families and fellow volunteers. He<br />
also helped SANA in training new volunteers and spoke at public events to<br />
help SANA spread the anti-drug message to the public. He was one of the most<br />
outstanding volunteers that I worked with in SANA. His contributions are highly<br />
commendable.<br />
“<br />
Mr Shaik Aziz BBM and PBM<br />
Former Deputy Executive Secretary<br />
Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association<br />
Services to the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and,<br />
thereafter, becoming the Chairman of the SANA Sikh<br />
Aftercare (Counselling) Services as well as a member on<br />
the SANA Board of Management till 1997. His dedication<br />
as one of the longest serving VPO was recognised at a<br />
Ministry of Social and Family Development Volunteer<br />
Awards ceremony in 2014 where Surjan was lauded for<br />
42 years of outstanding volunteer service. 3<br />
Surjan also offered his services to the Singapore Indian<br />
Development Association (SINDA) as a member initially<br />
and then Vice Chairman of the Case Review Panel –<br />
a role he held for five years. In 2013, he received a<br />
platinum award from SINDA for 20 years of service.<br />
Surjan also joined Woody Lodge, a home for destitute<br />
persons, as counsellor in 1990 to counsel and help<br />
Indian lodgers. At the request of the Superintendent<br />
of the Lodge, he organised conversational English<br />
classes for interested lodgers. In appreciation of his<br />
work there, Surjan was awarded a certificate for being<br />
an Outstanding Volunteer in 1996 by the Ministry of<br />
Community Development, Youth and Sports.<br />
Surjan believes that giving back to society has enabled<br />
him to lead a happy life. “People must aim for peace<br />
and happiness, especially in today’s world where society<br />
has shifted towards materialism.” 4 On his definition of<br />
happiness, Surjan shared his wisdom: “It is a state of<br />
mind and that of managing expectations”. 5<br />
Apart from community work, Surjan takes great joy in<br />
writing books and articles, several of which have gained<br />
national attention and review. He has written about 50<br />
articles as well as authored five books. He is a regular<br />
contributor, since 1991, to the monthly magazine<br />
publication, The Sikh Review, which is based in the city<br />
of Calcutta, India. One of the his publications, They Died<br />
For All Free Men, 6 was supported by Singapore’s National<br />
212
Heritage Board and Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s<br />
Ambassador-at-Large, launched it in April 2003. Surjan’s<br />
love for imparting and sharing knowledge with others<br />
is exemplified in his book, Mythological and Other<br />
References in Gurbani. It is a pursuit to arouse one’s<br />
interest into understanding the mystical references and<br />
genuine words of wisdom found in the Sri Guru Granth<br />
Sahib, the Sikh Holy <strong>Book</strong>. Being an educationist, Surjan<br />
has an in-depth capacity for research and the ability to<br />
convey abstract concepts through expression in simple<br />
language. This is indicated in his book, Saluting Sikh<br />
Soldiers of World Wars I & II, where he has meticulously,<br />
and with intense dedication, compiled a comprehensive<br />
list of Sikh Soldiers who died during the two wars.<br />
Surjan turned 84 years old in this jubilee year and<br />
currently spends his retirement years continuously<br />
reading and writing. He and his devoted wife spend<br />
a considerable amount of time with their children and<br />
grandchildren. On how he would like to be remembered:<br />
“I do not think about that. Everyone is here in life for a<br />
different purpose and I try to fulfill mine by giving back<br />
to society.” 7 And he has indeed given so much back to<br />
Singapore society in the last four decades.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Surjan Singh, July 12, 2015.<br />
2<br />
The Pingat Bakti Masyarakat was instituted in 1973. The medal is<br />
awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service<br />
in Singapore or for his or her achievement in the field of arts and<br />
letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the labour<br />
movement. See http://www.pmo.gov.sg/nationaldayawards.<br />
3<br />
David Ee, MSF Volunteer Awards – Volunteer lauded for 42 years of<br />
service, The Straits Times, February 22, 2014.<br />
4<br />
Interview with Mr Surjan Singh, op. cit.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
This book is a dedication to the memory of the brave Sikh soldiers who<br />
died during World War II defending Malaya. See http://eresources.nlb.<br />
gov.sg.<br />
7<br />
Interview with Mr Surjan Singh, op. cit.<br />
213
Vear<br />
Singh Gill<br />
S<br />
tanding six feet tall and overlooking the turf pitches at Hockey Village in Boon Lay, it is quite<br />
impossible to miss this towering figure that was once lauded as the pillar of Singapore’s hockey<br />
team. Mr Vear Singh Gill, who is currently a Director of Hockey One Pte Ltd, spends most of<br />
his time supervising the operations of the facility that houses several football and hockey turf<br />
pitches.<br />
The venue, famously known as the Hockey Village, is a popular training ground for school<br />
hockey teams across Singapore. In the afternoons, it is usually bustling with secondary school<br />
children training intensely with their coaches, leaving the late evenings for friendly football<br />
matches among white-collar workers. The Hockey Village is also home to a leased unit, where<br />
a Thai martial arts instructor runs a Muay Thai gymnasium. One can often find Vear engaged<br />
in a hearty conversation with regular patrons at the Hockey Village, exchanging life stories<br />
and talking about sports-related events held in Singapore. It is a reflection of the warm and<br />
welcoming personality that he carries around. Dressed in a casual blue t-shirt, white Bermuda<br />
shorts and a hip silver goatee, the 70-year old offered a strong handshake and a soft drink<br />
before sitting down all eager to answer questions about his professional hockey career for<br />
Singapore, which spanned 18 years.<br />
Vear was born in Singapore in 1945 but spent the first 14 years of his life in Punjab in India. In<br />
1959, just as Singapore gained self-governance, he returned with his family to Singapore not<br />
knowing how to speak a word of English. Many would find the language barrier a handicap in<br />
assimilating with school mates but that did not deter Vear from being social. He played football<br />
extremely well and learnt the local lingo through the many football games played at his village in<br />
Dorset Road and at Christ Church Secondary School, where he studied. It was not too long before<br />
214
ADP for the next five years. It was here at the ADP that<br />
Vear started to train professionally with the national<br />
squad. He began travelling overseas, playing against<br />
international teams and fully living and breathing<br />
hockey. It was during this time that he was given his<br />
first permanent position to play on the field and that<br />
was of a ‘right wing’. He explained that this spot was<br />
chosen for him by Singapore’s hockey pioneer, Mr Kartar<br />
Singh, who was 10 years his senior. “We used to play<br />
in gurdwara (Sikh temple) tournaments and he saw<br />
my speed." 1 Kartar was impressed with his extremely<br />
nimble feet and impeccable skills.<br />
Vear progressed to taste his first international<br />
competition with the ADP in 1965. He flourished as<br />
a right winger and quickly gained a reputation as an<br />
artful hockey aficionado. He attributes his footwork and<br />
endless stamina to his strong background in playing<br />
football.<br />
Vear could converse not just in English but also a little<br />
of each of Singapore’s ethnic languages. Surprisingly, his<br />
favourite sport was football. He often played it back in<br />
Punjab during his childhood. He had a strong passion<br />
for the game and, being extremely fast and skillful,<br />
was quickly favoured among the Dorset soccer boys.<br />
However, his stint in football did not last long.<br />
It was still during the colonial rule, and after completing<br />
his GCE ‘O’ Levels, Vear was persuaded by his uncle to<br />
play hockey for the Army Depot Police (ADP). He was<br />
a complete natural at running. He had the stamina of<br />
a horse, lightning speed and incredibly quick twisting<br />
hands, the hallmark of what was to become hockey<br />
elite. Vear, then only 16 years old, young blooded and<br />
full of drive, trained intensely and passionately with the<br />
Vear joined his first local hockey club when he began<br />
playing for Ceylon Sports Club’s Under-23 team.<br />
Thereafter, as he grew older, he went on to play in the local<br />
hockey league with the Singapore Khalsa Association<br />
and finally Singapore Indian Association. While<br />
representing Singapore, he recalls with enthusiasm the<br />
international tournaments in which he took part. Those<br />
tournaments were namely the Tun Razak Cup organised<br />
by the Malaysian Hockey Federation, Southeast Asian<br />
Peninsular (SEAP) Games and the most prominent<br />
of all, the Pre-Olympic Games in Lahore in Pakistan.<br />
Vear was noticeably proud to discuss his experience<br />
in the Pre-Olympics Games in Lahore. After all, it was<br />
this tournament that gained international recognition<br />
for the tiny island. The Singapore team entered the<br />
tournament facing tough opponents in their first round<br />
– Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Malaysia and Pakistan. The<br />
Singapore team however did not waiver and went on to<br />
beat Ceylon and Malaysia and drew with heavyweights,<br />
215
Pakistan. He described all the games as “shock results”.<br />
The team gained five out of a maximum six points and<br />
stood at the top of the table – a feat never achieved<br />
before. Pakistani sports journalists covering the event<br />
had the headlines “Small Island leads the world”<br />
splashed on the front page of the local newspaper. It<br />
was a very surreal and proud moment for Vear. Never<br />
did he think that he would be part of a team to put<br />
Singapore on the map. As he states: “It was a hell of a<br />
write-up.” 2 However, their run did not last long. However,<br />
despite stubborn resistance, the team was knocked out<br />
of the competition. Although the Singapore team failed<br />
to make it to the Olympics Games in 1968, it achieved<br />
a feat that made Singaporeans back home proud and<br />
made the world take notice of Singapore.<br />
Upon its return to Singapore, the team started preparing<br />
for several other international competitions, namely the<br />
SEAP Games and the Tun Razak Cup. He recollects the<br />
moment he was chosen to play ‘right half’ on the field.<br />
However, he did not baulk at being given the toughest<br />
job on the field – it required incredible stamina which<br />
meant running from one semi-circle to the other (or D<br />
to D) and it involved attacking as well defending. With<br />
Vear’s seniority, impeccable accuracy in passing the ball<br />
across the field, his colossal stamina and electric speed,<br />
he was certainly the right man for the job. He held that<br />
influential position till he retired.<br />
Vear’s greatest accomplishment would perhaps come in<br />
1973 when he captained the Singapore national team<br />
to win the gold medal in the SEAP Games, the one and<br />
only time the Republic would do so.<br />
When asked which tournament the national squad<br />
found the most challenging, Vear promptly replied that<br />
it was the Razak Cup. He had captained the team on<br />
numerous occasions in this tournament. He explained:<br />
“The state teams were really strong, with Selangor<br />
“<br />
I came to know Vear sometime<br />
in the mid-1960s. As a schoolboy<br />
with the passion for hockey, I had<br />
immense pleasure watching him<br />
play at the Balestier Plains. He<br />
struck immediately as a skillful and<br />
naturally-talented player. It was no<br />
surprise that he went on to don the<br />
national colours. He even captained<br />
the national team and the icing on the<br />
cake was winning the SEAP Games<br />
gold medal. This feat is unmatched<br />
till today.<br />
Vear’s selfless devotion to the game,<br />
discipline, determination and commitment<br />
are qualities that any<br />
sportsman would like to possess. He<br />
was one of the finest hockey players I<br />
have seen and played with.<br />
Mr M Neethianathan<br />
Former Chairman of Board of Games<br />
Singapore Indian Association<br />
“<br />
being the toughest opponent. It was the most affluent<br />
urban city in the country and attracted the top hockey<br />
players from across Malaysia. Singapore would always<br />
find a way to edge out the rest of the state teams to<br />
reach the final.” 3 While the matches against Selangor<br />
were tough, he was quick to admit that “they were<br />
stronger than us”. The runner-up position was still<br />
a momentous feat for the captain and his team. Vear<br />
retired from international hockey in 1979. Looking back<br />
at his colorful professional career he said: “I played with<br />
full passion. Hockey took me places. I am happy my team<br />
and I were able to make our country proud whenever<br />
216
we could”, 4 his eyes lighting up as he spoke. Vear did<br />
not hang up his hockey stick as yet. He continued to<br />
play as a veteran in friendly matches against younger<br />
opponents. He retired completely in 2006, just as his<br />
baby project Hockey One was born. He has been looking<br />
after it since.<br />
Vear stated: “Hockey has always been my life. It still is<br />
today. It provided me with a meaningful life back then<br />
and now my life revolves around this place.” 5 When<br />
asked the type of advice he would like to give to youth<br />
who want to pursue a career in hockey, he said that they<br />
must be disciplined, in his voice deep with conviction.<br />
He added: “They should stay away from vices and focus<br />
on their goals. They should work hard and they will<br />
surely be part of some incredible experiences.” 6 Vear<br />
lived by this motto during his professional stint as an<br />
athlete. This is indeed golden advice from a man who<br />
put his heart and soul into the game and helped to<br />
place Singapore on the global hockey map.<br />
Endnotes<br />
1<br />
Interview with Mr Vear Singh Gill, March 17, 2015.<br />
2<br />
Ibid.<br />
3<br />
Ibid.<br />
4<br />
Ibid.<br />
5<br />
Ibid.<br />
6<br />
Ibid.<br />
217
Fulfilling Aspirations...<br />
Young Sikh<br />
Association<br />
(Singapore)<br />
O<br />
ne of the more recent institutions to be established in the Sikh community is Young Sikh<br />
Association (Singapore) [YSA]. It was launched by Associate Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, then-<br />
Singapore’s Minister for Community Development and Sports, in 2004.<br />
YSA’s mission is to fulfill the aspirations of young Sikhs. It reaches out to young Singaporeans<br />
with the aims of understanding, appreciating and fulfilling their aspirations. It supports the<br />
development of the youth sector in Singapore by enabling youth to realise their aspirations and<br />
make valuable contributions to broader society.<br />
Additionally, YSA seeks to enhance mutual understanding on issues of common concern and<br />
foster friendships across ethnic groups in Singapore, the region and the world.<br />
Objectives<br />
• To enhance understanding of national issues among young Sikhs and to encourage them to<br />
contribute to the betterment of our society as thoughtful and responsible citizens.<br />
• To provide platforms for young Sikhs to strive for intellectual and professional development.<br />
• To strengthen inter-racial friendship and harmony by organising and actively participating in<br />
inter-community activities.<br />
218
• To foster community spirit among young Sikhs through community service at home and abroad.<br />
• To build networks with local and international youth groups so as to foster national identity and a global mindset<br />
among young Sikhs.<br />
Programmes<br />
As a totally independent Sikh organisation, YSA’s programmes are initiated by young Sikhs for young Sikhs, in particular,<br />
and the Sikh community and Singapore society, in general. YSA’s programmes are designed to allow young Sikhs to<br />
meet their aspirations and to enable them to contribute to the betterment of the Sikh community and Singapore.<br />
• Arts and Culture<br />
• Community Service<br />
• Conferences and Seminars<br />
• Professional and Intellectual Development<br />
• Sports<br />
From lectures, dialogue sessions, seminars and professional development workshops to dhol competitions, cultural<br />
shows and sports activities, young Sikhs and young Singaporeans choose their avenues of aspiration and integration.<br />
For more information on YSA, please visit www.ysas.org.<br />
219
In Appreciation<br />
Y<br />
oung Sikh Association (Singapore) [YSA] extends its gratitude to the following organisations and<br />
individuals for their invaluable contributions and support for this publication:<br />
• Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, for accepting YSA’s and the Sikh community’s<br />
invitation to grace the launch ceremony.<br />
• The Panel of Reviewers for its involvement in the project. The reviewers spent more than six<br />
months and many hours deliberating and deciding on the final list of nominees for the book.<br />
• The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth for providing the funding through the <strong>SG50</strong><br />
Celebration Fund and including this publication as part of the <strong>SG50</strong> celebratory project.<br />
• The nominees, their family members and friends who took time off from their busy schedules to<br />
share interesting and unique perspectives of their life stories and contributions to Singapore’s<br />
nation-building, and providing for an eclectic mix of narratives for the publication.<br />
• The YSA Secretariat, comprising Mr Malminderjit Singh, Mr Sarabjeet Singh, Ms Harsimar Kaur,<br />
Ms Sukvinderpal Kaur, Ms Sheena Gill and Mr Hernaikh Singh, for overseeing the project.<br />
• The researchers for readily coming forward to contribute to the project, fully realising the<br />
challenges of research and the expectations of rigour in the work they were expected to<br />
undertake and deliver. They delivered admirably.<br />
• The photographers for managing the photography sessions.<br />
• The Singapore Sikh Education Foundation and Sikh Sewaks Singapore for jointly organising the<br />
launch ceremony.<br />
• The Sikh institutions, especially the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board, Central Sikh Temple and<br />
Singapore Khalsa Association, and non-Sikh organisations, particularly the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak<br />
Institute, Singapore Hotel Association Training & Education Centre and Tan Tock Seng Hospital,<br />
for lending their support to the YSA Secretariat for the project.<br />
• Khalsa Printers Pte Ltd and its team of designers for their conceptualisation, design and<br />
publication of this book.<br />
• Each and every one who has contributed in one way or another to this initiative either through<br />
giving his or her time and views or by simply being part of this publication.<br />
• All of you for taking time to read this publication and, in doing so, showing your support and<br />
appreciation to the 50 Sikhs for their contributions to Singapore’s nation-building.<br />
220
ISBN: 978-981-09-7748-1