SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces celebrates 40 years of
National Service (NS) this year.
NS is a rite of passage for many young men in Singapore.
But one family's NS experience runs deeper than any other.
Retired Captain Hong Seng Mak and his grandson share a special
bond.
Their family is one of the very few in Singapore with three
generations of men who have served National Service in the
SAF.
Captain Hong, his three sons and grandson Edgar have all completed
their National Service.
And Captain Hong himself is a legend as he was a strict
disciplinarian when he was a Company Sergeant Major and a
Regimental Sergeant Major at the SAFTI training grounds.
Those stints earned him the nickname that has sent shivers down
many spines.
The nickname given to him by the first batch of officer-cadets was
"Tiger Hong".
The retired captain said: "I was very firm because as a RSM
(Regimental Sergeant Major) I looked after discipline so things had
to be carried out punctually and perfectly..."
"Tiger Hong" joined the military in 1957 as a company clerk and
quickly moved up the ranks.
On 9 August, 1965, he was commissioned as a Warrant Officer by
Singapore's first President, Yusof Ishak.
But his proudest moment in his 30-year career came when he presided
as RSM during his brigade's trooping of colours at the Padang in
the 1970s.
Trooping of colours is a military tradition where the unit colours
or flags are shown in a parade to celebrate the unit's
anniversary.
Since then, "Tiger Hong" said no other brigade or unit has done the
same at the Padang.
A parade was even held to honour the man when he retired as
captain.
"Tiger Hong" said NSmen these days are better educated than before,
like his grandson Edgar who is a polytechnic graduate.
Edgar completed his NS about two years ago and he said it was a
positive experience for him because of the friends he had made
during his NS days.
But no one knew of his famous grandfather until "Tiger Hong"
visited Edgar during his Basic Military Training.
"After the visit, my CSM (Company Sergeant Major) told me stories
about how fierce my grandpa used to be, how respected he is and how
well they needed to maintain and behave on the parade square," said
Edgar.
Even today, stories about "Tiger Hong" circulate among NSmen and
have become part of the NS experience.
To learn more about the man himself and about 40 years of National
Service, members of public can attend an exhibition at Ngee Ann
City on 12 April.
- CNA/so
