In Our Culture
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IN OUR CULTURE 324 325 SAF IN POPULAR MEDIA Keith Tan On Stage, Screen and Internet WHEN THE SAF or National Service (NS) comes in the block and many of our neighbours huddled up in conversations, most people brighten up and in our diminutive living room to watch what was start pouring out their “war stories”. What follows touted as Singapore’s first-ever drama series. are chuckles which normally end up in a belly of Huang Wenyong became an overnight hit laughs and fond reminiscing. Occasionally, you’d with the housewives who shed copious tears when hear the odd parade command being hollered in the last episode screened. For weeks after, from pride. Even the ladies chime in about how they schools to the wet markets, everyone was talking trekked to ulu Changi Village to wait for their about how Wenyong – as the selfless army officer boyfriends to book out from Tekong on Saturday – sacrificed his life to save a nervous recruit in a afternoons. grenade-throwing training exercise gone wrong. [FACING] I really couldn’t figure out just how the SAF And suddenly, the army wasn’t this enigmatic Poster for Army made itself so pervasive in the hearts and minds organisation that young adult males vanished Daze the movie, of people young and old. That was until I dug a into for two and a half years. There was a real 1996. very deep trench into my memory. human connection that hummed along common Apart from the obvious fact that everyone has corridors and echoed in void decks. either a husband, brother, cousin or neighbour And this was only the beginning. Five years who has served the country in their camouflaged later, SBC teamed up with MINDEF to produce No 4 uniforms, everyone has, at some point in Airforce, which aired in 1988. their lives, watched a movie, TV series or stage I remember some friends in junior college play about the SAF. Such exposure on popular who signed on to become pilots when they went media has contributed to the Services becoming into NS because of this series that came hot off the part of Singapore culture. heels of Top Gun. Without revealing my age, to go to the very It was a glamorous look at the private lives beginning, we’ve got to flash back all the way of young RSAF trainee pilots as they navigated to when I was in secondary school to find the through their rigorous training. In the black-and- SAF’s first appearance in a made-in-Singapore white world of even colour television, the twists production. and turns of their lives – where loyalty, friendship, It all started in 1983 with then-national teamwork and perseverance were tested – were broadcaster Singapore Broadcasting Corporation shown in their journey to become full-fledged (SBC) airing the six episodes of Army Series, pilots. which starred the late Huang Wenyong. Back Every boy would forsake homework, dinner or then, my family had the only 20-inch colour TV football to catch each episode. 326 327 The aircraft were the highlight. We were to the National Geographic Channel. My son, who enthralled with the technologically-advanced was then in primary school, was seated next to me machines to the point where we knew them all and I said: “Let’s get a real education!” by name – the Northrop F-5S Tiger Fighter, the What should pop on but a bunch of soldiers in Lockheed C130 Hercules, SIAI Machetti S211 Jet NS garb speaking Singlish. “Where are the sharks?” Trainer and the Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma. my son asked, puzzled. “This is way better!” I See? I can still remember each one in sequence of replied with a hint of pride in my voice. appearance! How’s that for capturing imagination Several thumb taps and swipes on my and taking it to the skies? smartphone later, I discovered some interesting A platoon mate who became a midshipman facts about the six-part English documentary once told me that the Navy is a formidable force Every Singaporean Son. that’s rarely seen or heard, but is never outdone. The original material debuted as 6-8 minute And on 16 July 1990, the 16-part Navy sailed into “webisodes” that aired on cyberpioneer and the living rooms of Singaporeans island-wide, hot YouTube from 7 July 2010. The clips served as on the heels of the Army and Air Force. an education tool for all pre-enlistees so that We never thought much about how the actors they knew “what to expect during Basic Military prepared for their roles, but I found out later Training (BMT)”. Filmed mainly in the training that Zoe Tay and Chen Tian Wen, along with the grounds on Pulau Tekong, 18 short clips were cast and film crew, went through comprehensive released online, one every Tuesday. familiarisation and preparation for filming on Seeing the material’s potential, National board the missile gunboat RSS Sea Hawk. To Geographic approached MINDEF and repackaged achieve an unprecedented sense of authenticity it into a six-part series. and realism, the actors were also put through a The award-nominated series takes a reality TV diving course before filming to prepare them for format and follows 15 young men from different their roles as naval divers. backgrounds as they experience the nine weeks Fast forward to 24 July 2007 and the launch of of BMT. From being drafted, to obstacle courses the hit MediaCorp 20-episode series Honour and and field camps, viewers are given a first-hand and Passion on Channel 8. candid look into the lives of recruits. This drama series, a collaboration with To my delight, I discovered that it was an MINDEF, showcased more vocations in the SAF old friend, an ex-serviceman, who produced the and featured women in the Army, all cleverly series. woven into a riveting tale of family and romance, I called him up and my son insisted on with a terrorist sub-plot thrown in for good speaking to him, just to say: “Well done, soldier!” measure. While I was introducing some of my old Veteran Huang Wenyong, back in uniform, platoon mates to Every Singaporean Son, they were played a warrant officer, commanding young literally trading army stories with me, telling me [TOP] [ABOVE] actors including Tay Ping Hui, Bryan Wong, all about the 13-episode The Recruit Diaries that Chen Tian Cast of Ah Rui En, Nat Ho and Felicia Chin. They delivered took a light-hearted look at recruits as they went Wen (centre) Boys to Men performances that got non-Mandarin proficient through BMT. preparing to 3: Frogmen viewers like me to tune in faithfully. A blogger, a boy who was first in his family to shoot a scene with director I confess that I watched it for Felicia Chin who be enlisted, a self-professed Romeo, and a weight- in the TV series Jack Neo at a Navy, 1990. SAFRA Radio played a tough-as-nails artillery instructor who, challenged young man make up the motley crew promotion, 2015. somehow, managed to retain her milky-white of recruits. The sitcom played off real training [LEFT] complexion after all that time out in the sun. incidents and sensational news of the day. Viewers Ah Boys to Men, Channel surfing one night, I decided to click loved that they got a glimpse into the younger 2012. 328 329 internet-savvy generation swapping army stories upped the ante by producing Ah Boys to Men – the that were bathed in humour. Musical, based on his movie but with a brand new YouTubers will also remember Zo Peng (Go story and script. Army) which went online in 2006. It’s a 15-minute But these two classics are not the only short film by Jacen Tan with a familiar story of portrayals of the SAF on the stages of Singapore how three friends support one another during NS. theatre. You Think, I Thought, Who Confirm? Refreshingly done in Singlish with English sub- debuted in 2013 and returned to the stage in 2014. titles, it won second place in the Panasonic Digital It was a clever piece which places social media Film Fiesta 2005. centre stage when the lines of reality are blurred From the small screen to the big screen. amidst a Full-Time National Serviceman’s death Did you know Michael Chiang’s Army Daze in an army exercise in Brunei. Critics said that knocked Sidney Sheldon off the No 1 spot on the the play by Yellow Chair Productions “addressed bestsellers’ list in 1985 when it was first published? a potentially controversial issue with balance and I can proudly say, I was one of those who made some sophistication”. it happen. I bought two copies. Only because I Other rib-tickling plays about the Army fell asleep on the bus reading a copy and woke to include Full Tank!, a tongue-in-cheek comedy discover that it had been stolen. by Laremy Lee about a sergeant and his motley This book provided the inspiration for the crew of soldiers who hijack a tank for a joyride most successful stage comedy in Singapore to down Orchard Road, and the musical comedy, date, having sold nearly 55,000 tickets over its Botak Boys, by Julian Wong, presented as a double various runs. The much-loved story about the bill entitled Own Time Own Target by theatre BMT adventures of recruits Malcolm Png, Ah company Wild Rice in 2009. Beng, Johari, Krishna and Kenny was also made The most unexpected stage presentation of the into a delightful movie in 1996 by Cathay Films, SAF is by Irene Ong, who also decided to have a and held the record for being the highest-grossing stab at the genre in Anak Mak Satu – a Peranakan [ABOVE] contemporary Singapore-made English language play! Set in modern-day Singapore, the story Every film for more than 15 years.