None of this year's President's Scholars doing Engineering

Nope. I said "more than five years ago", I did not say "five years ago". =) I am very careful and detailed in my phrasing and luckily there is no editing here to further vouch for me. =)

As far as chiong sua toughness goes, SPF can't compare to SAF at all =P. It is a fact you know? Hehe. I mean when does police ever go on 5 week exercises in the jungle, ATEC, sleep on dirty muddy grounds, walk for miles in the rain. And they don't do anything that Rangers or commandos do.

In fact he always tells me funny stories about police officers he encounters who can't climb up a slight incline without crying for the help of a rope, which he thinks is funny.

I'm not as familiar about the police structure. Is there an officer/specialist rank dichotomy in police? And I am pretty sure that besides being way less tough, police units do not allow you to command as many guys for leadership right? =P Hope you don't mind me saying what I feel. But I don't think I've said anything untrue so far.

Anon December 5th, 2008 at 8:55 am, you were wrong.

Full salary is paid monthly in the entire duration from the time the SAFOS/SPFOS signs on at 19, which means through the four years of their studies in US/UK. Not only post-grad. Typically, these scholars are given and take four years to finish their bachelor's and master's degrees in US/UK. Basically SAFOS are paid from the moment they sign on the dotted line to accept the SAFOS offer. From the time they finish their studies abroad and return to service, report back to SAF, that's when the bond countdown begins.
First thing they do after returning to Singapore is head off to US again for a three month army officers' course (for the SAFOS) in US Army.

Aiya Daniel, you're a brilliant guy. I am sure you will know what I mean by 'engage' if you ponder on it for 5 seconds. It's like...how to say..hmmm ok think lah..its like the PM, perm sec or a celebrity replying in forums to people- all who don't know them in person- talking about them lah. I'm not saying that you're equal in stature to the PM (for now). But can you see the same concept applies here? It never happens. And is very odd lah. You're the first and there's been more than 200 PS already. Its very strange that you engage, that is if you're not an imposter. Which I still think you could be =P

Haha- sorry! I didn't catch the "more than" clause, I was just so hoping you were the girlfriend of the SAFOS scholar i knew. He had vehemently denied being attached, and I was hoping to catch him red handed lol.

You're right. The SAF is much more "hiong" than the army, and the army people always say that the police is more "nua". But the essential question is: why should you pick something because it is supposedly more hiong? For me, I don't think I was any less tough than my delta wing OCS platoon mates, and I don't think I need to prove that to anyone.

Rather, I picked the police because it was suited for me. I like interacting with people, seeing what life is like at all levels of society; moreover the police deals with real life issues. For me it was a "why the police", not a "anything but the army" thing... I don't want to say anything bad about the SAF because it is an organization i respect deeply, but I just don't identify much with its mission (beyond defending Singapore). I can handle the "lessened glamour" of being perceived as not as tough, and commanding less men, but again- I'd rather be respected for doing something I believe in, than trying to do something just for the glamour.

Engage? I think the assumption innate is that now I'm no longer normal... but I guess I am! I'm only 19 lol. I havent been a celebrity before but i figure they dont answer forum stuff because they are really busy or sth...

wow daniel, i think at such a tender age you are ready for politics. you are already thinking and talking like them, a bright future ahead for you! Maybe our next PM! You have my respect.

good job admin..i like it! will use this from now on

eh relax leh... im sure like this counted as talking like politics. And I don't think every single president scholar wants to go into politics, contrary to popular belief...

2 days before I fly home, sheesh can't wait. Sigh

No prob Daniel. But since you are not in the army, you prob don't know that in the army, you DO deal with people of all levels, because every boy born a Singaporean or hoping to be one enlists.

So you deal with them all, from the pampered rich kid to the hokkien peng from the broken family- my bf's dealt with them all. Like most SAFOS out there, one of the most greatest rewards to him about his army career is mentoring NS boys and he hopes to make their lives better in a way, impact them positively during their NS stint. Convicted thieves, husbands with 2 kids at 18 yr old, Sec 2 dropouts, men who work weekends in Geylang as pimps, he's dealt with them all.

Not everyone that can be impacted positively necessarily break laws so SAFOS peeps probably impact more lives and have greater encounters with Singaporeans at all levels. Moreover he figures police investigates, the AG chambers prosecutes. As the commander of the boys fighting on the same side, he shares laughter sweat and tears with them and that's how he hopes to impact them.

Anyway, the community is ridiculously tiny, it's insane. So I was intentionally cautious about it. The PS SAFOS from 2003? I know who you're referring to.

I asked him already. He said they don't engage because they can't be bothered. :-|