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Man With Amputated Hand Chose to Serve NS Even When He’s Exempted from It

2021-11-10 , 12:47 pm

Much like getting romantic rejections, serving the nation is an essential part of growing up in Singapore for a man.

When they get called up for this mandatory service, boys react in one of three ways:

They try to chao keng
They cry about it but accept their fate
They look forward to it and try to make the best of their two years

Be honest, if you were exempted from national service, would you still go? The answer for most of us ordinary folks would probably be no, but Tan Kok Yew is no ordinary man.

Lost His Arm to an Infection as a Toddler

When Tan was just three years old, he lost his right arm to an infection. The 21-year-old doesn’t remember much except that he had had a wound that wouldn’t heal.

The medical condition forced his parents to make the tough choice of amputating his arm to save his life.

Plays Badminton & Can Serve With One Hand

Even though he was bullied in school, Tan lived his life like other kids his age. He developed a love for basketball and badminton, and even taught himself how to serve with one arm.

People would be surprised to see him on the basketball court, but Tan has always been confident in his abilities.

“I may only have one hand, but I can do what any normal person can do,” he said in an interview with PIONEER magazine.

Chose to Serve NS Even Though He Was Exempted

Due to his condition, Tan was offered exemption from national service. His family wanted him to serve, however, so he could have the same experiences as his peers.

So, with a little encouragement from his family, especially from his sister, as well as his father who is a former national serviceman, Tan enlisted in November 2019.

He was assigned Physical Employment Standard (PES) E9 and posted to Basic Military Training Centre School V.

Looks Out For His Peers

Tan, now a Corporal, works as an Admin Support Assistant at the Army Logistics Training Institute (ALTI).

He has built strong relationships with his colleagues and always looks out for them even though he’s often busy with work.

Tan’s excellent service was rewarded this year when he received the Combat Service and Support Command (CSSCOM) Commander’s Coin and ALTI Commander’s Coin.

He was also named Outstanding Soldier of the month by his unit in July.

When undergoing basic military training, Tan said he grew close to his bunkmates, who were angry when they heard about the bullying he had endured in school.

“They also told me that they respected me for choosing to serve when I could have been exempted,” he said.

Well, you’ve certainly gained the respect of all of us for that.