[1-1-09]

Source: ST
June 25, 2009



TO HEAR Colonel Ishak Ismail, 46, tell it, his decision to become a regular officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was greeted with some incredulity.

He recalled on Thursday that someone asked him pointedly: 'This is your name - you sure you want to sign on?'

He has replied in the affirmative many times in the last 28 years.

On Thursday, his time in the military was capped in historic fashion - in his becoming the first Malay general in the SAF.

He was one of five colonels at the head of the SAF's annual promotion list and gained the rank of Brigadier-General or Rear-Admiral (One Star).

The other four were: Col (Dr) Benjamin Seet and Col Lee Shiang Long from the Army; the Republic of Singapore Navy's Col Tan Wee Beng; and Col Kwek Kok Kwong of the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

The five were among 464 from all three arms - both regulars and operationally-ready National Servicemen - presented with their certificates of promotion at a ceremony at Bukit Gombak Camp on Thursday.

The promotions take effect from July 1, which is SAF Day.

For Col Ishak, moving to the rank of Brigadier-General is reward for what he calls a consuming passion: Developing people to their potential.

Calling himself a 'servant leader', he said: 'What gets me up in the morning and gives me the passion every day is the same reason I became a regular officer: Being able to influence people to something that they may not see themselves accomplishing.'

He has served in numerous appointments and is now the Commander of the 6th Singapore Division. Last year, he received the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Military) Medal.

Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.

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Extract from 938Live:

Five Colonels were promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General or Rear-Admiral.

They are:
Commander, 6th Singapore Division, COL Ishak bin Ismail;
Commander, Air Defence and Operations Command, COL Kwek Kok Kwong;
Head, Joint Communications and Information Systems Department, COL Lee Shiang Long;
Chief of Medical Corps, COL (Dr) Seet Hun Yew Benjamin; and
Commander, Maritime Security Task Force, COL Tan Wee Beng.

[ORiN]

Woot! He was Commander BMTC when I was serving my NS in Tekong, nice person who advocated that canteen breaks are good for cohesion.

[ferrischia]

Originally Posted by 1-1-09

Source: [
Extract from 938Live:

Five Colonels were promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General or Rear-Admiral.

They are:
Commander, 6th Singapore Division, COL Ishak bin Ismail;
Commander, Air Defence and Operations Command, COL Kwek Kok Kwong;
Head, Joint Communications and Information Systems Department, COL Lee Shiang Long;
Chief of Medical Corps, COL (Dr) Seet Hun Yew Benjamin; and
Commander, Maritime Security Task Force, COL Tan Wee Beng.

Wow, When I was serving NS, COL Benjamin was still a Major in CARMO office, now he's the CMC!

[cyberdog]

Congrats to him! After a generation of nation building, it's really about time that we start to bury those fears about our fellow Singaporeans simply on the basis of their race lah

[hello8985]

Originally Posted by ORiN

Woot! He was Commander BMTC when I was serving my NS in Tekong, nice person who advocated that canteen breaks are good for cohesion.

05, 06 batch?

[bluecoral]

yeah he is my current 6th div commander... came to see our reservist unit for quite a few time... i would say he is quite charismatic and well a good leader...

[oOJunOo]

hes extremely a good man ...

[chongcheng]

still remember such a topic first surfaced when another country pointed finger at us and say:"Look, your army had no malay army officers above the rank of captain..."

Been a long while though...

[ORiN]

Originally Posted by hello8985

05, 06 batch?

I enlisted in 2005 but was posted back to Tekong as a Specialist.

[khaos83_2000]

Originally Posted by ORiN

Woot! He was Commander BMTC when I was serving my NS in Tekong, nice person who advocated that canteen breaks are good for cohesion.

Just for the canteen break, that makes him a good general!!!
lol

[PsyNidE]

Originally Posted by chongcheng

still remember such a topic first surfaced when another country pointed finger at us and say:"Look, your army had no malay army officers above the rank of captain..."

Been a long while though...

actually above the rank of captain got quite a number liao for a malay.

[crazy619]

Woah cool.

[long2008]

it about time but we are really with indonesion and malaysia in the future, will he really defend singapore by killing the malays in malaysia or indo, we chinese have no problem killing chinese.

[concept|infinit]

Originally Posted by long2008

it about time but we are really with indonesion and malaysia in the future, will he really defend singapore by killing the malays in malaysia or indo, we chinese have no problem killing chinese.

Now we have been here for 3 generations already. I'm sure all native Singaporeans see themselves as Singaporeans, the Malays dont see themselves as part of Malaysians from what I know with my Malay friends. They never saw affiliation to Indo. Remember.. after we became independent, Indonesia, the biggest country in the region was trying to show its might with the Konfrantasi. They had a long confrontation and even a wore with Malaysia.

This is why I've always believed the government should make us see each other as Singaporean- a Singaporean race. Not Malay/Chinese/Indian/Eurasian Singaporeans like they do now. The Swiss are either German, French, Romansch or Italian but they all would describe their race as Swiss

We should do the seem, its much better for national identity IMO.

[clon22]

Roots of the Spartan.
(Those who know will know what i mean.)
He's a great guy!

Congrats!