Patrick Tan distrupted for overseas medical studies

[Brown Bear]

“The fifth scholar is Patrick Tan Boon Ooi. Patrick (National Junior College) is already in Harvard, studying towards a medical degree. He is expected to be back for the Istana ceremony.”
(Source: Straits Times, 3 August 1988)


Dr Patrick Tan’s NS record stated that he served 3 months of BMT and 3 months in OCS before disrupting for his studies which raised two key questions:
1. If Dr Patrick Tan was disrupted for the President scholarship, why was he allowed to disrupt BEFORE he was given the award when others have to serve their National Service till they are confirmed they are given the scholarship?
According to the same report, Chan Chun Sing from Raffles Junior College was still not disrupted and “will take up Economics at Cambridge.” Chan was allowed to disrupt only after he was awarded the SAF (Overseas) and President’s Scholarship to study Economics at Christ’s College, Cambridge University, UK.
There are stories of Singaporeans who lost their places in overseas universities because MINDEF refused to grant them even a two month deferment. Why was Dr Patrick Tan allowed to disrupt to study in Harvard first instead of waiting for the next academic year only after his scholarship was confirmed?
2. If Dr Patrick Tan was disrupted for his medical studies, then he should return to Singapore to serve as a medical officer (MO) in SAF and NOT as a Defence Medical Scientist. As he was combat-fit, he should be sent to undergo conversion to a MO in the Medical Officer Cadet Course (MOCC) or complete his tri-service term in OCS. Why was he allowed to spend two years of his NS in an air-conditioned laboratory in a non-existent vocation?


So how did Dr Patrick Tan obtain his third-sergeant rank? Where did he serve his reservist after ORDing from Defence Science Organization as a ‘defence medical scientist’? Watch out for Part 3 of our EXPOSE series on Tony Tan and his family tomorrow.

Source:
http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/08...dical-studies/

[The Miracle]

Saw this circulating around:

On 27 Aug, make sure u vote the right Tan. If not, U may end up with a 笨tan, or worse, a 坏tan who will 倒tan & Singapore will be 完tan!