Parents, loved ones attend enlistment day at BMTC on Pulau Tekong after 2-year hiatus

This article is more than 12 months old

Timothy Goh, Health Correspondent

Jan 18, 2022 10:35 pm

After a two-year hiatus, parents and loved ones of new Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) recruits were finally allowed onto Pulau Tekong for enlistment day on Monday (Jan 17).

Guests have not been invited for this rite of passage at the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) since April 2020 due to safe management measures in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the BMTC said on its Facebook page that parents and enlistees were first taken via bus from Pasir Ris bus interchange to Selarang Camp, where they took supervised antigen rapid tests (ART) before being ferried over to Pulau Tekong from the SAF Ferry Terminal.

Upon arrival, the enlistees went for their registration process while parents were shown around the various training venues and structures.

Guests were also given a guided tour of the bunks and shown equipment used by recruits before being takento witness the enlistees take their oaths and say their goodbyes.

In its post, the BMTC wrote: "As the enlistees formally begin their journey of defending the place we call home, BMTC would also like to thank all parents and loved ones as Singapore continues its journey towards endemic living."