It is a sad day when I read the news that 2 SAF soldiers were killed in Taiwan after a Taiwanese F-5F fighter jet plunged into a storeroom in an army camp situated in Hukou of the Hsinchu Prefecture of Taiwan, R.O.C.

I spent a year of my NSF life in Hukou Camp back between 1993 – 1994, back when Ex. Starlight was an open military secret. (By ‘open military secret’ I mean that many knew that Singapore sent our NSF and Operationally Ready NSmen for training there, but none of us were allowed to talk about the details. Neither will I talk about them now.)

Back then, the Taiwanese people were more friendly and the warmth and friendship offered by the Taiwanese people is something I can never forget.

Between 1998 – 2005, I was also in the same camp for overseas ICT with my Operationally Ready NS unit regularly. But when I returned in 1998, things were very much different and the shops outside the camp were different and much of the people I knew back in 93 – 94 were gone. It was also a much unfriendlier place, perhaps because of Singapore’s political stand on the matter of ‘One China’. Though the people were not hostile, Hukou just seemed strange to me, but maybe that’s because I have been away for a good 5 years.

Whatever the case is, I liked Taiwan, perhaps because I spent my early twenties there and I have friends in Taiwan whom I still contact via SMS or MSN at times. I almost always boasts to my Singaporean friends that Taipei is like my second home because I knew it like the back of my hand. After all, I never had a problem getting around Taipei.

Until now, I still would wish that the two sides of the Straits of Taiwan would settle their differences peacefully because I couldn’t imagine, nor could I bear to see a land I had learn to love be ravaged by war.

That is perhaps why I am forever critical of the current ruling party in Taiwan, who never seem to put the well being of the Taiwanese people as their primary objective, but spent much time bickering over those meaningless political ideals. That being said, I also do not really agree with the opposition KMT in delaying the passing of the bill to purchase certain new military equipment.

I wondered, if the Taiwanese had gotten replacements of F-16C/Ds, perhaps the F-5F that crashed would have been retired, and this might not had happened. It is my sincere wish that their politicians would look past their petty differences and do what is necessary for the well being of their people.

From an ex-Hukou permanent staff, my heart goes out to the families of the SAF servicemen who have lost their loved ones in Hukou, and I prayed that those who are injured will get well soon.