On 12 June, The New Paper carried a story about a 5-year old boy who wrote to the chief of navy. In his letter, the boy – Marcus Quek – wrote that he wants to be a captain of an aircraft carrier when he grows up.
Surprisingly, the Rear Admiral of the Singapore Navy replied to the letter. “Unfortunately,” RAdm Chew Men Leong told Marcus, “we don’t have an aircraft carrier in the Republic of Singapore Navy.” The Admiral, however, explained that the navy does have “a number of capable ships and submarines…” He also advised Marcus, who had asked him what he should study to become a ship’s captain when he grows up, that he “should just start by doing your very best, study hard and learn all that you can…”
The Rear Admiral then invited Marcus and his family to the Navy Open House 2010, which was held from May 22 to 23.
Read the New Paper report below for the rest of the story. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)
And read also the blog post by Marcus’s mom about the experience. (Please click here.)
The Online Citizen would like to express its support for the actions of the Rear Admiral. In taking the time to reply to a boy’s letter, RAdm Chew has shown the human touch which is often missing in our public service. We hope our leaders in the public sphere will learn from RAdm Chew.
Kudos, Admiral!
