My heart Never Left Naval Base (part 2)
(written by: C.P Wan; edited by: Alfred Dass)
Shortly after finishing secondary school, in July, 1964, I found a clerical
position in the Finance Department of H.M. Dockyard.
I found that my starting salary was only 3 annual increments off my dad’s
maximum pay and I could not imagine for how long my father had worked!!).
I opined that I had chosen the right decision
of not joining the apprenticeship scheme (will revert to this later).
So, from the first day of my employment, I was determined to advance my career.
I worked diligently and
submitted accurate figures and information to my superiors for their vetting,
checking and approval.
About one-and-half years
into the position, my deputy head of department asked if I would consider
filling a higher position temporarily – as another staff was on a long leave of
absence. I said I was confident of performing the task but when the staff union
chief heard of this, he challenged my deputy head of department’s choice saying
that I did not qualify because I lacked the stipulated three or more years of
service! That was an ice bath! The higher position commanded a starting monthly
salary of $480.00 and that was a whopping sum!!
I resigned from the union membership but remained friends with the union chief.
Never joined another union.
Sometime in 1967 we were informed that the British Defense Forces in the Far
East were going to pull- out completely, and that the Dockyard would be closed.
As a result all staff were retrenched and paid compensation pay.
However after studies were carried out by both the British and Singapore governments
to explore the viability of converting the Naval Dockyard into a commercial
ship-repair facility, they concluded to commercialise the dockyard….utilizing all the existing facilities and employees to start-up the venture.
While we were still in the
employ of the British, a selection process was conducted to select suitable
staff to be transferred (or re-employed) in the new enterprise called Sembawang
Shipyard Pte Ltd (SSPL). I was one of
the fortunate ones to be selected.
To aid the commercialization process,
the Singapore government accepted the expertise of internationally renowned, Swan
Hunter Group to provide management capability. They also assisted in
re-training local employees in various aspects of production, management and skills
and gradually locals began to fill senior positions such as Head of Departments
(HOD) positions.
The British Navy were our first and early customers of the newly formed,
private enterprise.
In Sembawang Shipyard I worked in various departments of the Finance Division (Payroll, Internal Audit, Credit and Insurance) till May/1985 when I was among the hundreds being retrenched owing to the economic recession. So, bye, bye SS!
Given my administrative experience, I went about looking for another similar position. I chanced upon a friend who was my neighbour, and ex-SS colleague, and double date companion who offered me to fill a position in the new company he was working in. It was an off-shore trading company. I grabbed the offer with both hands and was surprised, when I was offered a salary higher than my last drawn salary in SS.
In 1989 my family had the opportunity to visit my in-laws who were living in New Zealand (NZ) to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was a long overdue holiday for my wife and our daughter.
Shortly after the visit, my sister-in-law invited us to emigrate to NZ to live as an extended family.
Our application was accepted and we bought our one-way ticket to NZ arriving in Jan/1992 to begin a new life that was before us.
(to be continued)
28 august, 2020
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