Block2Blog

 PN Balji occupies a unique place in Singapore journalism. The Straits Times has produced eminent editors like Peter Lim, Cheong Yip Seng, Leslie Fong and Han Fook Kwang. The Business Times has been edited by doyens like Mano Sabnani and Patrick Daniel. Warren Fernandez, the current editor-in-chief of The Straits Times, is no less impressive with degrees from Oxford and Harvard. But Balji alone has the distinction of being involved in the launch of two daily newspapers in Singapore. Starting as deputy editor of The New Paper when it debuted in 1988, he soon succeeded Peter Lim as editor and edited the paper for more than a decade, making it a successful, popular daily, before he went on to launch Today in the year 2000. All that’s history now. Today has ceased to be a printed newspaper and exists online only. The New Paper has become a freesheet. Neither bears any resemblance to the papers Balji edited and popularised. Recalling his unique role in Singapore journalism is going...

  Born and raised in Naval Base, a rookie reporter rose to become Editor of The New Paper and CEO of Today . He has penned numerous articles and commentaries on  many topics and people. For a change, lets read what is written about "the Editor with the double distinction" in  B2B at : thenavalbase.blogspot.com

 ...a water colour painting by a friend and ex-colleague....thanks again, Gian Hon kind courtesy of Gian Hon.

  The Fire Brigade/Station in the former British Naval Dockyard (now in the premises of Sembawang Shipyard) where Kamal's dad and others served. Photo taken on 16 Oct/2020: (kind courtesy of Alfred Dass)

  Story from Kamal Bin Abu Serah (FB: Amai AS) My Name is Kamal Bin Abu Serah, son of late Abu Serah who came from Penang, Malaya, to Singapore in 1949 at the age of 21 and started to work as a fireman at HM Naval Base Fire Brigade located within the dockyard, now known as Sembawang Shipyard. My father was very committed to public service and he served for 22 years until he was retrenched in 1971, when the British left Singapore. He later joined the ANZUK Forces (Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom), also as a fireman. One of his saddest moments during his 22-year career was when his colleague was killed in an accident involving a fire truck . During my childhood days, I lived at the Fire Brigade Quarters provided by the Royal Navy. We occupied a wooden-quarters opposite Attap Valley Road, also known as Royal Naval Armament Depot, (popularly RNAD). This was where the British forces used to store their weapons. I also remember that our quarters were situated n...

 My early swimming oppotunities.....by Ck Shek I missed swimming underwater in my "private" mini swimming pool when I was staying in the Naval Base Batchelors' Block. The long "man made concrete pools" were about 30 ft long and 10ft wide and 2 and a half ft deep??  The water in the baths were enclosed and the water was cool and refreshing, unlike open air swimming pools, exposed to the sun, rain  treated with chlorine. These long baths were the common bathrooms for residents living in the bachelor blocks.   Whenever nobody was around , we took the chance to swim from one end to the other in a single breath.....which was our goal.  Two conditions were critical...the water level had to be at its highest point and none of the workers living in the block should be present! Needless to say, I learnt to swim VERY quietly and quickly! The opinions in this article are the author’s and may not be reproduced without his prior permission.

  The lad arrived in Naval Base age 4; at 8 landed general work under a General. Look out for Pt 2: “ Under the Japanese”.