I had the honour to speak on the discussion panel for the inaugural MHA Pre-Retirement Programme at SCALA (Supply Chain And Logistics Academy) on 7 Jan 2026. The purpose of the panel is to share and advise the pre-retirees on their transitions from uniformed services to civilian employments. Thus, all three speakers on the panel were experienced ex-retirees from the SAF. The panel is conducted in a Q&A manner. In my synopsis, I would only cover my own Q&A but not those from the other two speakers.
Questions and Answers
- How long before you retired from service did you seriously consider your “next move”?
- 6 months. This is because 1 year is too long as I was still holding the command of 6 Div and it would not be good that the Div Comd was looking for a new job while in command. 3 months were too short as I would require some time to look for a proper new job.
- What made you decide to do what you did upon retirement?
- Demand and Supply. It was really what was required and what I could contribute when I left. In my case, there was a demand of Taxi Management Executive at ComfortDelGro. And I was able to fill the role that the supply meet the demand.
- Did you face any financial adjustments when you left the force?
- No. First, the SAF gave me a lump sum payment before I left. Second, although I got a pay cut of about 20%, my first performance bonus more than covered this short fall. In fact, in my 11 years in the private sector, I had always earn more than what I had earned in uniformed services. The caveat is that you must perform well so that the bonus can cover any gaps.
- What are the top 3 hardest issues you faced when you transited out?
- Demand, Time and Space, Overseas posting. Demand in the private sector was the first determinant of how easy you could transit. This depend on your connection, luck and time and space. The demand and supply could match, but if you are not at the right place and time, you still might not get the job. Finally, many companies were looking for executives to work overseas. I eventually spent 3 enriching years in Perth as CEO of Swan Taxis.
- Knowing what you know now about uniformed service transition, what would you do differently back then to prepare yourself?
- Confidence and Less worry about money. I think uniformed personnel could transit successfully into the civilian sector. But there is always the fear, but this is where the retirees have to be confident. And don’t worry about the inadvertent pay cut. So long as you continue to do well, the pay would be reinstalled via pay increasements and/or bonuses.
Key Takeaways
- I was very happy to share my personal experience of transition with the pre-retirees. I wish I had such a sharing for me when I left the SAF 12 years ago.
- The pre-retirees must be confident of the impending transitions. Wrap up your works properly at MHA as this would affect your reputation when your transit. Finally, do not worry too much about the money. Continue to do well and the money will take care of itself (of course proper money management is still required).
#MHA Pre-Retirement Programme #SCALA #SAF #6 DIV #ComfortDelGro #Swan Taxis