Patrick Tan Boon Ooi
Dr Patrick Tan is the son of Presidential Hopeful and former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. He is currently a research scientist at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Cancer Sciences Institute of Singapore. This is the official account of Dr Patrick Tan’s National Service stint. He was recently alleged by Temasek Review of ‘special treatment’ in the SAF due to his father’s status as Minister of Defence at that time.
Dr Patrick Tan
I am proud to have served Singapore during my National Service. It is deeply upsetting to me that rumours have been circulating that impugn my integrity and the institution of National Service.
After completing my A-levels in 1987, I joined my cohort entering National Service in 1988. After completing Basic Military Training and Officer Cadet School (Junior Term), I was awarded a President’s Scholarship and a Loke Cheng Kim Scholarship to study medicine in the United States, where medical training typically comprises of a pre-medical degree followed by a graduate medical degree.
This is a longer process than in Singapore or the UK, but I chose it because I believed it was the best training for a medical scientist. I made my case to the Ministry of Defence and was granted permission to pursue this course of study.
I attended Harvard University (late 1988-1992) for pre-medical studies and moved on directly without interruption to Stanford University, where I completed an MD-PhD degree under the highly-selective Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). During my studies, I also acquired experience in DNA microarray technology. The science behind this revolutionary scientific tool by Stanford scientists Drs Patrick Brown and Ron Davis was developed in 1995. With its applicability proven in 1997, microarray technology was only available at a few centers worldwide. I graduated with the Charles Yanofsky Award for Most Outstanding Graduate Thesis in Biology or Chemistry.
After graduating from Stanford, I returned to Singapore in 2000 ready to complete my National Service in whatever post I was assigned. I knew that I had this obligation to complete. My father had since become Minister of Defence, but if anything that made it all the more important to carry out my duty.
At that time, melioidosis (also known as “soil disease”) was a serious concern to MINDEF as it had been affecting soldiers in the field and is a potential bio-terrorism threat (see below for more details). I was attached to what is now the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute (DMERI, then called DMRI) to research Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterium that causes melioidosis. This research involved an organism called C. elegans, which had been the subject of my PhD thesis.
I also led a team to establish one of the first DNA microarray facilities in Singapore, allowing us to analyze melioidosis genetic variation with unprecedented speed, resolution, and scale. As a result of this work, DMERI and Singapore is now regarded as a major global center of melioidosis research, which has facilitated interactions with numerous international universities and defence institutes. Our DMERI research team published peer-reviewed papers in established scientific journals (see references below).
Throughout my National Service, I received an NSman’s salary and fulfilled all requirements of NS including IPPT and subsequent reservist obligations such as in-camp training at the rank of 3rd Sergeant.
The current allegations — mostly posted anonymously on the Internet — are false. It seems clear that such rumours are intended to hurt my father, which makes it all the more painful for me. I am proud to have served my country, and I am proud of all that my father has done for Singapore also.
References
- Gan YH, Chua KL, Chua HH, Liu B, Hii CS, Chong HL, Tan P. (2002) Characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection and identification of novel virulence factors using a Caenorhabditis elegans host system. Molecular Microbiology 44(5):1185-97
- Patterns of large-scale genomic variation in virulent and avirulent Burkholderia species (2004) Ong C, Ooi CH, Wang D, Chong H, Ng KC, Rodrigues F, Lee MA, Tan P. Genome Research 14(11):2295-307.
Further information on meliodosis research at DMRI
Melioidosis is a serious, often fatal infectious disease of human and animals caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseuodmallei (Bp). Bp is found in South East Asian soils including Singapore, and Bp has also been officially designated a potential biowarfare agent by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), similar to anthrax. In Singapore, meliodosis cases are not uncommon, and in a 2004 outbreak 15 people died from the disease. Within the SAF, meliodosis has also occurred in otherwise healthy National Servicemen, in some cases resulting in death. For these reasons, a research program was initiated by DMRI in the 1990s to study Bp and how it causes melioidosis.
When I started my National Service stint in 2000, I was instructed to apply the knowledge I had obtained in my MD PhD to study melioidosis . Working with other colleagues from DMRI and NUS, we performed research to identify important genes used by Bp to cause disease, using the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host (Gan et al., 2002 Molecular Microbiology). We also applied the latest genomic technologies at that time such as microarrays to study genetic differences between different isolates of Bp, and discovered a surprising amount of molecular variation (Ong et al., 2004 Genome Research).
Dr. Patrick Tan’s current work:
I am still extensively involved in genomics and biomedical research. As a faculty member in the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Cancer Sciences Institute of Singapore, we have an extensive translational research program in stomach cancer, working with both basic scientists and clinicians. I also have an appointment with the Genome Institute of Singapore, where we continue our research on melioidosis in collaboration with DMERI (formally called DMRI).
Ok – wait. – scientist more valuable than a violinist, pianist. Right.
I am very disappointed with this reply.
First of all, most Singaporeans have not heard about SAF giving deferment to anyone for as long as 13 years! In fact, there are many instances where we heard that our fellow Singaporeans were DENIED deferment for their SECOND degree study and demanded to come back to Singapore to complete their NS before they could continue their studies overseas. I don’t know how would these people feel if they found out that the son of the Defence Minister was actually granted such a privileged 13 years deferment for his oversea studies.
Secondly, apparently Dr Patrick Tan did not complete his OCS course and thus, was not commissioned as a medical officer. But yet, when he returned, he was given a vocation which is meant for medical officer! Besides, do we seriously believe that with 2 years NS spent in research centre can give us any results?
Apparently, Dr Patrick Tan was privileged enough to be given a place at the research centre which allowed him to enhance his profession later on. I don’t think many NSF, if any, have such privileges.
3rd seargeant as a ….. Scientist or storeman?
Wait. You mean this guy never got bitten by mozzies, get extras and stand-by area before? How is that serving NS?
We have audio-technical specialist who are enlisted who serve in the Music and Drama Company, also many artiste are likewise allowed to contribute to the defence of Singapore by raising the morale of our Soldiers.
There are enlistees proficient in the coding of iphone apps who have been roped in to produce NDP apps, video editors who edit instructional videos and the other media content for the SAF.
These and many more personnel, your fellow Singaporeans, have contributed to Singapore and our defence by the skills that they possess.
While it is true that we do need men to carry guns and man the store, every contribution does matter in this bigger picture.
Would it be more beneficial for us if Dr Patrick was made to hold a gun or like the other Combat Medical Officers, he was made to sign off the FFIs of our soldiers?
Melioidosis is a serious disease and there are not many experts in this field. Would it make you feel better for MINDEF to put off this research initiative by 2 years so the Dr Patrick can serve out his NS liability like the other Medical Officers? If scientists who are familiar with Meliodiosis are wide spread in our community maybe i would think this is so, but it is not.
There may or may not be cases of “white horses” who have evaded combat duties to be in more comfortable positions, i do not know and hence i shan’t comment, but this initiative, seems to be overall more beneficial to our servicemen. How is it wrong then?
I am perplexed about the alleged “13 yearear deferment”. Is it one of an exceptional case?
Dr Patrick Tan has given a fairly good account of the background related to his initial NS stint, studies in US as a President’s Scholar and continuation of his NS upon his return from studies. That he is an immensely valuable asset to Sinagapore is undeniable. We should not pick on him to spite his father.
That he held only a Sgt’s rank despite his status and connections, speaks volumes about the integrity of our system. Let us be fair to all.
firstly, rich man son like yourself should exempt yourself from taking the scholarship. it could benefits more poor man son which could reap more benefits from it. secondly, it is a common practise for president scholars to defer up to 13 years of NS? isnt most president scholars should finish their officer course before proceeding with their studies? favourtism here?
Give it a rest people.
Don’t whack TT by whacking the son.
Clerk in office, means not serving NS? What kind of ****ed up logic is that? Grow up @ Shawn Lim. So being a service medic isn’t serving NS? Grow some brains.
I like TRE, but I hope TRE stop posting CSB stories lest it wants to be known as “TRE Your Cool Bro Story!”
While serving as the minister of Defence, PAP must be seen to be whiter than white. In this case, many scholars have been turned down from extending their studies to Phd level. Many musicians have been forced to return home as they struggle to find their peak in their art form in their twenties. Many other young men have to give up their citizenship and face arrests if they stopover in Singapore because of their love of their art / scientific pursuit. This case just seem totally unjust to all those ex-citizens. Tony Tan should know better.
I have no issue with this if minister of defence says that it will allow musicians / dancers to pursue their career in SSO / singapore dance theatre as a form of NS tomorrow. Thank you.
He seems more interested to justify his intellectual brilliance rather than the huge concessions in deferment than are quite unheard of in Mindef. A typical ultra-uber protected 3rd SGT white-horse – who has grown to benefit from his father’s powerful appointment in Mindef. When was the last time you dug trenches or experienced perspiration under the heat of sun and green uniform, Mr Tan? You are a combat-fit soldier asked to devote the best years of your life under the cool shelter of many elite institutions while the rest of us with no blue blood carried out the edicts of Mindef as told.
Let’s be clear here:
1) Those in MDC / iPhone Apps coder / video editor, etc all had completed their basic & vocational trainings before being posted to their respective units. Dr Tan did not complete his OCS;
2) President’s scholars are require to complete their OCS before they go for overseas studies. Again Dr Tan did not complete his OCS;
3) All NSFs (including President’s scholars) are deferred for only their first degree (3 to 4 yrs). Dr Tan was deferred for TWELVE YEARS to allow him to complete his PhD.
If this is not favouritism, what is??? He is the whitest of white horse!!
Wah, this guy really good at throwing smoke bombs! He is desperately dnying the undeniable and justifying the unjustifiable
It is our suspicion that Dr Patrick Tan didn’t take the American Medical Licensure Examination before he returned to Singapore to resume his NS. If he didn’t pass that examination, he is not qualified to practice medicine in Singapore, thus he cannot convert to Medical Officer. However, it is not uncommon to evade MOCC after ORD.
By the time Dr Patrick Tan was done with his response, he had put a whole feather duster’s worth of feathers in his hat.
But it totally missed the point: we are not interested in whether or not the technicalities of MINDEF policy could be interpreted as allowing his exceptional case because of his immense talent. I don’t think anybody is pissed with whether the letter of the law was followed. Anyway we know how generous certain clauses can be.
What we simply want to know is, was there favouritism? It’s a simple enough question to answer isn’t it? We don’t need his whole, glittering CV to help us answer this question, do we? Yes we know you are bright, thank you very much, but that’s not why people are accusing MINDEF of favouritism.
Does anyone else get treatment anywhere close to this exceptional? Surely other presidents’ scholars over the years have been as bright as him. Have any enjoyed anywhere close to a 13 year deferment?
Just because he held a rank and was receiving NSF pay during his stay in a MINDEF lab does not mean he was doing his NS by my book. It sounds like the work he did was specifically sourced by MINDEF to enhance his portfolio and tie in with his graduate work. It seems that they were bending over backwards to find a place to fit him into. If that’s not favouritism I don’t know what is.
Most scholars are able to choose a unit, but are forced to spend their 2 years doing things completely unrelated to their chosen discipline, or at best tenuously linked (a mechanical engineer from Cornell under PSC serving in the Artillery for example).
I don’t know what technical loopholes and paperwork gymnastics they did to put him in a lab for 2 years as a researcher for his NS vocation but I hardly think that that feels anything like what NS is supposed to be.
A simple question to ask will be, does or did his branch of MINDEF have any other NSFs? Are or were there other NSFs holding research scientist posts? I’m not sure if it what he served in was even a unit for that matter. For example, his colleagues who report to the same superior, were they uniformed military personnel with a rank, DXOs or pure civilians hired by MINDEF?
most definitely it is favouratism, no doubt. Would MoD defer someone who wants to study for 12 years and says he has the Phd to increase say Singapore’s productivity level, or water filtration system for field use, or ability to come out with a possible anti-aging serum ….. i mean whatever his contribution no one knows, and so many people has been forced to give up their talent or dreams to do NS, so to say he spend 12 yrs overseas doing his favourite thing like studying and researching and come back and doing what he like all along as a service is realy making a mockery of NS. I mean musicians can say they come back and help create better national anthems for singapore or some one studying political science saying he coming back to be PM and therefore is more important and would be doing his NS as a PM, but earning a 3rd sgt pay.
Anyway fair is fair serve and FO and go pursue your dreams like everyone else, be it as a cook clerk or storeman. Also did article mention he did succesfully fond a cure for what he was looking for or oh he is getting warmer …. no wonder we got foreign doctors saying he work as a GP earning his is what we mean by being elitist and some one goes off polishing their as*.
conscription is an evil system. why do we desire equal injustice for all instead? if you are robbed, you don’t demand that everyone else be robbed too.
wow, being a Principal Investigator straight out of graduate school, and publishing only 2 papers, one of which is not exactly top tier = NS? really? wow.
Principal Investigator is pretty damn cushy, especially for a newly graduate PhD.
what did you do for NS again?
1 what other vocations did his sons do?
2 how many citizens are in the highly selected few in the programs? 1 or 19 others?
3 what is the background of these other selected few? Did they defer for basic degree of full Phd programme. were they minister’s sons or taxi drivers?
I Think if the son of the minister applies for special exemption, it is for the Father to advise his son, do as the hundred of thousands do, and not for some selection committee to decide yes, or no, i do not want to antagonise the Minister’s Son. That is why i doubt his ability to care for the common person.
Dr. Patrick Tan Boon Ooi is not a registered doctor with SMC. I doubt he can practise medicine legally in Singapore.
Achievement is the beginning of failure. Both have used the system in place in Singapore to pursue vested interests in their field of work. The person above is just boasting about his academic, intellectual and mind-boggling activities to proof that he is great.
The reply just reflects his personality and his father’s. There should not be any favouritism, be it the Minister’s son or a beggar’s son.
I tink it is not impt if he hav special privileges or not.. Wat matters most is if he contributed to the country..
Can MOD provides more information on all NS men that did such out of the norm national services
He’s surely NS material, he can throw smoke bombs and is digging a big hole now. Oh, surely this is also full of shit, as you can tell.
Surely Serving NS now. lol
Patrick Tan tries to hoodwink you with irrelevant nonsense about the selectivity of the programs he was admitted to, the research papers he has published, and the twa kee professors he had worked with. He hopes that you would be so impressed that you won’t notice that these are all irrelevant crap.
Patrick Tan: The point here is that you’ve received preferential treatment because your father is the Defence Minister. I’ll bet that you got those scholarships because of your dad’s connections too. And we all know that in those days, any well-connected half-wit with enough money to pay Harvard’s tuition could get in with relatively little difficulty. After all, even Shih Choon Fong could get admitted to Harvard armed with nothing more than a Singapore Poly diploma. So don’t you fucking brag about your “accomplishments”. Your career is paved with commoners’ blood and sweat. Your dad bought you a Harvard degree and a Stanford degree with taxpayer’s money. Show some gratitude.
And BTW, the papers you quoted are hardly impressive. Many other Singaporeans would do far better work if given the same opportunities. But of course they are all digging trenches in Tekong while you are sipping sherry in Harvard Square.
I’ve checked. Patrick Tan Boon Ooi’s name appears neither on the list of registered medical practitioners with Singapore Medical Council nor in the California medical board.
how to get my son/nephew/boyfriend/myself” to qualify for defence medical scientist instead of field MO har??
@Dr Evil,
Thank you for checking. That would explain why Dr Patrick Tan didn’t become a Medical Officer.
wow… you are the first 3rd sergent president scholar I know. All President Scholars I know are ranked officiers but why your rank 3rd sergent only?
Is it that what you studied was not recognized in Singapore at that time? If it is not recognized, why still award the scholar to you? Please explain.
He is the whitest of the white horses, as fair as the coldest Siberian snow.
Any white horse who chose to be in combat and to lead by example, like the late Colonel Jones of the famed British Parachute Regiment. Follow Me! He was a legend when he was alive and he is a legend after he died in combat in the Falklands. He was right at the front and was shot dead when he was helping one of his machine gunners.
In Singapore, none. Why? All the white horses are scared to die. Death is the greatest adventure.
Came across this by chance and I can understand why everyone else is getting riled up by this post. My recent application for deferment from 3-wks reservist due to work commitments gets rejected but he gets away with 13 years. Oh, and I finished my 2 1/2 yrs of national service – outfield!
Rumors has it that Patrick Tan suffered from a mental illness. In fact, I was a Junior in NJC when Patrick was a Senior and we were hearing gossip that he was seeing a psychiatrist. In fact, people were saying Patrick acted really weird both in ACS and NJC. This is because he was probably suffering from a mental disorder and hence explains his NS disruptions
I served National Service, like most male Singaporeans. I was unfortunate enough to witness loss of limbs and had one of my course mate died in an accident in NS. My heart goes out to the family and individuals in these and other similar cases. Their losses are direct results of their sons serving national service, under a system which is supposedly without favors, although we now know files on ‘white horse’ exist (I was never fully convinced by Cedric Foo’s explanations).
Both Patrick Tan’s and Tony Tan’s account of his NS left a number of key questions unanswered.
- why was he allowed a 12 year deferment? unheard of and I doubt there is another similar case. I believe even scholars who were allow disruptions were refused extensions after graduating from their first degree. In the case of doctors, they were definitely required to returned to take up medical doctors’ appointments, after putting them through a charade of military training in OCS so that can ‘pass out’ as officers.
- how did he land a posting to DSO, a defence-related but part of MINDEF organisation? Very unusual and again, no one has been able to provide another similar case
- his account of his role after his return in 2000 is murky at best. It does not seems to be there is any military element at all (effectively he was receiving military part in a civilian job, as part of his NS liabilities)
Some have argued that this should not be raked up and let’s just get on with life. However, there are a couple of important issues to be cleared, particularly in light of Tony Tan seeking one of the highest public office in Singapore.
The first is the question of favors – the need for government and government officers to go about carrying out their duties without fear nor favors. Unfortunately, in this case, there is at least lingering doubts with regards to Tony Tan when he was one of the highest ranking minister at that time.
The second is the question of integrity. For someone who was in such a high office related to the defence and the conscription of young men into armed forces, he must have the highest integrity to ensure that his son does like everyone else in the land. The pledge I was taught to recite from a young age has fairness all over it and it stands to reason that the government must be the one to uphold it. As such, each government officer, particularly the ministers must possess the integrity to ensure that we are all equal.
In his current desire to be president, he has to maintain, if not exceed that need when he was defence minister.
Henry Clay in his speech in 1850 said “I would rather be right than President.” – a most appropriate quote in this situation.
You guys are just retarded. Caste system (white horses) exsits in most societies, if not all. Stop yakking so much – if your father is capable (which I don’t think so, else you wouldnt be mouth diarrheaing so much here) of being minister in Singapore, you will get the same treatment. I wouldnt supposed you would ‘reject’ if given the priviledge. So stop taking moral high grounds here. Not like he killed someone and got away with it! Don”t look far, e.g. Brunei, Msia, Thailand, Royal families get it all, some even away with rape and murder! Even British royalty or any european Royalties, they get all kinds of priviledges! SO – SHUT UP and move yr ars* and start working hard and perpare for the next recession!
Disruption for more than 12 years and non-officer with a scholarship???!!!
I can’t help to relate this to his father’s position in MINDEF. If so, then what integrity and equality that we should expect if Dr Tony Tan is elected as president?
In the US election, when news of Sarah Palin’s daughter’s under-aged and unwed pregnancy broke, President Obama stopped it from being used by the Democrats, saying, we do not use other people’s children as cannon fodder. This is a pretty distasteful subject and I do not think that they lobbied for special favours but I can understand why pp feel that by accepting them, it reflects that TT is perhaps too detached from what matters to the common man. I just do want to clarify though, that the MD-PHD in America and for that matter, everywhere else, Does make you a doctor. Not a practicing clinical doctor but yes, a fully-fledged medical doctor. Also, the insinuation that his dad bought him places in Harvard and Stanford is totally offensive and ignorant. The acceptance rate to those schools is <8% worldwide, for people who can all afford to go, so it is an insult to the schools and to education in general to suggest that you can buy your way in. Lastly, scholarships and education in Spore has always been meritocratic, for anyone who tries to excel, whether they are rich or poor. It is not, nor should ever be, based solely on need or guilt.
he was allowed to defer his nsf for medical studies yet he did not serve as a MO during active days. the whole point of defering for medical studies is to serve as MO. his research on meloidosis is not urgent and there are plenty of people for research . during reservist also not mo. is it becos he has to serve longer as MO?? if he is a medical dr why was he not made to serve as MO during reservist when there was a shortage? if he was not a medical dr why was he allowed to defer for so long in the first place ??his CV did not list his housemanship posting. so is he is a fully qualifed and registered medical dr or not? nsf after defer 12 years serve in a civilian company.
This answer is not what Singaporeans are looking for. Perhaps Tony Tan can provide more concrete answers on who approve the deferrment, on what basis and why for so long. And also why his son is given such a special post. And who else has such treatments during the same period in order to see if there has been a different treatment given to his son. Else there is absolutely no reason why TT’s son should not be treated the same as others.
I am gce o level student with only 3 o level passes and i was told to perform 2 1/2years of NS. I sthis fair?
wth 12 yrs deferment?would an ordinary singaporean been granted a deferement this long??????????????????
Lol… It’s w ell known that certain people in the army get preferential treatment in the army…
People with personal cars are given every chance to get a half day off after “out station”…. Can claim petrol some more….
Photographers pick up their cams to takes pics for the company / battalion in the rovers… People with parents higher up will have other higher ranking officers talk to them due to personal relations…
People with web or graphic designing skills are given days off when they help to design something…
What Patrick did was no different.. He had a set of skills and the army exploited it… I doubt he and Tony tan had to do anything…
The personnel in the force would bend over without them even saying a thing… Anyone who served would have known or heard of this… Ang kak boleh goes all the way up in the army… It’s not the NSF and lower hierarchy….
I don’t really care if he had a 13-years deferment, special treatment, failed OCS or privileged rank. Right now, the only way he can earn back the trust of people is to serve NS again starting as a R-E-C-R-U-I-T.
“A country is it’s people. Facts can be twisted, media can be controlled, but the hearts of its people can never be changed.”
Dear Benny Aw,
I would like to nominate you as the next President – President of the Re pubic of Cock Hair.
R S Lathan