Enemy of the state

 Accurate facts about SAF Detention barracks 

My experience as a Soldier who gone rogue . 

What horrifying stories have you heard about DB from your friends? sergeants or officers?
after experiencing 20 days in there , here i am to debunk the myths you’ve head so much about

 The Sand bag myth
Oh i’m sure you’ve heard countless stories of detainees carrying sandbags that weigh over 20kg , 30kg or even 50 fucking kilograms , to walk or run around the parade square like some POWs in a labour camp right? i am here to tell you all those bullshit stories are made up by sergeants , officers , enciks and even possibly friends , into scaring you so you’ll never step foot into that hellhole , in the past like during the 70s half of what is mentioned above are indeed true , sandbags weighing over 20 kgs but never to such radical measures like 50kgs , think about it for a moment . how is it possible that the government would condone such torturous acts upon the very soldiers they need for National Service?
Depending on the weather , if it’s really hot and the sun is blaring monstrously , the MPs would use 10kgs or possibly even the lighter sandbags that weighs just merely 5kg , where as on a cloudy day , they would use 15 kg sandbags… i would say it really depended on their moods , at least thats what they’ve told me themselves , but personally i felt like i was carrying the full weight of my field pack which weighs 15 kg and most of the time it just felt like 3 books of dictionaries. Much like the weight of my backpack back in secondary school .
How about all that talk of The PT regime being SUPER SUPER TOUGH , nope . Nada. Rather, their objective is to have you suffer in solitude , cut off from the world ,absolutely no privileges whatsoever , possessions & restricting your movements as much as possible,
the regime consist of marching foot drills around the parade square for like what? 5 to 10 times? followed with 3 sets of 20 push ups and sit-ups/crunches? And if we are lucky , pull ups .


The size of your cell is the equivalent to an animal cage

 
This is probably THE most outrageous myth i’ve heard on my way to DB , friends at the guardhouse will tell me how incredibly confined the cells are or i would have people asking me after I was out , that was it true the cells are so small in size that you don’t have that little space to pace about?

WHAT IS THIS??? EGYPTIAN SLAVERY???? NO MY FRIEND , NO . we are not made to live that ghastly .

There are 3 different sizes of cells
A normal sized cell , which can house up to a maximum of 3 people is about 10' by 10 Ft , i don't know why but these cells usually holds detainees with long term sentences like 12 to 18 months where as compared to detainees with shorter sentences , they are housed in a cell that equates to the size a normal common room , like the ones in HDBs , they are like the fucking presidential suites of DB , very spacious , very cooling , it can hold up to a maximum of 6 people at a time , even with 6 people there are still ample space left to walk about without feeling too claustrophobic.


Till this day , I never understood. Why put long term detainees in such cramped cells but place detainees with sentences ranging from 4 - 39 days in roomy cells and most of the time , it’s just that 1 - 3 people in those ‘presidential' cells. It is rare to see 5 people in the same cell.

Apparently , the concrete floors of the cells are quite cooling , think of the metal strip you buy for your hamster to lay on , and they have dozens of fans stationed inside the cell block so the ventilation in there is actually quite decent despite hearing stories of how it is like a death camp in there .

But it can be a bitch during afternoons , with the walls and floors absorbing the monstrous heat from the sun . It can get to the point where you feel like you are being baked alive .


Now you must be wondering , where did all those extreme stories of living in cells that are as narrow as dog cages you ask? Those are what we call WASPS cells also a.k.a Solitary confinement , now i’m not entirely sure of the acronyms of WASPS but , it stretches 6'5 by 6'5 ft , in other words it's around 180 cm by 180 cm , a bucket is given for shitting and peeing , along with a water bottle that is refilled only during mealtimes ( because apparently some genius found a way to hurt himself with a plastic mug , as told by a friend who’s a medic , don’t ask me how , i have absolutely no fucking idea how he does it too )


Lastly , a camera fixated at the ceiling of the cell with fluorescent lights that are forever turned on , so there is no actual way of telling time other than counting your meals

Now the only way to get yourself into solitary confinement is having the most signed offences at the end of the month or getting into fights, or attempting to beat up a guard , that sort of thing ( Guilty of this , ahahaha )
What are signed offences you ask? It's a sheet of paper with numerals that guards make you sign your name on , and mind you , the numerals goes as far as 30
and offences ranges from the most stupidest ones you can think of , e.g , stretching your legs during role-call , or wasting a MP's time . yeah it's THAT stupid .





It is worse than Changi prison 

Unfortunately this part is true ,
every ounce of dignity is taken & shredded from you , on the second day of your sentence , you'll be taken for a medical screening conducted by the barrack's medical officer and from my own personal experience , the MO is a real dick ,

You are told to strip down to the skin you were born with upon entering the MO's office and made to stand in front of him & probably like a dozen other MPs observing the process like it's the most fucking natural thing in the world ,
The MO will then proceed to ask a series of questions like what PES status are you in and why did you commit the offences that landed you here , trying to look for weaknesses and openings, seizing every chance to shame you in front of the MPs that are watching in , if you stammer or stutter in your replies , it'll be indicated as a clear sign of weakness and the MO will claw at that vulnerability till you hang your head down in self-disgust , shaming you in front of an on-looking audience . Talk about corporate punishment much?

And this is the most atrocious ,disgraceful pudency you'll ever experience in your life , and the most downright diabolical manner to break you , emotionally and mentally .

Before you leave the office , you are required to perform a medical drill dubbed "The MO drill”

it starts with you stretching your hands out , showing both sides of your palms and hands to the medical officer
Raise both your arms , stick your tongue out , showing them you are hiding nothing underneath your tongue or the inside of your mouth then proceed to turn facing your back towards them raising each leg at a time to check the soles of your feet and finally putting both your hands behind your head in a submissive/surrendering position all the while counting each gesture with " 1 sir...2 sir... and so on till 9,

Seems harmless enough right? After all they ought to make sure you don't have any dangerous objects lodged in your mouth or butt hole that could potentially start a bloody riot right? You are the one in incarceration , why should they give you the benefit of doubt that you won’t attempt to stir up trouble? Did i mention all this time you are stark naked? yeah thats right


You're in a room, full of grown ass men looking at you in bare skin ,shaming you by forcing you to do embarrassing & undignified gestures JUST to check the palms of your hands , inside of your tongue and the soles of your feet all while counting each gesture with “ 1 sir, 2 sir , 3 sir…" as if there is no abnormality in doing so , when a simple compliance of exerting authoritative command would simply accomplish the task No , you are humiliated thoroughly by getting a crowd to witness possibly the most stigmatic moment of your life , I wouldn’t be surprised if those MPs watching in during that process turn gay at some point of their national service.

Because what are the odds , seeing dozens if not possibly , hundreds of young youthful males in their prime, stark naked with their family jewels laying bare in front of them daily for the rest of their 2 years National Service term manifest into a secretive arousing desire that makes their hearts race and their groin flustered with sexual fascinations?


What are the odds… hmmm….






The food served are disgusting & Horrible
On the contrary , ironically , it's much better than what the cookhouses serves in camps ( i know , it's such an irony ) ,

Breakfast consist of 4 slices of bread with either cheese and butter sandwiched in between , varying on a day to day basis , Kaya or Peanut Butter spread ( the good ones with crunchy nuts in them ) along with a small lump of butter by the side , coupled with either 2 pieces of fried baked fish, chicken fillets( think of the ones they use in Nasi Lemaks ) , or on some days we’ll just have grilled hotdogs with hotdog buns and topped with a mug of hot chocolate , coffee or soya bean ( the really creamy and rich in milk ) . Which again , varies from a day to day basis .

IKR , AND THAT IS JUST BREAKFAST .

lunch & dinner are the same spread of choices . 

The rice is always plenty , i can never finish them because i always feel so darn full .

For meat , we have cubes of chicken dipped in thick rich curry ( mutton or fish) , baked fish fillets ( the ones in western cuisines ) dipped in tomato sauce , Cut up hotdogs in some spicy sauce?, fried chicken ( the whole kind , like Kentucky chicken’s original flavour ) and the BEST of all , Black pepper teriyaki chicken , yep with that thick pepperish gravy sauce too . and once a fortnight or so , they serve Pandan rice ( green rice , incase some of you don’t know what that is ) along with NasiBriani sauce and a fried chicken ( either a breast or a drumstick ) , Did i mention the vegetables are the good kinds too? Those that just've been steamed, fresh out from the kitchen that are easy to swallow , broccoli , baby carrots ( yeah , IKR what the FUCK ) , the vegetables that resembles broccolis but are white in color , strangely enough it is never the rotten lumped up kinds of veggies we buy in food courts or served in cookhouses.


How is it that the food in DB is much better than what is served in Pulau Tekong & most of the Camps Cookhouses? , if that is bizarre and baffling to you , it’s double the astonishment for me .



The people in there are terrifying

The general public confuse prison with DB ALOT , and i don’t blame them , the truth is , On an average statistic done by me

( it’s pretty accurate ) out of 10 inmates , 6 are charged with AWOL , 2 are on drug charges E.G failed urine tests , another for fights , rejected MCs , petty thefts , small stuffs like that and the last one is the most , i emphasise , THE MOST UNJUST charge of all

HELL YEAH i am referring to all the drivers who bumped into a ditch or scrapped the sides of their SUVs , just in that ONE erroneous moment they earned a 4-7 days , all expenses paid vacation in DB ( is the Army so opposed to minor errors of INSCRIPTED SERVICEMEN that’ll most probably not be involved in any wars in their lifetime , that they have the heart to put a male in his adolescent years through all this detention shit? as if THAT won’t screw him up psychologically ) .


One guy even got smacked on AWOL charges on THE MOST , RIDICULOUS grounds , ever .


He was on MC during BMT , so… if you are on MC you are not allowed to leave the house because you’re supposedly medically unfit to move around and so on , so… this guy… his girlfriend wanted Hanky Panky time because her parents aren’t home

  

He suited up immediately , and went off to have sexy time with said girlfriend , what he DIDN”T COUNT ON was his Officer coming over for a house visit ( talk about really bad timing ) , and upon finding out that he went out without informing , he was slapped with an AWOL charge , just like that .


i know, sad right .


So you see , most if not all of the people in DB are one of the most nicest people you’ll encounter , most of the detainees are struggling with major depression problems and suicidal thoughts because they can’t figure out a purpose or direction in their life so they take it to spending months in solitude to figure things out . The upside of being in DB is that there’ll be no records of you as a convicted felon compared to Changi prison and oh , free food . Lol .






You can pass time in there by exercising , writing letters and reading books right?
WRONG WRONG WRONG , this only applies to detainees with really long sentences ranging from 12 - 18 months , and it is only after ‘good' behaviour ( it really depends if the MPs are willing to put in a good word for you, so it’s really important to get into their goodbooks , you know , sucking up , bootlicking ) , THEN are you entitled to 4 books ( changeable every fortnight ) , a 200 page jotter book ( to be changed every month ) , 1 pen , a dictionary and a bible.


Hell, you are not even allowed to exercise in your cell , your movements are SO restricted the only thing you can do without getting into trouble is pacing about the cell in a MODERATE speed ( yeah because pacing up and down really fast also gets you into trouble , wtf right? ) , you are not allowed to stretch your legs too , man what nonsense is this , yeah it is THAT bad and restrictive

The only time I’ll exercise is during lights out , after which the MPs will patrol the grounds every hour till 3AM or so , at least that’s what i gathered from observations . Yeah kinda like ninja workouts , it has to be done in seclusion.

So if your Commanding officer decides to charge you with 2 - 6 months , you are royally fucked in the ass because you'll have to spend all that time meditating like a monk or just staring into the nothingness of your cell.


Conclusion , don’t get yourself in here if you don’t have a good reason , and DON’T AWOL on impulse , if you have to AWOL make sure you have a plan and not get caught like this poor sucker i met while i was in there , He was doing this phone scam where he asks to borrow your phone to send an urgent email to his boss because his , is broken or out of battery and then go on to purchase online credits like Garena shells & cherry credits , back in the days like 2010 , it was Asiasoft's Acash . So watch out folks , it’s still out there

Everything was going hunky dory for him , raking up a few grands every week , living in posh hotels every night , enjoying clubs , fine food and what not . It all came crashing down while he was at a void deck with some friends when a routine police check came by , only AFTER the officers came near enough he THEN decides to take off , WHAT? and that’s not the worst of it , because he panicked , he tripped and fell FACE FLAT on the ground before getting handcuffed by the officer (ultimate fail much) , and thus his days of living as a baller came to an end, just like that . What a dumb motherfucker



And to all the girlfriends who are left hanging dry because their beaus fucked up in NS , Letter writing is a privilege that are handed out scarcely , i know there are a bunch of hearsays going on with some telling you they only get to read ALL of their letters on the day of their release or the day BEFORE their release or even , upon delivery . ALL of them are true but sadly , like most of us who were born differently than others , the same applies here .

It VARIES from detainee to detainee , depending on factors such as how serious your charges are , what type of a person you are E.G , if you are the type that falls apart from not having any forms of support of any kind, and that is deemed as the most torturous punishment to you , that would strike a chord deep within, vowing to NEVER return to this death trap, they’ll definitely go with the hard approach . That is,
cutting you off of any privilege and rights , giving you harsh treatments most of the time because THAT is where it hurts you the most . After all , that is the primary objective , to make you NOT want to come back here . EVER .


If you are shown to respond well to kindness & understanding , they’ll implement just that . E.G , Rewarding you well for good behaviour like all the above said privileges, books , letter writing , reading letters , you might even be lucky enough to attend classes and this is just a rumour , it came from a 2nd Sergeant who was on drug charges , he told me some detainees even got special privileges to watch fucking movies once a week . I KNOW RIGHT , WHAT?


So in a nutshell , if you are the type that is motivated to DIE for your country simply because you are rewarded with a few privileges. You know , they give you a yardstick & you’d run that extra mile for them , Being the perfect model of a ‘reformed' obedient soldier . Yeah they’ll be happy to give you all that

They will adjust their approaches accordingly based on past appraisals & assessments with superiors, and the DB's medical officer’s psychological evaluation of you , hence the mind games & shaming earlier on , you see how all this is adding up?


And lastly…



The MPs will & i repeat , take every chance they can to bully you and give you shit , it's their job to make your stay as uncomfortable as possible
Of course you can argue that they are just doing their jobs , and damn right you are . it is their JOB to torment you as much possible to make you not want to return to this purgatory , so certainly they'll play it as bad as the system allows them to .

But we are not here to discuss what is morally right or wrong , I am here to share with you the facts of DB and my personal experiences.



fucking shit , this one time… correction , make that ALL the time , i was told to knock it down simply because i didn’t ask for permission to ‘adjust’ —> scratch an itch


MP : 103 ( thats my vest number ) , why never ask permission to adjust


ME : *speechless , like whaaa…. *thinking to myself, what the fuck does that even mean?


MP : knock it down , ask for permission . HURRY UP


all in a condescending sadistic joyous manner


RIDICULOUS RIGHT? Here’s another ,


When it was time for the PT regime , all of us are let out of our cells to line up so we can walk down the stairs in an orderly fashion , so while waiting for the rest to line up , i slouched against the metal railings along the corridors and i got yelled at for JUST THAT , and you know how it goes.. knocking down 20 push ups again , oh and a signed offence . Of course i argued my case if not, your consenting silence would just be an open invitation for the MPs to further torment you.

All this harsh treatments , making you drop 20 push ups as and when they want , giving you shit whenever they feel like it , the inequality of privileges among detainees , the constant shaming & humiliations…


It’s all part of a designed system by the government, it’s what MPs are MEANT to do, you don’t see angels in purgatories do you? They are instructed to make you suffer as much as possible , ridicule you , making absolutely sure you have a bad time so you don’t ever want to return . So… who could blame them , they are as stuck as we all are in this mandatory inscription. On the flip side , if you are that low self - esteem guy who always gets pushed around in school and you were fortunate enough to be selected to be a MP , you’ll show all those motherfuckers who bullied you a thing or two after NS or if you are lucky , some of those bullies might end up in DB under YOUR care . Hahahaha i need not explain further what you CAN do .

Till next time and stay tight for more updates

Signing out ~