#patrick tan

STANDING HERE, I REALIZE, YOU WERE JUST LIKE ME, TRYING TO MAKE HISTORY!

Durian Fruit

After three years of research, privately funded by a group of anonymous durian lovers, the five-man team of cancer scientists now have a complete genetic map of the fruit, a world first.

Their findings were published in academic journal Nature Genetics.

"Our analysis revealed that volatile sulphur production is turbocharged in durians, which fits with many people's opinions that durian smell has a 'sulphury' aspect," said geneticist Patrick Tan, who co-led the study.

The researchers said the durian's distinctive odour served an important purpose to it in the wild: helping to attract animals to eat it and disperse its seeds.

This is what is actually happening in Singapore....... Lee Hsien Loong, became the youngest BG in the SAF. JBJ, wanted to have an open discuss about it on BBC live...... But, he never got to see the day.........since, PAP got rid of him by making any charge which can stick on him............

Amplify’d from www.temasekreview.com

Not exceptional enough?

Ok I thought I would spend just one post on the Dr Patrick Tan NS affair, but something turned up such that I couldn’t resist writing about it. The previous post on Dr Patrick Tan, which was really more of a series of questions on Patrick Tan’s NS stint is found here.

Some updates: Mohd Nizam, who was supposed to meet Dr Patrick Tan for a chat on 5th August has replied to my email saying that Dr Patrick Tan called him up on his mobile at the last minute and had to postpone the meeting to Sept due to a completion and submission of a scientific paper:

On Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 11:05 AM, Mohammad Nizam Abdul Kadir wrote:

I wrote this on FB Wall (10am yesterday):

Prof. Patrick Tan, son of Dr Tony Tan, called me awhile ago on my mobile. It is unfortunate he has postponed our appointment to probably September, due to an impending completion and submission of a Scientific paper. From “definitely can meet up” to this, I just wonder what really is going on. Well, I tried.

Oh well, now we won’t get to ask him the dozen or so questions I’m sure many others are waiting to ask. But anyway, another case of another exceptional individual, Prof Alfred Huan of NTU, who currently heads the NTU Physics department wrote the following on his Facebook wall:

Who exactly is Alfred Huan? A Google search reveals the following impressive resume:

Professor HUAN Cheng Hon, Alfred

Head, Division of Physics and Applied Physics

Nanyang Technological UniversityE-mail: [email protected]

School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences

Tel: (+65) 6316 2961

Fax: (+65) 6316 6984

Educational And Professional Qualifications

June 1983 B.A. (Physics) First Class Honours, University of Oxford, England

June 1987 DPhil, University of Oxford

It’s somewhat clear from the above that Prof Alfred, like Dr Patrick Tan was allowed to disrupt or defer his NS twice, first to complete his Bachelors in Oxford and later a PhD. Unfortunately, he was “slammed” when he requested that MINDEF deploy him to a more suitable vocation within defense science where he could make greater use of his intellect and skills.

So it seems Dr Patrick Tan got the best of all possible treatments. A double disruption to finish his bachelors and later a PhD and MD and also got to serve out in a vocation which made best use of his skills. No such luck for Prof Alfred Huan, who later became NTU Physics HoD. White horse, anyone?

To recap the previous post on this matter: There are others whose skills and request for deferments or disruptions were not always granted on the best possible terms the way Patrick Tan appear to have gotten. Another precocious individual who had represented Singapore at the International Maths Olympiad at the age of 17 was made to agree in writing in 1993 that he could only defer NS for a Bachelors and not for a PhD. Never mind the fact that he got into MIT’s highly competitive PhD programme. This talent which Singapore could have had retained chose to relinquish his Permanent Residency (PR) just so he could be free of his NS obligations.

In 2006, violinist prodigy Ike See was forced to downgrade his original proposed 3-year music diploma course at the prestigious Curtis school of music to a 2-year course before MINDEF was willing to grant a 2-year deferment. As another blogger sarcastically noted:

What a fool Ike See is!

Instead of downgrading from a 3-year bachelor degree to a 2-year diploma, he should have done the opposite: upgrade to a 12-year PhD cum MA cum BA package!

Indeed, from the above it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that exceptional talent and ability are much more likely to sway the minds of MINDEF personnel granting deferment and military posting if the individual also happens to be related to the right people. Oh well. Life is unfair.

Read more at www.temasekreview.com

The second part of his son's NS stint............

Amplify’d from www.temasekreview.com

EXPOSE #2: Patrick Tan was awarded President scholarship only after he disrupted for overseas medical studies

In his ‘clarification’ to the public, the Office of Dr Tony Tan claimed that his son Dr Patrick Tan was disrupted for his overseas medical studies:

“Dr Tan’s son entered National Service with his regular cohort and attended BMT and OCS. As you may know, there are multiple service pathways for NSmen after BMT. Like many doctors-in-training, he disrupted his National Service to attend medical school.”

When pointed out that Dr Tan was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at Harvard University instead, the state media reported:

“Dr Patrick Tan said he entered NS in 1988 and completed Basic Military Training and his Junior Term at Officer Cadet School. He 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”.

(Source: Channel News Asia, 30 July 2011)

The above statement seemed to give the public the impression that Dr Patrick Tan was disrupted because he was a President scholar which was not entirely surprising in those days when President scholars were allowed to disrupted for overseas medical studies.

However, in a Straits Times report in August, 1988, it was reported clearly that Dr Patrick Tan was awarded the President scholarship ONLY after he was disrupted which means that it is impossible that he was disrupted for the President scholarship:

“The fifth scholar is Patrick Tan Boon Ooi. Patrick (National Junior College) is already in Harvard, studying towards a medical degree. He is expected to be back for the Istana ceremony.”

(Source: Straits Times, 3 August 1988)

Dr Patrick Tan’s NS record stated that he served 3 months of BMT and 3 months in OCS before disrupting for his studies which raised two key questions:

1. If Dr Patrick Tan was disrupted for the President scholarship, why was he allowed to disrupt BEFORE he was given the award when others have to serve their National Service till they are confirmed they are given the scholarship?

According to the same report, Chan Chun Sing from Raffles Junior College was still not disrupted and “will take up Economics at Cambridge.” Chan was allowed to disrupt only after he was awarded the SAF (Overseas) and President’s Scholarship to study Economics at Christ’s College, Cambridge University, UK.

There are stories of Singaporeans who lost their places in overseas universities because MINDEF refused to grant them even a two month deferment. Why was Dr Patrick Tan allowed to disrupt to study in Harvard first instead of waiting for the next academic year only after his scholarship was confirmed?

2. If Dr Patrick Tan was disrupted for his medical studies, then he should return to Singapore to serve as a medical officer (MO) in SAF and NOT as a Defence Medical Scientist. As he was combat-fit, he should be sent to undergo conversion to a MO in the Medical Officer Cadet Course (MOCC) or complete his tri-service term in OCS. Why was he allowed to spend two years of his NS in an air-conditioned laboratory in a non-existent vocation?

So how did Dr Patrick Tan obtain his third-sergeant rank? Where did he serve his reservist after ORDing from Defence Science Organization as a ‘defence medical scientist’? Watch out for Part 3 of our EXPOSE series on Tony Tan and his family tomorrow.

Read more at www.temasekreview.com