This is a true account of what happened during my BMT days at Pulau Tekong Camp 3, in Sept 96. It is well known in Pulau Tekong that recruits are not to consume pork in the bunk. On this particular night, we were given char siew bao as night snacks. We were only allowed to eat at the parade square. As we were preparing for lights off, there was a big commotion at the Hawk Company. I saw this recruit chasing other recruits. He went beserk and was hitting anyone who was in his way. A group of other recruits as trying to hold him down but he displays extraodinary strength in shoving them away. I heard others shouting for medic, the whole situation was chaotic! I saw the Medical Officer running towards their bunk.

When the commotion died down, all the recurits were told to assemble at the parade square and were
repeatedly instructed not to consume the char siu bao in our bunks. Seargents were stationed at the
staircases to check for char siew bao. As I am an out of course recruit, I am able to move freely in the day time. I was told by the bunk mates of the berserk recruit that he was actually searching
for the culprit who consume char siew bao in the bunk. According to them, the recruit sounded very different and went berserk in search of the culprit. I managed to speak to one of the medics who was on duty that night. He told he that the recurit was in a very aggressive state. He was mumbling something in some wierd language that no one could understand. The MO did not have a clue as to what was wrong with him. He was later evacuated to the nearest hospital on the same night. What was stranger was, his buddy fractured his leg while going to the medical centre to inform the medics. Their sergeant suffered from a concussion while playing football, at around the same time.

When I was near my ORD, I managed to speak to some guys from HQ medical corps. They were aware of the incident, and I was told that the recruit has not recovered as is still in the mental hospital. I am still interested on what exactly happened that night.

PS : We were sworn to keep it a secret by our sergeants that particular night but after reading stories on this site, i can’t keep this a secret anymore.