Dr Wee Kim Wee, the People's President, has died from cancer at age 89. He will be missed.
I once met him at East Coast Parkway, where he was doing his evening walk/jog by the beach with his dog. There were a few security chaps walking a discreet distance behind him.
It was close to sunset, and I was in my wet Number 4 uniform and a lifejacket, walking back from the hawker centre with food for the guys on our exercise. I was with the boatmen on exercise as part of the safety boat, which consisted of a Boat Company NCO, a medic, and an Outboard Motor mechanic (me).
When I saw him walking briskly my way, he smiled at me, and I stammered a "G-Good morning, sir!" trying to remember if I should salute him. I couldn't, even if I wanted to anyway, with so many packets of food in my hands.
He smiled again in response to my greeting, and said, without missing a beat, "Good evening!"
No frown of disapproval, no you-moron-getting-the-time-of-day-wrong comment, no what-are-you-doing-in-a-civilian-area-during-an-exercise questions.
Just a warm and friendly smile from a very humble man.
Good night, sir.
