SYED Akbar bin Gulab Shah
The Public Service,
Accession Number 002238
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 11
Total Reels
- Jason Lim (Dr)
Interviewer
- 05:06:40
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 11
Metadata
- 15 Feb 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:31
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Family background. Stayed at Upper Thomson area. Only Muslim family in the area. Played with neighbouring children. Recollection of the house. Travelling to school. House had no electricity. Marketing by mother and sisters. Family activities. Studied in a madrasah at Nee Soon. Recalled family drinking lots of water after eating chapati. Can only speak simple Urdu. Pakistani dressing. Studied at Sembawang Primary School. Impression of the teachers and students. Played sports in school. Went to Sembawang Hill Estate Primary School for one year. Took part in debates at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School. Teachers were strict.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 11
Metadata
- 15 Feb 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:29
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Studying at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School. Listened to radio broadcasts for soccer news. Watched soccer friendly between Singapore and India. Monitored local soccer scene. Called up for National Service in 1967. Mother tried to get him exempted from National Service. Travelling to Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI). Free bus travel. Could not "book out" for the first month. Reasons for tough training. Almost died from an attack by a swarm of hornets. "Change parade". Jogging to "Good Morning Hill". Picking fruits from plantations. Impression of local and Israeli trainers. Israelis oversaw training programmes. Various leaders' course.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 11
Metadata
- 15 Feb 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:20
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Conscripts who remained in the army became officers. Went for Combat Field Engineers course at Pulau Blakang Mati. Travelling to the island and the camp. Anecdote of meeting a ghost on the island. Island was said to be haunted. Combat Field Engineers course programme. Demolished penal settlement at Pulau Senang. Course was very tough. Went for one In-Camp-Training as a reservist. Working life as an Instructor. Conscripts were guaranteed jobs upon their Run-Out-Date (ROD). Joined Prisons Department as Rehabilitation Officer in 1970. Posted to Changi Prison.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 11
Metadata
- 11 Mar 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:26
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Believes it is good to start one's service in a maximum security prison. Never went through any training programme. First impressions of Changi Prison. Fellow junior officers from the army. Learnt prison work from senior Principal Rehabilitation Officers (PRO). Prison officers had to be tough towards prisoners. Each hall in Changi Prison kept different prisoners. Criminal Law Detainees (CLD). Unseen code among prisoners where certain prisoners were respected and others were despised. Believes prisoners must be treated firmly and fairly. Why prisoners and prison officers hardly talked to each other.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 11
Metadata
- 11 Mar 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:12
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Incident when prisoners attempted to escape from Changi Prison, but believed it was generally impossible for prisoners to escape. Description of a Medium Security Prison. Posted to Ahmad Ibrahim Camp in 1972. Felt out of place. Type of prisoners there. Change of attitude. Beginnings of rehabilitation programmes. Moved of camp into Seletar Camp. Family visits. Punishment of escapees. Prisoners' attitudes to prison wardens. Need for prisoners to readjust themselves before release. Change in prison wardens' handling of prisoners.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 11
Metadata
- 4 Apr 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:37
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Change from punishment to counselling of prisoners. Changes faced upon his transfer to Moon Crescent Prison, handling political prisoners. Control and daily routine of the inmates. Family visits. Reasons why the inmates were kept in prison. Condition for their release. Reason for his transfer to Moon Crescent Prison. Treatment of addicts at the Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRC). Prisoners' attitude towards each other in the DRC. Difference in wardens' attitudes towards prisoners and drug addicts. Description of Selarang Park DRC. Cases when addicts were called by their name. Counselling of addicts. Other rehabilitative programmes.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 11
Metadata
- 4 Apr 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:09
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Rehabilitative programmes for drug addicts. Impression that drug addicts cannot stop taking drugs. Common drugs taken. Segregation of drug traffickers and secret society members. Promoted to be Officer-Commanding of Tanah Merah Prison. Inmates of this prison. Programme for the prisoners. Role of Singapore Co-operation of Rehabilitation Enterprises (SCORE). Working relationship with his subordinates. Role as Head (Security) at Selarang Park DRC. How drugs are smuggled into the centre. Reasons for his negative impression of the drug addicts. Ensuring the security of the centre. Left the centre and appointed Duty Operations Officer at Changi Prison.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 11
Metadata
- 13 May 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:17
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Changes at Changi Prison upon his second posting. The distinct smell of Changi Prison. Hardship allowance for junior prison officers. Noted an increase in white-collar prisoners. Segregation of prisoners. Monitoring prisoners in the "Condemn Block". His sudden posting to be Head (Administration) at Khalsa Crescent DRC. Preference for operations and security rather than administrative work. Driving there brought back fond memories of his youth. Security of the centre and profile of the inmates. His request for a transfer and subsequent posting to Abingdon Prison. Prison housed illegal immigrants. Description of Changi Prison Complex.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 11
Metadata
- 13 May 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:08
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Description of Changi Prison Complex. Role as Head (Operations) at Abingdon Prison. Found it very difficult to handle illegal immigrants. Punishment of detainees in Abingdon Prison. Caning of the detainees. Caning of Michael Fay at Changi Prison. Detainees were sent home upon their release. Posted to be Officer-Commanding of Security and Provost at Bedok Reformative Training Centre (RTC). Impression of Desmond Chin, his Superintendent. Inmates of Bedok RTC. Reasons for a gang fight in the centre. Retired at the age of 48, although Prisons Department wanted him to continue working. Overview of his career.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 11
Metadata
- 13 May 2000
Recording Date
- 00:29:57
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Access to recording/transcript requires written permission from interviewee
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Overview of his career in the Prisons Department. Prisons Department staff who left an indelible impression on him. Changes in the Prisons Department. Social and recreational activities in the Senior Prison Officers Club. His responsibilities as Secretary of the Club. Felt that some younger prison officers were inflexible in dealing with the public. How he feels prisoners should be treated. Turned down a job to be Driving Tester after his retirement. Circumstances leading to him joining the Ministry of Education as Operations Manager. Role of an Operations Manager. Disciplining of students. Image of the Operations Managers.
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