<
WE LOVE NPCC!!!!! @ {4:00 AM}
The Negeri Sembilan trip
Twelve Sec 3 Kranji NPCC cadets went on a trip to Negeri Sembilan, which is also called "Nine States", for it once consisted of nine separate districts, its capital is Seremban.
It was definitely a fruitful and wonderful experience. All of us really enjoyed ourselves a lot. During the trip, we stayed with different Malay families and followed their practices. Though it was a short trip, the sweet memories we had there would stay with us forever.
NPCC emphasizes on bonding between different races, for example, the NPCC March states, “Between all races, there is no barriers”. Indeed, between individuals in the squad, we should know each others’ races well, so that we will be sensitive and understanding towards each others’ feelings and practices.
At Negeri Sembilan, the majority of the people were Malays. We, especially the Chinese, truly understood how Malays in Singapore feel, with the Chinese as the majority race. Being the minority race, when most people speak their mother tongue, some will not understand and join in the conversation and thus, feel left out. This really made me understand the importance of speaking English and not speaking our mother tongue during NPCC training. We have to put ourselves in others’ shoes. Now, during trainings, we would make it a point to speak English.
During the trip to Negeri Sembilan, we learnt their dance, attended their “wedding” which was actually put up by our friends dressed up in their traditional wedding attire, wore their costumes and even played their musical instruments. Through these activities, we got to know more about the Malay customs. We also ate with our right hand for all meals. Using the right hand is a form of respect and courtesy. During the “wedding”, the host spoke in Malay and broken English most of the time. Our Malay NPCC squad mates helped us to translate, so that we could understand more about the “wedding”.
During the trip, we trekked a distance and displayed initiative and willingness to lend a helping hand to those in need and the will to carry on during tough times. We helped each other through difficulties such as climbing over huge boulders and motivated each other to carry on despite feeling tired. These are all the qualities we had picked up through our years in NPCC.
In conclusion, the short three day-two-night trip was beneficial and was indeed a great learning experience where cadets learnt teamwork and the importance of racial harmony. The stay had changed all our mindsets about each others’ culture. Harmony and mutual respect are the key towards developing a deeper bond with each other.
Yee Kwai Ga, Sgt
Kranji Secondary School
PASSION TO SERVE
♥ LOVE
