Found: Soldier who inspired S'pore's mobilisation exercise icon
A MAN has stepped forward to stake his claim as the soldier who struck the resolute armed pose that has flashed on screens for more than 20 years as a mobilisation call.
He is Mr Michael Liew, 43, a senior engineer who enlisted in October 1983 when he was 18.
His younger brother contacted The Straits Times after reading about the search for the man behind the logo by the newspaper's Defence Correspondent David Boey, as part of his upcoming book, Defending Singapore: The Singapore Armed Forces.
'From the very day I saw the logo, I knew it was me,' said the father of two daughters, recalling how he posed for a photoshoot some 23 years ago.
The Defence Ministry confirmed that Mr Liew had served in the 1st Guards Battalion, Charlie Company, Platoon 9, the unit involved in the photo shoot.
He was at the firing range learning various firing positions, when a photographer came showed up.
A commander then barked the order: 'Recruit Liew! You be his model!'
Recalled Mr Liew: 'I felt a little awkward... we were still at the learning stage, so I didn't have much confidence. But I still went through it.'
Soon after, his photographs appeared in the January 1984 of Pioneer, the SAF's monthly magazine, in a six-page feature on SAF markmanship tests.
While Recruit Liew felt awkward posing for the camera, his stance was seen as a resolute pose by Mr Hui Yip Seng, who picked the picture to design the mobilisation logo.
The retired warrant officer's logo has been used since the first open mobilisation exercise, or Mobex, on July 7, 1985. Over the years, thousands of men have responded to it as the silent signal to report to camp.
Mr Boey, 37, said he had a hunch the logo was based on the Pioneer story and kept the issue of the magazine for 23 years hoping to confirm his hunch some day.
After author and model met last week, Mr Boey added: 'It's somewhat ironic that all these years, Mr Liew and I lived on opposite sides of the St Patrick's canal off East Coast Road, just minutes from one another.'
Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
