Honey, our honeymoon can wait

Hours after his wedding ceremony, he was on his way to Pulau Tekong with his battalion, the 823 Singapore Infantry Regiment.

Audio and visual executive Mohammad Azmi Arifin, 30, explains that he was taken by surprise when his in-camp training (ICT) dates were released.

He and his wife, air stewardess Shatinah Mohmad Noor, 24, had planned their ceremony on Nov 1 for months.

Then came the news that Mr Azmi's battalion would have a crucial evaluation test and the two-week training stint was slated to start from Oct 26.

The corporal could have deferred his ICT but he decided to forgo his honeymoon instead.

He knew that his battalion was short of drivers and he was determined to do everything he could to help out.

"It was an important evaluation for the battalion, and I wouldn't want to go through this with anyone else," he explains. "I just felt the need to come back and complete this with them."

Madam Shatinah admits she was initially exasperated. She had taken a whole week off following the wedding for their honeymoon. "I was really disappointed at first," she says.

"Eventually, I had to spend that week alone but I knew that he would be very happy to be with his close friends during training so I just let him go."

Mr Azmi says the men in the battalion asked him to take the Friday before his wedding off and helped him cover his duties.

He adds that even if his family members or wife disagreed, he would still find a way to go for ICT because that is how much he loves his "brothers".

The couple eventually did take time off for a honeymoon - a weekend in Phuket.

Next: Cancer-striken mum told him to focus on ICT

This article was first published on November 29, 2015.
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