FOR HONOUR AND PASSION

No, you are not seeing things. It really is Felicia Chin and Tay Ping Hui in Army uniform. But no, they have not signed on with the SAF. They are part of the cast of Honour and Passion, a new drama series coming to your TV screens this month. PIONEER goes behind the scenes.

About the story

Filmed as part of the 40th anniversary of National Service (NS), the story revolves around the Bao family, where the head of the family Bao Pengju (Huang Wenyong) is a Master Warrant Officer (MWO) working in 9 DIV/HQ INF.

The series showcases elements of kinship and love while stressing the importance of NS in Singapore.

Various facets of the Army are featured in this drama, while familiar NS terms like mobilisation, IPPT and ICT are interwoven into the 20-parter.

How will MWO Bao handle his shaky relationship with his youngest son, who gets enlisted and has to face the tough training during his Basic Military Training (BMT)?

Will CPT Ouyang Peipei (Felicia Chin) choose Wenjing (Tay Ping Hui) over his brother, Wenzhong (Bryan Wong)?

Can Wu Chengyi (Ix Shen), whose brother has been jailed for drug trafficking, successfully pressure the authorities to release him with his extreme acts?

Rounding off the cast are Pierre Png, Rui En, Dawn Yeoh, Hong Huifang, and newcomer Nathaniel Ho.

"I think my whole experience has been wonderful. Girls don t really have a chance to experience NS. So this is an eye-opener for me, especially seeing the technology used in the SAF." - Felicia Chin (right)

"I didn't have many scenes that required me to be in uniform or in camp. I saw some of them in the No. 3 uniform but I never had a chance (to wear it)! All of them look so smart!" - Hong Huifang (left)

"NSmen should be operationally ready. So it's good to have annual IPPT so that NSmen can maintain their fitness level. People should remember that this is not just for defence of our country but also for their health." - Bryan Wong

"Despite the recent changes in the SAF, I can feel that the emphasis of discipline is still there. I'm also really impressed with the equipment and technology used. But filming was interesting. I'm naturally fair so I had to go get a tan. I even went to the gym to bulk up!" - Huang Wenyong

"While filming, I spoke to some of the Commando officers to better understand the characteristics of a commando. They're a special lot, have pride in themselves and they love their red berets. All of us should have such pride in our entire Army! " - Tay Ping Hui

"I always believe the SAF is among the best armed forces in the region. We ve an advanced armed force and I have faith in them!" - Tay Ping Hui