man ▁lived ▁with ▁his ▁Uncle , ▁together ▁with ▁his ▁grand par ents ▁and ▁parents , ▁in ▁a ▁k amp ong ▁area ▁domin ated ▁by ▁Malays . ▁He ▁rec ount ed ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁boy , ▁different ▁races ▁lived ▁together ▁harm on iously , ▁and ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁Chinese ▁and ▁Indian ▁play m ates ▁whom ▁he ▁convers ed ▁with ▁in ▁Mal ay . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁mid - tw ent ies , ▁O th man ▁W ok ▁went ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁receive ▁further ▁education ▁in ▁a ▁poly techn ic . ▁ ▁O th man ▁was ▁married ▁with ▁four ▁children . ▁His ▁h obb ies ▁included ▁reading ▁and ▁writing ▁g host ▁stories , ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁books ▁being ▁Mal ay an ▁Hor ror : ▁Mac ab re ▁T ales ▁of ▁Singapore ▁and ▁Malays ia ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 0 s , ▁a ▁compilation ▁of ▁stories ▁written ▁by ▁him . ▁O th man ▁has ▁also ▁p enn ed ▁a ▁bi ography ▁titled : ▁" ▁Never ▁in ▁my ▁Wild est ▁Dream s ", ▁as ▁a ▁mem oir ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁experiences . ▁ ▁O th man ▁was ▁considered ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁' Old ▁Guard ' ▁- ▁the ▁first ▁generation ▁of ▁leaders ▁of ▁independent ▁Singapore . ▁ ▁O th man ▁completed ▁military ▁service ▁( called ▁National ▁Service ▁in ▁Singapore ) ▁with ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Def ence ▁Force ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁holding ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁major . ▁He ▁also ▁retired ▁from ▁politics ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁He ▁held ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Director