Ex-SAF commando who stopped terrorists on hijacked SIA plane in 1991 is now a monk

Fred Cheong has had one of the more remarkable "career transitions" in Singapore history.

For over three decades, he served as a Special Forces soldier in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), including a pivotal role in storming a hijacked Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane.

But when he retired in 2013, he embarked on a journey few could have predicted.

Today, he goes by a new name: Venerable Tenzin Drachom. A name given to him by the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama.

Now 62, Drachom is now a Buddhist monk, teaching and meditating at retreats in Singapore and around the world.

His story resurfaced recently following a LinkedIn post shared on Mar. 16.

1991 Singapore Airlines Hijacking

35 years ago, on Mar. 26, 1991, SIA flight SQ117 bound for Singapore was hijacked by four members of the Pakistan People’s Party, shortly after it took off from Kuala Lumpur.

The whole ordeal lasted over nine and a half hours before SAF's Special Operations Force (SOF) commandos stormed the aircraft in the early hours of Mar. 27, 1991, eliminating all four hijackers and freeing every hostage unharmed.

Among the commandos was Drachom, who was handpicked for the SOF in 1984, the LinkedIn post wrote.

Drachom was also one of the few Singaporeans to ever graduate from US Navy SEAL training.

The plane, carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew, had landed at Changi Airport at about 10:30pm.

The hijackers, armed with explosives and knives, demanded to speak with the Pakistani ambassador in Singapore for the release of 11 of their comrades held in Pakistani prisons.

They also ordered the flight crew to fuel the aircraft for a flight to Sydney, and threatened to kill everyone on board, one by one, within five minutes if their demands were not met.

It was then that authorities gave the order.

Commandos in action

The commandos blew the doors, tossed stun grenades, and stormed the aircraft.

Within 30 seconds, all four hijackers were dead. Not a single hostage was harmed.

Drachom's recollection of the operation was described as "almost eerily calm":

"We knew exactly what to do. You cannot go there and start to think. You go there and do what you train for."

Military career

Speaking to CNA back in 2019, Drachom shared that after leaving the SOF in 2006 as commanding officer of the Special Operations Training Centre, he was posted to the Officer Cadet School (OCS) as commander of the Hotel Wing — one of ten wings for Army cadets.

During the years from 2006 to 2012, Drachom helped shape 700 cadets across seven batches into commissioned officers.

In 2012, he was appointed deputy commander of the entire OCS Army wing, before retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel in September 2013 after 32 years of service.

New path

Shortly after retiring, Drachom flew to Dharamsala, India, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk.

In 2017, the Dalai Lama personally gave him the name Venerable Tenzin Drachom.

Having grown up in a Buddhist family, Drachom had practised the faith since his teens, he told CNA.

He added that he studied at the Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Geylang and later became its vice-president.

Even during his military years, he would wake up at 4am each morning to pray before heading to camp.

Buddhism, he said, was his "source of strength", pushing him through the demands of his career.

In an essay titled To my younger self, Drachom reflected on how profoundly his life had changed since his military days.

"You may be pleasantly surprised that you will eventually adopt a plant-based diet.

Armed with mere compassion, you will decide to give up food that you used to love—meat, dairy and eggs."

He drew a parallel between that choice and the same conviction that had carried him through US Navy SEAL training.

Transformation inside

He also wrote of his ordination in 2013, noting that while others may have noticed only the outward changes in his appearance, the deeper transformation was internal.

"Most people will notice only the obvious changes in your physical appearance.

But much greater changes will have taken place inwardly.

Your perception of the world will shift radically from your days in the military.

You will embrace not just your fellow Singaporeans, but all sentient beings."

The meaning behind his name encapsulates his transformation. In Tibetan, dra means delusion and chom means destroyer.

"In the military, I destroyed the enemy outside," he told CNA. "Now I destroy the enemy inside."

Top photos from Joel Chue/LinkedIn and The Birthday Collective