If the heart of a ship is its engine, then ME3 Malcolm Tan is the man who keeps its pulse healthy: he makes sure both vessel and crew are in top shape.

Ten years ago, Senior Lieutenant Colonel (SLTC) (Ret) Tan Wei Min, the first Commanding Officer (CO) of Formidable-class frigate RSS Supreme, set sail for the RIMPAC exercise off the coast of Hawaii, United States.