SINGAPORE
Today-May 17
Amid calls for greater transparency on training-related deaths of national servicemen, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced that a member from an external panel scrutinising safety in the armed forces will be involved in Committees of Inquiry (COIs) for all such incidents.
The External Review Panel on Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Safety will also release reports on findings from the COIs to the public, Dr Ng said in a ministerial statement in Parliament on Thursday (May 17).
This process will begin with the case of Corporal First Class (CFC) Dave Lee Han Xuan, a guardsman from the 1st Battalion Singapore Guards who died on April 30 after more than a week in intensive care at the Changi General Hospital. The 19-year-old had displayed signs of heat injury after an 8km fast march in Bedok Camp on the morning of April 18.
Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, who chairs the nine-member external review panel — comprising prominent safety experts and professionals from outside the SAF — had agreed to include one of its members in the COIs for training-related deaths, said Dr Ng. The COIs will also submit their full reports to the panel for “further questions, comments and views”.
The panel will then make public a written report on the findings, the minister added.
Dr Ng said SAF commanders recognise fully the “heavy responsibility” of keeping every soldier safe during National Service (NS) training — both during full-time NS and when a soldier is recalled for reservist training.
“We must strive hard for zero training deaths because any death is one too many,” said Dr Ng, adding that soldiers at every level need to play their part.
The risks associated with training have also risen, with quick exercise tempos and modern military platforms moving at high speeds, said Dr Ng.
Every day, thousands of servicemen navigate challenging conditions and move vehicles in the air, sea and on land, both locally and overseas, he noted. Soldiers, too, are motivated to reach high training standards.
While those in its ranks recognise the increased risks, Dr Ng said the SAF must design its safety systems and enforce them so that training deaths can be eliminated.
Acknowledging that this was a “difficult” goal to achieve, he said: “We must constantly improve the rigor of our safety systems to reach that goal because if we don’t, it may mean another precious son lost to a family.”
The Chief of Defense Force and Service Chiefs have also assured him that safety will get their highest command attention.
Dr Ng reiterated that independent and impartial investigative processes are carried out after every training-related fatality.
This is to determine the key facts, reach appropriate conclusions, and take corrective measures to ensure the mistakes do not recur. These include punishments meted out to the culprits of reckless and negligent acts.
SAF servicemen are liable to be charged and punished in civilian criminal courts, even if they had carried out the acts in the SAF, Dr Ng stressed. These prosecutions are based on independent police probes, with the Attorney-General’s Chambers deciding if there are sufficient grounds to prosecute servicemen.
The Coroner may also hold an inquiry to determine the cause of death and contributing factors. Nevertheless, Dr Ng said the authorities must not discourage commanders or punish unfairly those carrying out their tasks dutifully.
Turning to the case of CFC Lee, the guardsman who died last month, Dr Ng acknowledged that anonymous individuals had levelled accusations at the serviceman’s commanders.
He urged the public, however, to allow the independent COI and police to investigate the circumstances fully and “establish the facts”. “We will deal with any wrongdoing thoroughly.”
An unnamed soldier’s account of the events that transpired before and after the fast march had made its rounds online.
The anonymous soldier, who said he was from the same battalion as the deceased, claimed that CFC Lee’s commanders had shown “reckless behaviour”, forcing him to complete the fast march “even though he was showing signs of extreme physical exhaustion”. He also claimed that they had not allowed the soldiers adequate rest the night before the march.
CFC Lee’s death prompted his mother to call for an immediate halt to “tekan” or punishment sessions in the military, while his aunts urged a “full explanation” from the SAF.
The incident was the first death from heat stroke in nine years. Dr Ng said the SAF is mulling over the use of individual wearables to monitor a soldier’s condition in real time. The Defence Ministry will also commission an external medical panel to review and recommend improvements to the existing system for managing heat injuries, he added.
MPs RAISE CONCERNS OVER ABUSE OF POWER, BROADER SCOPE FOR PANEL
The matter drew widespread interest in the House, with 12 Members of Parliament rising to query Dr Ng on the recent deaths.
Their concerns included commanders’ abuse of power, the channels to report such conduct and broader scope for the external review panel.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang Group Representation Constituency) said the allegations of abuse of power surrounding the recent cases, including CFC Lee’s, were “a little bit troubling”. He suggested that servicemen be given a whistleblower’s channel outside their units, with a direct line to the ministry, in the event of such abuse.
Responding, Dr Ng said the SAF has a 24-hour safety hotline at the servicemen’s disposal and their reports will be attended to.
Emotions are stirred when death occurs and “you’ve many views — some substantiated, some unsubstantiated”, he said.
“If there were people culpable, as our previous COIs showed, they were held responsible,” he said. “So, in any case, in any death, where people are culpable or negligent, they will be dealt with according to criminal law or in our military courts… I want to assure you that this gets topmost priority and top attention in the Defence Ministry and the SAF.”
Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan asked if the external review panel would be given access to reports on incidents or accidents relating to training safety that may not have resulted in a casualty. This would give them an overview of the incidents that occur across the SAF and allow them to suggest how things could be improved.
Dr Ng said full findings from the COIs will be handed over to the panel. “Whether we want to include them to assess serious injuries… certainly if the (panel) feels that they can do more work, I will be happy to ask them if they could also be included.”
Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC), who has a family member serving in the same platoon as the late CFC Lee, asked if the ministry was aware of the motivation levels of the servicemen in the platoon and if the SAF had contacted their families to assure them that safety protocols were in place.
In the wake of the incident, army commanders had engaged the servicemen and family members of the deceased, and also addressed how it would affect his platoon mates, said Dr Ng.
“We have to learn from these lessons that when something wrong happens, does it divide or does it unite? Because no one can guarantee that no such incident will occur in another period, in another time, in another unit,” he said. “We will do our level best to get a zero-fatality system.”
