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SINGAPORE: The family of Captain (Dr) Allan Ooi Seng Teik, who was found dead under a bridge in Melbourne last month, is asking for an inquiry by an independent panel to address some of the late doctor’s concerns about his job.
Responding to a Mindef statement published on March 23, the family said in a letter to the media on Tuesday that these concerns “can only be addressed effectively via an inquiry by an independent panel with oversight powers”.
Through the process, they hope to “help bring possible deficiencies to light in order to avert a similar tragedy and pain to other families”, the letter said.
The 27-year-old Singapore Armed Forces doctor was found under Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge on March 3, after having gone absent without official leave since last October. Capt (Dr) Ooi was reportedly living in the Australian city and ignored repeated calls from family and friends to return home.
In his last email to his family — of which an excerpt was included in Tuesday's letter — the doctor had lamented about his unhappiness at work, complaining about how his bond was unbreakable, among other things.
Mindef had said that upon learning about Capt (Dr) Ooi’s unhappiness, his superior had offered him the option of posting to an appointment he would be interested in, but the doctor apparently did not respond within the agreed two weeks.
The family is asking for details of Capt (Dr) Ooi’s discussions with his superiors about leaving SAF. According to the family, he had written to Headquarters Military Corps in July last year “with the intention of breaking his bond”.
They also questioned why his 12-year bond — which was extended by three years subsequent to a six-month specialist training in Britain — was “subject to policy changes” and “breakable only in ‘strong, extenuating circumstances’ when this was not stated in his contract”.
They wanted to know what these circumstances are. “Other speculative reasons have appeared detracting from the real reasons for his drastic action so plaintively explained by Allan himself,” read the letter.
The family added that Capt (Dr) Ooi was “proud” of his Local Study Award and had “pursued his studies and housemanship enthusiastically”.
- TODAY/yt
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