SCDF ragging death: I would have stopped the ‘dangerous act’, says former fire station commander
Major Huang Weikang said he would have stepped in to stop Corporal Kok Yuen Chin from being carried to a 12m-deep pump well if he was present that day.
SINGAPORE — The former Tuas View Fire Station commander has testified that he would have stepped in to stop Corporal Kok Yuen Chin from being carried to a 12m-deep pump well if he was present that day.
It was “an act of ragging and a dangerous act” which should be prohibited, added Major Huang Weikang, who took the stand on Thursday (June 13).
Lieutenant Chong Chee Boon Kenneth, 38, and First Senior Warrant Officer Nazhan Mohamed Nazi, 41, are on trial for allegedly not preventing their subordinates from making Corporal Kok enter the well.
Corporal Kok, who did not know how to swim, was allegedly pushed into the well, and drowned. The 22-year-old was about to finish serving his National Service (NS) in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Major Huang was their boss then, before he took on the role of senior fire investigator in December last year.
When the incident happened at about 9pm on May 13 last year, Major Huang was not at the station as his working hours were over at 4.30pm.
Chong was the commander of Corporal Kok’s team, Rota 3, at Tuas View Fire Station, while Nazhan was the deputy commander.
On Wednesday, it emerged that Chong admitted in a police statement that he knew his subordinates were “going to make (Corporal Kok) go into the well”, when he saw them gathered there.
CCTV, MOBILE PHONE FOOTAGE SHOWN IN COURT
On Thursday, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kumaresan Gohulabalan took Major Huang through the events of the day, as well as what he would have done if he was in Chong’s or Nazhan’s position.
Footages from closed-circuit television cameras and a mobile phone were shown in court.
A group of Rota 3 officers, including Chong and Nazhan, had gathered at the fire station’s watch room to celebrate Corporal Kok’s last duty tour before his NS stint was to end three days later.
The word “kolam” (“well” in Malay) was mentioned in the watch room. Several officers then carried Corporal Kok out to the pump well.
Major Huang told the court that if he was one of the team commanders, he would have put two and two together, and figured out that Corporal Kok would enter the well.
After the incident, Major Huang received a call from Chong while he was at home and returned to the fire station shortly after.
“I would have stopped it because this is, in my opinion, an act of ragging and a dangerous act,” he testified. “As a rota commander, your words are command. You could just talk to them.”
He noted that Corporal Kok had also removed his personal belongings, such as his wallet and mobile phone, while at the edge of the well.
“If it was just harmless teasing (about kolam), you don’t need to open the pump well gate. You don’t need to ask someone to take out their valuables. Just tease him and go about your other activities. You wouldn’t need to walk towards the kolam,” he said.
WHAT IS RAGGING?
DPP Kumaresan earlier questioned Major Huang about what he thought ragging was. The prosecutor referred to a paragraph in the SCDF manpower disciplinary instruction manual, which is available on the SCDF online portal.
“Any form of ragging on any personnel of SCDF is prohibited. This includes all unauthorised or informal actions such as welcoming initiation ritual for newly posted personnel or farewell ritual for servicemen going to ORD (operationally ready date) and personnel who are retiring or resigning from service,” DPP Kumaresan read out.
Major Huang said that he understood ragging to include “any action — physical or verbal, or that causes bodily harm”.
Whether the victim was an unwilling or willing participant, it would still constitute ragging, he added.
‘UNABLE TO MAKE OUT WHO WAS WHO’
Moments before Corporal Kok was pushed into the well, Chong was in the watch room, and he was said to have stuck his head out of the window and told his men not to film anything.
Chong’s lawyer, Mr Wee Pan Lee, asked Major Huang whether he could identify the men gathered around Corporal Kok if he looked out from the watch room. The witness said he would have been able to identify some.
Mr Wee said: “It is my case that when Chong looked out of the control room window... he was unable to make out who was who and what was going on.”
“Yes, there is a possibility,” Major Huang replied. “At night, it is not as illuminated as daytime and with one quick glance at the crowd of people he might not make out who is there and what is happening.”
The trial continues on Friday. Prosecutors will call forensic pathologist Dr George Paul, who conducted the autopsy on Corporal Kok, as the next witness.
