SCDF ragging death: NSF being pushed into well wasn’t malicious ragging, says station commander who didn’t want it filmed
Lieutenant Kenneth Chong Chee Boon (pictured), 39, is on trial for allegedly aiding a group of servicemen to cause grievous hurt to Corporal Kok Yuen Chin at a fire station. Kok died after he drowned in a pump well.
SINGAPORE — A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer said that he told the men under his charge not to film Corporal Kok Yuen Chin entering a 12m-deep pump well and not to share it on social media.
He also told the court that he did not consider the act as ragging.
Lieutenant Kenneth Chong Chee Boon, 39, is on trial and accused of failing to stop a group of men from pressuring Kok to jump into the well. Kok, a 22-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF), died after he went into the well and did not surface.
Chong was the commander of his team, Rota 3, at the Tuas View Fire Station on May 13, 2018, when the incident happened.
On Tuesday (March 10), under examination from his defence lawyer Wee Pan Lee, Chong testified that he gave the instructions about not filming the incident because the “SCDF management is particular” about the posting of such unofficial activities.
“I did not want any video footage of the ‘kolam (well) activity’ to be circulated, and especially on social media,”
Kok and his teammates had gathered at the fire station’s watch room that evening to celebrate his last duty tour before his National Service stint was to end three days later.
For reaching this milestone, Chong had ordered a cake for the younger man.
A video of the NSF sitting behind the cake, smiling, was played in court on Tuesday, and he was heard expressing his gratitude to everyone in the team.
‘NOT PROFICIENT IN MALAY’
As he gave his speech, a few voices could be heard saying the word “kolam”. Other words uttered in Malay suggested that he be dunked in it.
The atmosphere, as described by Chong, was jovial and Kok was bearing the teasing from his teammates well.
As the men filed out of the room, Chong said he had no inkling that his men were planning to throw Kok into the well.
He told the court that he was not proficient in the Malay language and did not pick up what was said during Kok’s speech that may have suggested that the activity was about to take place.
‘IT WAS NOT RAGGING’
Chong did not follow his men out of the room, but stayed behind and chatted with another colleague.
It was only when he turned his head around and glanced out the window that he noticed a group of men had gathered around the well.
“I opened the window and immediately shouted ‘no filming’ to the people at the pump well,” he said.
When asked why he had shouted that specific instruction, he said: “I assumed they were doing the kolam activity and did not want any footage… circulated outside the fire station.”
Chong’s lawyer then questioned him: “When you told the men no filming — in your mind, did you think they were going to get involved in a ragging activity?”
Chong replied that he did not, because he knew the team’s dynamics well. Furthermore, he equated ragging with malice, and said that there was no malice in this case.
“I know the relationship between (Kok) Yuen Chin and the Rota was very good, and they would not hurt (him)…If Yuen Chin refused to go in, I did not think anyone from the Rota would have forced him into the kolam.”
Chong believed that Kok would have entered the well voluntarily.
The station commander did not think that entering the pump well was dangerous because he had done so himself.
“Before this… there were numerous cases of people entering the pump well, and I do not know of anyone who was hurt,” he said.
He added that he did not know then that Kok was unable to swim.
‘NO DIRECTIVES TO SAY IT’S PROHIBITED’
Continuing with his questioning, defence lawyer Wee asked his client why he did not want the act filmed if he thought that Kok was entering the well voluntarily.
Chong replied that although he viewed the act as a form of teasing, he felt that his superiors would view it “negatively”.
Mr Wee, who noted that SCDF had previously issued instructions prohibiting ragging, then asked: “Have you seen any directive from headquarters or your superiors, orally or in writing, that absolutely nobody is to go into the kolam?”
Chong said that he did not and reiterated that he did not view Kok being dunked into the well as ragging, which is prohibited and punishable, since no malice was involved.
Three other SCDF officers have been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in Kok’s death.
Nazhan Mohamed Nazi, 41, a First Senior Warrant Officer, and Chong’s deputy commander, has also claimed trial against similar charges. His case is still pending.
