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SCDF ragging death: NSF’s last words were ‘Cannot, Encik’

SINGAPORE — Just before he was pushed into the 12m-deep pump well, Corporal Kok Yuen Chin’s last words were: “Cannot, Encik” (“Cannot, Sir”).

(From left): Mohamed Farid Mohd Saleh, Muhammad Nur Fatwa Mahmood, Chong Chee Boon Kenneth, Adighazali Suhaimi and Nazhan Mohamed Nazi. Adighazali took the witness stand on Monday (June 17) to walk the court through the final moments leading up to Corporal Kok Yuen Chin being pushed into a pump well, in which he drowned.

(From left): Mohamed Farid Mohd Saleh, Muhammad Nur Fatwa Mahmood, Chong Chee Boon Kenneth, Adighazali Suhaimi and Nazhan Mohamed Nazi. Adighazali took the witness stand on Monday (June 17) to walk the court through the final moments leading up to Corporal Kok Yuen Chin being pushed into a pump well, in which he drowned.

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SINGAPORE — Just before he was pushed into the 12m-deep pump well, Corporal Kok Yuen Chin’s last words were: “Cannot, Encik” (“Cannot, Sir”).

Up till that point, the 22-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF), who ultimately drowned in the well, had been fending off comments by his colleagues from the Singapore Civil Service Force (SCDF). They had asked if he was ready to jump in, and told him to “take off your clothes” for a “shower”.

These final moments of Corporal Kok’s life, which took place on May 13 last year, were replayed during the testimony of Staff Sergeant Adighazali Suhaimi on Monday (June 17), as he took the witness stand as a prosecution witness on the sixth day of the trial of Corporal Kok’s team commanders.

Adighazali was asked questions about four videos that were previously shown in court, including one he took on his mobile phone at the well on the day of the incident that led to Corporal Kok’s drowning.

Corporal Kok, who did not know how to swim, was pulled out of the well about half an hour after he was pushed in.

His team commanders, Lieutenant Chong Chee Boon Kenneth, 38, and First Senior Warrant Officer Nazhan Mohamed Nazi, 41, are contesting their charges for not preventing their subordinates from making Corporal Kok enter the well.

Chong was the commander of Rota 3 at Tuas View Fire Station, while Nazhan was the deputy commander.

Adighazali, a Hazardous Materials (hazmat) specialist, pleaded guilty in December last year to intentionally obstructing the course of justice by deleting the video later that evening, while he was in the locker room waiting for the police to arrive.

The 33-year-old has since served one month in jail, and has been interdicted from SCDF service since July 29, 2018.

‘HAVE TO JUMP IN’

On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheryl Yeo quizzed Adighazali on four videos depicting the incident.

Two were closed-circuit television footage of the yard where the pump well was, as well as of the well.

The other two were taken on mobile phones — one by another officer at the fire station’s watch room, and another taken by Adighazali in the minutes leading up to Corporal Kok being pushed in.

Earlier that evening, a group of SCDF officers, including Chong and Nazhan, had gathered at the watch room to celebrate Corporal Kok’s last duty tour before his National Service stint was to end three days later.

In the watch room, someone told Corporal Kok: “Take off your clothes… walk.”

While Adighazali could not identify who said that, he said the person was indicating to the NSF to go to the well.

Adighazali himself told Corporal Kok in Malay: “You have to bathe”, while another officer said: “Have to shower.”

He also identified Staff Sergeant Muhammad Hazwan Hassan as having said in Malay: “Go in yourself or others will put you in (the well).” Corporal Kok had laughed in response.

Hazwan, an SCDF regular and fellow hazmat specialist, was among eight officers who were present during the incident, but were not charged in court.

Adighazali told the court that at the pump well, Staff Sergeant Hazwan had said to Corporal Kok: “Okay, I push you.”

Someone then told Corporal Kok to sit down and to “let the fish bite your toes”.

Adighazali testified that there were two catfish in the well — something they realised when they had sucked the water out of the well while trying to find Corporal Kok.

Before Corporal Kok was pushed in, Adighazali had also quoted in Malay a line from a popular P Ramlee movie that translates to: “Live difficult, die also difficult. Have to jump in."

About 10 seconds later, Hazwan asked Corporal Kok if he was ready, to which he replied in Malay: “Belum, Encik” (“No, Sir”).

Staff Sergeant Muhammad Nur Fatwa Mahmood, another officer gathered at the well, then told him not to worry as Corporal Sok Leng, who was a swimming instructor, was around.

Staff Sergeant Al-Khudaifi Chang also said in Malay: “(Even if you are) shocked, you still have to go in”, while someone else asked Corporal Kok if he wanted to remove his pants.

Eventually, the NSF responded to all the ragging with: “Cannot, Encik.” At that point, Fatwa pushed him into the well.

When Fatwa took the stand last week, he told the court that First Warrant Officer Mohamed Farid Mohd Saleh had told him to do so.

He added that he thought Corporal Kok would enter the well voluntarily and that the group had no plans to throw him in.

Farid 35, has been charged with abetting Fatwa by instigating him to push Corporal Kok into the well. He is intending to contest the charge, with his trial to begin separately next month.

Fatwa is currently serving the last month of his 13-month jail sentence in home detention.

The trial continues on Monday afternoon.

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SCDF court crime ragging

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