SINGAPORE — After pushing Corporal Kok Yuen Chin into a 12m-deep pump well last year, where he later died from drowning, Staff Sergeant Muhammad Nur Fatwa Mahmood began suffering from nightmares and insomnia.

The 34-year-old told the court on Tuesday (June 11) that he still carries guilt, and blames himself for the fatal incident.

Fatwa, who had earlier been convicted in relation to Corporal Kok's death, is the prosecution’s second witness in the trial of two commanders involved in the death of Corporal Kok, 22, who drowned on May 13 last year just as he was about to finish serving his National Service in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

First Senior Warrant Officer Nazhan Mohamed Nazi, 41, and Lieutenant Chong Chee Boon Kenneth, 38, are both accused of aiding a group of servicemen to cause grievous hurt, by not preventing them from making Corporal Kok enter the 12m-deep well, which contained 11m of water. Both have claimed trial.

Chong was the commander of Corporal Kok’s team, Rota 3, at Tuas View Fire Station, while Nazhan was the deputy commander.

In response to media queries, an SCDF spokesperson said that both of the accused men have been “interdicted” — that is, barred — from service since July 28 last year.

"PUT" ANOTHER OFFICER INTO SAME WELL

While on the witness stand, Fatwa testified that he and two fellow officers once "put" another officer into the pump well, or “kolam” (in Malay), at Tuas View Fire Station. The officer was about to be transferred to SCDF headquarters.

When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Kumaresan Gohulabalan whether he faced disciplinary action for that, he said he did not. He also said he was “not so sure” whether he considered the May 13 incident an act of ragging — a term that refers to a kind of initiation ritual.

In October last year, Fatwa was sentenced to 12 months and four weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to two offences related to Corporal Kok’s death. He is currently serving the remainder of his sentence in home detention, and is slated to complete his sentence next month.

The Hazardous Materials (hazmat) specialist has been interdicted from service since May 17 last year — four days after the incident.

‘A CHEERFUL PERSON, SMILED ALWAYS’

DPP Kumaresan also took Fatwa through the events of the day, starting from the roll call, or attendance-taking, at 8am.

An officer had told Fatwa that it was Corporal Kok’s last duty, so Fatwa “joked around that he would enter the kolam”. Doing so was meant to celebrate an occasion, such as someone being posted out of the fire station, Fatwa testified.

He recalled that Corporal Kok made a speech there too, saying he “loves us” and “thank you for everything”.

“He was a cheerful person, smiled always. He knows when someone’s scolding or giving strict words, but he just smiles and says okay. He doesn’t show any anger or any type of sadness. I liked him because he helped me a lot, for example during (an audit of the station),” Fatwa told the court.

He and other officers again teased Corporal Kok about going into the pump well later that day, such as in the locker room where they rested after their morning equipment check.

Later that evening, the team celebrated Corporal Kok’s last duty tour with a cake and plaque in the watch room. Some of them, including Fatwa and the prosecution’s first witness Al-Khudaifi Chang, then carried him out to the pump well.

Fatwa testified that he thought Corporal Kok would enter the well voluntarily, as he was being carried. There were no plans to throw him in.

Staff Sergeant Chang said on Monday that he thought they were “just trying to scare” Corporal Kok, not actually throw him in.

When they reached the well, Fatwa said that Nazhan told Corporal Kok that if he could not swim, he could “jump near the edge of the kolam”. Nazhan then left to go back to the watch room.

Closed-circuit television footage played in court showed Corporal Kok eventually sitting on the edge of the well. Fatwa then moved behind him, and suddenly pushed him in with his hand.

When DPP Kumaresan asked why he needed to do that, Fatwa replied: “In the first instance, I thought he was going in voluntarily. Then Farid told me to push him.”

First Warrant Officer Mohamed Farid Mohd Saleh, 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.

In total, 5 SCDF officers have been hauled to court over the death. Apart from Fatwa, Farid, Nazhan and Chong, Staff Sergeant Adighazali Suhaimi, 32, was charged and subsequently sentenced to one month's jail last December for deleting the video footage of Corporal Kok being pushed into the pump well.

DIDN’T KNOW DEPTH OF WELL

Fatwa and four other officers then tried to dive into the well when Corporal Kok did not resurface.

Fatwa had not gone into a well at Tuas View Fire Station before, and did not know the well was 12m deep. He said he also did not know that Corporal Kok could not swim.

Staff Sergeant Ng Meng Kiat ended up being the one who found Corporal Kok at the bottom of the well, after diving through a small hole.

Chong’s lawyer, Mr Wee Pan Lee, questioned Fatwa on his state of mind after the incident. Fatwa said he had nightmares and insomnia, and had visited a psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health twice to “relax himself”.

While he was prescribed medication, he said he did not take it.

“Is the feeling of guilt still with you?” Mr Wee then asked.

“Yes,” Fatwa replied.

“In a sense, you blame yourself for the incident?” the lawyer questioned. Fatwa said yes.

The trial continues.