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joined the training. Also, they were not informed of the outcome of
the investigations. SUHAKAM was informed that the Board of Inquiry
(BOI) conducted an internal investigation into the death. The Camp
Commandant explained that he had informed the next-of-kin of
the findings of the report verbally during his visit to the house of the
deceased to hand over a cheque from Tabung Amanah.
SUHAKAM found that the BOI interviewed several cadets who left
the training halfway but did not incorporate their statements in the
report. SUHAKAM also interviewed these witnesses. The outcome of
the inquiry was that there was an incident of human rights violation
before the cadet died.
iii. Allegation of no action by the Police
The complainant claims that the police did not conduct any
significant investigation because they informed the next-of-kin it was
a case of sudden death and that there were no criminal elements,
even before their investigations. SUHAKAM was informed that as there
were no criminal elements the case was assigned to an Investigation
Officer (IO) from the non-Criminal Investigation Branch. The IO said
that he did not find any criminal elements and, if he had, he would
have informed the Criminal Investigation Division to take over the
case. The IO said he interviewed 25 witnesses from the KDSI but
not the cadets who left the training halfway. The IO completed his
investigation and submitted the investigation paper to the Deputy
Public Prosecutor (DPP) and the DPP ordered an inquest. The inquest
began on September 24, 2019.
iv. Allegation of coercion during a water-based activity
The Complainant claims that the deceased and other cadets were
forced to walk into a muddy swamp and that the trainers forcibly
submerged the cadets into the mud. By doing so, perhaps, the
deceased might have drunk the water and bacteria or germs from
the swamp water might have been one of the factors causing
his death.
SUHAKAM found that the activity in the muddy swamp was during
orientation and part of the resilience activity. Based on statements
taken from the cadets, they were not submerged in the muddy
swamp forcibly by the trainers. They said they completed the activity
by themselves and the water level was up to the hip of an average
person. This activity lasted a short period.