Board to probe drowning incident in camp to be set up soon, says army chief

PORT DICKSON: The Malaysian Army will soon set up a board to investigate a drowning incident involving two victims at a training pool of an army camp in Temerloh, Pahang, that happened on Friday (Jan 26).

Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan said the board would investigate various angles, including factors related to the facility's control.

He said the members would identify the witnesses and how the victims managed to break into the facility as it is fenced off.

"...This training centre is locked and fenced up," he told reporters after the passing out parade of young male soldiers at the Army Basic Training Centre, which involved 1,436 soldiers on Saturday (Jan 27).

Muhammad Hafizuddeain said the pool would usually be empty, but it was filled with water for training purposes and due to the accumulation of rainwater.

"All military training grounds are restricted zones except for army personnel," he said, adding that TDM would assess the need to provide better recreational facilities for children at army camps.

Expressing sadness over the incident, he said they had assisted the families of the victims to facilitate their funeral arrangements.

Two boys aged 11 and 13, believed to be the children of the camp's army personnel, were found drowned in the 2.1m deep training pool.

Meanwhile, he said the army always takes proactive measures to encourage people from various ethnic groups to join, including improving the service schemes to be more competitive with other government agencies.

He said the army also aimed to recruit more diploma holders in various fields for the upcoming intake, in line with the need for more knowledgeable and skilled personnel.

During the graduation ceremony, Muhammad Hafizuddeain presented Corporal Mazlan Abdul Rahman, 35, with the Army Knife Award, the highest recognition for army personnel, for saving two individuals who had recently fallen off the Penang Bridge.

Attached to the Second Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, Mazlan was also promoted to corporal effective today. – Bernama