LENGGONG: The Malaysian Army is still conducting an internal investigation into the death of a 22nd Commando Regiment member from the Grup Gerak Khas, with the matter currently under review by a board of inquiry set up by the force.
Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan said preliminary findings suggest the incident may have involved issues related to the equipment used at the time.
"Early findings show that the equipment involved was rather old, which could have been a contributing factor.
"We are also carrying out a full audit and further investigation to determine whether the incident was caused by equipment failure or human error," he said after officiating the final assault and closing ceremony of the 2025 Keris Strike Exercise at Felda Lawin Selatan earlier on Tuesday (July 29).
On July 3, Cpl Mohd Haswansir Julnasir, 30, died during Exercise Seaghost Series 1/2025 in the waters off Kuantan, Pahang.
He was reported missing around 12.15 pm while conducting a dive using a closed-circuit breathing apparatus. His body was recovered by rescue teams on July 5, at approximately 10 am.
Commenting further, Muhammad Hafizuddeain said the military adheres to scheduled maintenance procedures for all equipment and weaponry based on their service lifespan.
"Every asset has a life-cycle policy of typically 10 or 20 years and is subject to regular maintenance.
"We are currently reviewing whether these maintenance protocols were followed, and the investigation timeline will depend on the complexity of the issues involved," he said.
He acknowledged that the Malaysian Army faces challenges in managing ageing assets, many of which are legacy systems such as older vehicles and support equipment.
Nonetheless, he said the Army continues to carry out thorough maintenance to ensure operational readiness remains at an optimal level. – Bernama
