KUALA LUMPUR: An investigation committee has found no evidence of abuse in the death of trainee cadet Syamsul Haris Shamsudin during training at the army basic training centre (Pulada) in Johor.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who disclosed this, said the committee’s findings involved input from several other ministries, including Home, Health and Higher Education.
He said the July 28 incident occurred a day after the 22-year-old began training, adding that all training activities were carried out according to established guidelines and procedures.
“Testimonies from over 30 witnesses, including trainees and instructors, confirmed that the training followed the prescribed procedures, and that no abuse was reported,” he told reporters after attending the Malaysian Armed Forces Education Excellence Awards ceremony here yesterday, Bernama reported.
From a medical perspective, he said a post-mortem conducted at Hospital Kota Tinggi, attended by military medical personnel, confirmed that all initial aid given to the trainee complied with standard operating procedure.
“The hospital report also confirmed there were no signs of injury on the body, consistent with police investigation findings.
“The cause of death will be determined after the full report is available, which is expected to take one to two months,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled said the incident should not be linked or compared to the recent death of a student in Sabah, and that the ministry would extend full cooperation if there were indications of abuse or criminal elements.
Syamsul Haris, of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Reserve Officers Training Unit (Palapes), was undergoing combat inoculation training at the Ulu Tiram Pulada. He was scheduled to complete his training on Aug 2.
Meanwhile, Johor police have recorded statements from 22 individuals on the case.
State police chief Comm Ab Rahaman Arsad said they included the victim’s family members, fellow trainees and coaches.
“We also recorded statements from doctors who carried out the initial medical checks and the one who did the post-mortem on the deceased,” he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here yesterday.
He said police were awaiting the full post-mortem report from Kota Tinggi Hospital and analysis from the Chemistry Department on the cause of death.
He said the detailed report would take about a month and once the investigation papers are completed, they will be sent to the deputy public prosecutor’s office for further action.
Meanwhile, UTM said it has noted the press conference held by an NGO together with Syamsul Haris’ relatives on Tuesday and will extend its full cooperation in accordance with the law.
