Aloysius Pang is coming home. The body of the deceased reservist national serviceman was transported onto a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) aircraft early this morning at Auckland Airport and departed for Singapore soon after, Channel NewsAsia reported.
Yesterday, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen issued his first public statement since the death of the local TV actor, extending condolences to his family on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces.
“Our grief counselors are on the ground to comfort the family,” he wrote. “But I know that no words or deeds can relieve their sorrow or replace their loss. I hope and pray that the passage of time will bring them some comfort.”
Ng also affirmed that safety processes are being reviewed right now, with training and exercise tempo within the SAF being reduced to let every unit have enough time to do so.
His comments were issued after a press conference yesterday where SAF’s senior commanders explained what they knew so far about the incident that led to the 28-year-old’s demise on Wednesday night.
The sequence of events
An Armament Technician from the 268th Battalion Singapore Artillery, Corporal First Class (National Service) Pang had been involved in an annual SAF exercise in New Zealand’s Waiouru Training Area. Last Saturday afternoon, the Pang had been tasked to repair a suspected fault in the gun barrel of a Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer, a mobile artillery unit.
The barrel of the howitzer had been lowered and Pang was said to have been unable to dart away from the end of the gun barrel as it moved inside the cabin. He was subsequently caught between the end of the gun barrel and the interior of the cabin, crushing his abdomen and causing major trauma to his organs.
His condition turned critical in hospital and he succumbed to his injuries even after undergoing multiple surgeries.
Public memorial service
According to Pang’s elder brother, his family is considering holding a public memorial service for the actor.
A familiar figure in multiple Mandarin TV series here since he was a boy, Pang has received a huge wave of tributes and eulogies on social media following news of his death. Pang’s talent manager mentioned to the media last night that a memorial service could be held to allow the actor’s fans and loved ones to say goodbye.
