Even before receiving official news of SMRT trainee Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari’s death on the tracks, some of his family members had already seen a gory close-up picture of his body, which was circulating across social media, forums and WhatsApp.
The image was definitely NSFW — depicting Muhammad Asyraf’s body lying on the track near Pasir Ris MRT station after he was hit and killed by an oncoming train. The photograph itself was a screenshot of a police computer terminal, which also revealed the 24-year-old’s full name and IC number.
The police have confirmed that the individual behind the leak was allegedly their own full-time national serviceman, who is now under investigation for an offence under the Official Secrets Act, The New Paper reports.
“The police deeply regret the insensitive and illegal action of the officer and met with the family today to explain the circumstances surrounding the leakage,” a spokesperson mentioned to queries from the paper on Saturday.
The unnamed police NSF was believed to have shared the image with his family and friends — but clearly it spread beyond the circle as it started appearing across online platforms.
“The Police have strict rules on the management of official information and take a very serious view of any breach,” they added in their statement. “Officers who commit any wrongdoing will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
Aside from Muhammad Asyraf, his 26-year-old colleague Nasrulhudin Najumudin was also a fatal casualty of the accident last Tuesday, when they were deployed to investigate a triggered alarm linked to signalling equipment on tracks. SMRT admitted that a key safety procedure was not followed, leading to the train colliding into the two young staffers.
