The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) confirmed that a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular serviceman was found dead yesterday at Kranji Camp yesterday afternoon.
The 33-year-old man had been found motionless at a stairway landing of a building in Kranji Camp II at 5:10pm yesterday, and the police aren’t suspecting foul play.
“The serviceman was pronounced dead on site at 1730hrs by an SAF medical officer,” Mindef noted in a statement, assuring that his family is being assisted in their time of grief. The police have since classified the case as an unnatural death.
Mindef also made sure to mention that the regular serviceman’s demise is “non-training related” — distinct (but still tragic) from the string of deaths that have plagued Singapore’s system of conscription. It was on Monday that Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen affirmed the need for national service after widespread criticism concerning the deaths of four young servicemen, including a popular actor.
In a statement to parliament, Minister Ng Eng Hen insisted that Singapore “must never give up on national service, that forms the backbone of our SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) for national defense”.
Ng apologized for the deaths and said the SAF and defense ministry were putting in place additional safety measures.
