The first of five Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers charged with the death of a full-time national serviceman has been sentenced to a year and four weeks in jail yesterday, according to media reports.
Staff Sergeant Muhammad Nur Fatwa Mahmood is the man who pushed Corporal Kok Yuen Chin into the 12m-deep pump well at Tuas View Fire Station, leading to the 22-year-old’s subsequent drowning and death. SSG Fatwa pleaded guilty to causing death by a rash act as well as abetting the obstruction of justice — the 33-year-old had asked a colleague to delete a recorded video of the incident from his mobile phone.
Back in May, CPL Kok died in a farewell celebration gone wrong. To commemorate his last day in national service, his colleagues urged him to take part in a long-held “kolam” tradition among firefighters, in which the outgoing personnel is dunked into the fire station’s pump well — a 12m-deep reservoir meant for the training and testing of fire engine water pumps.
The court heard that a group of at least 13 SCDF officers had gathered in a room at the fire station to celebrate CPL Kok’s last day. Well-liked among his colleagues, he was presented with a plaque and cake.
SSG Fatwa then suggested that CPL Kok take part in “kolam”, which then sparked off others to chant “kolam” as well. Despite CPL Kosignalingng that he wasn’t willing, SSG Fatwa and two other officers carried him to the well. The NSF kept saying in Malay “don’t encik, don’t”.
Once there, his colleagues placed him at the edge of the pump well and egged him to jump in the water. Someone told him to sit down at the edge, which he did. Still, he would not enter. Some of his squad mates knew that he was afraid of water, and could not swim.
SSG Fatwa — who didn’t know that CPL Kok could not swim — shoved the young man from behind. The NSF failed to re-surface in the water.
Eight seconds since he was pushed into the well, an officer jumped into the water and tried to rescue him. Some jumped in but failed to find CPL Kok while others started using a fire engine suction pump to extract the water out from the well. Some donned breathing apparatus to dive deeper. Soon enough, the unconscious man was found and was pulled out of the water. Attempts to revive him failed, and he was pronounced dead about two hours since he was pushed in.
In court, SSG Fatwa’s lawyer provided testimonials from the man’s family, friends and people who were under his charge, all of whom asked for mercy, Channel NewsAsia reported. The SCDF regular was also noted to have confessed quickly, admitting his offenses to the court and pleading guilty to his charges.
After the sentencing, CPL Kok’s father spoke to reporters and mentioned that no matter what the jail term is, his son is not coming back.
