Five charged over hazing-linked death in Singapore

FIVE Singapore emergency services officers were charged Wednesday in relation to the death of a national serviceman reportedly linked to hazing rites.

The victim, 22-year-old Kok Yuen Chin, died in May after he was allegedly pushed into a 12-metre (39.6-foot) deep pump well at a fire station, court documents said.

Local media said Kok and his squad mates were marking the impending end of their mandatory two-year national service at the Singapore Civil Defence Force, and one of the rites involved was getting into the well.

Kok did not resurface after he was pushed in and his body was eventually pulled out after the water was drained, the media reports said.

Able-bodied male Singaporeans and permanent residents are required to undergo two years of national service upon turning 18.

They can either serve in the military, the police or the civil defence force, the city-state’s main agency in charge of pro- viding emergency services.

Civil defence force officer Muhammad Nur Fatwa bin Mahmood was charged with committing a rash act by pushing Kok into the well, “causing him to suffer death by drowning”, a charge sheet showed.

He was also charged with abetting the obstruction of justice by asking a fellow officer to delete a mobile phone video recording of the victim being pushed into the well.

Police said the video was relevant to their investigation.

Officer Adighazali bin Suhaimi was charged with obstructing justice by deleting the video of the pushing on his phone, while the rest were charged for various roles that led to the tragedy.

Despite strict laws, initiation and hazing rites in various degrees are known to happen in Singapore. They are usually held to mark milestones, like entering university or completing national service.

Causing death by a rash act is punishable with a maximum jail term of five years and a fine or both. AFP