14-year-old jumps to his death after unaccompanied police interrogation for Molest

[kuasimi]

Martyn See
March 6 ·


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

The PAP has a long and nasty record of dishing out personal attacks and name calling. It is a tradition that first began with Lee Kuan Yew labelling his opponents at the Barisan Sosialis "Communists", which resulted in the arrest, detention, torture and stigmatisation of thousands of Singaporeans, in particular Chia Thye Poh who lost 32 years of his life to imprisonment without trial.

Name calling by the PAP is no child's play, especially when the party has full control over the local media. As Francis Seow once noted, "Give a dog a bad name and hang it." It can have devastating effects on families and can break lives.

The late JB Jeyaretnam was called "mangy dog", "skunk" and "street hustler" by LKY, who proceeded to bankrupt and crush him, with full co-operation of the entire system.

Labelled a "Marxist" in 1987, Vincent Cheng was locked up and suffered blows to his abdomen til he coughed blood.

Labelled an "Anti-Christian Chinese Chauvinist", Tang Liang Hong had his assets seized and was exiled, leaving his wife and daughter in mental duress.

Labelled a "political gangster" and "psychopath" by LKY, Chee Soon Juan was prosecuted, bankrupted, mocked and maligned for 20 years of his political and personal life.

During the LKY era, personal attacks were often amplified by the media. When Chee was called a "psychopath", Chua Lee Hoong quoted unnamed medical experts in an entire article to support LKY's diagnosis of the former psychology lecturer.

In the post-LKY era, the dirty work has largely been farmed out to a shadowy brigade of keyboard lynch mobs. Sometimes operating under a shroud of pseudonymity, character assassinations have since taken an even nastier tone.

Recent recipients of such venom include not just opposition politicians (Vincent Wijeysingha, Yaw Shin Leong, Nicole Seah) but lawyers (M. Ravi), bloggers (Roy Ngerng, Kirsten Han), rights activists (Jolovan Wham, Gilbert Goh), website editors (TRS, TOC) and now even parents seeking justice for their dead children.

Next to detention without trial and legal suits, launching personal attacks is PAP's most effective strategy to silence and crush its critics. And it has also worked wonders in perpetuating a culture of self-censorship. No one likes to have his personal life exposed to all and sundry as a consequence for merely challenging the authorities.

But the complete impunity enjoyed during the LKY era is now gone. Politicians who engage in gutter politics are now as vulnerable as the opponents they target. For everytime Chan Chun Sing attacks Chee Soon Juan, the gut reaction of netizens is to reciprocate with even lower blows against the minister. For everytime K. Shanmugam threatens a critic, the subject of his divorce gets another airing. For every Yaw Shin Leong, there is always a Michael Palmer waiting to be found out.

But will the PAP elevate itself from such an-eye-for-an-eye political discourse?

Highly unlikely. Personal attacks and name-calling has proven to serve the PAP very well over the decades. It is very much in the party's DNA. To extricate it from itself, it needs to re-evaluate and denounce LKY's use of such a method to crush opponents. No one is betting on that to happen.

[kuasimi]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater





Martyn See
March 4 ·


This heart wrenching letter from Mdm Felicia Seah to her deceased son Dominique Sarron Lee was published in full or at length by the following online news sites within a day.

All Singapore Stuff
Independent Sg
Yahoo News
Mothership Sg
Mustsharenews
Coconuts.sg
Scoopnest.sg
Temasek Review Emeritus
World of Buzz
Redwire Times
Asian Correspondent

But not

Straits Times
Today
CNA

And you wonder why people are turning away from the mainstream media to alternative online sites?

[kuasimi]

We want accountability from MINDEF: Family of Dominique Lee


Nicholas Yong
March 8, 2016

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/we-want-ac...035729646.html


The late Dominique Sarron Lee. Photo courtesy of MINDEF.

The family of the late Dominique Sarron Lee has written an open letter in response to the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) statement on the national serviceman’s untimely demise, saying that it was still seeking clear answers from the Ministry of Defence.

In a note on the Facebook page In memory of Dominique Sarron Lee, the family said that the lawsuit it filed against the SAF was not about money, but about getting answers to their questions. “We would not have taken the legal route had MINDEF been fully ‘committed to assisting and providing’ us with the answers we seek,” they wrote.

Pte Lee, 21, died in 2012 following an allergic reaction during a training exercise that involved the use of smoke grenades. His mother, Felicia Seah, filed a suit last year against the SAF, platoon commander Captain Najib Hanuk Muhamad Jalal and Captain Chia Thye Siong, for negligence.

On 3 March, the suit was struck out on grounds that there was no reasonable cause of action that led to Pte Lee’s death, and Seah ordered to pay the defendants’ legal costs of $22,000. But yesterday (7 Mar), Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said his ministry should waive the costs, as there was no need to “add to the pain and anguish of the family”.

Hours before Dr Ng’s statement, Brigadier General Chan Wing Kai, Commander Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), said that while no criminal charges were brought against the two officers, administrative and disciplinary actions have been taken against them. The SAF has also extended support to Pte Lee’s family by disbursing welfare grants. It also made an offer of compensation.

BG Chan added, “SAF personnel can be charged and punished in the criminal courts for Penal Code offences of committing rash and negligent acts, even during the course of their military duties. The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), not the SAF, decides if the evidence warrants this course of action.”

But Pte Lee’s family sought clarification on several points in BG Chan’s statement, including:

• What administrative and disciplinary actions were taken against the two officers? The family noted recent Facebook postings that suggested one of the officers was promoted in July 2014, adding that this seemed to be a contradiction of SAF’s assurances the officers had been duly dealt with.

• The Minister for Defence said in his Parliamentary Statement of November 2012, that a Commission of Inquiry had concluded the two officers were negligent. But BG Chan stated that the COI “did not find that the two officers were directly responsible for PTE Lee’s death”.

The family added that neither SAF nor MINDEF has fomally apologised to them for the incident that resulted in Pte Lee’s death, despite requesting that Ng apologise directly to his mother. The family claimed, “We were told by the MINDEF representative, in no uncertain terms, that the Minister will never apologise for the incident, nor will any senior official from MINDEF/SAF.”

As an alternative, the family requested that MINDEF pay for the cost of Pte Lee’s tomb as a symbolic gesture, but this was also rejected due to “legal constraints".

The family concluded by noting that it had met with Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan as it was at its “wit’s end”, and not because it was trying to politicise the issue. Over the past three years, it has approached four MPs and even written to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for help.

“All they did was to direct our questions to MINDEF for their reply. Such help is as useful to us, as a comb is to Michael Jordan,” said the family. “How can we continue to trust the government when we now know that they have set lower standards of accountability for themselves in law, when In fact they should set higher standards for themselves?”

They added, “We do not think that Dominique’s death is in any way a matter of national security that requires secrecy. While you are at it, kindly, with our permission, reveal to the public the compensation that you had intended to offer the family, so that all Singaporeans will know how much the life of a promising young man is worth to MINDEF.”

[kuasimi]

Family of PTE Lee denies receiving compensation – Asks MINDEF to reveal how much compensation was offered
By The Independent - March 8, 2016


http://theindependent.sg/family-of-p...n-was-offered/


https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentSG


The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in their clarification on the death of PTE Dominique Sarron Lee said:

“MINDEF and the SAF have been extending help to PTE Lee’s family throughout this period, and remain committed to assisting and providing support to the family. Since the incident, welfare grants have been disbursed, and an offer of compensation has been made to the family, based on the full extent allowed by the compensation legislation. To respect privacy and maintain confidentiality, compensation amounts are not disclosed, but are generally two to four times that of amounts provided under the Work Injury Compensation Act for incidents arising from training and operations.”

The family of the dead soldier in a Facebook post however, have clarified that they have not accepted nor received any compensation from MINDEF. Addressing the members of the public, the family said:

“[…]we would like to clarify that to date, we have not accepted nor received any compensation from MINDEF/SAF for Dominique’s untimely demise. The family has repeatedly rejected offers from MINDEF/SAF to discuss monetary compensation. We have only accepted a funeral grant to defray the cost of the funeral, on the same day Dominique was sent back home in a coffin. This grant, according to the SAF, is not part of the compensation.”

The family has also said that MINDEF has its permission to reveal to the public the compensation that the Ministry had intended to offer the family.

That will tell all Singaporeans “how much the life of a promising young man is worth to MINDEF,” the family said in its post.

Soon after the NSF’s death, the family and some friends dedicated a song to remember the young man.

“Dom (also known as superflydom to his friends) died while serving his country during National Service, but his legacy lives on within those whose lives he touched. This is a dedication to a young man who gave so much to everyone,” the family said.

[kuasimi]

SAF: We have been very kind to deceased NSF’s family so we are not waiving S$22,000 in legal costs
By admin - March 8, 2016 14199

https://www.facebook.com/STReview


http://statestimesreview.com/2016/03...n-legal-costs/





After the High Court ruled that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) cannot be sued for damages in a smoke grenade incident which saw the SAF breaching safety measures, the SAF and two other individual SAF defendents now demand the deceased NSF family to pay legal costs up to S$22,000. In their judgment, the High Court ruled that the plaintiff is to bear the legal costs incurred by the would-be defendents.

In the official media statement, the SAF spokesperson, Brigadier General Chan Wing Kai, also tried to divert blame from the army saying that the deceased Private Dominique Lee had under-declared his asthmatic condition which resulted to his death. BG Chan also justified that the smoke grenades have not resulted “any adverse outcome from the exposure to the smoke” and that the same grenades have been in used since the 1970s. BG Chan continued his own defence saying “Pte Lee’s death…is the first on the SAF’s records in over 30 years of use”.

BG Chan then carried on to say that the Ministry of Defence had waived the legal costs in a previous pre-action discovery application filed by the deceased NSF family, to justify why the SAF is now no longer waiving the recent S$22,000 legal costs. BG Chan also highlighted that the undisclosed compensation awarded to the family is more than sufficient because they are “generally two to four times that of amounts provided under the Work Injury Compensation Act”. However BG Chan did not explain how are incidents in National Service are related to employment compensations when servicemen are not “employees” but conscripts of the army.

BG Chan then claimed it is not true SAF servicemen cannot seek recourse under military rules, however he said this is at the discretion of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

After months of silence, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has however suggested the SAF “should” waive off the legal costs on his Facebook, but there is no confirmation.

[kuasimi]

High Court: Deceased NSF family not allowed to sue SAF despite safety breach
By admin - March 3, 2016 7701 0


http://statestimesreview.com/2016/03...safety-breach/


https://www.facebook.com/STReview


Despite having found breaching safety regulations, the Singapore High Court ruled that the family of the deceased National Serviceman (NSF), Private Dominique Sarron Lee, will not be allowed to sue the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for negligence.

On 17 April, 2012, Pte. Dominque Lee collapsed after suffering breathing difficulties from the six smoke grenades used in the exercise. A Committee of Inquiry (COI) in 2012 delivered their judgment confirming that the SAF breached safety regulations because only a maximum of two smoke grenades were allowed to be used in the exercise. A state coroner’s inquiry in Aug 2013 later confirmed that Pte. Dominque died from inhaling the smoke in the smoke grenades.

Judicial Commissioner Kannan Ramesh dismissed the family’s argument that there was a contract between SAF and Pte Lee and so, his family was entitled to claim damages from SAF for breaching its contractual duty to ensure the highest standards of training safety.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), the family of the deceased serviceman received a lump sum death gratuity, equivalent to 12 months of the last drawn monthly gross salary of a regular of equivalent rank. A regular with a private rank is estimated to earn around S$2,000 a month. Although undisclosed, the compensation for Dominique’s death the family got is estimated to be around S$60,000 after factoring a “special award” which doubles the compensation amount in the event the death happened during training.

[sadfa]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

Family of PTE Lee denies receiving compensation – Asks MINDEF to reveal how much compensation was offered
By The Independent - March 8,


https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentSG


The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in their clarification on the death of PTE Dominique Sarron Lee said:



The family of the dead soldier in a Facebook post however, have clarified that they have not accepted nor received any compensation from MINDEF. Addressing the members of the public, the family said:





Soon after the NSF’s death, the family and some friends dedicated a song to Er6bA[/url]

Please la.

Under saf act, they pay peanuts for death of servicemen Even if dom is confirmed the next messi.

There's no reason for saf to discuss negotiate compensation. Just pay in full according to saf act.

If the mother rejects the cheque so be it. Discuss fuck?? So low already, saf still want discount meh?
If the mother take 50%, saf will high five meh?

[kuasimi]

https://www.facebook.com/The-Alterna...8759327518739/


https://www.facebook.com/cheesoonjua...type=3&theater



Chee Soon Juan
Like This Page · 20 hrs near Singapore ·


Tesla car manufacturer Elon Musk says that he had called PM Lee about the $15,000-surcharge for electric vehicles in Singapore and that Lee had told him that “he would investigate the situation”. If this is true, it is commendable that the PM responded so promptly to Musk's request.

But this morning I also read that Dominique Lee's family had written – repeatedly – to Mr Lee: “We had even written to the Prime Minister several times, pleading for help in getting answers. All they did was to direct our questions to MINDEF for their reply. Such help is as useful to us, as a comb is to Michael Jordan.”

And then there's Benjamin Lim's case. We haven't heard anything from Mr Lee on the unfortunate death of the boy. Why did the PM not weigh in on the matter when it was raised in Parliament? Was he even present?

Mr Lee must remember that he is Dominique's Prime Minister, he is Benjamin's Prime Mnister, he is our Prime Minister. He is not Elon's Prime Minister.

I hope Mr Lee will respond to this awkward situation.

[kuasimi]

DOMINIQUE'S FAMILY: WE SUED MINDEF BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO MAKE PERSONAL APOLOGY FOR DEATH
Submitted by farhan on Tue, 08/03/2016 - 11:02am


https://www.facebook.com/allsgstuff

http://www.allsingaporestuff.com/art...-apology-death





Following the Facebook post by Dominique’s mum, we have been surprised and touched by the show of support and words of encouragement from members of the public. We, the family, would like to sincerely thank those who have given their support and encouragement.

The family would like to clarify our position and address some of the misconceptions that have arisen due to lack of accurate information.

CI AND COI FINDINGS

MINDEF in its Facebook posting today (Key Findings from the Death of PTE Dominique Sarron Lee, 7 March 2016), stated that Dominique’s death was “unlikely to have been predicted”. If this was the case, why then is there a Training Safety Regulation to limit to 2, the number of smoke grenades to be used in the specific exercise that Dominique was involved in to begin with? How did SAF decide on this limit as being within safety regulation of such an exercise?

MINDEF has also repeatedly iterated that the coroner had noted that Dominique “had under played and under declared his asthmatic condition.” Yet the coroner had also opined that asthma had a weak correlation to the allergic reaction that Dominique suffered in the exercise. Furthermore, the Minister for Defence himself had said that even those without asthma may be affected by the effects of zinc chloride. So our question is, did Dominique’s alleged under play and under declaration of his condition contribute directly to his untimely demise? Our layman conclusion is that it does not.

In the Facebook statement, MINDEF stated that “the coroner noted that more smoke grenades than necessary were used during the exercise, but could not ascertain whether the acute allergic reaction was due to concentration and/or the mere exposure of zinc chloride fumes”. We had learnt anecdotally from SAF personnel, immediately after the tragic incident, that Dominique had taken part in a similar exercise before where the TSR had not been breached. This to us, suggests that the fatal allergic reaction occurred due to concentration of rather than mere exposure to zinc chloride fumes, which brings us back to the question of MINDEF’s TSR of 2 smoke grenades as being within safety limits.

If the safety hazard has to do with mere exposure to zinc chloride fumes, then the regulation on the number of smoke grenades would be irrelevant as the grenades should not even be in use at all. In that regard, we would like to ask MINDEF about the new N452 smoke grenades that have be introduced since the incident. How are they an improvement to the previous smoke grenades? Has any test been done to ascertain if the concentration and/or mere exposure to the fumes would result in acute allergic reaction? Can MINDEF/SAF share the safety aspect(s) of such an assessment (if any) with the public? What are the chemical compound(s) found in these new smoke grenades?

It is a fact that Dom died from the effects of the smoke grenades thrown. It is also a fact that the number of smoke grenades thrown exceeded thrice the safety limits. We do not know how more direct a link one can infer from this, about the factors leading to Dominique’s untimely death. The Coroner’s Inquiry is to ascertain the cause of death. The Coroner’s Inquiry does not determine whether or not the 2 officers or MINDEF is/are culpable or not. Can MINDEF kindly make this point clear in its statement? The Minister for Defence, in his Parliamentary Statement in November 2012, stated that the COI concluded that the two officers were negligent. But in the Facebook statement, BG Chan stated that the COI “did not find that the two officers were directly responsible for PTE Lee’s death”. Can MINDEF again, kindly clarify if the Ministerial Statement or the Facebook statement was erroneous?

ACCOUNTABILITY OF MINDEF/SAF

MINDEF/SAF has not apologized formally to the family for the incident resulting in Dominique’s death. We had previously requested that the Minister for Defence offer the apology directly to Dominique’s mum as acknowledgement of the negligence on their part, and of the grief she has suffered, but we were rebuffed. We were told by the MINDEF representative, in no uncertain terms, that the Minister will never apologise for the incident, nor will any senior official from MINDEF/SAF.


Subsequently, we offered an olive branch to MINDEF. Instead of the personal apology, we requested for MINDEF to pay for Dom’s tomb as a symbolic gesture, but this was again rejected. Legal constraints were cited as the reason for the rejection. It is only today (7 March 2016) that we see the first statement of apology from MINDEF in their Facebook statement addressed to the general public.

We have repeatedly asked for details on how the two officers have been dealt with as the Minister for Defence had said in Parliament in November 2012, that they had been negligent in their duties. The COI had also found that they did not comply with safety regulations.

We are not out to persecute the two officers, nor asking for them to be crucified. We do not believe in an eye for an eye. We are only asking for MINDEF/SAF to be accountable. Minister K. Shanmugam himself had said in Parliament in May 2012, that “justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done”.

But MINDEF/SAF has thus far, refused to show us how the justice has been done. All we know for sure from recent Facebook postings by netizens, is that one of the officers was promoted in July 2014. To our layman understanding, this seems to be a contradiction of the assurances by MINDEF/SAF that the negligent officers have been duly dealt with, that justice has been done.

Could MINDEF kindly clarify their statement in the Facebook posting, that ‘‘administrative and disciplinary action against the two officers” have been taken? Please inform the public how the two officers have been “punished according to military law” so that the public can see for themselves that the justice has been served, and not just know it to have been served.

IMPROVEMENTS TO SAFETY

It is of small comfort to the family to know that following Dominique’s death, improvements have been made to ensure the safety of all National Service men, with “the setting up of a Safety and Systems Review Directorate, the convening of a Respiratory Medicine Specialist Advisory Board to review medical classification Asthma, and the deploying of more safety officers on the ground as full-time Unit Safety Officers”, as well as the introduction of “new N452 grenades … to replace the smoke grenades used in that training exercise”. We wish all these safety measures had been in place sooner so that it would not have taken a death, Dominique’s death, for the SAF to realize their lapses in ensuring the safety of all National Service men.

CONTINUE...

[kuasimi]

CONTINUE

DOMINIQUE'S FAMILY: WE SUED MINDEF BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO MAKE PERSONAL APOLOGY FOR DEATH
Submitted by farhan on Tue, 08/03/2016 - 11:02am


https://www.facebook.com/allsgstuff

http://www.allsingaporestuff.com/art...-apology-death





Following the Facebook post by Dominique’s mum, we have been surprised and touched by the show of support and words of encouragement from members of the public. We, the family, would like to sincerely thank those who have given their support and encouragement.

The family would like to clarify our position and address some of the misconceptions that have arisen due to lack of accurate information.


SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY

MINDEF’s statement revealed that we had “previously taken out a pre-action discovery application, which [we] subsequently withdrew” and that the court had “awarded costs to MINDEF”, which they had waived. What the statement does not mention is the fact that the said application was withdrawn because we accepted the AGC’s request to enter a mediation with MINDEF, and the agreement was made on the condition that the legal fees were waived. The mediation did not go as planned as MINDEF was not willing to accede to our request for either the Minister to apologise to the family or MINDEF to pay for Dominique’s tomb. Left with no other recourse, the family made the difficult decision of seeking redress in a civilian court.

We would like to clarify that this law suit has never been about money. It has always been about getting answers to our questions. We would not have taken the legal route had MINDEF been fully “committed to assisting and providing” us with the answers we seek.

To concerned members of the public, we would like to clarify that to date, we have not accepted nor received any compensation from MINDEF/SAF for Dominique’s untimely demise. The family has repeatedly rejected offers from MINDEF/SAF to discuss monetary compensation. We have only accepted a funeral grant to defray the cost of the funeral, on the same day Dominique was sent back home in a coffin. This grant, according to the SAF, is not part of the compensation.

Finally, we would like to appeal to the public be fair to Dr Chee Soon Juan. We had initiated the meeting with Dr Chee as we are at our wit’s end. We do not intend nor wish for this to be a political issue. We had, over the past 3 years, approached no less than 4 PAP MPs, including an anchor Minister and a GPC Chairman for their assistance. We had even written to the Prime Minister several times, pleading for help in getting answers. All they did was to direct our questions to MINDEF for their reply. Such help is as useful to us, as a comb is to Michael Jordan. We are not siding with any political party; we are just seeking answers to get some closure. We only seek accountability from MINDEF and SAF.

We are not asking Singaporeans to change the government; We are asking Singaporeans to demand that the government change the laws to achieve “justice and equality” for all. How can we continue to trust the government when we now know that they have set lower standards of accountability for themselves in law, when In fact they should set higher standards for themselves?

Unlike MINDEF, we do not have a team of lawyers or PR personnel to craft out statements. While their spin doctors spin ambiguities to manage the fiasco that they have created for themselves through their high-handed handling of our case, we can only rely on our own heartfelt responses to speak about what we intrinsically know to be an injustice to not just us, but the people of Singapore. We lay all our cards on the table. MINDEF, we ask that you do the same. Please be transparent. We do not think that Dominique’s death is in any way a matter of national security that requires secrecy. While you are at it, kindly, with our permission, reveal to the public the compensation that you had intended to offer the family, so that all Singaporeans will know how much the life of a promising young man is worth to MINDEF.

Editor's Note:
Do you have a story to share? Please use our submission form or email us at [email protected]. If not, why not give us a 'Like'?

[kuasimi]

DUMB S'POREANS DESERVE THIS UNACCOUNTABLE GOVT THEY FACE, YOU VOTED FOR IT
Submitted by farhan on Tue, 08/03/2016 - 11:42am




http://www.allsingaporestuff.com/art...e-you-voted-it

https://www.facebook.com/allsgstuff






<Facebook post by Ben Matchap>

You people don't want to vote properly, now make noise about the government not being accountable to the people.

Big surprise, but sadly this was what Singaporeans voted for. A government that isn't unaccountable for their actions who face no repercussions for their actions.
But it's ok, Singaporeans have a goldfish memory. When elections come just give free gift, suan opposition, put crap in the media that YOU people lap up like a dog eating its own shit.

Just make all of you feel good with a tad of fear mongering and the good citizens line up like rats to the pipe piper's song.

This is the government we deserve. I fear that Singapore will never majulah from the avusive relationship we have with our government.

It's pretty similar to being in an abusive relationship where the abusive spouse tells you, you are worthless without them and that you will never find anyone better. But when you are about to leave they tell you they will change.

When will we ever learn?

Editor's Note:
Do you have a story to share? Please use our submission form or email us at [email protected]. If not, why not give us a 'Like'?

[kuasimi]

‘Punished’ SAF Captain promoted to Major


https://www.facebook.com/TREmeritus/


http://www.tremeritus.com/2016/03/08...oted-to-major/






In a statement issued on Monday (7th Mar), the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) said that the platoon commander and the chief safety officer of the exercise that resulted in the death of full-time national serviceman (NSF) Dominique Sarron Lee were punished in accordance with military law in 2013.

Dominique’s platoon commander during the exercise was Captain Najib Hanuk Muhamad Jalal, while the safety officer was Captain Jeffery Chia Thye Siong.

According to a Facebook post by Commander of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Brigadier General (BG) Chan Wing Kai, both the Captains were disciplined in 2013, even though they escaped criminal charges.

While the CI and COI (Committee of Inquiry) did not find that the two officers were directly responsible for PTE Lee’s death, the two officers were summarily tried in 2013 for negligent performance of lawful order or duty, found guilty, and punished according to military law.

However, BG Chan did not elaborate on what the punishments were.

‘Punished’ officer promoted to Major

According to a reader who contacted TRE, it is revealed that one of the officers involved in the exercise which resulted in NSF Dominique’s death was promoted within a year or so of his “punishment”.

TRE verified the information from MINDEF’s official website and true enough, safety officer Captain Jeffery Chia Thye Siong was promoted to the rank of Major per this official army news publication, which was released on 14th July 2014.

From information available from official sources, here are the dates and chain of events.

1. Date of Dominique Lee’s death: 17 April 2012
2. Date the officers were punished: Year 2013
3. Date of Captain Chia’s Promotion: July 2014

TRE understands that in uniformed civil service, promotion within a year or so of a “punishment” for a major breach is practically unheard of. Normally one’s promotion would be halted or suspended for years before being re-considered.

Besides, promotion to a Major rank is not automatic and time-based, it has to be endorsed by those at the top and CSC.

Maybe “negligent performance of lawful order or duty” resulting in death is a minor breach, maybe Captain Major Jeffery Chia must have been one hell of an officer who has performed beyond excellence or maybe its just a coincidence that there is another Captain Chia in the SAF with the same name.

What do you think?

[kuasimi]

https://www.facebook.com/wakeupSG/ph...type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/wakeupSG


https://www.facebook.com/TREmeritus/


Wake Up, Singapore
Like This Page · March 6, 2015 ·


Low Thia Khiang raises an excellent question on the role of Singaporeans in leadership in local companies.

[kuasimi]

https://www.facebook.com/theonlineci...type=3&theater

[kuasimi]

SDP: Section 14 of the Govt Proceedings Act must go

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016...s-act-must-go/

https://www.facebook.com/theonlinecitizen/


BY ONLINECITIZEN ON MARCH 9, 2016 LETTERS


The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), in its latest statement penned by its Secretary-General, Dr Chee Soon Juan, calls upon the Singapore Government to remove Section 14 of the Government Proceedings Act (GPA).

The party states that this law unfairly protects the government from being held accountable and “makes no moral sense”.

The press statement by SDP in full

After having met with Dominique Lee’s mother at her request, the SDP is of the view that the case must be reviewed particularly in regards to the Government Proceedings Act (GPA).

According to media reports, the High Court ruled against Dominique’s family, citing Section 14 of the Act that “Nothing done or omitted to be done by a member of the forces while on duty as such shall subject either him or the Government to liability in tort for causing the death of another person, or for causing personal injury to another person, in so far as the death or personal injury is due to anything suffered by that other person while he is a member of the forces…”

The law makes no moral sense. It unfairly protects the government from being held accountable. When the State requires citizens to perform a duty, it cannot declare itself to be free of responsibility and accountability especially when those citizens’ are harmed as a result of its, or its officers’, negligence. This creates moral hazard.

In Dominique’s case, the family is seeking moral restitution. The government, not just the Singapore Armed Forces, has a duty to honour the sacrifice that the soldier has made and assuage the pain that his family has had to endure.

It is inexcusable for the PAP government to hide behind Section 14 of the GPA and absolve itself from its responsibilities over the incident.

Now that this law has come to the public’s attention, which parent would not be nervous about entrusting their sons to the Ministry of Defence knowing that if an incident similar to the one that robbed Dominique from his family were to occur, the PAP would invoke the GPA and not take responsibility? Which NS man will not feel aggrieved that the government is taking such an unjustified stance when he is called to risk his life in defence of this nation? What does this law do to the morale of our troops and, by extension, how will it jeopardise the national security of our country?

We. the citizens of Singapore, will defend our nation and, if need be, give our lives to protect it. But when we do, we would like to know that our government is there with us. And when our lives are taken, we want our government to shed that silent, compassionate tear and to comfort our loved ones and tell them that we did not die in vain.

But it is beyond demoralising when we see this Government take cover behind a law that it crafted to say that it cannot be held accountable if and when we are killed in the line of military duty.

We all know that in this imperfect world mistakes are made. Failures and accidents in the military are a fact of life. Singaporeans are not unreasonable to expect that the Government do everything perfectly.

But when things go wrong, we expect our leaders to – unprompted and without reluctance – step forward and take responsibility. They need to be forthright and transparent with their handling of the aftermath and dedicate themselves to ensuring that the incident does not happen again. In other words, to be accountable.

Dominique’s family cannot get him back no matter what it says and does. His mother has live to with her pain for the rest of her life like only a mother will. Is sorry such a hard word for the PAP to say to her?

For the sake of the nation, Section 14 of the GPA must go. A government that cannot feel compassion for its people cannot make good laws for good laws come from a caring heart, not just a calculative head. The least that our brave and loyal young men deserve is the highest standards of accountability from the government. Section 14 diminishes that accountability.

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party