Singapore betrays the trust and security of soldiers; allows death to go by

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

http://singapore.coconuts.co/2016/03/04/mothers-defeated-plea-her-son-who-died-allergic-reaction-smoke-grenades

"Back in 2012, young Dominique Sarron Lee collapsed with breathing difficulties during a training exercise conducted by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). 

The 21-year-old national serviceman was taken to the National University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause? An allergic reaction to smoke grenades that had been used during the military exercise at Lim Chu Kang's Murai Urban Training Facility. A year after Lee's tragic death, the State Coroner ruled that the young man died from an acute allergic reaction from inhaling zinc chloride fumes, which came from the smoke grenades. 

Enraged, Lee's family sued for negligence on the part of the SAF, his platoon commander Captain Najib Hanuk Muhammad Jalal and the chief of safety officer of the training exercise, Captain Chia Thye Siong. Six smoke grenades had been used instead of the regulation-specified two. 

The lengthy court battle however ended in favour of the SAF yesterday. The High Court threw out the suit after Judicial Commissioner Kannan Ramesh agreed that the incident — though fatal — fell within the provision of Section 14 of the Government Proceedings Act. The act protected the SAF from suits for negligence the deaths or injuries occured during service. 

It was heartbreaking for the Lee family, to say the least. Already having lost a son, the family will now have to pay the SAF for their legal costs. In a post on the Facebook page dedicated to the memory of Dominique, Lee's mother wrote a gut-wrenching missive to her son — a defeated plea of sorts in a depressing end to the saga. "

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

This is just sickening. I will also have to serve compulsory national service in a few years time, reluctantly. This is just an example of the injustices we face in Singapore, a country that claims to be a first-world country that prides itself in safety, equality and wealth, but is still anti-LGBT, propagandistic, oppressive and so on. The government has put down all these laws since our independence to protect their authority, knowing that people won't likely know much about them. That is until something like that happens, and the government can say "**** you, didn't you know about this law?" 

Why should we protect our country if our country doesn't even protect us properly?

More about how i feel about my country:

 

[kizurl 1,801]

This whole saga is just depressing to say the least. I don't fault the SAF entirely because it's not like they intended for this to happen. I believe they've carried out the necessary procedures and safety precautions to prevent this but sadly there's just no fullproof way to prevent accidents. I do find it a little too harsh for the family to pay for their legal costs. I mean c'mon.

 

Btw hello fellow Singaporean..

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

5 minutes ago, kizurl said:

This whole saga is just depressing to say the least. I don't fault the SAF entirely because it's not like they intended for this to happen. I believe they've carried out the necessary procedures and safety precautions to prevent this but sadly there's just no fullproof way to prevent accidents. I do find it a little too harsh for the family to pay for their legal costs. I mean c'mon.

 

Btw hello fellow Singaporean..

Hi! 

To say the least though, I'm probably the least 'Singaporean' of the Singaporeans.

I'm just really tired of this country.

[kizurl 1,801]

1 minute ago, LavendarBlonde said:

Hi! 

To say the least though, I'm probably the least 'Singaporean' of the Singaporeans.

I'm just really tired of this country.

I get how you feel. I'm sure everyone feels this way at a certain point, and increasingly with newer generations to come. But I guess bottom line is that we just can't compare ourselves to other countries like US given our short history and lack of establishment. We are threading such a fine line and we have to all be on the same boat otherwise we'll sink entirely as a nation. A part of me understands the government's approach but many times they've failed to prove their rapport with the citizens. I'm sure things will change drastically due to the changing mindsets of the people but i guess time will tell how things will be in the future. With regards to National Service, believe me everyone is apprehensive at first but you'll come to realize the true significance of it once you're in it. Good luck if you're enlisting!

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

Just now, kizurl said:

With regards to National Service, believe me everyone is apprehensive at first but you'll come to realize the true significance of it once you're in it. Good luck if you're enlisting!

I do know it's significance. I just don't care. I don't think it's my business. 

[zakariah 11,787]

15 minutes ago, LavendarBlonde said:

I'm just really tired of this country.

Glad to see someone feels the same way 👀

[Yoro 566]

Yeah our country is pretty tragic.

And Hi I'm also from SG 

[kizurl 1,801]

5 minutes ago, LavendarBlonde said:

I do know it's significance. I just don't care. I don't think it's my business. 

Everything boils down to attitude. If you feel like it's none of your business then it'll be as though nothing has happened and you just trail your way through it without gaining anything. It's all a matter of perspective and attitude. Life isn't going to be easy, regardless of whether you're in Singapore or not. I hope I'm not sounding like a motivational speaker or what not but positivity really does go a long way. Stop trying to figure out the bigger picture and just savour the moments you have, and you'll do yourself a favour.

[Princess Diana 24,487]

Sometimes I feel very ashamed to be singaporean. I mean, we are first world country but we act third world. Boys forced to NS, Anti-LGBT etc.. It's sad..

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

22 hours ago, kizurl said:

It's all a matter of perspective and attitude. Life isn't going to be easy, regardless of whether you're in Singapore or not.  

That's not the case though...life is harder here than it really should be.

[Popo 3,781]

23 hours ago, kizurl said:

This whole saga is just depressing to say the least. I don't fault the SAF entirely because it's not like they intended for this to happen. I believe they've carried out the necessary procedures and safety precautions to prevent this but sadly there's just no fullproof way to prevent accidents. I do find it a little too harsh for the family to pay for their legal costs. I mean c'mon.

 

Btw hello fellow Singaporean..

Double-posted

 

[Popo 3,781]

23 hours ago, kizurl said:

This whole saga is just depressing to say the least. I don't fault the SAF entirely because it's not like they intended for this to happen. I believe they've carried out the necessary procedures and safety precautions to prevent this but sadly there's just no fullproof way to prevent accidents. I do find it a little too harsh for the family to pay for their legal costs. I mean c'mon.

 

Btw hello fellow Singaporean..

No amount of money could ever make up for what this family has lost. However, i find that the SAF has done enough with regards to this incident but the family insists on fighting an uphill battle. They should've stopped after the pre-action discovery application. If they are only after justice for their son, those two officers being court-martialed should be sufficient.

23 hours ago, LavendarBlonde said:

This is just sickening. I will also have to serve compulsory national service in a few years time, reluctantly. This is just an example of the injustices we face in Singapore, a country that claims to be a first-world country that prides itself in safety, equality and wealth, but is still anti-LGBT, propagandistic, oppressive and so on. The government has put down all these laws since our independence to protect their authority, knowing that people won't likely know much about them. That is until something like that happens, and the government can say "**** you, didn't you know about this law?" 

Why should we protect our country if our country doesn't even protect us properly?

More about how i feel about my country:

This was how i felt before i enlisted. Things can only get better after you're serving the nation. 

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

Just now, Popo said:

This was how i felt before i enlisted. Things can only get better after you're serving the nation. 

After that, I will just pack my bags and leave for good...

[Popo 3,781]

2 minutes ago, LavendarBlonde said:

After that, I will just pack my bags and leave for good...

From what i read in your other thread, it's great that you figured out what you want in life at your age. If the opportunity ever presents itself just do it.