Makes me feel like a Bangla worker in this country. Cheap, expandable and exploitable.

we lost 25 in training????

I believe none of these deaths are so called White Horses. (son of MIW and VIPs). If these were their children, the whole place would have been turned upside down by now.

As deaths are handed over to the police / coroner / court, I do believe that it is not for MINDEF to go around announcing who died for what because the issue has been handed over to another organization. I don’t think that it is a lack of transparancy in this case, cos the information are blatantly in front of everyone, its just a matter of whether ppl choose to look for it (kn this case, to attend the hearing).

Andrew – I think it is time to post a list of compulsory NS in other countries and let us remind our efficient govt that the other countries can do it in lesser time. In Turkey – they seve 16 months without reservist liability. We should push for a similar scheme and stop this unfair treatment of our male citizens by our world class govt.

also, with regards to diet being a contributing factor, i dont think you can attribute atherosclerosis (build up of plaques in vessels) to deaths of young men in NS. all of us have some degree of narrowing due to genetic factors and the progressive build up. however, at age 18, the risk is almost negligible. that is why the usage of blood-thinners or clot dissolvers are NOT indicated in young people, but only when blood tests show, e.g. cholesterol levels are high, or blood pressure above normal.

i think if the public presses for information, its unclear whether we will get them. surely we would like to know WHY they died, and i think the parents would like to know even more, to have some sort of closure to the incident. but as someone said before, it cannot be less understated: PRIVACY is a key issue. some might not want how their son died published all over the newspaper.

its amazing how we can have casualties even before the first enemy bullet fly over our head. imagine what will happen if war breaks out.

wat is most important is that the SAF learns from it, so that our guys dont die for nothing.

and hopefully the lesson would be passed down, so that we dont have to learn it again.

MINDEF and the government should start taking this opportunity to communicate with the most important people besides the soldiers: former soldiers like us. We can contribute a great deal to improving NS – if the powers that be listen.

That two people died was unfortunate but I hope that MINDEF will do the right thing and invest more in quality medical screening. All I remember from my pre-enlistment check was being asked to “cough.”

I think the SAF’s enlistment medical checks must be thoroughly reviewed to
ensure all finer details have been checked.

Even Captains, Majors and Lt Colonels are dying like that. Therefore, there
should be a regular thorough medical checks on a yearly basis upon
non-NSmen as well.

Is the SAF or MINDEF going to do something about the above recommendations
before more and more deaths appear?

My sympathy and condolences to Rec Cheah’s bereaved family and to all those
families who sons have died in such manner in the past.

Concerned Citizen. 2008.

I have seen and heard how BMT has changed drastically from my time (1988) to now, due to the changing physical capabilities of Singaporeans.

During my time, pre-enlistment FFI was basically a 1/2 hr with a doctor at Dempsey Road, where he checked my medical history, confrimed my height/weight ratio, confirmed my sexual orientation, simple stretches which i assumed was to check my spine alignment, and the infamous “look to the left and cough” while he held my testicles.

Has the FFI changed to a more sophisticated check, to pick up potential ailments that the late Rec Cheah had? If they changed the BMT, they need to change the pre-enlistment process. I’m sure it has, but maybe its time to review this again, to suit the different physical attributes of our youth today.

i trust that MINDEF does these reviews constantly. As many have mentioned above, a transparent understanding of the whole enlistment process would ease our apprehensions that the NS is dangerous.

Its sad what happened to Rec Cheah, but it can happen to the fittest of people – like the footballer Marc Vivien Foe, who simply dropped dead playing in a match for his country.

No matter what the media reports say, it is not true that causes of sudden death ” (are) easily detected through the use of an electrocardiogram (ECG), which the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) applies during its pre-NS medical screenings”.

From what I know about the BMT ( I know someone who just enlisted) Rec Cheah being part of the extended BMT ( due to obesity) has just started his course and was walking only 2 km!

The SAF nowadays are so “kiasu” (careful) that these obese guys 1. started with compulsory water parades ( unlike my time when we drink one capful of water to last many km 2. Can stop or ask to be excused anytime they don’t feel well. The SAF takes great pains to be extra-careful due to Public Relation reasons. I have been to these PR tours on the enlistees first day and the one objective is to reassure that the NSmen are well taken care of.

Rec Cheah’s medical condition looks to be preexisting ( probably not easily detectable without specialised investigations)

Of course I prefer not having to do NS for my kids ( I have completed my obligations), but if it is still compulsory, I would prefer it done in Singapore then any of the surrounding countries ( have you heard what happens in Malaysia?)

The only question any Inquiry want to find out is whether the normal pre-enlistment medical process is adequate. Even if every enlistee gets seen by every specialist ( heart/ent/orthopaedic etc), we still cannot prevent deaths completely. The other question is if the medical support was properly instituted at the time of Dec Cheah’s collapse ( first aid/Medical centre/medi-evacuation). This is so that when something happens like this again that the collapsed soldier can have the maximum chance of survival.

Not every death is preventable. In my hospital recently, 2 colleagues died even with the best specialist present immediately on collapse and even with immediate open heart procedure!

My sympathies to Rec Cheah’s family

… maybe another Ministerial Pay Hike is required?

I wonder, how do they stick to their claim that Singaporeans are Living Longer when people are reportedly dropping dead in and outside of Military Training?

Quite apparently, they want us all to work till we drop dead, as well as train till we drop dead…