IPOH: The cadet who died during training at a naval base in 2018 had defecated on the hostel’s toilet floor, and was leaning against the wall with the shower running, a Coroner’s Court here heard.
KD Sultan Idris 1 (KDSI 1) Leftenan Muda Duty officer Lt Muhammad Afiq Muhammad said after he received a call about the condition of J. Soosaimanicckam, he rushed to the toilet and noticed there were faeces on the floor that led to the cubicle he was in.
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He said the cadet did not close the cubicle door, was leaning against the wall with the shower on and looked very weak.
Muhammad Afiq said he suspected something was wrong and immediately told the cadets to support him back to his room, some 10m away.
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“Inside the room, we made him sit on a chair, quickly put on his clothes, before making him sit in a vehicle which was already on standby to take him to the hospital.
“He was speaking, but I could see that he was definitely having difficulties doing so,” he said before Sessions Court Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad, who sat as Coroner.
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Muhammad Afiq said that morning during the incident was the last time he saw the cadet alive.
He said before the episode, the late cadet had merely jogged for five minutes at the start of training for just one round before complaining of having no energy.
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“I told him to rest on a bench, before asking him three times if he wanted to go to the hospital.
“He said he was feeling tired, and needed to rest. After that he walked to the gym for a body mass index (BMI) test before heading to his dormitory,” he added.
The Coroner’s Court is probing the cause of the cadet’s death during training at the naval base on May 19, 2018.
Soosaimanicckam was pronounced dead at the Lumut Armed Forces Hospital.
He had reported for duty on May 12, a week before his death.
Mahajoth Singh, who is part of Lawyers for Liberty, is representing Soosaimanicckam’s family, Evangelin Simon Silvaraj is prosecuting, and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s watching brief lawyer is Cheang Lek Choy.
Course planning officer Lt Col Muhammad Faiz Mohamed Zanila said he had noticed that the deceased was overweight.
He said as he monitored the training sessions, he realised that Soosaimanicckam and a few others were having difficulties following the training.
He said at his own initiative, that about four or five of them were separated from the rest to not disrupt the training session.
“A body mass index (BMI) test was conducted on the cadets who were separated including Soosaimanicckam, and there was a different reading compared to his entrance medical test.
“The reading was above 26.9, which is the requirement to enter the navy,” he added.
To a question by Mahajoth if he knew of Soosaimanicckam submitting any slip to officers for permission to see a doctor as he was unwell, Muhammad Faiz replied no.
Physical trainer J. Rajkumar, when testifying, said his role was to ask who could and could not undergo training in the morning.
“Those not fit, I ask them to move out of line and to speak to their officers, while the rest will proceed as usual.
“I noticed that the cadet was slow and not as fast as the rest probably due to his physical build,” he added.
To a question by the lawyer, if the late cadet had vomited in front of him, Rajkumar said he could not remember.
“Also it is not possible for the BMI reading to change in just a week,” he added.
The inquest continues on July 15.
