Shooting incident: Mindef should have told public

May 27, 2010

Shooting incident: Mindef should have told public

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YESTERDAY'S report ('Another SAF soldier shot by Thai farmer too') made me feel greatly disappointed with the Ministry of Defence's public affairs division.
Mindef's failure to admit that not one, but two Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers were shot in Thailand, until a relative of the second injured soldier approached The Straits Times, has demonstrated the ministry's basic reluctance to tell the public the truth about military casualties.
The second case also was a matter of genuine public interest, especially since a full-time national serviceman was involved.
As citizen soldiers and taxpayers, we have a right to expect that Mindef will account for all military casualties - whether in training or actual operations -where there are no national security implications.
Matthias Chew

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=heading>Latest comments</TD></TR><TR><TD id=messageDisplayRegion width="100%"><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" class=Post cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>my guess will be part of the ranger training for the commandos. just my guess.

anyway, the public need to know what exactly happen.

about the secrecy on this issue, it's nothing new to MINDEF. it's better to 'bury' it than reveal it.
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>Posted by: kewldude at Thu May 27 13:29:07 SGT 2010
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" class=AlternatePost cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>I don't understand how can a well equipped and well train soldier be shot by civilians who are not equally as well train or well equipped ?

Better review training methodology using high tech equipment... They may lack the common sense and intuition as we become too dependent on machines.
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>Posted by: kokoobird at Thu May 27 12:45:59 SGT 2010
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" class=Post cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>Two soldiers will suffer for the rest of their lives due to the injuries, that's bad enough. Worse for d Ministry is the cover up. Were reporters Jermyn Chow & Lester Kok inadequate, or had Mindef's spokesman Darius Lim failed in his duty to reveal to both reporters that another soldier was injured? The public needs an answer from Mindef.
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>Posted by: OneMoment at Thu May 27 12:27:48 SGT 2010
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" class=AlternatePost cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>By telling half the truth is liken to lying. Makes us feel tt MIndef is ashamed & thus trying to cover up. This is not acceptable in a civil service tt prides itself on being transparent. We can accept mishaps now & then during training or deployment duties, but not cover ups. What else does mindef hide from us?
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>Posted by: OneMoment at Thu May 27 12:22:52 SGT 2010
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" class=Post cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>So these MINDEF incident doesn't surprise me at all !!!

Just wonder how many other things they have kept Singaporeans in the DARK, and if we can ever have the chance

to know the truth !!!

A reecent example, Dr Goh accorded a "grand funeral", how about Presdient Ong Teng Chong ???

Why a totally separate treatment for Mr Ong, whom I deemed contributed tremendously to Singapore as well ?
</TD></TR><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" align=left>Posted by: Areyousure99 at Thu May 27 09:17:52 SGT 2010
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Everything also wants to know. Next time, captains have diarhorrea also must tell public.