Minister: No evidence of abuse in UTM student's death

An investigation committee has found no evidence of abuse in the death of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) reserve officer cadet Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, who died during training at the Army Basic Training Centre in Ulu Tiram, Johor, on July 28.

Defence Minister Khaled Nordin said the committee’s findings involved input from several ministries, including his ministry, Home Ministry, Health Ministry and Higher Education Ministry.

The incident occurred a day after the 22-year-old student began his training on July 27, and all training activities were carried out in accordance with established guidelines and procedures, the minister said.

“Testimonies from more than 30 witnesses, including trainees and instructors, confirmed that the training followed the prescribed procedures, and no abuse was reported,” he told reporters after attending the Armed Forces Education Excellence Awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today.

Health aid SOP followed

From a medical perspective, Khaled said a post-mortem conducted at Kota Tinggi Hospital, attended by military medical personnel, confirmed that all initial aid given to the trainee complied with standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“The hospital report also confirmed there were no signs of injury on the body, consistent with police investigation findings.

“The cause of death will be determined after the full report is available, which is expected to take one to two months,” he added.

The minister stressed that the incident should not be linked or compared to the recent death of a Sabahan student, and assured that the ministry would extend full cooperation if there were any indications of abuse or criminal elements.

Syamsul, the eldest of three siblings, was undergoing combat inoculation training and was scheduled to complete his cadet course on Aug 2.

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