The family of trooper Abdul Hamid Talib, a commando left in a vegetative state following an incident at a Johor army camp, has taken Defence Minister Khaled Nordin to task for failing to provide clarity to the case.
This comes after the minister’s brief statement on Thursday, which the family’s lawyer, N Surendran, said only raised more questions than answers.
He questioned Khaled for not being transparent on what happened to the army’s special forces member, whom they believed was subjected to corporal punishment.
“... the defence minister offered no explanation as to why the family of Hamid was told that he had suffered these terrible injuries after a fall in the bathroom.
“This was manifestly untrue, and even the police have confirmed that two soldiers were arrested and are under investigation over the injuries.
“Why was the incorrect information given to the family? Who was responsible and what action has been taken against them?” the lawyer asked in a statement.
Surendran said Khaled also failed to explain why the victim was only taken to the hospital on March 12, more than a day after he had collapsed, allegedly due to physical assault.
The minister also did not state whether all the army commanders and officers responsible have been suspended pending inquiry and investigation, he added.
“How can there be an effective and comprehensive inquiry if all the potential wrongdoers are still on active duty in the camp?” the former MP asked.
Corporal punishment?
The family, Surendran said, is demanding that Khaled and the government explain how the alleged corporal punishment was inflicted on Hamid and whether the ministry had sanctioned the action.
They also want the ministry to make public the army’s findings from its internal investigation into the incident.
Last week, Malaysiakini reported that Hamid sustained severe injuries at the Iskandar Camp in Mersing on March 11.
As a result, Hamid suffered severe head trauma, resulting in the removal of part of his skull.
Hamid is in a vegetative state, where he is unable to speak, eat, or recognise his surroundings, and relies entirely on feeding and breathing tubes.
Following this, Khaled had said the ministry will leave it to the police to investigate the case and the two personnel believed to be involved.
At the same time, the army was also conducting an internal investigation, he added. - Mkini
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