Harsher penalties among new measures imposed to tackle ragging: SCDF
Extra measures will be taken to detect and deter “all forms of ragging and unauthorised initiation activities” within the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) following the death of a full-time national serviceman (NSF) during a reported ragging incident 10 days ago.
These include the installation of a metal grating across the opening of pump wells and expanded CCTV coverage within SCDF premises, said the SCDF in a news release on Wednesday (23 May).
At about 9.20pm on 13 May, Corporal Kok Yuen Chin, 22, was found unconscious at the bottom of the Tuas View Fire Station’s pump well, a reservoir of water used by fire station personnel for training and testing the pumps of fire engines. He was later pronounced dead at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
That night, Kok had been celebrating the impending completion of his full-time national service stint with his squad mates – during which one of the activities involving getting him into the well.
The SCDF added on Wednesday that the pump wells will also be locked to prevent unauthorised access. Access to and the use of these wells will also be tightly controlled.
“CCTV coverage within SCDF premises will be expanded to deter and detect unauthorised activities,” added the SCDF.
The SCDF also said that all unit commanders – regulars and NS officers – have been told that they will be held personally accountable for any ragging and unauthorised initiation activities that take place in their units.
Division Commanders in the SCDF will also hold one-to-one sessions with all commanders under their charge to ensure that they are fully aware of their responsibilities.
Newly appointed commanders will also have to undergo a training programme that will “communicate the expectations of command, advise them on how to detect and prevent such activities, as well as how to identify vulnerable individuals for early intervention”, the SCDF added.
Penalties will now be extended to officers who are found to have been aware of such activities but did not attempt to stop or report them.
Currently, SCDF full-time NSFs or operationally ready servicemen who participate in such activities are liable to be given a detention sentence of up to 40 days, in addition to demotion in rank. SCDF regular officers will be disciplined under the Public Service Commission disciplinary framework and are liable to be fined, demoted or dismissed from service.
On top of the fortnightly one-to-one interviews conducted between NSFs and their supervisors during their first three months in a new unit, these sessions will now also be held during the last three months of each NSF’s service – and will be conducted with senior SCDF officers who are from different stations.
“This ensures impartiality in the feedback process and facilitates in reassuring the NSFs (that they can) bring up any issues of concern,” said SCDF. “Any case of unauthorised activities reported during these interviews will be immediately surfaced to SCDF senior management for necessary follow-up action.”
Other measures include the introduction of a 24/7 SCDF Staff Feedback Helpline to “augment its existing whistle-blowing framework for officers” and “allow SCDF officers and their families to contact SCDF at any time to provide feedback” on their workplace.
NSFs and their guardians will also be given information about this helpline at the point of enlistment. The SCDF added that it will also carefully consider any further recommendations that the Board of Inquiry may make after looking into Kok’s demise.
Related stories:
SCDF NSF’s death: Criminal charges ‘almost certain’, says Shanmugam
SCDF NSF drowns after falling into fire station’s pump well; 2 regulars arrested
Shanmugam on SCDF NSF’s death: ‘We will get to the bottom of it’
5 cases of ragging in SCDF in past 8 years, errant officers given detention: MHA
