Lee Hsien Loong: Zero fatalities hard to achieve in SAF training but we will strive for it
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has weighed in on the death of actor Aloysius Pang in a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) training incident in January, saying that while zero fatalities is extremely hard to achieve, the country will strive for it because every life is precious.
In a Facebook post put up on Friday afternoon (15 February), PM Lee said that the recent SAF training-related deaths have been very painful, because they cost precious lives.
“When it happens to a well known figure like Corporal (First Class) Aloysius Pang, the emotional impact is greater, and the loss is even harder to take,” said PM Lee.
Pang, an armament technician from the 268th Battalion Singapore Artillery, succumbed to serious injuries to his chest and abdominal areas while carrying out repair works inside a Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer during an SAF overseas training exercise in New Zealand.
PM Lee wrote in his post, “The SAF has put enormous emphasis on training safety. It aims to achieve zero fatalities. After every incident, we make sure the injured get the best medical care. When a soldier dies, the SAF grieves deeply. His comrades understand how his family feels, because they feel the loss keenly too.”
He also spoke of his personal experience as a unit commander with responsibility for his men’s training, safety and welfare. “In a way, I was standing in for their parents,” he said.
“Later, serving on the General Staff, I had to deal with training incidents, decide what needed to be fixed, whether anyone should be punished, what we must keep on doing and what we must stop,” he added.
“I had to account to the bereaved families, and think hard how to keep servicemen safe while still fulfilling the SAF’s mission.”
Government answers to family, NSmen, public when training accident happens
As Prime Minister, Lee has made sure that, when an SAF training accident happens, the government answers not only to the family, but also to all the NSmen and the public.
“I can therefore assure you that I and the SAF leadership take safety with utmost seriousness. It was so when I was there, and I am confident it is even more so today,” he said.
On Monday, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen gave a Ministerial Statement in Parliament on the recent SAF training-related deaths. He also announced new safety features on the Bionix, such as rear view cameras and additional emergency horn activation buttons.
PM Lee said in his post, “In war, we will have to put servicemen in harm’s way to defend the country; but in peacetime training, we owe it to our servicemen never to compromise their safety and endanger their lives.”
He stressed that the SAF has to carry on training and fulfilling its operational duties as Singapore cannot outsource its security and defence to anyone else.
PM Lee conclude his Facebook post by thanking Singaporeans for supporting the SAF and national service, helping to build a strong and professional army force.
“So when something goes wrong, I hope you will see things in perspective,” he said. “We must never gloss over shortcomings and failures. But neither should we forget the SAF’s progress and achievements, and its contributions to Singapore’s peace and security.”
Related stories:
Actor Aloysius Pang dies after army training incident in New Zealand
NSF Liu Kai’s death: Bionix driver kept reversing despite commands to stop
Parliament: New SAF safety measures to include rear view cameras for Bionix vehicles
