TOO HUI MIN, AFIQ ZUHAIRI, ILI AMEERA AZLAN, P. PREMA, MOHD RAFI AMEER, NURUL ASHIKIN KARINO, S. THERESA PAULINE, AWANG MOHD FAZIL AWANG BORHAN, T. SARAVANA.

Do you recognise any of these names? What do they all have in common? Who are they?

In posing these questions the day before, I asked for comments and response.

In answer, Echo41 wrote: These are OUR MALAYSIAN CHILDREN, somebody’s child, somebody’s brother, sister or best friend. These are the 9 trainees that died while serving Khidmat Negara (National Service).

This website is about involvement, getting involved. At home and abroad. There are many serious issues we face in this our own country. The alternative to being involved is to shrug our shoulders (to indicate “I don’t know and I don’t care”, “It’s not my problem”) and stay seated in our respective armchairs and stay put in our preferred comfort zones.

Christian readers should be familiar with how Jesus had showed another way and there are many instances of this in the bible. Instead of turning the other way or just talking, in his action he demonstrated the nature of true compassion. True compassion sees (takes notice), feels (takes pity) and acts (takes action).

Involvement begins with taking notice. We hear something said. We catch something in the papers or TV or online media. We read more, hear more, look for more on the subject. We soon see that the matter has caught the attention of other individuals and groups as well.

Taking notice is just the first step. Having taken notice, there must also be empathy and passion in solidarity with those most affected. Many wrote saying they literally shed tears upon seeing the child’s picture and her bereaved parents and siblings so completely devasted at the senseless loss of their beloved. Tragedy draws people together who are otherwise divided by ethnic, religious, political or economic status. Compassion embraces people of diverse background. Our differences no longer seem to matter. We learn to respond as parents, siblings, neighbours, friends, human beings. The utter sadness unites us.

Heartache spurs people to action. Many people, neighbours, fellow NS trainees, well-wishers made their way to the family home. They were present with the family at the funeral.

Sorrow is accompanied by outrage. Expressions of outrage is a form of action too. People take the trouble to write. We see this in the Letter pages in both print and electronic media. Echo41 urged: These are lives wasted and parents are crying negligence and murder! Please write about it, and let there be more OUTCRY!

Outcry is a natural outcome of outrage. Silence would not be appropriate under the circumstances. The powers that be maintain a silence which is deafening. Their silence is conspicuous and inappropriate. People who care must not join this inappropriate, indecent silence.

The 18-year olds who have died no longer can speak for themselves. We who care must become their voices. Perchance, our speaking up and out may prevent other such tragedies to other 18-year olds. Thanks be to God, several have given voice to this cause.

Yesterday, someone who cared enough wrote to Lim Kit Siang: “I am a doctor, working as a specialist in emergency department… I can somehow guess what had happened… it is ridiculous for a victim to die like that in Kem Semanggol with a simple answer of unknown fever… ridiculous!!! (It) is a case of neglect and delayed treatment… The victim Too Hui Min… again… if not because of neglect and delay of treatment… WHY WHY WHY should a victim complaining of constipation die? It is not the answer… I suspect … (those responsible) didn’t know what (was) happening… (and) might have simply labeled her as having constipation rather than seeing the non-bowel opening as a warning sign to something sinister… (They) made the wrong diagnosis of keeping her in the camp further and worse still, gave her a pill which could make her (condition) worse!! If (they were) not qualified to make a decision like a doctor, at least (they) should refer!!!! My heart really goes out in tears to those who have trusted their children into the hands of these people… only to bring back dead bodies.”

Yesterday too, Members of Parliament raised the issue eliciting these comments by the minister in charge as reported by Malaysiakini: On the National Service programme, Najib said the government will not scrap the programme just because 16 trainees died since it was launched four years ago. He said these casualties represented 0.004 percent of the 339,186 trainees who have gone through the programme since 2004. “Out of the figure, 11 trainees died in the camps, while five died outside the camps. Of the deaths reported in the camps, seven were due to illnesses and four due to accidents. I would like to inform the House that the programme has been well-received by the rakyat despite the cases of death.The confidence of the rakyat shows through the applications to voluntarily take part in the programme which has increased from 929 applicants (2007) to 1,137 (2008)”.

Statistics are often cited to end arguments. When tragedy gets reduced to a miniscule percentage it has the effect in some quarters of sealing the case. Words and statistics have this kind of effect. They are so authoritative, so authentic, so definitive, so conclusive: “… these casualties represented 0.004 percent of the 339,186 trainees …”

TOO HUI MIN, AFIQ ZUHAIRI, ILI AMEERA AZLAN, P. PREMA, MOHD RAFI AMEER, NURUL ASHIKIN KARINO, S. THERESA PAULINE, AWANG MOHD FAZIL AWANG BORHAN, T. SARAVANA (and seven others whose names I am so sorry I do not have) are reduced to one word: casualties.

Statistically, those who lost their lives are insignificant compared to the 339,170 who survived. Sixteen 18-year olds who died are but 0.004 percent of 339,186.

But to their loved ones, they are beloved daughters, beloved sons, beloved sisters, brothers, grandchildren, friends. They left home … and didn’t come home. How do you console a family under these circumstances? There is no war, no cyclone, no earthquake. They went to a temporary government-run camp in peace time. They didn’t go to Iraq or some remote island or desert away from a safe environment. They were in Malaysia for heaven’s sake! They were in every respect near enough to amenities of modern hospitals. In those cases involving illness, their parents, if informed earlier, would have done whatever necessary to get them the treatment. They would have driven, sailed or flown to their beloved daughters and sons and taken them for professional treatment if the camp could or would not do so. These 18-year olds were not fighting some wars to defend the borders of Malaysia. They did not need to be bound by military or war regulations. Nor should their parents have to stay away come what may.

Whatever the rules or protocols governing the NS programme, why not just call the parents and consult with them when a trainee is taken ill? Give the parents a say regarding the management of the child’s illness.

Sure there would be arguments about abuse of the system, etc. “You are either maintaining discipline strictly or else you will have total chaos.” But in opting for not having a full-scale military NS programme with the objective of military conscription and mobilization when the country is under military threat, the authorities could hardly insist on war regulations for its NS programme. The main objective of the NS programme is racial integration not military defence.

Whatever the arguments on either side of the debate, surely in the face of unexpected deaths from seemingly quite common ailments or in a few other cases, so-called “unknown” illness, surely at the very least, the authorities should have commissioned full-scale inquiries into where the problem lies. The reports of such inquiries should then be made public.

Questions have been raised by concerned parents about the professionalism and competence of the administration of NS camps. Have complaints been properly considered and addressed? Do the camps have adequate medical and counselling facilities? After four years, surely evaluation reports both from the trainees and the trainers have been amassed, studied and considered? How have the 2008 camps improved compared to the 2004 ones? Such information and particulars of review and change, rather than mere assurances and gung-ho “we will carry on” statements or statistics, will go a long way to reassure very troubled parents.

Further actions are proposed by mengyee: We must create more momentum in calling for the abolishment of this ill-planned program which have claimed the lives of 20 of our young! We must pressure our MPs to bring this cause to Parliament!

This article isn’t complete. I am asking readers to follow the example of Echo41 and mengyee to post their comments which will form the basis of responsible action and desirable change.

Families have lost their beloved 18-year olds. Their heartache will remain. In such a situation, silence on the part of the authorities or the public is not an option. Business as usual is irresponsible. Tough decisions and necessary action will need to be taken and made public. Keep families together. Keep them safe from unbearable heartache.

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