KUALA LUMPUR: If the story from Bernama (below) is correct (quoted and translated correctly) it appears that the three soldiers who drowned during the demo-cum-training exercise ahead of Lima have been blamed for their own deaths. The story seem to invoke to me the famous lines “Their was not too ask why but to do or die” by Tennyson on the fateful charge of the Light Brigade. Why placed the burden on the living when its more convenient to blame the dead? One thing for sure, they cannot sue for libel!

However, the story was too fragmented for me to decide what the Armed Forces chief really said about the incident. I believe that the reporters who were at the function did not get the PAT to really open up or were wise enough to press further instead of deferring to the four star general decision to stop talking about something unpleasant during a feel good function.

Jen Abd Aziz did however said the report on the mishap will be out soon. Lets hope that it will be made public in full, but thats asking too much isnt it?.

From Bernama

Negligence Cause Of Paratroopers’ Drowning, Says Defence Forces’ Chief

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (Bernama) — Negligence is the cause of the tragedy that claimed the lives of three paratroopers during a training session in preparation for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2007 exhibition on Dec 2.

Defence Forces’ chief Jen Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal said the paratroopers were negligent in not following the procedures when making the sky jump.

“The tragedy occurred due to the paratroopers’ negligence. Jumping from the sky is of high risk,” he told reporters after closing a diploma course at the Armed Forces Defence College.

He said a full report on the findings into the mishap would be known soon.

Abdul Aziz however declined to comment when asked on the actual procedures to follow when performing a sky jump.

Three paratroopers, two of them women, drowned and 11 others were injured during a training session that went awry at the Lima exhibition on Dec 2.

The paratroopers from the 10th Para Brigade drowned when they parachuted into the sea off Kuala Muda after they were blown off course by strong winds when training for the opening of Lima 2007.

Strong winds pushed them away from the designated landing spot.

The mishap happened when a group of 160 paratroopers in two C-130 aircraft were on a training demonstration on airfield seizure, with their targeted landing at the Langkawi International Airport.

Abdul Aziz said sky-jumping training would be upgraded to ensure such mishaps did not recur.

“Paratroopers’ competence level will be improved and their abilities and self-resilience enhanced,” he said.

Earlier, Abdul Aziz handed diplomas to 40 graduands — 19 from the army, airforce (8), navy (7), police (2) and one each from the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.

N. Ganesh, 47, from the navy was adjudged the best overall course participant.

— BERNAMA

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