Rakan Muda Safety Program killed 3

3 deaths at Rakan Muda Save-and-Rescue Program

Were Civil Defence Department instructors qualified to conduct the life-saving programme that saw three participants drown in a pond on Monday?

Did they follow standard operating procedures in such situations?

These are among the questions being asked as a probe begins into the deaths of Shikirin Abdul Malik, 20, Shafirah Mohd Yasin, 18, and Norfaezah Mohd Yusof, 18.

In the 3pm incident on Monday, Shikirin, Shafirah and Norfaezah were drowned after entering a mud-filled two-metre pond. Norhidayu Zulkifli, 16, said: "We got into trouble as we did not know how to swim."

They were participants of a Rakan Muda save-and-rescue programme at the Sri Impian National Service camp.

The majority of the participants who were non-swimmers, were told to get into the water without safety gear. This is despite the camp operator having provided at least 30 life-jackets to instructors conducting the session.

An official, who declined to be identified, said participants who could not swim became excited and breached instructors’ orders. "The situation got out of hand, resulting in the drownings," he said.

State Youths and Sports Department acting director Ounnajmi Mohamed Naseruddin said that although the programme was organised by the department, the save-and-rescue session was conducted by the Civil Defence Department.

Can you see? Nobody is at fault! The organiser and managers were not responsible for the rescue; it was the Civil Defence Dept. But the CDD wasn't around to monitor.

Who is at fault? It's Act of God again!

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