Time to mourn the dead first, post-mortem of accident will come later
Tuesday • November 27, 2007
Leong Wee Keat
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg
MediaCorp Press (Singapore)
THE rain pelted down as 17 surviving members of the national dragon boat team touched down at Changi Airport on flight MI601 yesterday afternoon.
Quietly, after expedited clearance through Customs, they slipped out through the exit — too devastated, according to officials who met them on arrival, to speak to the waiting media.
About 10 hours later, the bodies of their five compatriots — Chee Wei Cheng, 20, Jeremy Goh Tze Xiong, 24, Stephen Loh Soon Ann, 31, Reuben Kee En Rui, 23 and Poh Boon San, 27 — were brought home from Cambodia on a military plane.
Now, given time off by the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) and with counsellors' help, the survivors must pick up the pieces following the post-race freak accident last Friday that killed their teammates.
This "isolated and unfortunate event" is the sport's first fatality in the SDBA's almost 20-year history, according to Dr Lam Pin Min, its senior vice-president and a parliamentarian.
Speaking to the media at the airport, he and Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said they would give the families of the five dead rowers all the necessary help, and carry out a post-mortem on the accident.
Dr Lam said: "The committee will interview the surviving members to find out what happened — to see if there are any lapses in safety procedures, and if areas can be improved upon so that such incidents will not happen in the future."
Mr Teo said other government agencies, such as the Foreign Affairs Ministry and his own, would try to assist the association and the Singapore Sports Council.
One of the many questions already being raised: Why were the rowers were not wearing life jackets during the race?
Former People's Association Adventure Club chairman Henry Ling noted the "double standards" when it came to mandating the use of life jackets. While rowers here have to wear life jackets, he said there are no international rules on this.
Under International Dragon Boat Federation rules, if a person is a good swimmer and can swim 50 metres, the rower may not need a life jacket. Mr Ling feels the rule needs to be changed.
SDBA president Rear-Admiral (Retired) Kwek Siew Jin had said the association might insist that, in future, paddlers wear life jackets in all races, no matter where the venue or what the rules of the competition.
But for now, the association's "first and utmost priority" Dr Lam said, is to help the grieving families with the funeral arrangements and wakes, and the state of the 17 surviving members.
Asked if a memorial service would be held, Dr Lam and Mr Teo said they could not give an answer immediately.
Before making their journey home yesterday, the rowers had paid an emotional visit to the Tonle Sap River — where a wave had capsized their boat in Saturday's annual river races — and they knelt to pray, observing a minute's silence before tossing white and yellow Chrysanthemums into the river.
While describing morale in the association as at "an all-time low", Dr Lam is confident the national team and the sport would bounce back. The sport "is pretty safe" here as dragon boating is done mainly in controlled environment, such as reservoirs, he said.
"Most of the rowers are very strong in mind. With the necessary support, we will pull through this difficult time," Dr Lam added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed his deepest gratitude to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for his government's help in the search and rescue operations and for assisting bereaved families and injured team members.
He said Cambodian officials worked closely with staff from the Singapore Embassy and went out of their way to extend their full assistance and cooperation.
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni has also written to President S R Nathan extending his "sincere condolences and profound sympathy" to the families.
An SDBA official meanwhile told Today that national team coach Nasiman Haji Karim's elderly father had died early on Sunday morning. The coach had arrived back on Sunday night.
Tuesday • November 27, 2007
Leong Wee Keat
weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg
MediaCorp Press (Singapore)
THE rain pelted down as 17 surviving members of the national dragon boat team touched down at Changi Airport on flight MI601 yesterday afternoon.
Quietly, after expedited clearance through Customs, they slipped out through the exit — too devastated, according to officials who met them on arrival, to speak to the waiting media.
About 10 hours later, the bodies of their five compatriots — Chee Wei Cheng, 20, Jeremy Goh Tze Xiong, 24, Stephen Loh Soon Ann, 31, Reuben Kee En Rui, 23 and Poh Boon San, 27 — were brought home from Cambodia on a military plane.
Now, given time off by the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) and with counsellors' help, the survivors must pick up the pieces following the post-race freak accident last Friday that killed their teammates.
This "isolated and unfortunate event" is the sport's first fatality in the SDBA's almost 20-year history, according to Dr Lam Pin Min, its senior vice-president and a parliamentarian.
Speaking to the media at the airport, he and Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said they would give the families of the five dead rowers all the necessary help, and carry out a post-mortem on the accident.
Dr Lam said: "The committee will interview the surviving members to find out what happened — to see if there are any lapses in safety procedures, and if areas can be improved upon so that such incidents will not happen in the future."
Mr Teo said other government agencies, such as the Foreign Affairs Ministry and his own, would try to assist the association and the Singapore Sports Council.
One of the many questions already being raised: Why were the rowers were not wearing life jackets during the race?
Former People's Association Adventure Club chairman Henry Ling noted the "double standards" when it came to mandating the use of life jackets. While rowers here have to wear life jackets, he said there are no international rules on this.
Under International Dragon Boat Federation rules, if a person is a good swimmer and can swim 50 metres, the rower may not need a life jacket. Mr Ling feels the rule needs to be changed.
SDBA president Rear-Admiral (Retired) Kwek Siew Jin had said the association might insist that, in future, paddlers wear life jackets in all races, no matter where the venue or what the rules of the competition.
But for now, the association's "first and utmost priority" Dr Lam said, is to help the grieving families with the funeral arrangements and wakes, and the state of the 17 surviving members.
Asked if a memorial service would be held, Dr Lam and Mr Teo said they could not give an answer immediately.
Before making their journey home yesterday, the rowers had paid an emotional visit to the Tonle Sap River — where a wave had capsized their boat in Saturday's annual river races — and they knelt to pray, observing a minute's silence before tossing white and yellow Chrysanthemums into the river.
While describing morale in the association as at "an all-time low", Dr Lam is confident the national team and the sport would bounce back. The sport "is pretty safe" here as dragon boating is done mainly in controlled environment, such as reservoirs, he said.
"Most of the rowers are very strong in mind. With the necessary support, we will pull through this difficult time," Dr Lam added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed his deepest gratitude to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for his government's help in the search and rescue operations and for assisting bereaved families and injured team members.
He said Cambodian officials worked closely with staff from the Singapore Embassy and went out of their way to extend their full assistance and cooperation.
Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni has also written to President S R Nathan extending his "sincere condolences and profound sympathy" to the families.
An SDBA official meanwhile told Today that national team coach Nasiman Haji Karim's elderly father had died early on Sunday morning. The coach had arrived back on Sunday night.
2 comments:
"Cambodia survivors come home" -- Mee Chkout (Socheata)???
Sad day for the boaters. Sadder day after
A Paen for Five
The dragon turned its body on you,
That your souls be freed
From the dragon heads back home
That your whole would slowly feed.
O youths,
Your vigour and appeal,
your titles and medals;
your sacrifices and love,
Lay wasted a vain life when
Kin and kindred, suffocated and gagged
into saying and believing your loss
Lies beyond blame.
O what shame.
The service will be conducted soon
For your honour to be remembered.
The inquiry will be appointed in truth
For their heads to be protected.
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