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©New Sunday Times (Used by permission)
by Neville Spykerman

GRIEVED: Too Jong Sing (right) and his wife Chin Kwei Choo (left) with Pandamaran state assemblyman Ronnie Liu at his service centre yesterday. The couple, parents of National Service trainee Too Hui Min (INSET) who was said to have died of an infection of the colon, is seeking suing the government for her death.

KLANG: The family of National Service trainee Too Hui Min will be suing the government over her death last Wednesday.

Hui Min's mother, Chin Kwei Choo, 52, said they were seeking legal action because they did not believe the 18-year-old died of toxic megacolon or infection of the colon.

"We cannot accept the official explanation. We are suing to get the truth."

Chin said based on what she heard from her daughter's fellow trainees, camp authorities were slow in taking Hui Min to hospital.

"My daughter may still be alive if they had acted promptly."

Chin said the compensation of RM40,000 and funeral expenses of RM3,000, to be given to the family by the National Service Training Council, was no consolation.

"She is gone for good. Money cannot bring her back."

Chin and her husband, Too Jong Sing, 55, yesterday sought the assistance of Pandamaran state assemblyman Ronnie Liu at his service centre.

Liu, who will assist the family in getting a lawyer, said he would be referring the matter to Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan who is putting in a notice for an emergency motion to debate the tragedy in Parliament.

Liu said he would also be visiting the Geo Kosmo National Service camp to seek answers on behalf of the family. Hui Min was taken to the Slim River Hospital where she died at 10.45pm on Wednesday.

She had complained of an upset stomach during firearms training at a shooting range in Jugra, in Banting, Selangor.

Hui Min was to have completed the NS programme on June 7.

Deaths of NS Trainees

According to various sources, including the Wikipedia, there were 22 fatalities involving National Service trainees since its inception in 2004. Among the listed ones are:

2008:

* May 7: Too Hui Min, 18, passed away three days after complaining of constipation.

* April 16: Afiq Zuhairi, 18, died after a brief febrile illness. He was said to have been treated by camp paramedics several times before being transferred to hospital where he died in less than 24 hours.

2007:

* Jan 18: Ili Ameera Azlan, 17, attached to the Ayer Keroh, Melaka camp, after suffering breathing difficulties

* March 1: P. Prema from Kajang, Selangor, attached to the Kisana Beach Resort Camp, Kelantan, found unconscious in a toilet at Jeram Linang at 2.30am. She was taken to the Tengku Anis Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

* Sept 3: Mohd Rafi Ameer, 18, died at 10.30pm after having fever for 1 week. Rafi called his sister to tell her that he had fever and that his leg had been swollen for nearly a week after he fell during training. His death was the 20th since National Service started in 2004.

2005:

* May 14: Nurul Ashikin Karino, 17, died at the Han Sui, Tawau, Sabah camp. Karino Jalani (father of the deceased) claimed that he was not allowed to meet his daughter who fell and was injured during training.

* June 11: S. Theresa Pauline, 17, attached to the Karisma Camp, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. She was admitted to the hospital on May 23 after having fits. Her death was attributed to viral meningoencephaliti.
2004:

* April 25: Awang Mohd Fazil Awang Borhan, 17, was attached to the Simalajau Camp, Bintulu, Sarawak. He wwas drowned while swimming with 36 other trainees at Sungai Cina, Matang, Kuching, Sarawak.

* May 9: T. Saravanan, 18, attached to the South Kelantan Development Authority's (Kesedar) Ethnobotany camp. The trainee from 1614A Hospital Quarters, Taiping, Perak drowned while picknicking at Sungai Taman Wangi, Gua Musang, about 3 kilometres from his camp, with 250 trainees and 10 trainers.

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