PETALING JAYA: The father of deceased naval cadet J. Soosaimanicckam regrets allowing his son to train at the KD Sultan Idris, Lumut.
Speaking to reporters outside the Petaling Jaya police headquarters today, S. Joseph said his son had received a medical slip and wanted to see the medical officer but was denied.
Soosaimanicckam died on May 19, 2018. He had complained of chest pain and shortness of breath after completing physical training that day.
He had defecated while taking a bath, lost consciousness and was then rushed to the Lumut Armed Forces Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His father called on Bukit Aman to launch a murder investigation immediately.
"They should have checked the condition of the water in the tank. Because it was not used for a long time, my son got leptospirosis and died.
"I regret sending my son for training at Lumut. Because of carelessness or negligence, my son is dead," he said.
Lawyer N Surendran, speaking on behalf of Soosaimanicckams family, said they were disappointed with the lack of communication from the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Defence Ministry and the government since the Ipoh High Court overturned the open verdict by the Coroner's Court over Soosaimanicckams death, and reclassified it as a homicide.
"We came to the Petaling Jaya police headquarters today so that Joseph can lodge a report to urge the police to launch a murder investigation immediately.
"We also ask that the investigation be carried out by Bukit Aman.
"We urge the Inspector General of Police to form a team in Bukit Aman to investigate," he said, adding that an independent investigation must be conducted.
Also present outside the police headquarters was lawyer Zaid Malek.
Surendran said they were disappointed that since the verdict was given on Monday, no one has contacted the family.
Asked about the possibility of an appeal of the verdict, Surendran said they hoped that with the clear judgment of the High Court, the responsible parties would accept liability.
On Monday, The Ipoh High Court overturned the open verdict by the Coroner's Court over the death of Soosaimanicckam, and reclassified it as a homicide.
Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed said the navy officer responsible for the cadet's training had acted to deny the cadet medical treatment, which led to his eventual death.
On June 16 last year, the Sessions Court sitting as the Coroner's Court issued an open verdict regarding the inquest to determine the cause of death of the graduate cadet officer.
At the time, Coroner Ainul Shahrin Mohamad decided that the cause of Soosaimanicckam's death, which occurred while he was undergoing training as a cadet officer at KD Sultan Idris, Lumut on May 19, 2018, was pulmonary edema.