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Lawyer calls for thorough investigation into Palapes trainee's heatstroke death

KUALA LUMPUR: The lawyer for a Reserve Officer Training Unit (Palapes) trainee who recently died of suspected heatstroke has urged the police and authorities to conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Nurul Diyana Basher, the lawyer for the late Muhammad Amir Rusyaidi Muhammad Zaidi, called for an in-depth review of statements from witnesses provided to the family regarding claims of excessive or inappropriate training.

"We hope the authorities thoroughly investigate the statements from witnesses, which describe excessive force or inappropriate training on that day, to determine if these events actually occurred," she said at a press conference here.

"I don't think the witnesses would have approached the family during the 'tahlil' night to share this information if it weren't true. There must be some truth to it.

"We hope nothing is being concealed, and there is no effort to hide anything."

It was previously reported that police said Amir died from heatstroke and multiple organ failure.

Police said on Nov 10, the trainee collapsed during a physical training session at the marching field, where he had been participating in fitness drills under the supervision of a Palapes instructor.

Police also reported that several witnesses present when Amir collapsed denied claims that the instructor had ridden him like a horse.

State police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the parents' allegations were based on assumption.

Amir's mother, Azwati Muhammed Ghalip, said witnesses saw her son finish a run in last place, after which he was instructed to do push-ups.

"He was the last person to finish. When someone finishes late, they don't get the same amount of rest time as those who finish early," she said.

"The rest period isn't equal. Those who finish early get a longer break, while someone like him gets only a short rest before moving on to the next drill. It wasn't enough time to recover.

"After that, they were told to do push-ups. My son couldn't complete them. After the push-ups, the seniors were instructed to run. They didn't know what happened to him while they were running. By the time they finished, they saw my son lying on the ground."

Azwati said according to witnesses, Amir got up and was told to do another set of push-ups.

"Perhaps it was some form of punishment or an activity he couldn't handle. They didn't know exactly what was happening because they were away running.

"When he got up, he was told to do another set of push-ups, but he couldn't do them anymore. When he couldn't do it, he tried to get up but ended up on all fours, crawling.

"Then the instructor asked, 'Can you do this or not?' He said: 'What are you trying to do? Be a horse? If you want to be a horse, then take me over there, and I'll ride on your back,' " Azwati said, recounting witness statements she received the night after her son's funeral.

Azwati said she believed that the strenuous activities contributed to her son's heatstroke.

Azwati added that Amir was no stranger to cadet drills due to his prior experience in secondary school.

"Amir was really interested in the military since he was in Form 1, where he joined the military cadet corps and later the Civil Defence Force cadet.

"He regularly participated in marching competitions at school, which he continued until Form 5.

"In his first semester, he joined the Kesatria programme, which is also trained by a military instructor and there were no issues with it."

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