KOTA TINGGI, JUNE 21 — The Malaysian Army (TDM) has temporarily suspended all training involving the use of hand grenades following an explosion that killed two of its members during a training session at Hobart Camp, Kedah, recently.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the suspension order was effective immediately until the investigation board completed a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the incident.
He said the move was important to enable a reassessment of the standard operating procedures (SOP) for handling weapons and managing the security forces’ training.
“As a result of the incident, the Army has issued an order to suspend all training involving the use of grenades until the investigation is complete. We want to know why this situation could have happened.
“What went wrong there, that is what needs to be investigated. According to technical guidelines, when the pin is pulled out, it must be thrown away within seven seconds,” he told reporters after attending a free fuel filling programme at BHPetrol Felda Air Tawar 2, here, today.
Mohamed Khaled said he refused to make any initial speculation regarding the cause of the incident and chose to leave it entirely to the investigation process.
He said the scope of the investigation would include various aspects including technical evaluation of the weapons as well as the emotional state and readiness of the members during the training.
“I don’t want to make any assumptions, let’s investigate first. When the report is complete, we will see where the weaknesses are to be improved, including looking at the condition of the members involved during the training.
“I have requested that this investigation be expedited and that the full report be submitted directly to me as soon as it is completed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also expressed his condolences to the families of the two soldiers who were killed.
On June 16, two TDM members, Private Siti Khadijah Sungip, 24, and Corporal Norazmi Abu Bakar, 40, were confirmed dead while on their way to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH), Sungai Petani, Kedah due to serious injuries following the explosion.
— BERNAMA
