The arrogance of an SAF Officer and the taboo of apology

The Public Affairs Director of Mindef today wrote the following reply to the ST Forum page :

 

May 28, 2010
Shooting incident: Mindef admits it should have issued statement
WE REFER to Mr Matthias Chew's letter yesterday ('Shooting incident: Mindef should have told public').

 

The Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) immediate priority following any incident is to attend to the needs of the affected servicemen and to keep their families informed.

 

In the case of the training incident in Thailand, the servicemen were given immediate medical attention and arrangements were made for their safe return to Singapore on the same day for further medical treatment.

 

The families of the servicemen were immediately notified and provided regular updates. Whatever information that is available is thus provided to the servicemen and their families as soon as possible.

 

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) informs the public whenever there is a serious incident, or where the incident is likely to be of public interest.

 

Given the nature of this incident, Mindef should have issued a media statement when it occurred.

 

Colonel Darius Lim,
Director, Public Affairs,
Ministry of Defence (Mindef)

 

Mindef had done the right thing to inform the families of the injured servicemen, full time NS, NSmen or regulars, as in any other previous incidents that happened in the SAF. I am sure they will continue to do the same thing should future mishaps occur again.

 

However I take contention to his cold reply to the public considering the fact that he is the person helming the important department of Public Affairs. It demonstrates the underlying arrogance in an organisation where parents entrusted their sons to the State, where any little news of safety breach are of utmost importance to them. There is not a single strand of 'remorse' in his frigid statement. "We are sorry, we should have issued a media statement when it occurred" is extrememly difficult to deliver to those concerned.

 

How does one classify an "incident is likely to be of public interest"? In the name of transparency, Mindef should know that every incident is of public interest. Lives are at stake. Families are directly affected these accidents. Children may lose their fathers. Spouses become widowed as single parent. The reply seems to imply that people are just too nosey and that it-is-none-of-your-concern thingy.

 

The attitude of Colonel Darius Lim in handling (or mishandling) this incident is loathsomely disturbing, greatly undermining the trust placed on them by the same people this organisation professes to protect. Gone are the days where injuries and deaths are classified information. Public accountability must be compulsory, as is national service for all male citizens.

 

It is hoped that Mindef appoint more discerning officers to oversee important departments related to Public Affairs. The public is the big family to all servicemen in the SAF, any incident is of utmost concern! And injuries of this nature, particularly when they are not sustained in Singapore soil, must be made know publicly and immediately after they have informed the next-of-kins.