𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐡 𝐘𝐮 𝐑𝐮, 𝟐𝟏 (𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟑)

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐤 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐛, 𝟏𝟗 (𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟑)

This was a tragic case.

Both were young national servicemen.

Both were serving the nation.

Sheik Omar, who enlisted in June 1993, was one of Lieutenant Yu Ru’s charges from the Second Brigade Training School.

It was August 30, 1993.

Both men had just booked in for the week.

That day, an exchange between them reportedly left Sheik Omar displeased.

He then told another recruit on August 31, 1993, “Tomorrow, PC will go along with me to heaven.”

No one knew why he felt and spoke in the manner he did.

The following day, during a living firing exercise at Pulau Tekong, Recruit Sheik Omar shot Loh, his platoon commander and the range conducting officer, in the chest with an M-16 rifle.

He then emptied a round in his head right after, dying instantly.

Loh was flown to the Singapore General Hospital, where he received urgent medical assistance.

Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries at 10.45pm on 1 September, 1993.

In the incident's aftermath, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) convened a Committee of Inquiry, but its findings were never made public.

This matter was also not raised in Parliament.

Lamentably, neither man returned home alive to his family.