Soosaimanicckam inquest - cadet defecated while showering

The Coroner’s Court conducting the inquest into the death of Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) cadet officer J Soosainmanicckam in May last year was today told that he had defecated while showering at the quarters.

KD Sultan Idris 1 course planning officer Lieutenant Nur Suhana Kasim Bakri, 32, said at about 12.30 pm, on May 19, she was informed by another officer that Soosaimanicckam had defecated while having a shower at the quarters and she managed to arrange for transportation to take him to the Armed Forces Hospital (HAT) in Lumut.

“When Soosaimanicckam came out of his room on the ground floor he looked weak, unable to walk on his own and had to be assisted,” she said, adding that there were dry wounds on his forehead and elbows.

She said upon arriving at the hospital, she was waiting outside the emergency room, and about an hour later she was informed by Dr Harvind Singh that Soosaimanicckam had died.

Earlier, when asked by DPP Nurul Qistini Qamarul Abrar about Soosaimanicckam’s condition on the day, Nur Sahana said Soosaimanicckam and other cadet officers attended daily physical training from 7.30 am until 10.30 am.

Nur Suhana, who is also an additional trainer, said after completing the 600-metre of slow jog, Soosaimanicckam informed an officer that he had no energy to continue with the training.

“He exercised on his own and monitored but he looked tired,” she said when testifying on the third day of the inquest proceedings before Coroner Azman Abu Hassan.

Nur Suhana said after the training session, all cadet officers including Soosaimanicckam were to measure their body mass index (BMI) and the readings of his BMI was at 30, above the maximum level of 26.9.

Meanwhile, Azman asked the prosecution to call the Malaysian Armed Forces’ manpower branch to find out about the health screening procedure during the selection process as he found it strange that Soosaimanicckam should die within a week of training despite a full medical check-up prior to recruitment.