‘Army Headquarters found that there is still a need to recall several witnesses and possibly obtain statements from new witnesses.’
PETALING JAYA: The army will recall several witnesses and may seek statements from new ones after finding that further investigation is needed into the fatal grenade-training explosion at Kem Hobart, while also planning to introduce CCTV, body cameras and tighter controls over ammunition and explosives.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the ministry received an investigation report from the Western Field Command Headquarters on July 13, but a review by Army Headquarters found that additional evidence was required.
“Army Headquarters found that there is still a need to recall several witnesses and possibly obtain statements from new witnesses.
“Therefore, a more complete report is expected to be submitted to the Defence Ministry by Army Headquarters on July 23,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Khaled said it was still too early to determine the cause of the June 16 incident until the investigation had been fully completed.
He was responding to Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin), who asked about the cause of the explosion and the immediate measures being taken to strengthen safety procedures during military training.
The incident occurred at about 10.57am during combat enhancement training at the Kem Hobart firing range in Gurun, Kedah.
Lance Corporal Siti Khadijah Sungip of the 1st Squadron, Royal Army Engineers Regiment, and supervising instructor Corporal Norazmi Abu Bakar suffered serious injuries after a grenade exploded inside a bunker.
Both died while being taken to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani.
Khaled said the army established a Board of Inquiry on June 17, a day after the incident, before its report was reviewed by the 2nd Division Headquarters and the Western Field Command Headquarters.
Under army procedures, investigations are normally allocated between four and eight weeks, depending on the nature of the case and the scope of the review.
“This is to ensure that all technical aspects, procedures and witness statements are thoroughly examined before any conclusion is reached.
“However, as this case has attracted serious attention, the ministry instructed that the investigation and preparation of the report be expedited,” he said.
Khaled said all remaining grenades held by the squadron had undergone a comprehensive special inspection to ensure they were not damaged, while grenade-throwing exercises remained temporarily suspended pending the completion of the investigation.
He said the army would also strengthen training supervision based on recommendations from the Board of Inquiry.
“These include installing CCTV at firing ranges, using body cameras for monitoring and post-exercise reviews, and improving visibility and observation mirrors at control towers,” he said.
The army has also proposed using environmentally friendly training hand grenades during dry exercises before personnel progress to handling live grenades.
Khaled said an ageing policy would be introduced for ammunition and explosives to establish their service life, alongside detailed and periodic inspections to ensure they remained fit for use.
Military units would also be required to assess the physical health and mental readiness of officers and personnel before they participate in exercises, particularly high-risk training.
