Sudden death or foul play? The unanswered questions surrounding a UTM student's death
It has also prompted calls for an inquest and demands for answers from his grieving family. Ummu Haiman shows a picture of her late son when met by Sinar at her home on Aug 11.
Multiple agencies are now involved in the investigation, but questions remain over what happened that day.
The Incident
According to Kota Tinggi District Police Chief Superintendent Yusof Othman, police received a report at 5.33pm on July 28 that Syamsul had collapsed during Combat Inoculation Training at the Army Land Training Centre (Pulada), Ulu Tiram.
Yusof said initial investigations found the cadet 'suddenly became incoherent and lost control' around 2.30pm before being attended to by a medical officer from the Armed Forces Hospital.
He was rushed to Kota Tinggi Hospital but was pronounced dead at the emergency department.
The body was later sent to Sultan Ismail Hospital's Forensic Medicine Department for a post-mortem.
Official Findings and What's Still Unknown
Police said the post-mortem found no injuries indicative of foul play, but the exact cause of death is pending laboratory results, which could take up to three months.
The case has been classified as a Sudden Death Report (SDR).
Yusof emphasised that a detailed and thorough investigation is ongoing, including interviews with witnesses and medical officers.
He also urged the public not to speculate while awaiting the results.
The Mother's Allegations
Syamsul's mother, Ummu Haiman Bee Daulatgun, disputed the suggestion that her son died from a seizure.
When she viewed his body, she claimed to have seen severe bruising, bleeding from the nose and eyes, wounds in the mouth and bruises on the neck, as well as injuries that looked like gunshot wounds.
'One person said he had a seizure during a shooting practice, while another told a family member he died in a fight,' she said.
She also alleged she was initially prevented from taking photographs and was only allowed to see part of his body; but managed to document the injuries herself.
Ummu has formally requested that her son's grave be exhumed for a second post-mortem and has appointed lawyer Naran Singh to represent the family.
Legal Push for an Inquest
Naran has publicly urged Attorney General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to initiate an inquest.
'Why is the AG silent regarding the death of this student following his mother's allegations? The AG is the guardian of public interest,' he said.
The lawyer also questioned why the Attorney General's Chambers has not made any move despite serious allegations of foul play.
Government and Military Response
On Aug 2, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that a special inter-ministerial committee comprising the Defence Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry would investigate the case.
'At the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) level, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause and reason behind the victim's death,' Khaled said.
Meanwhile, Army Chief General Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan expressed regret over the incident.
'We will review the training procedures to identify any weaknesses and areas that need improvement to prevent recurrence,' he said.
University and Ministerial Involvement
UTM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim visited the family on Aug 2, offering condolences and contributions.
On Aug 11, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir met Ummu and assured her that there would be no attempt to protect anyone if wrongdoing was committed against Haris.
'The priority is to expedite the committee's report. UTM had been instructed to give its full cooperation and that counselling support would be provided to the family,' he emphasised.
The Family's Grief and Calls for Justice
Syamsul, a second-semester Cyber Security degree student at UTM Skudai, was the eldest of three siblings.
His father passed away in December 2024, leaving him as the family's main hope.
In a TikTok post, Ummu shared the moment she sent her son to campus last year, captioned:
'Sent Syamsul to UTM Skudai to further his studies in Cyber Security. But brought him back as a body.'
She said she has now lost two loved ones in less than a year and is determined to find the truth, so that such cases will not happen to other people's children.
What Happens Next Laboratory results from the first post-mortem are expected within three months.
The special committee's findings will determine whether further legal or disciplinary action is taken.
The family continues to push for a second autopsy via exhumation.
The Armed Forces have pledged to review Palapes training protocols.
For now, the case remains officially classified as sudden death, but the controversy and the family's fight for answers show no sign of fading.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Mother of UTM Palapes cadet who died during training demands second autopsy amid suspicions of abuse
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — The mother of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Reserve Officers Training Unit (Palapes) trainee cadet Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, who died during training at the Army Basic Training Centre (Pulada) in Ulu Tiram, Johor, on July 28, has filed a notice of motion seeking an order to exhume her son's grave to conduct a second autopsy. Based on the notice of motion obtained by the media today, Ummu Haiman Bee Daulatgun, 45, filed the notice yesterday through Messrs. Naran Singh & Co at the Shah Alam High Court Registry. She named Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar as the respondents. Her lawyer, Datuk Naran Singh, when contacted today, confirmed the filing of the notice of motion. Ummu Haiman Bee is seeking an order to be issued to the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General and relevant parties to order the exhumation of Syamsul Haris' body at the Kampung Rinching Ulu Muslim Cemetery, in Selangor. She also sought an order to compel forensic experts from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital to conduct a post-mortem on Syamsul Haris' body within 14 days after the body was removed in the presence of forensic expert Datuk Seri Dr Bhupinder Singh and the family's appointed lawyer or a representative from Messrs. Naran Singh & Co. Ummu Haiman Bee is also seeking a court order directing the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department to appoint a new team from the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters to take over the investigation from the current investigating officer and to conduct a probe into the deceased's death, similar to the investigation carried out in the Zara Qairina Mahathir case. She is further seeking an order for the Attorney General to conduct an inquest to determine the cause of Syamsul Haris' death, along with any other orders or relief deemed appropriate and just by the court. The application was filed on the grounds that the first post-mortem was not conducted by a hospital forensic expert, but instead by one Dr George Sixtus Fernandez Jr, a Grade UD10 medical officer. The applicant alleged that there were criminal elements involved in Syamsul Haris' death, citing various contradictions regarding the stated cause of death. She also claimed that the family was not allowed to view the deceased's entire body, either while at the Forensic Department or during the bathing and shrouding process. According to the applicant, the body of the deceased was also brought out in a closed coffin and when asked to have the coffin lid opened, only the face was opened and shown to the applicant. In her supporting affidavit, Ummu Haiman Bee said her son had attended a shooting training on July 27 during a Palapes training course at the Army Basic Training Centre (Pulada), Ulu Tiram, Johor. She said that at 4.33pm the following day (July 28), she received a call from a lecturer at UTM informing her that her son had died at the Kota Tinggi Hospital, Johor. According to Ummu Haiman Bee, she went to the hospital at 4am on July 29 to see her son's body and saw there were bruises and injuries, especially on the neck, the chest was bloody, and black bruises on the face and right eye. 'I believe the injuries to the chest and right eye were caused by blows with blunt objects. I also believe the bleeding from my son's nose, which did not stop until his body was buried, clearly shows that he was beaten and suffered injuries to the brain and chest. 'Indeed, the pictures of the injuries to my son clearly show that they were caused by blunt objects,' she said. On August 13, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin was reported to have said that the Investigation Committee found no elements of abuse on Syamsul Haris, who died while attending training at Pulada, Ulu Tiram in Johor on July 28. — Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Saifuddin to address Zara Qairina's case in Parliament on Monday
Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu earlier today. PETALING JAYA : Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will address the Dewan Rakyat on Monday concerning the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir. He said the matter required clarification as it had been frequently brought up by parliamentarians, reported Bernama. 'I have chosen Monday to deliver a ministerial statement in Parliament on this issue,' he said at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu. Zara was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school's hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital the following day. Yesterday, Bukit Aman criminal investigation department director M Kumar said that the case, initially classified as sudden death, is now being investigated for possible criminal elements, including bullying. He also said the ongoing investigations would run concurrently with the inquest ordered by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) into Zara's death. Kumar said the officer in charge of investigating the death failed to follow proper procedures by not requesting a post-mortem, which was warranted as the death occurred under suspicious circumstances. The AGC had instructed police to exhume Zara's body and a post-mortem was conducted last week. Kumar said the results were consistent with the initial diagnosis that Zara died from brain injuries caused by a fall.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Probe into Klang student's death ongoing, say cops
(From left) Family lawyer S Vikram, activist Arun Dorasamy and the victim's mother, P Magaswari, at a press conference outside the MACC headquarters. PUTRAJAYA : Police have denied that the investigation into the death of a 17-year-old student in Klang was classified as no further action (NFA) and only recently reopened. Klang Utara police chief S Vijaya Rao said the case has been under investigation as a sudden death since May 27, which was when the girl was pronounced dead at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital. 'We didn't 'reopen' investigations. We started our investigations from the day we received the report (and it is still being conducted),' he said, adding that the victim's cause of death was still pending laboratory results. Vijaya said the statements of 25 people had been taken, including from teachers and students at the victim's school. He said the investigation paper would be referred to the deputy public prosecutor's office after the statements of several more people had been recorded. The student died on May 27 after allegedly ingesting poison while in a classroom with three other students during recess. One of them later told teachers the student had collapsed and was foaming at the mouth. The parents accused the school of failing to provide immediate medical attention, claiming staff waited nearly two hours for an ambulance instead of sending her to a nearby clinic, which was only two minutes away. The victim's father, M Gopalan, 47, also claimed that the school did not administer first aid while waiting for the ambulance. He had lodged two police reports – one against six school staff members for alleged gross negligence and evidence tampering, and another against three students for allegedly pressuring his daughter to consume the poison. Earlier today, activist Arun Dorasamy claimed the case was initially classified as NFA before being reopened, with the cops taking the statements of the victim's parents, Gopalan and P Magaswari, 45, yesterday. 'We are thankful the police are now conducting a more detailed and serious investigation,' Arun said at a press conference outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) headquarters here. Arun was with the girl's mother, Magaswari, and the family's lawyer, S Vikram, to lodge a report with MACC, alleging abuse of power by an education ministry officer involved in the case.
