Army freezes hand‑grenade drills as investigation into Kedah training blast is fast‑tracked, says defence minister

KOTA TINGGI, June 21 — The Malaysian Army has temporarily suspended all hand grenade training activities following a fatal blast during a training session at Hobart Camp, Kedah, which claimed the lives of two personnel.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the order is effective immediately and will remain in place until the board of inquiry completes a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the incident.

He said the decision was necessary to enable a review of the standard operating procedures (SOP) governing weapons handling and training management in the security forces.

“As a result of the incident, the Army has issued an order to suspend all training involving hand grenades until the investigation is completed. We need to understand how this could have occurred.

“What went wrong there must be investigated. According to technical guidelines, once the pin is pulled, it must be thrown within seven seconds,” he told reporters after attending a free fuel programme at BHPetrol Felda Air Tawar 2 here today.

He said the probe would look into several elements, including the technical aspects of the weapons and the mental state and preparedness of the personnel during the training.

“I am not going to speculate. Let the investigation be completed first. Once the report is out, we will assess shortcomings and areas for improvement, including the condition of the personnel during the training.

“I have instructed that this investigation be expedited and that the full report be submitted directly to me once it is completed,” he said.

At the same time, Mohamed Khaled conveyed his condolences to the families of the two servicemen who were killed.

On June 16, Private Siti Khadijah Sungip, 24, of the 1st Squadron of the Royal Engineer Regiment and Corporal Norazmi Abu Bakar, 40, attached to the 6th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, were pronounced dead while on their way to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani, Kedah, due to severe injuries caused by the explosion. — Bernama