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THE mother of a university cadet who died during military training in Johor has demanded an immediate and transparent investigation, alleging her son’s injuries were inconsistent with the explanation initially provided by training officials.
Ummu Haiman Bee Daulatgun, 45, said her son, Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, 22, a student of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and a trainee with the university’s Reserve Officers Training Unit (PALAPES), died last Monday during an exercise at the Pulada Combat Inoculation Range in Ulu Tiram near Johor Bharu.
“I was told that my son died due to seizures during training, but when I saw his body at the Sultan Ismail Hospital Forensic Medicine Department, I saw injuries that told a different story,” she said during a press conference.
According to her, the body bore extensive trauma including facial bleeding, bruises and lacerations, particularly around the head, neck, and shoulders—raising doubts over the explanation that he suffered a seizure.
“There was heavy bleeding from his nose and eyes, and signs of a strong blow to the head. This does not match what I was told by the PALAPES unit,” she said.
Syamsul Haris was a second-semester Bachelor of Cyber Security student at UTM. He had joined the training camp on Saturday, 27 July, which was scheduled to end on 4 August.
Last Contact and Sudden Loss
The last conversation Ummu Haiman had with her son was on Saturday evening. He had called to share his excitement about joining the training camp and later sent a message via WhatsApp the night before his death.
“He told me, ‘Maa, I’m going into formation now. I have to surrender my phone. Take care, Maa.’ He also said he was happy because he had successfully completed firearms training that Sunday,” she recounted tearfully.
The next day, she received the devastating news of his death.
Syamsul Haris was buried at the Kampung Rinching Ulu Muslim Cemetery in Semenyih, Selangor.
Police Report Filed, Autopsy Results Pending
Ummu Haiman has lodged a police report at the Kajang District Police Headquarters and is being represented legally by Datuk Naran Singh.
She said the post-mortem has been classified as “pending laboratory investigation,” with toxicology and other sample results expected in about three months.
“I just want the truth about how my son died. He was my eldest of three children. The explanation given so far is not enough.”
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety and oversight of military-style training programmes within universities.
The family is urging authorities, including UTM and the Ministry of Defence, to ensure a full and transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Syamsul Haris’s death. - August 1, 2025