The Straits Times
MELAKA - He went to school in Melaka but had dreams of settling down in Singapore and planned to get a job and buy a flat here with his girlfriend after his national service (NS).
But the dream died when Corporal Kok Yuen Chin, 22, drowned last Sunday (May 13).
Cpl Kok, who family members said had been a Singapore permanent resident from a young age, was found unconscious at the bottom of a 12m pump well at Tuas View Fire Station. He never recovered.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said he had been celebrating his impending Operationally Ready Date.
At his wake in Melaka on Tuesday (May 15), family members told The Straits Times that Cpl Kok had been excited at the prospect of finishing NS and starting the next chapter of his life in Singapore.
His attraction to the place grew by degrees.
His father Kok Meng Hwa, 56, has been a construction worker here for more than 20 years and even met his wife, who is from Ipoh, in Singapore. He applied for permanent residence status for his entire family shortly after his son - Cpl Kok - was born in Malaysia in 1996.
"I thought being a PR would allow my children to have more options," said the older Mr Kok, in obvious distress on Tuesday.
SCDF officers pay their respects to Corporal Kok Yuen Chin
The PR status also meant that, when he turned 18, the young man who was studying in Malaysia, got a letter asking him to serve NS.
He deferred, at first, as he completed Malaysia's equivalent of A levels at the age of 19. He also worried about the physical demands of NS.
But he warmed to the idea as it meant he could live and work in Singapore.
He spent the first few months serving SCDF, sharing a rented apartment with his father in Bukit Panjang.
Over the past year, he had moved to a rented apartment in Boon Lay with his girlfriend, a Malaysian who works here as a clerk.
The pair split a monthly rent of about $600, according to Mr Kok.
"My son wanted to be independent and he knew he wanted to start a life here, so even though he was not earning a lot, he wanted to try his best to make it work," he said.
Cpl Kok had planned to work as a security officer after NS.
"But he never even got the chance to try," said the older Mr Kok, who struggled to compose himself.
Cpl Kok's family members said they wanted a clearer picture of the events that unfolded last Sunday evening and cost the young man his life.
His paternal aunt, 55-year-old nurse Helen Kok, said the family hopes to be able to view recorded video footage of the incident as it still has "many questions left unanswered".
She said Cpl Kok had injuries on his face - including cuts on his chin and cheeks.
"We still do not know many things. He died in a fire station, full of life-savers, why could not they save him? Why did he have these injuries?" said Miss Kok.
"For us to have closure, we need to have these questions answered. We need to know what really happened."
Citing media reports of visible injuries discovered on Cpl Kok, the Singapore police said on Tuesday night that its preliminary investigation findings as well as findings from the pathologist indicate that the injuries were sustained in the well and during the rescue process.
“The Police would like to remind the public that investigations are ongoing and public should not speculate. The findings will be made known in due course,” it added.
Meanwhile, his mother, Madam Madam Wong Siew Fong, 53, blinked back tears and talked of how her son, who did not earn very much, would still send her money every month.
SCDF commissioner Eric Yap and other officers visited Cpl Kok's home in the Krubong area of Melaka to pay their respects late on Tuesday afternoon.
Family members said Cpl Kok will be cremated on Thursday morning.
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