Mother of NSF who died: It seems the price I paid has not been enough

(Photo: In memory of Dominique Sarron Lee Facebook page)

The mother of Dominique Sarron Lee posted a response on Facebook after her family’s lawsuit against the Singapore Armed Forces was struck out by the High Court and the family ordered to pay legal costs of $22,000 to the defendants.

Lee, 21, a private in the SAF, died in 2012 after an allergic reaction to zinc chloride fumes from smoke grenades used during a military exercise. His platoon commander Najib Hanuk was found to have detonated six smoke grenades instead of the limit of two specified in safety regulations.

Lee’s family sued the SAF, Najib, and safety officer Chia Thye Siong last year. Their lawyer, Irving Choh, argued that there was a contract between Lee and the SAF, which the SAF had breached.

All three defendants applied to have the lawsuit struck out, relying on a provision in the Government Proceedings Act to argue that they had immunity against suits of negligence if a death occurred during service.

During a coroner’s inquiry in 2013, it was also reported that State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid highlighted the fact that during a pre-enlistment medical check-up, Lee under-declared his history of asthma.

According to media reports, Judicial Commissioner Kannan Ramesh agreed in a closed-door hearing the Act covered Lee’s case and dismissed the suit, and ruled the family had to bear the costs for the lawsuit.

“Dom, how can I possibly pay them for taking away your life? Where is the justice? It seems, the price I paid has not been enough,” Lee’s mother, Felicia Seah, said on Facebook in a post written to her son.

Seah added, “Dom, in these past 3+ years, I have been worn-down, beaten and defeated by the very government I taught you to trust; worn-down, beaten and defeated by the very system I counselled you to have faith in; worn-down, beaten and defeated by the very people I advised you to respect and honour.

“Dom, forgive me. I taught you wrong.”