On 19 January 2019, while taking part in a live-firing exercise at
Waiouru Training Area in New Zealand as an Operationally Ready National Serviceman, Pang entered the cabin of a
Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer (SSPH) to troubleshoot a fault. At 7:05 pm
NZDT (2:05 pm
SST), to enable diagnosis of the fault, the barrel of the howitzer was automatically lowered to neutral position within the cabin. Pang was in the path of the receding barrel and sustained severe crush injuries to his chest and abdomen as a result. Pang was evacuated by helicopter to the Waiouru Camp
Medical Centre and then to
Waikato Hospital, where he had abdominal surgery. He died at the hospital on 24 January 2019 at 1:45 am
NZDT (23 January 2019 8:45 pm
SST). According to New Zealand laws, before the body could be
repatriated back to Singapore, a post-mortem was to be performed with permission from the family, but it did not proceed as Pang's family did not grant it. Pang's body was repatriated the following day. A
wake began on the morning of 26 January 2019. Initially limited to family and relatives, it was opened to the public from 26 January 2019, 12pm till 27 January 2019, 12pm. Thousands came and paid their respects, including close friends, media artistes, politicians and fans. Pang was accorded a
military funeral later on 27 January 2019 and his casket was moved to the
Mandai Crematorium. He was cremated in the evening. His ashes were scattered into the sea off the island of
Pulau Ubin the following day. Pang is survived by his parents and two brothers.
Impact and aftermath Pang was the first soldier to be injured due to gun lowering while operating the SSPH as claimed by the
Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in a media release clarifying the safety record of the artillery vehicle. His death sparked renewed concerns about the accountability for and safety of military training, and prompted other national servicemen to share their experiences in the military online. After Pang's death, MINDEF called for a safety timeout for the Army and halted all training, including strenuous physical exercise, such as jogging,
route marches and the
Individual Physical Proficiency Test, pending safety reviews. On 25 January 2019, MINDEF set up a Committee of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the death of Pang. He was also
posthumously promoted to the rank of
Corporal first class, the highest enlistee rank within the Singapore Armed Forces. On 1 February 2019, MINDEF announced that the SAF would be setting up a new Inspector-General Office (IGO), which directly reports to the
Chief of Defence Force, and absorbing the existing Safety and Systems Review Directorate (SSRD) in the process. It would have full authority to scrutinise and enforce safety processes and practices at all levels. On 6 May 2019, the findings from the COI were presented in the
Singapore Parliament by Defence Minister
Ng Eng Hen. It was found that the primary issue was that the gun barrel was lowered without ensuring that everyone was in a safe position. There was no evidence indicating foul play or deliberate acts found. At the time of accident, Pang was together with a NSMan gun commander, 3SG(NS) Hubert Wah, aged 31 and a
Military Expert technician, ME2 Ivan Teo, aged 35. Pang did not move away from the gun barrel as required in the operating procedures, claiming that he would not be hit. Both Wah and Teo miscalculated the space in the cabin and the time needed for the barrel to be lowered, and Wah, proceeded to lower the gun barrel. After the gun barrel has been lowered for a time, Pang began to move away, however it was too late and was caught between the end of the barrel and the top of the cabin above him. Both Wah and Teo tried to stop the barrel from lowering through the main control screen and manually resisting the motion of the barrel, instead of activating the emergency stop buttons located at their respective positions in the howitzer. The COI stated the safety lapses were preventable if the standard operating procedures were followed. The External Review Panel on SAF Safety has also recommended to SAF to do more to improve on the 'weak' safety culture. On 31 July 2019, Teo and Wah were charged under the Singapore Armed Forces Act and the
Penal Code in a military court for causing death under rash and/or negligent acts and for disobeying military general orders. The Pang family had requested a lenient sentence, saying that "One loss is enough. Other parents' sons have a life ahead of them."
Tributes A video tribute to Pang was aired on Channel 8 on 31 January 2019. ==Discography==