SINGAPORE — Taking the witness stand in his trial for the first time on Wednesday (Aug 28), First Warrant Officer Mohamed Farid Mohd Saleh repeatedly denied telling his close friend and colleague to push a full-time national serviceman into a pump well.

Farid told the court that he never told Staff Sergeant Nur Fatwa Mahmood to push Corporal Kok Yuen Chin into the 12m-deep well, where Kok later died, while Fatwa has testified previously that Farid did tell him to do so.

“I felt angry and confused and disappointed in Fatwa, because he lied and said something that I never said at all,” Farid said, upon questioning by his lawyer Vinit Chhabra.

Farid is contesting his charge of instigating Fatwa to push Kok into the well at Tuas View Fire Station on May 13 last year. Kok, 22, ended up drowning that evening, three days before he would finish serving his NS in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Meanwhile, the prosecution challenged Farid’s account of the day’s events.

Farid had said in two police statements that he knew Kok would be entering the pump well. But on Wednesday, Farid testified that he thought Kok would not go in.

Five SCDF officers have been charged for their involvement in Kok’s death, which was the first resulting from such a ragging ritual in the service.

Apart from Fatwa, 34, and Farid, 35, the others were First Senior Warrant Officer Nazhan Mohamed Nazi, 41, Lieutenant Kenneth Chong Chee Boon, 38, and Staff Sergeant Adighazali Suhaimi, 32.

FARID 'SHOCKED' AT FATWA'S ALLEGATION

Last month, Fatwa told the court that he heard Farid telling him to push Kok into the well with the Malay phrase: “Wa, tolak dia.” This translates to “Push him”, with “wa” being a short form of Fatwa’s name.

In his evidence on Wednesday, Farid denied telling Fatwa this, either in English or Malay.

Farid agreed that he was “shocked” at Fatwa’s allegation when the other man first raised it with Major Huang Weikang, the fire station’s commander. They had gathered at the engine bay when Fatwa said he had pushed Kok in.

“I’m not sure what was going through his mind, but we are close and we’ve been through a lot together. Maybe he wanted me to share part of the blame with him for causing Kok’s death,” Farid testified.

When Mr Vinit asked what he thought about when Fatwa alleged this, Farid said he did not know how to react and shook his head in disbelief.

“(This is) because Fatwa (was) telling a lie. I just feel that this is so untrue, that he’s telling a lie in front of everybody. I didn’t say anything,” he added.

In his earlier evidence, Fatwa had said he felt “betrayed” during a later interview with police officers at the fire station after the incident, where Farid denied telling him to push Kok into the pump well.

On Wednesday, Farid also denied saying at the pump well in Malay, as alleged by another officer who took the stand: “Why is this taking so long? Hurry up and put him in.”

Farid told the court that what he had said, to no one in particular, was: “It’s late, can we hurry up or not?”, as he wanted everyone to disperse and have dinner and he wanted to discuss plans for the next day with Chong.

‘THEN FATWA IS NOT MY FRIEND’

When Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kumaresan Gohulabalan cross-examined Farid, he insisted that he was not an active participant in Kok’s ragging.

He also disagreed with the prosecutor’s assertion that Fatwa had no reason to “falsely implicate” him, as they were good friends. Fatwa could have put the blame on “others who were far noisier, far more involved” than Farid, the DPP charged.

Farid replied: “I disagree, because I don’t know what Fatwa was thinking. He might also not notice everybody’s movements or what they say. It’s entirely up to him who he wants to (implicate).”

The prosecutor also questioned him on why he did not deny telling Fatwa to push Kok into the well during their chat with Major Huang.

Farid testified that he was respecting Major Huang’s seniority in not responding. But DPP Kumaresan put to him that he would have said something regardless of the situation.

“I suggest that the reason why you stared at Fatwa was not because you were falsely implicated, but simply that Fatwa had given you up. He had sold you out,” the prosecutor said.

"Then Fatwa is not my friend,” Farid replied. “If he is in trouble, he should be answerable for what he has done.”

The prosecutor also questioned Farid about why he asked Fatwa for cigarettes after the interview. Farid said he was “just acting normal”, but the DPP asserted that if Fatwa had truly lied, Farid would have avoided him instead.

Farid also said that he had been in the pump well “a few times”, either pushed in or entering to retrieve items. He thought Kok would not enter the well as he had “never witnessed a night kolam (Malay for well)”, he added.

“It’s too dangerous to do a kolam prank at night, and nobody in their right mind would carry out this prank at night time?” DPP Kumaresan asked.

“Yes, that’s why I said I thought they were just teasing Kok,” Farid replied.

Towards the end of the cross-examination, the prosecutor put to Farid that he was lying on the stand. His police statements, taken right after the incident and later during the day, did not tally with his evidence in court, the DPP said.

“I was quite scared of what would happen — to my future, my job. It was really an unstable time to tell everything correctly,” Farid said.

The trial continues on Thursday.