Grief returned to the same household this week. Trooper K. Indiran died on Feb 19 after collapsing during a Royal Armoured Corps training exercise at Kem Batu 10 in Kuantan, Pahang.
He had been undergoing the Class 1 Armour Crew Course when he was found unconscious on Feb 18 and rushed to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA). He succumbed the following day. Police have classified the case as sudden death.
Post-mortem: No Injuries Found
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said a post-mortem revealed no physical injuries.
“The post-mortem has been completed and no physical injuries were found. The case has been classified as sudden death (SDR),” he said.
Speculation had surfaced online suggesting bullying may have played a role. But Indiran’s mother, S. Usha, 52, firmly dismissed the claims.
“When I received the shocking news that my son was in critical condition, I feared the worst. But the postmortem confirmed he (Indiran) had not been bullied, beaten, or harmed.
His physical condition was perfectly normal. So don’t tarnish the Armed Forces with false bullying claims. We’ll have to wait for the investigation.”
Speaking at her home in Taman Sri Nibong, she urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified allegations that could damage the image of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).
Further internal investigations — including laboratory tests to determine the exact cause of death — are ongoing and may take three to four months.
A Family that Gave Two Generations
This is not the first time Usha has stood beside a flag-draped coffin. Indiran was the son of the late Major C. Kayamboo of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. In 2016, Major Kayamboo died when his Beechcraft B200T aircraft crashed near Butterworth Air Base during a training flight. Indiran was just 12 years old.
Despite the trauma, he chose the same path. Last September, he was among 1,144 recruits who completed the Malaysian Army Young Soldier Training Series 200/2024 at the Basic Army Training Centre (PUSASDA) in Port Dickson. Friends and family said he had turned his childhood grief into resolve.
Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association (PVATM) president Datuk Sharuddin Omar said Indiran used the tragedy as motivation to serve. He said the young trooper did not see his father’s death as something negative, but as a catalyst to continue the struggle.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin described the family’s sacrifice as “unrepayable”, saying no words could measure the loss of a family that had given two loved ones to the nation.
“The sacrifice of a family that has given not one, but two loved ones to the homeland is a sacrifice that can never be compared,” he said, extending condolences to Usha.
“He was cheerful the day before”
Indiran’s stepfather, L. Mathivanan, 35, said the family last spoke to him the day before he was found unconscious.
“We had a video call and he appeared healthy and cheerful. He was even planning a family gathering next month.
We are shocked. Indiran was a responsible son who helped care for his younger siblings who are still studying.”
Usha described her eldest child as healthy when he enlisted. His sudden passing left the family reeling, though she said they have accepted it.
She acknowledged that military training is tough but insisted it should not be confused with abuse. Despite losing both her husband and son in service, she said she would not stop her other children — including her 17-year-old — if they choose to join the uniformed forces.
Final farewell
In the early hours of the morning, a military vehicle carrying Indiran’s remains arrived at his family home for a final tribute. He is expected to be laid to rest beside his father at the Batu Lanchang Indian Cemetery.
For Usha, the grief is deeply personal — but so is the pride.
Watch a video here:
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