By Jermyn Chow

THE Defence Ministry has addressed for a second time issues raised by the family of Captain (Dr) Allan Ooi, who had gone absent without official leave for five months before being found dead in Melbourne, Australia, last month.

In a letter to the media on Tuesday, the ministry said it would have preferred to keep such exchanges private out of respect for Capt (Dr) Ooi and his family. However, it said an earlier letter by the family had raised 'several issues', and it was necessary to clarify them.

Among them, said Mindef spokesman Darius Lim, was the three-year bond Capt (Dr) Ooi had to serve after he was sent for a six-month stint in aviation medicine in London in January last year.

In a letter to the press last week, the family claimed that this bond was to be served on top of the Republic of Singapore Air Force medical officer's 12-year medicine scholarship bond - in effect, making it a three-year bond for a six-month course.

However, Colonel Lim said yesterday that this was untrue. He said the bonds were to be served concurrently, and this was explained to Capt (Dr) Ooi when he signed the contract in December 2007 before flying off to London. In fact, two of his family members signed the contract as his sureties.

Added Col Lim: 'Mindef also sent Capt (Dr) Ooi an e-mail to confirm this. He acknowledged receiving the mail.'

When the SAF scholarship holder returned from his London training stint last July, he had told his superior at the Aeromedical Centre that he was unhappy at work and wanted out of the SAF.

About a month later - on Aug 12, not in July, as his family had said - Capt (Dr) Ooi wrote to the Head of Manpower at Headquarters Medical Corps, expressing his intention to quit.

On Aug 20, the Head of Manpower replied, and explained how to apply for an early release.

But Capt (Dr) Ooi did not submit an application, said Col Lim. On Oct 3, the doctor's superior offered him the option of a 'posting to an appointment of his choice'.

Col Lim said the 27-year-old 'thanked his superior, and promised to respond in two weeks'. But he did not do so. Instead, on Oct 15, when the two weeks would have been up, he went Awol.

On March 3 this year, he was found dead underneath Melbourne's Westgate Bridge.

In a note he left behind, he said, among other things, that he was unhappy at work.

In its letter yesterday, Mindef noted that Capt (Dr) Ooi's family had asked for an inquiry into its policies and processes, 'on the premise that this would avert a similar tragedy'. Col Lim said a board of inquiry was convened last month, and it concluded that matters related to Capt (Dr) Ooi's service 'were managed appropriately'. He reiterated that SAF scholarship holders know they have 'a moral obligation' to serve out their bonds. This 'goes beyond the legal obligation to pay back the liquidated damages if the bond is broken'.

All SAF scholarship holders are expected to do their duty 'unless prevented from doing so because of extenuating circumstances, like medical reasons', he said. 'While Capt (Dr) Ooi was unhappy with his job and had wished to resign, he subsequently went Awol even though he had been told of other possible job options,' Col Lim concluded.

Contacted last night, the doctor's sister, Lynette, a lawyer working in Hong Kong, said the family has yet to meet Mindef officials to clarify the issues raised. Added the 24-year-old: 'We still hope that an independent inquiry will be set up to look into the matter.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

Read also:
» Letter from the family of the late Dr Allan Ooi
» Mindef responds to family of Dr Allan Ooi