At about 12.10am, when we arrived at Woodlands checkpoint, I called 995. A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) operator assured me an ambulance would be dispatched as soon as possible and I would be kept informed of its arrival.

I proceeded to booth 15. As there were two cars ahead of us, to save precious time, I pulled up and, leaving the engine running, I ran to the booth, hoping to jump the queue and get our passports endorsed quickly so we could secure medical help for my father.

Seeing the immigration officer engaged, I tapped on the glass panel in desperation. Without allowing me to explain, she slammed the glass door in my face and pushed aside our passports I had placed on her counter to continue serving the two cars before us.

The whole episode took a good 10 minutes and by the time I went back to drive my car to the booth, my father's condition had taken a turn for the worse.

Finally, after our passports had been endorsed, I drove to the red lane for Customs clearance to seek assistance from Customs officers. Another rude shock awaited me there.

Not a single officer came forward to help at first. Subsequently, an officer who noticed my father gasping for breath called for an ambulance. The ambulance eventually arrived but, by then, it was too late as my father had slipped into unconsciousness.

I was appalled by the way the officers conducted themselves.

Also, the assurance by the SCDF operator that an ambulance would be rushed to the scene and I would be kept informed of its whereabouts was false. Isn't 995 meant for emergency only and shouldn't cases involving a dying man be attended to as quickly as possible?

When I sought assistance at the red lane, none of the officers could perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Aren't front-line officers manning checkpoints supposed to be trained in CPR? Alternatively, shouldn't a paramedic team be stationed there in the event of an emergency?

If only help had been at hand, it might have saved my father's life.

Norhafiz Zahid