Sabah Earthquake

Mdm Speaker, I thank Mr Lee Biow Chuan, Ms Irene Ng and Dr Lim Wee Kiak for their concern and their questions. On 5 June, an earthquake struck suddenly at Mount Kinabalu. Seven students and two teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS), plus one Singaporean instructor, who were on the mountain, lost their lives. We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. Once again, I want to express my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who were lost. Besides our 10 Singaporeans, six Malaysians, including two Mountain Torq trainers who were with the students and staff of TKPS, also lost their lives. We extend our condolences to their families and friends too.

At the same time, we are glad that we were able to bring back 22 students and six teachers safely. We are grateful to the Sabah guides and Mountain Torq trainers who helped our teachers to evacuate our students from the mountain. We would also like to thank the Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces and all the other Malaysian agencies, including the Sabah state authorities, for their support and assistance in the search, rescue and recovery efforts.

Many agencies in Singapore worked with MOE to assist and support the affected students, families, teachers and staff of the school. The community, including our SEA Games athletes, rallied to offer their sympathy and support and thousands visited TKPS to pay tribute to those who passed away.

In an expression of our sympathies and condolences for the families who lost their loved ones, the Prime Minister declared 8 June a Day of National Remembrance, with state flags flown at half-mast and the observation of a minute of silence at all SEA Games venues. The outpouring of support from the whole nation brought much comfort to the families, students and teachers. I know that they, as well as my Ministry and I, deeply appreciate this support and sense of togetherness.

Before I outline what happened, let me first explain the context of outdoor adventure learning. MOE and schools conduct a variety of outdoor adventure learning programmes. This mode of learning is a proven and effective way to develop social and leadership skills in students. Students learn to lead, make decisions and work together to tackle challenging tasks in an outdoor environment. In the process, they grow in confidence and resilience.

A large proportion of outdoor adventure learning takes place in Singapore at adventure facilities run by MOE and Outward Bound Singapore. These purpose-designed facilities and

Page: 50

programmes provide valuable learning opportunities and will continue to enhance them.

Our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning also organise overseas learning journeys to bring students overseas for academic, cultural and adventure learning. These overseas experiences provide learning platforms that cannot be easily replicated in classrooms, or anywhere else in Singapore. For example, overseas adventure learning programmes, including mountain trekking, challenge students to adapt to new and unfamiliar environments, away from home comforts.

As these overseas adventure learning programmes have a high educational value, some schools use them to develop leadership qualities for selected groups of students, such as student leaders as well as those in uniformed groups and outdoor activity clubs.

TKPS places a strong emphasis on developing students' leadership skills. It has designed an apex leadership programme called the "Omega Challenge" which comprises a three-day climb to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. The Omega Challenge started in 2009 and this year marks the seventh run of the programme. Two hundred and fifteen TKPS students have undergone this programme. In fact, I have met some of these students myself.

Past students and their parents have told the school how this programme has helped the students to grow in confidence and maturity in ways that exceeded their expectations. For many of the students, the experience of having to overcome the physical and mental challenges to conquer Mount Kinabalu was a metaphor for learning to conquer themselves and future challenges in life. With its high educational value, the programme is very much sought after. Students vie for a place in the Omega Challenge and take pride in being selected. They are chosen based on qualities such as their emotional maturity, leadership skills and physical abilities.

Schools that organise overseas trips and outdoor adventure learning have to ensure that these activities are suitable for participating students. They have to adhere to the following principles set out by MOE.

First, the activities have clear educational goals. Second, the activities are age-appropriate. Third, the safety and well-being of students and staff are accorded top priority in the planning and execution of the activities. Fourth, more physically challenging programmes are optional and are open only to students who meet certain requirements. Fifth, there are adequate preparations, including risk assessments and management.

Ahead of this year's trip to Mount Kinabalu, TKPS undertook the following preparations. First, the school confirmed that the activities were age-appropriate. On the official Mount

Page: 51

Kinabalu website, it is recommended that children who attempt the climb be at least 10 years old. The "Via Ferrata" activities that the students were going to carry out along the slopes of Mount Kinabalu, under the guidance of professional trainers, is also graded as suitable for children aged 10 and above. All the participating students from the school were aged 11 to 13.

Second, the school recognised that this programme may not be suitable for all students and that parents' comfort levels also differ. Hence, the school ensured that consent was granted by the students' parents and also briefed them on what the overseas portion of the programme would entail.

Third, the school conducted screening processes to select a small group of 29 student leaders who were assessed to be physically fit, as well as emotionally and mentally ready.

Fourth, the school conducted three months of rigorous physical training, like endurance runs and stair-climbing to prepare them.

Fifth, the school went through a detailed risk assessment before embarking on the trip.

I will now briefly touch on what happened on the morning of 5 June 2015. The earthquake that struck Mount Kinabalu that fateful morning was sudden and unexpected. It dislodged boulders and rocks near the top of the mountain and these came crashing down the mountain slope. This happened when the students and the adults who were accompanying them had just started on an activity along the "Via Ferrata".

With your permission, Mdm Speaker, may I display some slides on the LED screens?

Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]

To understand what happened, let me explain how the "Via Ferrata" activity was organised. The "Via Ferrata" activity required the participants to walk or climb a route that ran along the slope of the mountain, using a system of harnesses connected to a metal cable to secure them and prevent any risk of a fall. There are three "Via Ferrata" routes and TKPS chose the simplest and shortest route; which spanned 280 metres, was suitable for 10-year-olds and required about an hour or slightly more to complete.

So, if you look at this slide, the one in which the TKPS students attempted is the one in red; it is the shortest and simplest. You might have seen also pictures of this "Via Ferrata" which were on the other parts of the circuit and these were not what the students attempted. Thirty-one TKPS participants, comprising 23 students and eight school staff, attempted the

Page: 52

"Via Ferrata" activity. Six students did not take part in this activity and were resting at a nearby hut. Those who participated were organised into five groups; each led by a trainer provided by the operator of the "Via Ferrata", Mountain Torq. To ensure proper supervision and control, each group was sent out a few minutes apart to avoid bunching up. Each group had up to five students and three adults, making the adult-to-student ratio approximately 1: 2.

At 7.15 am when the earthquake struck, the first three groups had already started out on the "Via Ferrata", while the last two groups were still at the start line waiting for their turn. From the accounts we had gathered, the first three groups that were on the mountain slope, were in the path of a very heavy rockfall. The last two groups that were at the starting point were less badly hit by the falling rocks and stones, perhaps the rockfall there was less heavy or because there were some trees in the vicinity that offered some protection.

Some of the boulders dislodged by the earthquake were as large as a house or a car, as Members can see from the slide. This was one of the pieces that were dislodged.

The casualties amongst the first three groups included both children and adults. Seven students and five adults, including two Mountain Torq trainers who were experienced and familiar with the terrain and safety procedures, lost their lives. For the other two groups that were waiting at the start point, they all survived, with the majority of them unhurt. Whether a participant perished or survived depended on where he or she happened to be at that time. It made no difference whether the participant was a child or adult, novice or experienced climber.

When the earthquake struck, many of the TKPS students recounted that the teachers near them used their bodies to protect and shield them from harm. Once the initial tremors subsided, the adults accompanying the students were able to quickly work together to give instructions for the students to evacuate. As far as possible, the students who were unhurt or only slightly injured were organised into groups to be led down the mountain. The evacuation was made more difficult because the paths had been damaged by the quake and there were many aftershocks that morning. Some of the adults, including those who were themselves injured, stayed on to help the students who were more seriously injured or required greater assistance.

On the same day, the Singapore Government Crisis Team responded, first with an immediate Crisis Response Team from MFA that reached Kota Kinabalu by 8.00 pm, to help coordinate the needs of the Singaporeans in Kota Kinabalu affected by the earthquake.

Page: 53

By the end of the first day, my Ministry had already made plans for those family members who wanted to be in Kota Kinabalu to be flown up early the next morning. I conveyed this to the parents who were waiting at the school. We sent a multi-agency delegation, together with several counsellors and TKPS teachers, who flew together in an SAF C130 aircraft to directly support the family members. Concurrently, plans were put in place to fly home the students who were physically able to do so. By the next day after the quake, on 6 June afternoon, 19 TKPS students had returned to Singapore. Three students with more serious injuries remained in Kota Kinabalu to receive treatment. Two were evacuated back the next day and the third by 8 June.

Over in Kota Kinabalu, the MOE-led delegation supported the family members through this difficult period and worked to ensure that all the bodies that were recovered were flown back at the earliest possible moment so that last rites could be performed and the deceased laid to rest. A tribute site was set up at TKPS for the public to pay their tribute. In the days that followed, TKPS teachers and over 100 counsellors and psychologists rallied to support the participants and their family members. We witnessed the courage and resilience of the affected students, teachers and their family members as they did their best to come to terms with what had happened.

In our review of this incident, it is clear that in the planning and execution of any overseas learning journey, our schools must continue to conduct risk assessments and take all the necessary safety measures and precautions. Nevertheless, natural disasters are impossible to predict or exclude entirely. Indeed, seismologists considered the probability of such a destructive earthquake happening in the area around Mount Kinabalu to be unknown. There was no prior warning. No matter how careful our schools may be in planning their overseas trips, events that are beyond our control and prediction may still occur, whether natural disasters or otherwise.

We are all deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected earthquake that claimed the lives of our students and some of the adults who were accompanying them. Their families, as well as their friends and colleagues, will need time to recover from this. We will therefore continue to give our utmost support to them, through counselling and other appropriate support measures.

At the same time, let us honour the spirit which our students and teachers have shown in undertaking this trip, to stretch and challenge themselves to achieve their personal best. Several parents who lost children told me, we must continue to provide high quality learning programmes for our students, including such overseas adventure learning. I am deeply moved and inspired by their conviction and encouragement.

Page: 54

Like many parents, MOE is convinced of the value of outdoor adventure learning, whether conducted in Singapore or overseas. We will continue to enhance the quality of such learning opportunities, while ensuring that schools continue to emphasise safety when planning these trips and programmes. It is important that we provide effective learning platforms for our students to build their confidence, adaptability and resilience, qualities that will stand them in good stead in life.

MOE regularly looks for ways to enhance the quality of all our learning programmes, including outdoor adventure learning programmes. As part of this effort, my Ministry will form an Advisory Panel comprising local and international experts. This panel will provide MOE with additional inputs on enhancing the quality and safety of outdoor adventure learning programmes that are conducted locally and overseas.

MOE conducts annual audits of schools' overseas learning journeys. In conducting these annual audits, we look for good practices that can be shared, and provide support and guidance in areas identified for improvement. In this year's audit, MOE will look at how to improve contingency plans for events, such as natural disasters. We also note that the Malaysian government has indicated that in view of the recent unexpected earthquake, it will assess and monitor seismic movements in Sabah and review safety measures for all climbers. Until the safety of Mount Kinabalu is ascertained by the Malaysian authorities, no schools will be allowed to take students there.

The incident on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu has also highlighted the courage and devotion of the school staff and instructors who accompanied the students, as well as the efforts by the Mountain Torq trainers and Sabah mountain guides who helped evacuate our students to safety. As I mentioned earlier, we have heard accounts of selfless acts of adults who accompanied the students to Mount Kinabalu. We also know that all the teachers who accompanied the students had trained with the students for many months, and devoted much of their time and energy to carefully plan for this trip. What they did at Mount Kinabalu was a continuation of their care and devotion to our students. Their selfless acts and devotion to duty have drawn tributes from many Singaporeans and have given rise to calls for formal recognition, including calls from Members of this House.

We will honour the staff and instructors who accompanied our students to Mount Kinabalu in a manner that is befitting of their courage and sacrifice. The Government will announce further details at the appropriate time.

In addition, MOE has also launched the Sabah Earthquake Fund to help rebuild the lives that were affected by this earthquake. The donations will be a tangible way to provide financial assistance to the dependants of the two Singaporean teachers and one instructor who had lost their lives. Part of the Fund will also be passed to the Mountain Torq trainers

Page: 55

and Sabah guides, as some had lost their lives and the rest have to worry about their livelihood in the aftermath of the damage caused by the earthquake. This is a meaningful way for us to show our care for those affected by the Sabah earthquake, to whom we are indebted.

In conclusion, once again, I want to thank the Malaysian authorities and the people of Sabah for their valuable assistance and friendship.

I thank the many agencies and people in Singapore who spontaneously came forward to assist and support the affected students and families, as well as the teachers and staff of TKPS. As the bereaved mourned the loss of their loved ones, our nation mourned with them. The staff of my Ministry and I, myself, have been very moved to see Singaporeans' solidarity and generosity of support during this difficult time.

Let us take this time to remember the grace and thoughtfulness of the parents and families of those who left us. Let us cherish and honour the spirit of our students, teachers and instructors. Let us be inspired by their courage, tenacity and determination to challenge themselves, brave adversity and achieve their best.

Members may seek clarifications on the Ministerial Statement. Are there Members who wish to do so? Ms Irene Ng.

If there are no further clarifications, introduction of Government Bills.

Page: 58