Sub-lieutenant Muhammad Afiq Muhammad said he received a call about Soosaimanicckam’s condition and immediately went to the dormitory bathroom in the residential block and saw him taking a shower while leaning with the door ajar. He could hardly speak properly.

“I told my friends to take him to a room that was 10 metres from the bathroom and in doing so, he could no longer stand so we helped him into the room.

“It was difficult for him to speak and I immediately contacted the training officer on duty to take him to the hospital and helped put his shirt on and take him to the car,” he said at the inquest.

Afiq said Soosaimanicckam had earlier jogged for five minutes before declaring that he was unable to continue and took a rest while the other cadets were still undergoing training.

He said he asked Soosaimanicckam many times whether he wanted to be sent to hospital but he refused and said he just wanted to rest.

Soosaimanicckam died at 1.45pm, on May 19, 2018 at the armed forces hospital, a week after undergoing training.

The inquest was conducted by coroner Ainul Shahrin Mohamad, assisted by Evangelin Simon Silvaraj. Proceedings continue on July 15.