2010 Penang dragon boat tragedy

History

On 17 January 2010, the Chung Ling High School dragon boat practice took place in Penang Strait, located off Macallum Street Ghaut, as part of their weekly training in preparation for their upcoming July competition. Eighteen paddlers took part in this activity. Safety measures were not followed, as only three of the eighteen paddlers wore the compulsory life jackets.{{cite news | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07

On 18 January 2010, in memory of the deceased, the flag of Chung Ling High School was flown at half-mast and a memorial ceremony was held inside the school. The school Board of Governors, Parent-Teacher Association and Alumni Association donated RM 10,000 to the families of the victims. An additional RM 2,000 was donated to the injured paddlers. The principal of the school declared the incident to be "the darkest co-curricular activity incident ever occurs in the school’s history".{{cite news | trans-title = School flag flown at half-mast. It's Chung Ling High School's most painful day ever. | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100727164155/http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2010/01/18/95.html | archive-date = 2010-07-27 | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07

Controversies

There are several controversies that occurred before, during and after the incident. The school was found to have disregarded the safety guidelines for co-curricular activities set by Penang Education Department, which required school management to inform security authorities of the activities to ensure that students' safety could be ensured prior to extracurricular outdoor activities.{{cite news | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07 | access-date = 2020-08-07

Most of the paddlers did not wear life jackets during most of the regular training as they knew how to swim, but three of the paddlers did wear them. Geh Thuan Tek, the secretary of Life Saving Society Malaysia Penang, who was also involved in the search and rescue mission, stated that life jackets would not guarantee that the wearer survive a drowning, especially if worn improperly. One of the victims is believed to have died after their unfastened life vest trapped them underneath the boat. Only one of the victims who wore a life vest survived. Not all of the students who attended the training were able to swim, as attested to by multiple family members.{{cite news | access-date = 2020-08-07

Some officials, especially Shamsir Mohamed, officer of Marine Department (northern region) and Lai Chew Hock, chairman of Penang Dragon Boat Association, voiced concerns about the suitability of the area for water sports. Shamsir cited busy traffic, unpredictable weather, and strong currents for his concerns. Chew Hock claimed the area was unsuitable for any water sports activities due to debris from fishing boats and strong currents. Despite these concerns, the same area was used previously for Penang Pesta Open Dragon Boat Race in December 2009, which garnered criticism from residents of Penang. Concerns were raised when two boats collided during the race. As a result, organizers changed the location for the 2010 edition event to Teluk Bahang Dam. The decision was made following the Chung Ling dragon boat tragedy.{{cite news | access-date = 2020-08-07

References