Ex-SAF officer dies after serving in the army for more than 20 years
A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officer has died after collapsing suddenly while at work, leaving family and friends bereft.
Mr Robin Chua had previously served in the SAF for more than two decades, earning a Commendation Medal. He left recently to join his family’s business.
Source: The Singapore Army on Facebook
Doctors reportedly attributed his cause of death to cardiac arrest.
Ex-SAF officer dies on 28 April, says wife
Mr Chua’s death was announced by his wife in a Facebook post on Monday (29 April).
Describing him as her “beloved husband”, she said he passed away on Sunday (28 April).
“Robin was the epitome of hard work, determination, and resilience, qualities I deeply admired in him,” she said.
“He will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I am grateful for the love we shared.”
His funeral and cremation was held on Friday (3 May).
Ex-SAF officer dies after losing consciousness en route to hospital
Mr Chua’s sister Tingting (transliterated from Mandarin) told Shin Min Daily News that they still have difficulty accepting his sudden death.
She said he had fainted while working at about 2pm. A colleague performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him and managed to revive him.
An ambulance was called, but Mr Chua lost consciousness again on the way to hospital.
This time, paramedics couldn’t revive him and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Cause of death was cardiac arrest
Doctors later said that Mr Chua’s cause of death was cardiac arrest.
This surprised his friends and family members as he had always been strong and healthy.
Source: Robin Chua on Facebook
The family also has no history of heart disease, Ms Chua said.
He was devoted to his family
Ms Chua said her brother “was a good son and brother”, and family was always very important to him.
“He would always be the first to help whenever there were problems at home,” she added, as he was a responsible person with a good relationship with his family.
His wife said the couple met in 2013 and married six years ago, according to Shin Min. They have a four-year-old son.
Her husband, she said, was a very hardworking and motivated man who had always devoted himself to his family.
He was also a kind person who got along well with everyone, she added.
He served in the SAF for more than 20 years
Mr Chua passing has saddened many former colleagues, some of whom changed their Facebook profile photo to a black ribbon.
A former SAF colleague named only as Mr Tang (transliterated from Mandarin) told Shin Min that Mr Chua had served in the SAF for more than 20 years before leaving last year. He had attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Mr Tang, 43, also professed surprise at his friend’s sudden death, saying he had always been very strong.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, LTC Chua Yang Kwang, Robin was awarded a Commendation Medal (Military) in the National Day Awards 2021.
At the time, he was Head of Operations in Headquarters Singapore Artillery.
In 2018, he was Commanding Officer of the 24th Battalion, Singapore Artillery, according to The Singapore Army.
Also read: SAF Regular Passes Away After Training At Kranji Camp, Had Cardiac Arrest En Route To Hospital
SAF Regular Passes Away After Training At Kranji Camp, Had Cardiac Arrest En Route To Hospital
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Featured image adapted from The Singapore Army on Facebook and Robin Chua on Facebook.
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