KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — The Court of Appeal upheld today a lower court verdict that awarded about RM318,000 to a woman who had sued the police for shooting her.
According to a Malaysiakini report, Justice Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim dismissed the police’s and government’s appeal and ruled that the appellate court should not interfere with the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision in Norizan Salleh’s case.
“The High Court judge has not erred in law and in the findings of fact,” Abang Iskandar was quoted saying.
The Court of Appeal panel also reportedly ordered the police and government to pay RM10, 000 in costs to Norizan.
In October 2012, Norizan filed a civil suit against the police for wrongfully shooting her at the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) in the early hours of the morning.
She named a policeman identified only as Mohd Firdaus, the Sentul police chief, the inspector-general of police and the government of Malaysia as defendants.
In her statement of claim, she said at 4.30am on October 30, 2009, a police patrol unit approached the car in which she was a passenger and unidentified policemen suddenly opened fire.
Norizan then tried to alight from the vehicle, which carried three others, but was kicked and stepped on by a person later identified as Corporal Mohd Firdaus Rosli. She also claimed that by then, about 14 to 20 police officers had arrived at the scene.
Last September, High Court judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng ruled the shooting “unlawful and unjustified”, noting that there was no evidence to show that the police officers’ lives were in danger.
The judge awarded Norizan a total of RM318,326 in damages, including RM200,000 in exemplary damages, RM50,000 in general damages for pain and suffering, RM50,000 for assault and battery and RM18,326 in special damages for Norizan’s medical bills.
-The Malaymail Online