The payment is part of settlement in a negligence suit brought by two sisters G. Alameloo Mangai, 11, and G. Keerthana, 8, against the Government, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor, former Selangor police chief Datuk Kamaruddin Hamzah and former Selangor CID chief Senior Asst. Comm (II) Johar Che Din for the death of their mother N. Selvamalar, 31.
The consent order was recorded by High Court Justice Dr. R. K. Nathan in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. (The Star)
The two sisters, who were represented by Ramdas Tikamdas and S.P. Pathy,
will equally share the RM400,000, which will be managed by Amanah Raya
Bhd until they reach the age of 21. Other terms of the settlement
include:
The settlement brings to a close one of many cases of indiscriminate
police shoot-outs and killing of innocent people who were not
hard-core criminals, which had outraged the people and shaken public confidence
in the professionalism of the police.
Selvamalar was one of the five persons shot dead by the police at Taman Sungai Besi Indah in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 2, 1998 after a RM3 million ransom was paid for the release of the 11-year-old son of former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.
The sisters had sued the government and police for causing the
death of their mother by their wrongful acts, neglect or default.
I call on the government to apply the Selvamalar
principle and extend the ex-gratia payment of RM400,000 for the death of
Dr. Tai Eng Teck and bank teller Mohd Zailani Mohd Salleh, as both
Dr. Tai and Mohd Zailani were also the victims of indiscriminate trigger-happy
police shoot-outs.
Dr. Tai, 29, died from three gun-shot wounds to his head and hand when he was in a car with a companion at the Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT station, Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 18, 1999 while Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) teller Mohd Zailani Mohd Salleh, 33, was mistaken as one of the four bank robbers and fatally shot by the police at Taman Bukit Maluri, Kepong on January 8, 1999.
It is hoped that the out-of-court settlement of the Selvamalar suit marks a more serious and responsible attitude on the part of the government to accept responsibility for any breakdown of police discipline and professionalism and a new spirit of accountability.
I call on the Deputy Prime Minister cum Home Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to make a ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday to make a policy statement on new police accountability adopting a more serious and responsible approach to the public for any breakdown of police discipline and professionalism and announce the extension of the ex gratia payment of RM400,000 to the families concerned for the senseless and tragic police killing of Dr. Tai and Mohd. Zailani.
(20/10/2001)