I found naval cadet foaming at the mouth, says witness

 

J Soosaimanicckam’s family is seeking general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

KUALA LUMPUR: A former navy cadet officer told the sessions court here that cadet J Soosaimanicckam was foaming at the mouth just before he died, his palms were bleeding and his body had bruises.

Christian Bernard Unto, 31, currently a senior executive at a private company, said the incident happened when second lieutenant R Rashwin asked him to undress Soosaimanicckam while he was in the toilet.

He said he found Soosaimanicckam unresponsive, with bleeding palms and foaming at the mouth, sprawled out in the bathroom.

“Even though he didn’t respond, he managed to walk to his room and sit on the bed… he seemed on the verge of passing out, but I attempted to rouse him and wipe the foam from his mouth.

“I slapped him to try to elicit a response, but he remained unresponsive. Then I called Rashwin to immediately take him to the Lumut Armed Forces Hospital.

“Soosaimanicckam died while they were carrying him through the residential college lobby,” he said, adding that he did not accompany Soosaimanicckam to the hospital.

Christian said this during examination-in-chief by lawyer Latheefa Koya, representing S Joseph, father of Soosaimanicckam, in his suit against 11 people, including navy officers.

The navy commander-in-chief, the Malaysian Armed Forces Council, the defence minister and the Malaysian government are named as the 12th to 15th respondents.

When cross-examined by senior federal counsel Nur Ezdiani Roleb, the witness disagreed with the assertion that he had seen Soosaimanicckam in a tired state.

Meanwhile, the plaintiff’s fifth witness, Sammy Danielle Anak Sitibun, 37, also a former cadet officer, testified that if Soosaimanicckam couldn’t complete any physical exercises, he would be isolated and the exercises would be doubled.

Zaid Malek, also acting for the plaintiff, asked Sammy about the officers’ response when Soosaimanicckam couldn’t complete the training.

She said the officers would become angry and scold Soosaimanicckam to ensure he completed the exercises.

In the lawsuit filed on May 19, 2021, Soosaimanicckam’s family is alleging negligence on the part of the respondents for failing to provide emergency treatment when he collapsed on the day of the incident.

They said there was also negligence in monitoring his well-being and health during training sessions.

The family is seeking general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Soosaimanicckam, a graduate cadet officer, was pronounced dead at the Lumut Armed Forces Hospital.

Last year, the Ipoh coroner’s court delivered an open verdict during an inquest into Soosaimanicckam’s death.

Coroner Ainul Shahrin Mohamad determined that the cause of Soosaimanicckam’s death, which occurred during cadet training at KD Sultan Idris, was pulmonary oedema.

The hearing before judge Idah Ismail will continue on May 13. - FMT