The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court heard today that a Navy training officer sat on cadet J Soosaimanicckam’s abdominal region and slapped him repeatedly, a day before he died six years ago.
Former Navy cadet trainee Anas Hakimi Mat @ Ahmad said one Second Lieutenant Ariff (no full name in cause papers) did this to Soosaimanicckam during the cadet training where the witness was present on May 18, 2018.
Soosaimanicckam, 27, was found dead the next day at the KD Sultan Idris 1 camp in Lumut, Perak.
During today’s hearing of the deceased’s family’s negligence lawsuit against the Royal Malaysian Navy and several others, Anas said he is in court to seek justice for the deceased.
As judge Idah Ismail presided over the civil action hearing seeking damages from the defendants, the 30-year-old witness said Soosaimanicckam was usually isolated from the other trainees due to the deceased seeking to be excused from training many times on medical grounds.
During examination-in-chief by the family’s counsel Zaid Malek, Anas claimed he and other trainees were doing push-ups and squat jumps when he saw what Ariff was doing to Soosaimanicckam.
The witness claimed that the deceased was picked on due to him being unable to keep up with the other trainees.
“The incident happened on Friday, a day before the deceased’s death. The 10th defendant, Ariff, sat on the deceased’s body, on the abdomen, and slapped the deceased’s face repeatedly.
“On the day of the incident, we were at the front, he (Soosaimanicckam) was hit, and almost everyone in attendance saw him being hit,” Anas said.
The witness, now a practising lawyer, testified that one Major Rahim came upon the scene and defused the situation.
Anas added that the deceased was constantly discriminated against over ethnic reasons, with the latter’s multiple applications for sick leave being denied, further alleging that the latter was labelled “Si Manja”.
The witness said, that a short while after Soosaimanicckam’s death, he was discharged from the Navy after falling ill from consuming water contaminated by rat droppings.
During cross-examination by senior federal counsel Nur Ezdlani Roheb, Anas disagreed that the deceased being isolated and given rough treatment was to fortify his discipline and spirit to fight for the country.
Anas also disagreed with the federal government’s counsel that his testimony on the race-linked reason behind the treatment against the deceased was an afterthought and a mere assumption.
The trial before Idah resumes on April 17.
Family’s writ of summons
On May 19, 2021, Soosaimanicckam’s father, S Joseph, 71, filed the writ of summons against the 15 defendants, who included the Malaysian Royal Navy, several of its officers, the defence minister, and the federal government.
The family claimed that the defendants failed to give timely treatment to Soosaimanicckam and that the deceased was allegedly abused by several of the defendants, including Ariff.
In June last year, the Ipoh Coroner’s Court declared an open verdict in the inquest into Soosaimanicckam’s cause of death.
Coroner Ainul Shahrin Mohamad ruled that the deceased felt unwell two days before his death on May 19, 2018.
She said on the day of his death, he defecated in his pants, fell unconscious, and was brought to the Lumut Armed Forces Hospital where he passed away.
The coroner said the cause of his death was pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs).
An open verdict means the evidence does not fully or clearly explain the cause and circumstances of death.
The deceased’s family has a pending appeal at the Ipoh High Court to reverse the coroner’s ruling. - Mkini
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