Court orders govt to compensate youths

The High Court here Thursday ordered the police and the Malaysian Government to pay compensations of RM200,000 and RM300,000 to two youths, respectively, after ruling that their arrest and detention about four years ago, was unlawful.

In her judgement, Judicial Commissioner Rosilah Yop held that the police raid led by Sergeant-Major Abdul Manaf Jusoh at a motorcycle repair shop where Mohammad Shafiq Abdullah, then 17, and Muhammad Hafiz Saman, then 18, were working on May 21, 2008 was illegal.

Rosilah also held that Abdul Manaf, who was the first defendant in Mohammad Shafiq and Muhammad Hafiz's lawsuit, had also been wrong in suspecting that the plaintiffs were involved in stealing motorcycle components, and in seizing them from the duo.

She further allowed their claims for medical treatment for injuries sustained after being beaten up by Abdul Manaf and other police personnel.

The plaintiffs, who are now 21 and 22, respectively, filed the suit on July 2, 2008.

They also named the Pandah Indah police station chief, Selangor police chief and the Malaysian Government as the second to the fourth defendants.