HASMANI BIN TAHIR v 1. ) Kerajaan Malaysia 2. ) KEMENTERIAN KESIHATAN MALAYSIA 3. ) PENGARAH HOSPITAL SUNGAI BULOH 4. ) DR MOHD REZA BIN MOHD ARIDZ 5. ) DR FAREEZ WAZIR 6. ) DR WAN MAHAFEZ BIN WAN KAMARUL ZAMAN 7. ) DR SHYAMALA 8. ) DR RIDZUAN 9. ) DR CHEAH KEAN SENG 10. ) DR NAEEMA

ba-21ncvc-32-03-2022 High Court (Mahkamah Tinggi) 21 October 2025 • BA-21NCvC-32-03/2022 • 39 min read
16 cases cited (0 SG, 16 foreign)

Outcome

Berdasarkan alasan-alasan yang diperihalkan di atas, tuntutan plaintif dibenarkan terhadap defendan pertama, kedua, ketiga, keempat dan keenam sahaja sebanyak RM3,018,713.42 berserta faedah dan kos.

Quoted verbatim from the judgment of High Court (Mahkamah Tinggi) (ba-21ncvc-32-03-2022). Read the full judgment on the official Malaysia Courts portal for the complete decision.

Catchwords

KECUAIAN PERUBATAN: Kemalangan motorsikal menyebabkan plaintif mengalami kecederaan bilateral 1st and 2nd ribs fracture with right focal pneumothorax dan perlu segera dibedah. Plaintif menjalani dua pembedahan dan pembedahan kedua adalah muktamad untuk merawat kepatahan. Selepas pembedahan kedua, berlaku kegagalan aliran darah pada salur darah kaki kanan plaintif sehingga menyebabkan jari-jari kaki kanan plaintif tidak dapat digerakkan dan mengakibatkan kaki kanan plaintif dipotong - Sama ada wujud kecuaian perubatan akibat perlakuan defendan-defendan berkaitan pembedahan kedua plaintif - Sama ada defendan-defendan cuai dalam menjelaskan risiko pembedahan termasuk gangguan saluran darah dan berisiko menyebabkan kaki dipotong - Sama ada defendan pertama, kedua dan ketiga bertanggungan secara alih terhadap kecuaian defendan keempat hingga kesepuluh jika didapati mereka bertanggungan cuai terhadap plaintif - Sama ada plaintif membuktikan relief ganti rugi yang dituntut. UNDANG-UNDANG KETERANGAN: Beban bukti – Seksyen 101 Akta Keterangan 1950

Practice Areas

Evidence Tort

Judges (1)

Hazizah binti Kassim Delivered

Counsel (4)

Jabatan Peguam Negara Firm Nor Zabetha Chinna & Co Firm Fariza Amira binti Azman Counsel Defendant Nor Zabetha binti Muhamad Nor Counsel Plaintiff

Parties (11)

KEMENTERIAN KESIHATAN MALAYSIA Defendant Kerajaan Malaysia Defendant PENGARAH HOSPITAL SUNGAI BULOH Defendant Dr Cheah Kean Seng Defendant Dr Fareez Wazir Defendant Dr Mohd Reza bin Mohd Aridz Defendant Dr Naeema Defendant Dr Ridzuan Defendant Dr Shyamala Defendant Dr Wan Mahafez bin Wan Kamarul Zaman Defendant Hasmani bin Tahir Plaintiff

Case Significance

A medical-negligence decision holding treating doctors and the responsible authorities liable for a post-operative failure of blood supply that led to the amputation of a patient's leg, including a failure to explain the risks, and assessing compensation for the resulting loss.

This High Court decision at Shah Alam concerns a claim in medical negligence arising from the loss of the plaintiff's right leg. Following a motorcycle accident, the plaintiff had been treated at a government hospital for bilateral rib fractures and a focal pneumothorax and had undergone surgery to his right leg; after a second, definitive surgery to treat the fractures, a failure of blood flow to the vessels of his right leg developed, so that he could not move his toes and the right leg ultimately had to be amputated. The plaintiff sued the Government, the Ministry of Health, the hospital director and a number of the treating doctors, alleging that the amputation was the result of negligence connected with the second surgery, and that the defendants had been negligent in failing to explain the risks of the procedure, including the risk of disruption to the blood supply and of the leg having to be amputated. The claim also raised whether the Government, the Ministry and the hospital were vicariously liable for the negligence of the treating doctors, and whether the plaintiff had proved the damages claimed. Examining the roles and evidence of each of the treating doctors, the Court found that negligence had been established in connection with the second surgery and its aftermath, leading to the loss of the plaintiff's leg, while other defendants were found not to be liable. Having found liability, the Court assessed damages, including a getting-up fee of RM250,000 for liability and quantum given the difficulty of the case, the number of witnesses and the length of the trial, out-of-pocket expenses of RM10,000 and a monthly sum for the plaintiff's needs, with interest at 5% per annum on the general damages. The judgment thus holds the responsible defendants liable in negligence and awards the plaintiff compensation for the loss of his leg.

Did the plaintiff succeed in his medical negligence claim over the loss of his leg?

Yes. The Court found that negligence had been established in connection with the plaintiff's second surgery and its aftermath, which led to the failure of blood flow and the amputation of his right leg. It held the responsible defendants liable, while finding that some other defendants were not liable, and assessed damages in the plaintiff's favour.

What damages did the Court award?

Having found liability, the Court awarded, among other things, a getting-up fee of RM250,000 for liability and quantum, given the difficulty of the case, the number of witnesses and the length of the trial, out-of-pocket expenses of RM10,000 and a monthly sum for the plaintiff's needs, with interest at 5% per annum on the general damages.

Cases Cited (16)

UK (2)
[1980] 1 All ER 650 [1985] 1 All ER 643
MY (14)
[1975] 1 MLJ 279 [1979] 2 MLJ 229 [1981] 1 MLJ 292 [1983] 2 CLJ 198 [1983] 2 MLJ 324 [2010] 2 MLJ 646 [2013] 4 MLJ 108 [2016] 2 CLJ 885 [2017] 8 CLJ 605 [2020] 9 MLJ 409 [2021] MLJU 2439 [2022] 10 MLJ 469 [2023] MLJU 885 [2024] MLJU 2609

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Malaysia Courts portal.

Read on eJudgment

Source: eJudgment (ba-21ncvc-32-03-2022)