PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal awarded a total of RM1.4 million in damages to the family of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, while at the same time absolving the government of liability for her death.
In a unanimous decision, the three-member bench set aside the High Court’s global award of RM5 million in vindicatory damages, ruling that claims arising from death are governed strictly by Section 7 of the Civil Law Act and must be compensatory in nature.
Delivering the judgment, Judge K. Muniandy said the government could not be held vicariously liable as the killing was not committed in the course of employment by former policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, who were police officers at the time.
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