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.

Simple Truth : Even in the armed forces ketuanan rules and they ask why the nons dont join in the armed forces. They cannot stand being led by the nons and so those who are already in there would bully the nons until they either leave or would not care to join the armed forces.

I salute Ana’s Hakim Mat for his stand for justice for the deceased. He will make a fine lawyer because of his sense of justice righteousness and integrity. Those bully training officers should have compassion in the sick cadets and allow them the benefit of doubt when they claim sickness.

Why would they want to Tuang training when they voluntarily joined the armed forces and know that training was part of the course for their benefit. It’s a clear case of abuse of power and goes to show that the accused is sad it sadistic and abusive.

WhiteLlama4337 : Another way of understanding this issue that it is rooted in the anger and frustration of the minorities that have very very limited spaces to express their opinions in Malaysia especially when it comes to the 3Rs.

If you're honest you'd admit that most of the comments lacks the vitriol often expressed by the majority. In many spaces the majority have no qualms in espousing violence against the minorities. The fact that this government does nothing to diffuse this situation also compounds the frustration of the minorities.

MS : Soosaimanicckam was not a Palestinian ...which accounts for the stony silence from those usually given to selective paroxysms of agony.

Knucklehead : Indeed, reading this just affirms how the NM get treated by the majority when in power especially in rank and file. So stop asking NM to join the police and army, such torture they have to endure! Worst, some don't make it out alive!!

GraySalmon8323 : Here is the reason NM parents discourage their children from joining the civil service - the racism is intolerable. So all these MM politicians need not worry about losing this MM domain - you get to keep it.