Thirty-three former depositors with Public Bank Bhd today filed a civil suit seeking more than RM5.076 million in special damages from the bank for the loss of their items in a robbery last October.

The robbery took place at the Public Bank Seri Kembangan branch in Serdang between Oct 21 and Oct 25 during the 2006 Deepavali-Hari Raya holidays.

The hirers of the bank's safe deposits claimed to have lost between RM11,516 and RM921,000 each, and estimated their total losses at more than RM5.076 million.

They are also seeking general damages, additional damages, interests, costs and other reliefs from Public Bank.

Their spokesperson Ng Wei Siong said the depositors filed the suit after negotiations with the bank to seek "reasonable and equitable compensation" broke down several months ago.

Ng described the bank's compensation offer of RM10,000, which is said to be in line with standard industry practice, as a "figure without merit."

'Own illusion'

"The hirers are totally disappointed with the attitude of the bank and had after evaluation of the matter noted that the stand taken by the bank is totally its own illusion," he told reporters after the suit was filed by his lawyer Tank Kim Soon with the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

"What was lost cannot be replaced or substituted and this (has put into question) our own wisdom of having deposited the items in the safe deposit boxes in the bank," he said.

Public Bank last year said the RM10,000 offer - which a number of its depositors accepted - was made in consultation with its lawyers and adjuster and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement of hiring safe deposit boxes.

In their statement of claims, the depositors argued that Public Bank failed to implement a security system that was safe and effective, particularly in view of the long holiday period.

They also claimed that the bank did not have the applicants' interests as hirers of its safe deposit boxes.

"What took place was beyond our imagination of probable occurrence as the bank's premises was said to have been 'impenetrable' or 'unbreakable' or 'infallible' or such an image was portrayed," said Ng.