PSM activist sues Perak officers over injuries during protest

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) central committee member Chong Yee Shan is hauling the Perak Land and Minerals Office to court over injuries she sustained during a protest in October last year.

This includes an eye injury that could permanently affect her vision unless corrected through high-risk surgery.

Speaking at a press conference today, Chong (above, centre) told reporters she didn’t expect her injury to be so serious in the immediate aftermath of the incident on Oct 24, 2023.

She said she had been advised to undergo surgery to correct her vision, but if the operation fails, she could go blind.

After weighing her options, she said she decided to live with her condition and not undergo surgery.

“If I opt for surgery, there is a high risk and could cause me to go blind. So, after consulting two doctors as well as (PSM chairperson) Dr Jeyakumar Deveraj, I decided not to go for surgery.

“The injury will affect me for the rest of my life, but compared to being permanently blind, what I am experiencing is still bearable,” she told the press conference at PSM’s Perak service centre.

It was previously reported that Chong suffered injuries to her right orbit (eye socket) and a fracture adjacent to the nose, and experiences double vision when looking in certain directions.

Aug 26 hearing

Chong’s lawsuit was filed on July 16 through the firm Raj, Ong & Yudistra.

It names Perak PTG enforcement officer Mohd Sukairi Saidi, the Perak PTG, and the Perak PTG director as defendants.

The summons were served to all three parties on Aug 2, while the Ipoh Sessions Court set Aug 26 for the hearing.

Chong said she would let the court decide the amount of compensation she should be awarded.

She and other PSM activists were protesting the Perak PTG’s move to evict six farmers in Kanthan, Tambun last year when she was allegedly shoved by a PTG officer, causing her to fall and sustain injuries.

She was subsequently arrested when lodging a police report over the alleged brutality and was charged under Section 186 of the Penal Code for allegedly obstructing a civil servant’s duties.

Chong has pleaded not guilty and was granted bail with a bond of RM1,500 and one surety. A hearing has been scheduled on Dec 9 and 10.

Witness, not accused

Speaking on the incident at the same press conference, PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan criticised the police for arresting and charging Chong after she filed a police report, instead of treating her as a witness in the case of injury caused by the enforcement officers.

He said this is why Malaysia must speed up the separation of the attorney-general’s and public prosecutor’s offices to ensure impartiality in law enforcement.

“I think when Chong lodged a police report, she was a victim. Police should have investigated the thing.

“In this case, the police have taken the easy route. They would have taken whatever report lodged against her […] In this case, even if the PTG lodged a report, they (the police) would have taken it as absolute truth.

“They have immediately arrested her. She should be a witness, not an accused,” he said.

As for the farmers facing eviction, Arutchelvan noted the incident is occurring in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s constituency of Tambun.

If the matter is not resolved promptly, he said PSM plans to take the matter to the Prime Minister’s Office.

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