The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) failed to quash a court order for them to pay RM100,000 in aggravated damages to the family of a ranger accidentally shot dead by a colleague six years ago.

The Seremban High Court dismissed the appeal by the department and the federal government, who were sued for negligence by the kin of the deceased Cyril Quing.

The RM100,000 amount is part of a larger compensation of RM281,807.20 awarded to the family over the accidental fatal shooting during a monkey-clearing exercise in a village at Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, on Aug 29, 2018.

In the written grounds of judgment dated two days ago, High Court judicial commissioner Mohamad Haldar Abdul Aziz found no merit in the appeal. Perhilitan and the government have since turned to the Court of Appeal.

On the day of the incident at Kampung Durian Daun, Cyril and several other state Perhilitan officers were taking part in the operation to cull monkeys at the village’s oil palm plantation (kawasan ladang sawit).

A few minutes after the operation began, the deceased was heard shouting, “Woi. Saya terkena tembak, berhenti tembak, berhenti tembak.” (Woi. I have been shot, stop shooting, stop shooting.)

Not long after that, Cyril collapsed at the side of a vehicle, and he was rushed to Rembau Health Clinic, where he was pronounced dead.

The deceased’s wife Winnona Simon and her two children filed the negligence suit in July 2020.

On June 23 last year, the Seremban Sessions Court found Perhilitan and the government to have been negligent and ordered the defendants to pay RM281,807.20 in total damages to the family.

Perhilitan and the federal government then appealed to the High Court to quash the RM100,000 aggravated damages portion of the overall quantum.

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