'Son scored B for physical education due to Myokymia from Sg Kim Kim pollution'

A man told the Johor Bahru High Court today that his son did not achieve excellent results in his physical education (PE) at school due to the Myokymia condition he suffers from.

Idham Wazir A Wahab, 53, said his son, Irfan Wafiy, 17, the fourth of five siblings, only got a B+ in the subject because of the disease caused by the Sungai Kim Kim pollution in Pasir Gudang in March 2019.

“This year Irfan is sitting for for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. He used to get a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.96.

“He should be able to get a CGPA of 4.0 but due to his illness he only got a B for PE,” he said when questioned by lawyer Phang Soon Mun, representing P Tech Resources Sdn Bhd and two of the company directors.

Today is the fourth-day trial of a RM30 million lawsuit by 42 plaintiffs over the river pollution. The hearing was before High Court judge Shamsulbahri Ibrahim.

READ MORE: Troubled waters: Why Pasir Gudang rivers are dying

When answering questions from lawyer Walter Pereira, representing all the plaintiffs, Idham said his son would have failed in the subject if he had been given an E.

When asked by lawyer Mohd Faizal Ahmad, representing the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council (now known as the Pasir Gudang City Council or MPPG) regarding the medical document which stated that his son had Myokymia due to the pollution, Idham said he could submit the document to the court.

Idham said he was only referring to a medical report by a neurologist referred to by the hospital in Johor Bahru regarding his son’s when the examination was done in 2021.

He admitted not getting the opinion from a third party, including other medical experts, regarding the Myokymia disease that his son had been suffering from since 2021.

Irfan is named the first of the 42 plaintiffs in the suit. The plaintiffs comprising pupils and the public are represented by lawyers Kamarudin Ahmad, Walter Pereira, S Kemkumar Savior Lopez and Radiyah Abdul Karim.

They filed the suit in July 2019, naming 12 defendants, including the Johor government, the state Environment Department, the Irrigation and Drainage Department, P Tech Resource and MPPG.

The pollution that happened in March 2019 affected the health of more than 2,000 civilians and caused 111 schools in Pasir Gudang to be closed.

The hearing continues on Jan 16 and 17 next year.

- Bernama

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