'Abang Belon' to take legal action against DBKL officers

Summary

• Balloon seller Muhammad Za’imuddin Azlan plans to sue DBKL enforcement officers over injuries allegedly sustained during a March 28 scuffle at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

• His lawyer said Za’imuddin faces possible permanent paralysis and is also considering legal action against social media users who accused him of faking his condition.

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Balloon seller Muhammad Za’imuddin Azlan, who sustained injuries following a scuffle with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman on March 28, is initiating legal action against the officers.

His lawyer, Rafique Rashid Ali, said a letter had been sent to DBKL today to request the full details of the enforcement officers involved in the incident before taking the case to court.

He said the letter was addressed to the Kuala Lumpur mayor, the DBKL’s Legal and Prosecution Division director, and the Enforcement Division director.

“We are officially requesting the names and ranks of the DBKL enforcement officers involved.

“We believe there is an urgent need to initiate civil legal action against the officers concerned. We may begin with a letter of demand or proceed directly with a lawsuit,” he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

On April 6, Za’imuddin (above), also known as “Abang Belon”, was reported to be at risk of permanent paralysis due to a spinal injury, allegedly caused by DBKL enforcement officers.

Private medical practitioner Dr Hafidz Rizal described the 28-year-old man's injuries as serious, based on preliminary hospital reports.

He said Za’imuddin’s injury was classified as a T12 vertebra compression.

Not faking injury

Rafique said the legal action followed the receipt of Za’imuddin’s full medical report from Serdang Hospital.

He explained that the report confirmed his client had suffered injuries from the incident, which could lead to paralysis as previously reported, thus refuting accusations that Za’imuddin was faking it.

“Until now, Abang Belon is still using assistive devices.

“We are also considering legal action against social media users who defamed Abang Belon - whether for defamation, damages, or other claims,” he said.

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