KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — The Malaysian government and four other defendants in a botched circumcision case have appealed against a High Court’s decision in awarding RM3.1 million in damages to a man who lost the head of his penis in the incident 12 years ago.

Apart from the government, the other four defendants are Kuala Lipis Hospital’s medical officer and director and the Selayang Hospital’s specialist and director.

Federal counsel Saravanan Kuppusamy, when contacted today, said the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) had filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision in the Court of Appeal last April 27.

"The case is set for case management by e-Review before the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal on July 27,” he said.

Last April 7, High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir awarded RM3.1 million in damages to the 22-year-old man after allowing his suit against the five defendants.

When handing down the decision, he said all the defendants had been negligent in the circumstances experienced by the plaintiff.

In his written judgment, issued last May 27, the judge said the delay of medical staff in treating the man’s injuries had dashed the plaintiff’s hope of saving his private part.

The man filed the suit on July 19, 2018, through his mother, claiming that during the circumcision process performed on December 13, 2010, it was not done according to the prescribed procedure, resulting in the entire head of his son’s penis to be severed.

As a result of that, she claimed that her son had suffered permanent disability and become a quiet person. — Bernama