KLANG: The families of three youngsters who were gunned down by police about 11 years ago in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, have been granted about half a million ringgit in damages each by the court.

       Shah Alam High Court judge Justice Datuk Khadijah Idris awarded damages amounting to RM1,519,200 in the judgment yesterday.

       According to lawyer Zaid Malek, who represented the families, the outcome was timely after a long wait by the bereaved families.

       “After almost 11 years, the families of the Glenmarie shooting victims finally received a modicum of justice for the immense trauma and loss they endured due to the actions of the police,’’ Zaid said in a statement.

       The families of the deceased youths – Muhammad Shamil Hafiz Shapiei, 15, Mohd Hairul Nizam Tuah, 22, and Muhammad Hanafi Omar, 21 – were initially awarded RM207,000 by the Shah Alam High Court registrar in 2016.

       “Dissatisfied with the assessment, the family then appealed to the Shah Alam High Court for reassessment of damages, which resulted in the current judgment,’’ added Zaid.

       The civil suit was filed by Shamil’s parents Shapiei Zainal Abidin and Norhafizah Mad Razali, Hairul’s mother Hamidah Kadar and sister Norhaliza Tuah, and Hanafi’s parents Omar Abu Bakar and Noriah Darus, and named the Shah Alam district police chief, the Selangor police chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the government and seven police officers as respondents.

       Zaid said he had represented the families since 2019 for the assessment of damages that was initially awarded by the Shah Alam High Court registrar.

       He added that out of the RM1,519,200 awarded, the three families received RM500,000 in damages each.

       “Hanafi’s family received an additional RM11,200 and Mohd Hairul’s family an additional RM8,000 for loss of dependency as both of them had been working at the time of the incident,’’ he added.

       “The breakdown for the RM500,000 each family received were RM100,000 for general damages, RM100,000 for aggravated damages, RM100,000 for exemplary damages, RM100,000 for estate claims and RM100,000 over misfeasance in public office,’’ explained Zaid.

       The families won their appeal before the Court of Appeal in 2016, where the court ordered for damages to be assessed by the High Court registrar.

       The appellate court had held then that the three youths had been unlawfully gunned down by the police on Nov 13, 2010.

       Prior to the appeal, the High Court had dismissed the families’ lawsuit in 2015, saying that the police officers had acted in self-defence.