Student awarded RM129,000 over burns at school bubur lambuk event

In a recent session court ruling, a Form Five student named G Hanggalah Eswari has been awarded RM129,040 in damages following a scalding incident at SMK Seri Intan in Teluk Intan, Perak. The judge, Gan Peng Kun, determined that the defendants - the school, two teachers, and the government - were negligent for allowing the incident to occur.

The incident in question took place during a bubur lambuk cooking session in April 2022. Hanggalah, now 17, fell on a slippery floor after being pushed by a fellow student, causing her left hand to be immersed in a pot of boiling porridge. This resulted in lasting trauma, including a permanent scar, the necessity to wear long-sleeved clothing to conceal the injury, and significant emotional distress.

In her lawsuit, filed two years ago, Hanggalah sought compensation for both the physical and emotional harm she endured. The court awarded her RM100,000 in aggravated damages, RM5,000 for the burns to her left hand and forearm, RM24,000 for the scar, and a mere RM40 to cover the cost of obtaining a medical report. Hanggalah's legal representation was provided by lawyer Manoharan Malayalam, while the government was represented by federal counsel Hamida Abdul Kadir.