The family of a tahfiz student found dead in 2013 will have their negligence suit against the government and police heard in a full trial next year.
KOTA BHARU: A High Court judge has dismissed an application to strike out a negligence lawsuit filed by the family of former tahfiz student Wan Ahmad Faris Wan Abdul Rahman, who was found dead in a hostel toilet in 2013.
Judge Mohd Rosli Yusoff set the full trial for April 5 to 7, 2027, with a case management scheduled for May 18 this year.
Lawyer Tengku Shazuan Tengku Sarifuddin, representing the family, said the plaintiffs’ claim centres on the defendants’ alleged negligence in investigating their son’s death.
“The court found that this is not a case that is plain and obvious to be summarily struck out,” he told reporters outside the Kota Bharu Court Complex.
He added that the court took into account that the investigation remained active for several years after the incident.
This included inquest proceedings that began in March 2016 and investigative developments continuing until 2018.
“The court found it unreasonable to deem the plaintiffs’ claim as time-barred if based solely on the December 2013 incident date,” the lawyer stated.
The family filed the lawsuit in July last year against the government, the police, and eight other defendants.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail previously confirmed that police would reopen the investigation into the death, which is believed to have been a killing at the tahfiz school.
He said police had no objection to doing so as the 2013 investigation paper was complete.
The Form Four student was found hanging in the toilet of Maahad Tahfiz Sains Nurul Aman in Kok Lanas in December 2013.
A forensic expert who conducted a post-mortem initially confirmed the case as a sudden death with no criminal element.
However, the Coroner’s Court ruled in June 2016 that the cause of death was homicide at the hands of an unidentified individual.
