Chen Fun Kee's widow Leong Seok Cheng (left) discussing the High Court's decision with her counsels M. Kulasegaran (right) and Cheong Chee Khing (left) in Ipoh February 14, 2018. ― Picture by Marcus Pheong

IPOH, Feb 14 — The family of a gold trader was left disappointed today after the High Court here ruled that the former Perak police chief and the government were not responsible for the acts of a police officer who fatally shot Chen Fun Kee at his shop in 2009.

High Court judge Justice Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali set aside a decision by the Ipoh session court today — which found the police culpable for the acts of former Chief Inspector Mohd Taufik Peter Abdullah’s actions and ordered it to pay RM 200,000 in damages to Chen’s family.

Mohd Taufik was found primarily responsible for the shooting of Chen.

Chen’s widow Leong Seok Cheng said she felt let down by the decision, as there was no remedy for her suffering.

“Where is the justice for me and my daughter? My husband used to be the sole breadwinner in the family, and since he was shot dead I had to take over.

“It is tough to take care of my child’s expenses. The cruel act has brought an irreparable loss for me and my family,” Leong said in a statement today.

Leong’s lawyer M.Kulasegaran, meanwhile, said the present Police Act 1967 was ‘outdated’ and needed to be amended to provide compensation to victims like his client.

“The act needs to provide an adequate compensation scheme to innocent victims like in the above case.

“A No-Fault Liability System must be set up to compensate families of those who sustained bodily injuries, or died after being shot by trigger-happy police officers.”

Kulasegaran confirmed that an appeal against the High Court’s decision would be made to the Court of Appeal.

On Mar 25 2016, Mohd Taufik was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of being an accomplice in Chen’s fatal shooting.

He and one Nagendran Sinnasamy reportedly committed the robbery between 3.30pm and 5.10pm on Sept 16, 2009.

During the incident, shop owner Chen was fatally shot by Nagendran, who was using Taufik’s pistol.

Taufik had initially been charged with Chen’s murder, but the charge was later amended to one under Section 3A of the Firearms Act (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 for being an accomplice in a fatal shooting.