JALAN MASJID INDIA SINKHOLE VICTIM'S FAMILY URGES GOV'T TO ISSUE DEATH CERT

KLANG, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The family of an Indian woman who disappeared after falling into a sinkhole at Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur in August 2024 has urged the government to issue a death certificate to enable compensation claims to be initiated.

Lawyer Muhamad Saifullah Muhamad Azmi, who is representing the family, said the victim, G. Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, is still classified as a missing person, and as such a death certificate has yet to be issued.

He said a written application was submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers and the National Registration Department on Feb 24 to facilitate the issuance of the death certificate.

“Only with a death certificate can any compensation claim be initiated legally and in an orderly manner under the existing legal framework. Therefore, as long as the victim’s status remains as missing, the family or next of kin have no legal avenue to proceed with claims or complete other official matters,” he said at a press conference here today.

He added that no court action has been filed so far to claim compensation, as they wish to allow room for discussions with the relevant ministries and agencies first.

Another lawyer, M. Partiben, said the victim’s only child, M. Surya, 27, is facing financial pressure, including bank debts that require official confirmation of death for loan settlement purposes.

He said G. Vijaya had outstanding bank loans totalling RM8,546.51, in addition to unlicensed moneylender borrowings amounting to between RM40,000 and RM45,000.

“The next of kin previously received a goodwill contribution of RM30,000, but this should not be equated with the compensation that ought to be considered following this incident,” he said.

Surya said this was his seventh trip to Malaysia since 2024 to manage matters related to the case, with total expenses exceeding RM50,000, or about RM8,000 for each trip.

He appealed to the Malaysian authorities to expedite the issuance of his mother’s death certificate to facilitate compensation matters and the settlement of debts in India.

In the Aug 23 incident, the victim was reported missing after falling into an eight-metre-deep sinkhole. Search and rescue operations were carried out for nine days before being called off due to concerns about the safety of the rescue personnel.

-- BERNAMA