JUDGMENT

Tee Ah Sing J:

At the commencement of trial on 21 November 2000 the learned counsel for the defendant informed the court that the defendant is not contesting the issue of liability. And in that regard they are offering no evidence on that issue. The learned counsel for the defendant stated that there is no strict admission of liability on their part. As liability is not contested the only issue for the court to deal is on the quantum of damages the plaintiffs are entitled to.

This is a claim by Jub'li bin Mohamed Taib Taral, 1st plaintiff, who is the husband of Siti Arfah binti Sheikh Md. Dom ("the deceased") for himself and his two infant children namely Mohamad Ashraf Shub'li bin Jub'li ("the 2nd plaintiff") and Sofea Balquis binti Jub'li ("the 3rd plaintiff") under s. 7 of the Civil Law Act 1956("the Act") together with special damages against the defendant. The claim under s. 7 of the Actis for loss of dependency and is for the benefit of the husband and the two children.

The 1st plaintiff (SP1) has testified that he is the husband of the deceased and they have two children from the marriage namely the 2nd plaintiff aged eight years old and the 3rd plaintiff aged five years old at the time of the death of the deceased.

He testified that the deceased was born on 27 March 1968 and at the time of her death on 20 November 1997, the deceased was 29 years old.

Before his wife's death she was working as a clerk in the Bank Simpanan Nasional branch at Pudu Raya. Her monthly basic pay was RM1,140. She received Teller Allowance of RM70 per month and overtime about RM100 per month. She also received "pelarasan gaji RM150 sebulan dan juga bonus minimum sebulan gaji." SP1 confirmed that P3 is the "penyata bayaran gaji terakhir si mati" and the details in P3 are correct.

The "penyata saraan daripada penggajian" for 1997 in respect of the deceased's income was tendered as P4.

SP1 further testified as follows:

S: Boleh beritahu Mahkamah apa kehilangan kamu dan anak-anak kamu dari pendapatan simati?

J: Bayaran jagaan anak-anak sebanyak RM500.00 sebulan, tambang bas sekolah RM150.00 sebulan dan pakaian anak-anak RM100.00 sebulan.

S: Adakah apa-apa simpanan untuk anak-anak kamu oleh simati?

J: Ada. Iaitu Tabung Haji RM30.00 sebulan.

S: Akibat dari kematian isteri kamu adakah kamu alami perbelanjaan lain?

J: Ada. Perbelanjaan makan dan minum yang dibeli di kedai makan sebanyak RM500.00 sebulan. Tuition anak-anak sebanyak RM150.00 sebulan. Yang ketiga Kelas Al-Quran RM80.00 sebulan. Pakaian Dobi RM40.00 sebulan.

S: Adakah perbelanjaan-perbelanjaan ini kamu tidak alami sebelum kematian isteri kamu?

J: Untuk makan dan minum isteri saya memasak sendiri.

Pakaian digosok sendiri oleh isteri. Pelajaran dan Al-Quran diajar sendiri oleh isteri.

S: Adakah apa-apa belanja lain yang kamu terpaksa tanggung untuk anak-anak kerana kematian isteri kamu?

J: Saya memberi RM200.00 sebulan kepada kakak ipar untuk menjaga dan mendidik serta makan minum semasa ketiadaan saya untuk anak-anak saya.

In respect of special damages SP1 testified in examination-in-chief as follows:

S: Selain daripada kerugian-kerugian itu adakah kamu alami dan tuntut kerugian khas seperti dalam perenggan 19 Penyata Tuntutan (BP MS 11 ditunjukkan kepada saksi.)

J: Ia.

S: Boleh kamu beritahu Mahkamah butir-butir tuntutan kamu?

J: Satu belanja pengkebumian RM5,000.00.

S: Boleh menjelaskan RM5,000.00 untuk apa?

J: Kenduri arwah sebanyak lebih kurang 10 kali dan juga kenduri yang dibawa ke masjid pada malam jumaat sekurang-kurangnya sekali sebulan.

S: Selain dari itu apakah yang kamu tuntut?

J: No. 2 kos membuat sijil mati RM20.00, 3. Laporan bedah siasat RM80.00, 4. Laporan Polis RM5.00. Perjalanan rawatan pakar pada kadar RM50.00 setiap lawatan sebanyak lebih kurang 10 kali, 6. Kos susu segar untuk mengatasi kesukaran tidur RM99.00 sebulan selama 2 tahun, 7. Kos bunga semasa menziarahi kubur. RM40.00 sebulan sejak kematian dan masih berterusan, 8. Kos air mineral RM17.60 sebulan se