Malaysian tycoon to appeal Singaporean High Court’s decision to dismiss negligence suit
Published: 23 February 2016 5:21 PM
Tan Sri Clement Hii says he is considering appealing against the Singapore High Court’s decision to dismiss his suit against a doctor and the National Cancer Centre of Singapore. – NCCS Facebook pic, February 23, 2016.Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Clement Hii is considering filing an appeal against the Singapore High Court’s decision to throw out his negligence suit against a prominent oncologist and the National Cancer Centre of Singapore.He said his lawyers had advised him that he had good grounds to appeal to the higher courts.
“The matter is now under consideration.
“One of the main objectives of the suit was to raise awareness on medical misdiagnosis, so that lives will not be unnecessarily lost or ruined due to sheer incompetency or unethical practices.
“I also felt I was greatly wronged, and I had hoped that justice would prevail. I still believe it eventually will,” he said in a statement today.
Singapore's Today Online reported that the court in its 123-page written judgment cleared Professor London Lucien Ooi of medical negligence, saying he did not misdiagnose Hii as having cancer or ill-advise him to undergo a major surgery to remove his pancreas.
"This is nothing but a bald allegation... by (Hii) in a futile attempt to fortify his claim," said judge Chan Seng Oon in dismissing the suit.
The court also found that Dr Ooi was not negligent in caring for Hii after surgery in August 2010, and ruled that it was not NCCS's duty to provide Hii post-surgery care as the procedure was undertaken at the Singapore General Hospital.
He suffered complications after being treated for suspected pancreatic cancer at the top Singapore medical facility three years ago, only to learn months later that he did not have the ailment.
Hii, 58, is the managing director of SEGi University Group and executive chairman of private investment vehicle HCK Capital Group.
In his statement, he recounted that he legal suit against Dr Ooi and the National Cancer Centre Singapore had been dismissed by the High Court, with the judge ruling that the defendants did not give a diagnosis of cancer and the allegation was a “futile attempt to fortify” his case.
“The defendant denied that he had told me I had cancer, and that the option to have surgery was entirely my own. The court chose to believe him.
“The surgeon also disclaimed any responsibility for the subsequent surgeries resulting from the complications of the first surgery and incredibly, the court also agreed with him.”
Hii said he did not sue over “trifle matters”, as going through life-threatening complications as a result of an unnecessary surgery was not something any ordinary human being would want to subject themselves to.
“Even less appealing is to relive that ordeal in the court proceedings.
“It must be pointed out that the same surgeon has also been sued by another Malaysian businessman over a similar case, in which the plaintiff’s wife died as a result of complications from the surgery. That case against Dr Ooi is still ongoing,” he added. – February 23, 2016.
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