Lawyer M Partiben, representing G Vijaya Lakshmi’s family, said the sum was based on the damages awarded by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court to a couple whose son was killed by a falling tree in 2023.

Partiben said he was negotiating the compensation sum with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and federal territories minister Hannah Yeoh.

“In the case of the tree killing the boy three years ago, the sessions court ruled that there was negligence (on the part of DBKL) when it came to maintenance.

“Similarly, in this sinkhole case, we too can prove negligence,” he said in a press conference here today.

Vijaya Lakshmi’s son, M Surya, was also present.

Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, from Andhra Pradesh, was on holiday in Malaysia when she was swallowed by an 8m-deep sinkhole which opened up while she was walking along Jalan Masjid India on Aug 23, 2024.

The search and rescue operation was called off after nine days due to safety concerns.

On Sept 1, 2024, Bernama reported that the Cabinet would discuss a proposal to compensate her family.

A DBKL-led task force investigating the incident later identified a sewer pipe structure, weakened by chemical corrosion and soil instability, as the main cause of the sinkhole.

Partiben said Surya obtained his mother’s death certificate from the national registration department yesterday.

Meanwhile, lawyer Saifullah Azmi, who is also representing the family, said the compensation must take into account several factors, including special and general damages as well as the family’s financial situation.

He said Surya had spent a lot of money travelling back and forth to Malaysia over the past two years to obtain the death certificate.

“We hope that the sum isn’t too small,” he added.