The man, aged 64, had sued the health ministry, the Selayang hospital director, and five doctors for medical negligence.

The sessions court ruled in his favour last year, but the government appealed to the High Court in Shah Alam.

On May 17, judicial commissioner Choong Yeow Choy upheld the RM150,000 award for permanent disability for retrograde ejaculation, RM150,000 for major depressive disorder, and damages of RM200,000.

Retrograde ejaculation refers to a condition where a man ejaculates little to no semen.

The man, who was represented by Ganaesh Rau B.A. Ramarau, had stated that he was diagnosed with a lump on his prostate gland by a doctor at Selayang Hospital in 2016.

According to the grounds of the sessions court judgment, he was told by a doctor at the urology department that he needed to undergo surgery.

He said he was not informed of the risks associated with the surgery, particularly the risk of retrograde ejaculation, and said informed consent was not obtained from him.

The plaintiff said he was not told that it was an elective surgery and that there were less invasive treatment options available.

Following the surgery, the man experienced a burning sensation when urinating and noticed that he could not ejaculate semen. He felt humiliated after his family labelled him as impotent.

The plaintiff returned to the hospital only to be informed that he was experiencing a normal complication after such surgery.

However, a subsequent follow-up at Hospital Kuala Lumpur confirmed that he had retrograde ejaculation and was suffering from major depressive disorder with anxious distress as a result of his condition.