Tan Tek Seng vs. Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Pendidikan & Anor, 1996 (Malaysia)

The case involved the alleged wrongful dismissal of a senior assistant in a primary school. He appealed his dismissal for being harsh, unfair and unjust. The court, ruling in his favor, said that in interpreting a living document such as the Constitution, the court should take a liberal approach in order to implement the true intention of the framers of the Constitution. Hence, the constitutional right to life does not refer to mere existence. It incorporates all those facets that are an integral part of life itself and those matters which go to form the quality of life. The right to life, among others, includes the right to live in a reasonably healthy and pollution-free environment.