Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MALAYSIA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA SITTING AT MUAR
[CIVIL SUIT NO. JB-22NCVC-74-12/2018]
BETWEEN
AND
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CORAM:
AWG ARMADAJAYA AWG MAHMUD
JUDICIAL COMMISSIONER
INTRODUCTION
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BACKGROUND FACTS
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[9] The Temple has and / or is a Temple Building which was built
on the land which is held under the Title 50529 Lot 4722, Bandar
Maharani, District Muar, Negeri Johore, (“Lot 4722”), Title 50530
Lot 4723, Bandar Maharani, District Muar, Negeri Johore (“Lot
4723”) and Title 60208 Lot 56, Bandar Maharani, District Muar,
Negeri Johor (“Lot 56”) whose address for service is at No. 32-C,
Jalan Bakri, 84000 Muar, Johor.
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[11] Further according to the Will, all the estate of the Deceased
Trustee include Trust Properties held in trust by the Deceased Trustee
for the Temple is bequeath to the Association of the Followers for the
Teachings Thian Choon, Muar, Johor (“the Association”) whose
registration number is PPM-004-01-04072018, which is also the
subject matter of the dispute.
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[18] At all material times, the Temple and all religious functions
were conducted, administered, organised, held and / or preserved
through the contributions and / or donations of devotees and or
Buddhist followers and / or the public through the Donation Box at
the Temple. All the contributions and / or donations were received
and kept by the Trustees of the Temple whereby all accounts and / or
records were also kept within the vicinity of the Temple.
[19] The Deceased Trustee had, at all material times with the
concurrence of the Plaintiffs, held the donations and / or contributions
and / or funds for the Temple, and kept them in the following bank
accounts which are held in trust for the Temple as follows :
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[21] Prior to the issue of the Will, all Trust Properties or Monies
were held in Trust by the Plaintiffs and the Deceased Trustees in
accordance with the 1999 Trust Declaration.
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(4) An order under this rule shall not be made in any cause or
matter in respect of any party before an order under Rule 3 has
fist been obtained in respect of that party, unless, in the opinion
of the Court, the order is necessary or desirable.
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[24] In short, the Court held there are three essential elements for an
order for discovery
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High Court 1980. But where the issue or question is clearly raised
in the cause or matter, then equally clearly the order for discovery
must be determined by the consideration whether it is necessary at
the stage of the application…”
[29] In KUAH KOK KIM & ORS v. ERNST & YOUNG (a firm) [1997]
1 SLR 169, the Court of Appeal in Singapore held that :
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Property Sdn Bhd v. Atlas Housing Sdn Bhd, Bato Bagi & Ors v.
Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak and Another Appeal and Thein Hong Teck
& Ors v. Mohd Afrizan Husain and Another Appeal, the applicable
test for an O. 14A application as propounded in the Terengganu case
still applies; (ii) whether the O. 14A procedure as adopted by the
courts below was (in)appropriate; and (iii) whether the courts below
were correct in relying on O. 24 rr. 4 and 8 of the RHC when
dismissing the discovery application at that stage of the proceeding,
and in any case, whether the O. 14A applications should only be
determined after the parties had completed discovery of the
documents.
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….
[34] It has been held that “The essential elements for an order for
discovery are threefold; namely, first there must be a “document”,
secondly, the document must be “relevant” and thirdly, the document
must be or have been in the “possession, custody or power” of the
party against whom the order for discovery is sought.” (see Wong Hou
Liang & Anor v. Wong Kie Yik & Ors [2015] MLRHU 719; at para
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[17] and Licvem Shipping & Trading Aps & Anor v. JLM Logistics (M)
Sdn Bhd & Ors [2016] MLRHU 280; [2016] 10 MLJ 247).
[36] It has also been held that discovery must be refused, even if the
documents are relevant, if it is not necessary either for disposing
fairly of the cause or matter or for saving costs (see Kenwood
Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd v. Peoples’ Audio Sdn Bhd & 3 Ors
[2002] 3 MLRH 877; [2003] 5 MLJ 276; [2003] 5 CLJ 436 HC; [2003]
2 AMR 70).
[37] The Defendant has enumerated the documents that they are
seeking which I have listed above. I have taken the liberty of
comparing the application made much earlier pursuant to Enclosure 64
which was filed on 3 March 2020 and which judgment this Court have
delivered on 20 October 2020.
[38] I found that only (viii) Public Bank Berhad (6463-H) Fixed
Deposit Account No. 4228752830 is not found in that Application.
[39] I shall not make a second judgment on what I have ruled earlier.
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COUNSEL:
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Case(s) referred to:
Nguang Chan Aka Nguang Chan Liquor Trader & Ors v. Hai-o
Enterprise Bhd & Ors [2009] 5 MLJ 40
Faber Merlin Malaysia Bhd v. Ban Guan Sdn Bhd [1980] 1 MLRA
341; [1981] 1 MLJ 105 FC
Kuah Kok Kim & Ors v. Ernst & Young (a firm) [1997] 1 SLR 169
Wong Hou Liang & Anor v. Wong Kie Yik & Ors [2015] MLRHU 719;
at para [17]
Licvem Shipping & Trading Aps & Anor v. JLM Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd
& Ors [2016] MLRHU 280; [2016] 10 MLJ 247
Goh Hooi Yin v. Lim Teong Ghee & Ors [1975] 1 MLRH 472; [1977]
2 MLJ 26
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