TYPES OF LITIGANT

Who should be the plaintiff/s and defendant/s?

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Disability
Incorporated bodies
Firms/partnerships
Individual trading as a firm (sole proprietor)
Federal and State Government;
The Rulers;
Foreign sovereigns/foreign states;
Trade unions;
Estates of deceased persons; suing deceased plaintiff/ defendant;
Death of a party in the course of proceedings; Amanah Raya Berhad
Suing the estate of a deceased person where no grant has been made and
extracted;
Representative actions;
joinder of parties;
Misjoinder and non-joinder of parties;
Intervention.
1. Who should be the plaintiff and defendant?

1.1. Right to sue in person (without assistance of solicitor) or by a solicitor

O 5 r 6(1) ROC 2012

1.2. Body corporate must be represented by solicitor.

O 5 r 6(2) ROC 2012

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2. Person under disability:
(a) Meaning of “person under disability”
O 76 r 1 ROC 2012
“person under disability” means a person who is a minor or a patient
“patient” means a mentally disturbed person within the meaning of the
Act.
“the Act ” means the Mental Health Act 2001 [Act 615]
Meaning of “minor”

- see: s 3 Interpretation Acts 1948 & 1967

s 2 Age of Majority Act 1971 – when does minority cease.

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(b) must sue and defend by litigation representative.
O 76 r 2(1) ROC 2012

(c) Litigation representative must file written consent (see O 76 r 3(7) ROC 2012
and Form 188) and act by a solicitor (O 76 r 2(3) ROC 2012).

(d) Costs in suit brought or defended by infants

Steeden v Welden [1910] 2 Ch 393

(e) Services on persons under disability

O 76 r 14(2) ROC 2012

(f) Title of the action

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3. Incorporated bodies
Companies and other corporate bodies are legal persons and can sue and
be sued in their own names: s 16(5) Companies Act 1965.

4. Firm/Partnership
O 77 r 1 ROC 2012
(a) Partners can be sued as individuals.
(b) A partnership may sue or be sued in the name of the firm.
(c) Action against a firm in the firm’s name is an action individually against
all those who are partners at the time

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(d) Advantage of suing a partnership in
the firm’s name.
- service will be easier
O 77 r 3(1) ROC 2012

(e) “Disadvantage”?
Bankruptcy Rules 1969, rule 91(4)
Official Assignee v Ang Kim Leong & Ors
[1956] MLJ 99
Re Lai Chew Pang, Ex P The Railway Co-
operative Multi-Purpose Society Ltd
[1992] MLJU 68
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5. Individual trading as a firm
O 77 r 9 ROC 2012
- may be sued in his business name but can
only sue in his name.
Wee Tiang Kheng & Ors v Ngu Nii Soon & Ors
[1989] 1 MLJ 252

6. Federal / State Government

s 3 Government Proceedings Act 1956
s 4 Government Proceedings Act 1956
Federal Government and State Government
can be sued on its own name.
O 73 ROC 2012: Proceedings by and against
the Government
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7. The Rulers

a) Articles 32(1) and 181(2) Federal Constitution

b) Their Highness the Rulers

Article 181(2) Federal Constitution
Faridah Begum v Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah [1996] 1 MLJ 617

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8. Foreign Sovereigns / Foreign States
Mighell v Sultan of Johore [1894] 1 QB 149
Village Holdings etc v Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada [1988] 2
MLJ 656
Duff Development Co v Govt of Kelantan [1924] AC 797

9. Foreign missions in Malaysia

Diplomatic Privileges (Vienna Convention) Act 1966
International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1992
Diplomatic Privileges (Vienna Convention)(Amendment) Act 1999

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10. Societies registered under the Societies Act 1966
Societies Act 1966, s 9 (c)
Tengku Abdullah v Mohd Latiff [1996] 2 MLJ 265 (CA)
Chin Mee Keong & Ors v Pesuruhjaya Sukan [2007] 6 MLJ 193
Ong Boon Hua @ Chin Peng suing (in his own capacity as a representative of
all members of Parti Komunis Malaya and other related parties) & Anor v
Kerajaan Malaysia [2010] 2 MLJ 794

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11. Trade Union
s 25 Trade Unions Act 1959

12. Estates of deceased persons

(a) Specific provisions on survival of actions on death and limitation periods for
suing personal representatives
Sec 8(1) and 8(3) Civil Law Act 1956
Lina Soo (f) v Ngu Chu Hiong & Anor (No.2) [2004] 1 AMR 529; [2004] 5 CLJ 77
Lee Lee Cheng v Seow Peng Kwang (1960) 26 MLJ 1
Mat bin Lim v Ho Yut Kam [1967] 1 MLJ 13
Airey v Airey [1958] 2 All ER 59 (Diplock J); [1958] 2 QB 300 (CA)
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(b) Testate
Meyappa Chetty v Subramaniam Chetty [1916] 1 AC 603
Mohamidu Mohideen Hadjiar v Pitchey [1894] 437

(c) Intestate
Ingall v Moran [1944] 1 All ER 97
Ang Hoi Yin v Sim Sie Hau [1969] 2 MLJ 3
Cf Ruhani Bt Mohiat & Anor v Abdul Karim Mat Ali & Anor [1993] 3 CLJ 524
Comptroller of IncomeTax v YanTai Min [1965] 31 MLJ 255
Govindasamy Pillai & Sons Ltd v Lok Seng Chai & Ors [1961] 1 MLJ 89

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(d) Deceased plaintiff/defendant
Dawson (Bradford) Ltd & Ors v Dove [1971] 1 QB 330
O 15 r 6A(3) ROC 2012
Non applicability of O 15 r 6A(3) ROC 2012 if sue in deceased’s name
(plaintiff is already dead but sue in his name)
Tetlow v Orela Ltd [1920] 2 Ch 24

(e) Death of a party in the course of proceedings

O 15 r 7(2) ROC 2012
Government of Malaysia vTaib bin Abdul Rahman [1991] 2 MLJ 175 (SC)

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13. Amanah Raya Berhad
s 39 (1) Probate and Administration Act 1959 (“PAA”)
s 2 PAA: Meaning of “Corporation”
Selvarajah & Anor v Official Administrator & Anor [1978] 2 MLJ 108

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14. Suing the estate of a deceased person where no grant has been
extracted
There are 2 avenues available for a plaintiff:
(i) O 15 r 6A ROC 2012
(ii) S 30 PAA

(a) O 15 r 6A ROC 2012

Action may be commenced against “the personal representative of A.B.
deceased” as defendants.
How the service is to be effected: O 15 r 6A(4) ROC 2012
Appointment of Amanah Raya Berhad as the representative of the estate
and effect of such appointment
Re Amirteymour [1979] 1 WLR 63 15
(b) Proviso to s 30 PAA
In England, plaintiff can apply to the court to appoint the plaintiff’s
nominee as administrator ad litem. This administrator ad litem will
represent the estate of the deceased.
In the Estate of Simpson; In the Estate of Gunning [1936] P 40
In the Estate of Ngau Ken Lock (Deceased)(Ngau Voon Kiat,
Petitioner)[2002] 4 MLJ 74

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15. Representative action
O 15 r 12 ROC 2012 (see also O 6 r 2(1)(c) ROC 2012).
Duke of Bedford v Ellis (1901) AC 1 (HL)
Smith v Cardiff Corporation [1953] 2 All ER 1373; [1954] 1 QB 210 (CA)
Palmco Holding Bhd v Sakapp Commodities (M) Sdn Bhd & Ors [1988] 2
MLJ 624.
Tang Kwor Ham & Ors v Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd & Ors [2006]
5 MLJ 60
Vellasamy Ponnusamy & Ors v Gurbachan Singh Bagawan Singh & Ors.
[2006] 2 MLJ 715; [2006] 1 CLJ 805 (HC)
Atip Bin Ali v v J.D. Nunis & Anor [1987] 1 MLJ 82 (requirements not
satisfied)
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Consent; Identities of parties
EH Riyid v EhTek [1976] 1MLJ 262
Jok Jau Evong & Ors v Marabong Lumber Sdn Bhd & Ors [1990] 3 MLJ 427
Vellasamy Ponnusamy & Ors v Gurbachan Singh Bagawan Singh & Ors.
[2006] 1 CLJ 805 (HC)
Vellasamy a/l Pennusamy & Ors (on their behalf and for the 213 sub-
purchasers of plots of land known as PN 35553, Lot 9108, Mukim Hutan
Melintang, Hilir Perak) v Gurbachan Singh a/l Bagawan Singh & Ors [2010]
5 MLJ 437 (CA)

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16. Joinder of parties
O 15 r 4 ROC 2012
S Constantine v Social Security Organization (SOCSO) & Anor [1998] 1 MLJ 160
Universities of Oxford & Cambridge v Gill [1899] 1 Ch 55 (joinder of plaintiff
without leave)
Bullock v London General Omnibus Co [1907] 1 KB 264 (joinder of defendant
without leave)

17. Misjoinder and non-joinder of parties

O 15 r 6 ROC 2012
United Asian Bank Bhd v Personal Representative of Roshammah (decd) & Ors
[1994] 3 MLJ 327
Hee Awa & Ors v Syed Muhamad & Anor [1988] 1 MLJ 300
Tajjul Ariffin v Heng Cheng Hong [1993] 2 MLJ 143
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18. Intervention
O 15 r 6(2)(b) ROC 2012
A person who is not a party to an action may be added as an intervener either
on his own application or in rare cases by the Court of its own motion.
Pegang Mining v Choong Sam [1969] 2 MLJ 52 (PC)
Arab Malaysian Merchant Bank Berhad v Dr A Jamaluddin Dato’ Mohd Jarjis
[1991] 2 CLJ 862; [1991] 1 CLJ (Rep) 19
Bumiputra Commerce Bank Bhd v Amanah Raya Bhd; Sivaloganathan
Kanagasabai (Intervener) [2010] 4 CLJ 360 (HC)
Hong Leong Bank Berhad v Staghorn Sdn Bhd & Other Appeals [2008] 2 CLJ 121
Frontier-Trading Sdn Bhd v Lebbey Sdn Bhd (Chan Kwok Chin, Intervener)
[2007] 7 MLJ 44
Perindustrian CYMA Sdn Bhd v Malaysia & Nippon Insurans Bhd v EON Bank
Bhd (Intervener) [2009] 7 CLJ 743
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