Tag Archives: Tan Min Lee

Interpretation of Statute & Contract: Apex Court favours “Commerciality” over “Illegality”

In Maple Amalgamated Sdn Bhd v Bank Pertanian Malaysia Bhd , the single specified issue before the Federal Court of Malaysia was whether an Islamic banking facility known as Bai Bithaman Ajil transaction is invalid for violating section 214A of the National Land Code. In dealing with that specific issue regarding BBA, the Federal Court also made broader pronouncements on the applicable legal principles when the Court is asked to invalidate a commercial transaction. The latter would have a much wider implication in the commercial world.

Court rules that management corporation may sue developer for latent defects in common property

A statutory duty to “properly maintain the common property and keep it in a state of good and serviceable repair” shifts between a developer, a joint management committee and a management corporation subject to the timeline provided in the Strata Management Act 2013. However, when the baton is passed to a management corporation, does the management corporation have standing to sue the developer for any defects in the common property?

CIPAA: adjudicators’ powers to order remedies and interest when payment clause is unenforceable

Section 25 of the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act (CIPAA) 2012 lists adjudicators’ extensive powers in adjudication proceedings, including the power to award financing costs and interest. The recent high court decision in First Commerce Sdn Bhd v Titan Vista Sdn Bhd and another case(1) examined the extent of an adjudicator’s powers to determine remedies and interest in unique circumstances where a payment clause was void and the default statutory implied payment provision in the CIPAA was pleaded.