MLJ Alerts: January 2024 (High Court)

“… s 498 is an archaic and anachronistic provision which comes from an unfortunate bygone Victorian era when women were regarded as the personal property of men or even an extension of men not unlike how slaves were treated for a long time until abolished in the last century. It took humankind many years to accept that slavery of men and discrimination against women was wrong. So, to suggest that a man or a woman could be considered as property of each other is a regressive step and going back in time to a dark era. We would state and that too without much hesitation that this concept is, to our minds, obsolete. In the modern era, men and women are both capable of being independent and making their own decisions. They can hardly be considered as victims of enticement.”

- Tengku Maimun Chief Justice

Lai Hen Beng v Public Prosecutor [2024] 1 MLJ 225 at 100

• Joachim Xavier Francis (with Mohamad Najib Syukri and Sahain Puthucheary) (Louis Ambrose & Partners) for the plaintiff.

• Faiz Fadzil (with Faizal bin Abdullah) (Faiz Fadzil & Co) for the defendants.

• Jason Lai (Munhoe & Mar) for the plaintiffs.

• Khairul Nizam bin Abu Bakar (with Etty Eliany Tesno and Muhammad Shah Faris) (Selangor State Legal Advisor’s Office) for the defendants.

• Anastasia Chin (with Stella Sim) (Reddi & Co) for the plaintiff.

• Sunny Si Poh Heng (Si & Assoc) for the defendants.

• Manpal Singh Sacdev (Manjit Singh Sachdev, Mohammad Radzi & Partners) for the applicant.

• Siti Radziah bt Kamarudin (Selangor State Legal Advisor’s Office) for the first respondent.

• Manoharan Malayalam (with Anis Salihah bt Abdul Malek) (M Manoharan & Co) for the second respondent.

• S Saravana Kumar (with Yap Wen ***) (Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership) for the applicant.

• Nik Isfahanie Tasnim (Senior Federal Counsel, Attorney General’s Chambers) for the respondent.

• Ronnie Yoon Kok Seng (with Amira Afiqah bt Shaidin) (Scully Yoon) for the plaintiff.

• Kimberly Yap Mei Chyi (with Khairun Niza bt Husnin) (Khairun Husnin & Kimberly) for the defendant.

• Ain-Nur ‘Amiyerra Awod Abdullah (Lee Wai Yi bersamanya) (Timbalan Pendakwa Raya, Jabatan Peguam Negara) bagi pihak perayu.

• Mohd Harris (The Law of Mohd Harris) bagi pihak responden

• Mohamad Shahrizzat bin Amadan (Deputy Public Prosecutor, Attorney General’s Chambers) for the appellant.

• Azmi bin Talib (Aidil Effendy Azmi & Co) for the respondent.

• Abd Ghafar bin Abd Latif (Johor State Legal Advisor’s Office) for the applicant.

• Joshua Tay H’ng Foong (AmerBON); Subramaniam Nair (Maniam Nair & Co); Manian K Marappan (Manian K Marappan & Co) for the respondents.

• Liew Teck Huat (with Ong Kang Nyong) (Suflan TH Liew & Partners) for the plaintiff.

• Joshua Kuan Kai Wen (with Hew Li Sien) (Joshua & Assoc) for the defendant.

• Edward Kuruvilla (with TJ Lee and Soh Lip Shan) (Cheok Ng Lee Law Chambers) for the plaintiff.

• HR Dipendra (with Tong Joe Jye) (Ramesh Dipendra Jeremiah Law) for the first defendant.

• Navpreet Singh (with William Leong & Chiew Choo Man) (William Leong & Co) for the plaintiff.

• Nurul Najwa Zainuddin (with Rodziinah Mat Zain) (Zharif Nizamuddin) for the defendant.

• Shakir Hussain a/l Kurshed Ibrahim (Kali & Assoc) for the plaintiff.

• Russell Lua (Lua & Mansor) for the second defendant.

• Aufa bt Radzi (with Claudia Cheah and Chew Sue Peng) (Skrine) for the third defendant.

• (Cassandra Lee Chambers) bagi pihak plaintif.

• (Yoges & Co) bagi pihak defendan pertama.

• (Sreenevasan Young) bagi pihak defendan kedua.

• (Gunaseelan & Associates) bagi pihak defendan ketiga.

• (Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff) bagi pihak defendan keempat.

• (Jabatan Peguam Negara) bagi pihak defendan kelima.