suga electron (m) sdn bhd v koon seng sdn bh

8/11/2019 Suga Electron (M) Sdn Bhd v Koon Seng Sdn Bh

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Malayan Law Journal Unreported/2011/Volume /Suga Electron (M) Sdn Bd ! "oon Seng Sdn Bd # $2011%MLJU &&2 # 2& Septem'er 2011

$2011% MLJU &&2

Suga Electron (M) Sdn Bhd v Koon Seng Sdn Bhd

HIGH COURT (MUAR)UMI KALTHUM CI!IL SUIT "O ##$%# O& #''# Se*te+,er #'%%

GF Nelson (Kee Tong Kiak with him) (Chee Siah Lee Kee) for the plaintiff.

Tan Koon Heo (KH Tan & Co) for the defendant.

U+- Kalthu+ .

A/ THE CLAIM .

1 e Pla*nt*++,- cla*m aga*n-t te .e+endant *- *n negl*gence and +or damage- +or te -um o+MS&0&300 and or general damage- to 'e a--e--ed *ntere-t and co-t-

B/ &ACTS .

2 e Pla*nt*++ and .e+endant are l*m*ted compan*e- carry*ng on te*r re-pect*!e 'u-*ne-- at "awa-anPer*ndu-tr*an ang4a4 ang4a4 Joor were te*r +actor*e- are located ad5acent to eac and are a'out 100metre- +rom eac oter

3 e Pla*nt*++ -tarted *t- +actory operat*on- +or te a--em'l*ng o+ pr*nted c*rcu*t 'oard- *n May 16 7roman *n*t*al 12 # l*ne -ur+ace mount tecnology mac*ne- te Pla*nt*++ ad *ncrea-ed to a 1 # l*ne -ur+ace mounttecnology mac*ne- *n 2000

8 e .e+endant -tarted operat*ng a ru''er glo!e ma4*ng +actory -*nce 2001 and te +actory operated on a28#our 9 day- a wee4 'a-*-

:t *- common ground tat te .e+endant ad engaged te -er!*ce- o+ an *ndependent contractor 'y tename o+ .r*lco ecnolog*e- (M) Sdn Bd ( ;.r*lco;) to dr*ll con-truct 'u*ld and ma4e ready a tu'ewell *nte .e+endant,- +actory prem*-e- *n Marc 2002 :t *- al-o agreed tat te .e+endant d*d pump undergroundwater troug te tu'ewell

6 e Pla*nt*++ alleged tat te .e+endant ad a'-tracted water +rom underground and tere'y cau-*ngdewater*ng to te -u'terranean -o*l o+ te Pla*nt*++,- ad5o*n*ng land e ground and +loor -ettlement o+ tePla*nt*++,- +actory a- a re-ult o+ te dewater*ng re-ulted *n crac4- appear*ng *n 2003 on te wall- o+ tePla*nt*++,- +actory and gap- at te 5o*nt- o+ apron- and wall- +loor and column-

9 Pla*nt*++ wrote letter dated 62003 (page 363 :.) to te ang4a4 Land u*te a d*-tance +rom eac oter 7urter *t *- te .e+endant,- r*gt to


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pump underground water *n *t- own prem*-e- e .e+endant den*ed tat *t wa- negl*gent *n pump*ng teunderground water a- *t ad ta4en all rea-ona'le -tep- to engage .r**co to dr*ll te well Moreo!er te.e+endant ad -topped around 2002 u-*ng te underground water +or *t- ru''er glo!e- product*on a+ter *tad +ound tat te -a*d water >ual*ty wa- not conduc*!e to 'e u-ed *n ru''er glo!e- product*on e.e+endant *n-tead ad u-ed -*nce ten and *- -t*ll u-*ng water -uppl*ed 'y Syar*4at ?*r Joor Sdn Bd

(;S?J;) e .e+endant *n-tead alleged tat any -u'-*dence o+ te Pla*nt*++- +actory +loor *- due to tePla*nt*++- un-ta'le +actory 'u*ld*ng -tructure *t-el+ e .e+endant tere+ore prayed +or te Pla*nt*++- cla*m 'ed*-m*--ed w*t co-t-

C/ BACKGROU"0.


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131 te .e+endant +a*led to carry out -o*l *n!e-t*gat*on 'e+ore pump*ng out te underground water

132 te .e+endant ad pumped out te underground water were *t 4now*ngly or -ould a!e 4nown tat 'ya'-tract*ng te underground water would cau-e te underground water le!el to drop (dewater*ng) andtere'y re-ult*ng *n -ettlement o+ te Pla*nt*++,- land a- aga*n-t *t- +actory

133 te -ettlement o+ te Pla*nt*++,- land ad re-ulted *n te -u'-*dence o+ te +oundat*on o+ te Pla*nt*++,-+actory and crac4- and gap- appear*ng *n te Pla*nt*++,- +actory -*nce end o+ 2003 (paragrap- 8?

?mended Statement o+ @la*m)

e amendment wa- made to te Statement o+ @la*m *n order to ma4e te Pla*nt*++,- cla*m more clear

18 : agree w*t te -u'm*--*on o+ te learned coun-el +or te Pla*nt*++ tat *t *- clear +rom te unamendedStatement o+ @la*m tat te Pla*nt*++- ca-e *- +ounded on te law o+ negl*gence e!en 'e+ore te Statement o+@la*m wa- amended on 232011 e :--ue- +or .eterm*nat*on (enclo-ure 36) were -ettled 'etween tepart*e- on 10200 w*c -ow clearly tat t*- ca-e *- 'a-ed on negl*gence : agree w*t te Pla*nt*++-coun-el,- -u'm*--*on tat te part*e- ad proceeded w*t te tr*al on te *--ue- o+ weter te .e+endantowe- a duty o+ care to te Pla*nt*++ and weter te Pla*nt*++ a- -u++ered lo-- and damage 'e*ng teelement- o+ a cau-e o+ act*on *n negl*gence Learned coun-el +or te .e+endant ad not at any t*me o'5ectedto te e!*dence adduced at te tr*al a- 'e*ng *nadm*--*'le 'y rea-on o+ *t not 'e*ng pleaded

1 :n te Supreme @ourt ca-e o+ Su*er-ntendento+ Land- and Sur!ey- 8t i!ision and "nor ! Hamit #.$at%sin and 'rs$18% 3 @LJ 69 Pe Swee @*n S@J (del*!er*ng te @ourt,- dec*-*on) eld at page 91#

; e underly*ng well#4nown rat*onale +or re>u*r*ng -uc mater*al +act- to 'e pleaded *- o+ cour-e to pre!ent teoppo-*ng party +rom 'e*ng ta4en 'y -urpr*-e 'y e!*dence w*c depart- +rom pleaded mater*al +act- +or -uc e!*dence*+ allowed w*ll pre5ud*ce and em'ara-- or m*-lead te oppo-*ng party

:+ a party *- ta4en 'y -urpr*-e e mu-t o'5ect ten and tere at te po*nt o+ t*me wen -uc e!*dence emerge- +or -uce!*dence to 'e d*-regarded 'y te @ourt and te @ourt w*ll ten upold -uc t*mely o'5ect*on e @ourt w*ll generallyowe!er grant an ad5ournment *+ re>ue-ted on -u*ta'le term- a- to co-t- etc +or te plead*ng to 'e amended 'y teparty -ee4*ng to adduce -uc e!*dence


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nature *- not *n -ync w*t real*ty Ae are no more a -oc*ety tat l*!e- m*le- apart l*4e te oldenday- 'ut *n one were a -neeHe *- ne!er out o+ te ne*g'our,- ear-ot and were l*4ew*-eunrea-ona'le act*!*t*e- may touc te l*+e o+ a ne*g'our o deny te r*gt- o+ ne*g'our- andallow a wrongdoer to wrea4 a!oc and eartace would m*l*tate aga*n-t te !ery +a'r*c o+modern l*+e and collect*!e *deology o+ a mult*#+aceted -oc*ety :n a nut-ell te ca-e o+ ?cton !

Blundell would 'e out o+ 4eep*ng w*t te current e=*-t*ng law o+ tort- ?- *t -tand- *+ norea-ona'le -tep- were underta4en 'y te wrongdoer to en-ure tat no damage- would 'e+allte ne*g'our- and d*d *ndeed -u++er tem an act*ona'le tort o+ negl*gence may awa*t *m

2 $39% o w*nd up te *--ue o+lia+ilit, we tere+ore re5ect te rule propounded *n"ton ! #l%ndell


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'y te mac*ner*e- and per-onnel operat*ng on te ground +loor -la' a- 'een computed to 'e11 mm *- -ettlement *- muc le-- tan te -ettlement- +ound at te +actory and *- not-u++*c*ent to cau-e te -e!ere crac4- and gap- a- a- 'een -een *n te +actory Moreo!er t*--ettlement -ould a!e occurred *n te 18 mont- a+ter te +actory commenced operat*on *nMay 16 and not *n late 2003 w*c *- & 1/2 year- a+ter te commencement

1.2 ground water le!el- *n 'ot water -tandp*pe- ad 'een mon*tored to *ncrea-e +or a'out te-ame amount o!er a per*od o+ two mont- o+ dry per*od e r*-*ng ground water le!el- *nd*catetat te ground water le!el- ad 'een lowered *n te recent pa-t

1.3 te recorded ground water le!el- ro-e 3m *n 6 mont- +rom Jun to .ecem'er 2008 at

mean- te ground water ad 'een lowered 'y at lea-t 3m ? total drop o+ ground water le!el *-calculated to 'e 6m te 3m and 6m drop *n ground water le!el- a- 'een calculated to *nduce-ettlement- o+ 61mm and 103mm re-pect*!ely e-e amount- o+ -ettlement- are -*m*lar toto-e mea-ured at te Pla*nt*++,- +actory e ground -ettlement cau-ed 'y te lower*ng o+ground water le!el co!er- a large area at wa- wy SP1 +ound te -ettlement not only *n te+actory +loor 'ut al-o on te ground out-*de te +actory 'u*ld*ng

38 SP1 concluded tat te w*de-pread -ettlement- and -e!ere crac4- *n te Pla*nt*++- +actory are cau-ed 'yte a'-tract*on o+ ground water Fence te pump*ng out o+ ground water *n te ne*g'our*ng .e+endant,-+actory would a!e re-ulted *n te -er*ou- damage- -een *n te Pla*nt*++- +actory

3 .ur*ng cro--#e=am*nat*on SP1 ad ruled out te po--*'*l*ty o+ te u-age o+ te ang4a4 # Muar road 'yea!y !e*cle- cau-*ng te -ettlement re-ult*ng *n te -e!ere crac4- -een *n te Pla*nt*++- +actory SP1 al-te-t*+*ed tat dur*ng *- *n!e-t*gat*on e -aw te ent*re product*on +loor wa- occup*ed w*t mac*ne-Fowe!er a+ter e made calculat*on- to +*nd out te -ettlement cau-ed 'y te-e mac*ne- e +ound te-ettlement to 'e 10mm w*c *- muc le-- tan te -ettlement e ad mea-ured *n-*de te +actory +loor

36 7or te .e+endant S.1 te-t*+*ed tat tere wa- no geolog*cal and ydro#geolog*cal -tudy done 'e+ore tedr*ll*ng o+ te tu'ewell wa- carr*ed out E!en toug S.1 wa- not a e=pert on te matter .r*lco adcon-ulted an e=pert wo drew up te recommendat*on- a- conta*ned *n .r*lco,- letter dated 1332006 to te.e+endant (page 309 :.) and -*gned 'y S.1 :n te -a*d letter *t wa- -tated tat #

; Land -ur+ace -u'-*dence *- a penomenon tat a- 'een commonly a--oc*ated to te remo!al o+ -ol*d- or +lu*d-naturally or art*+*c*ally +rom 'eneat te land -ur+ace

o e=pla*n te cau-e o+ ground -u'-*dence te geolog*cal and ydro#geolog*cal -ett*ng o+ te area mu-t 'e e-ta'l*-ed+*r-t *- *- 'ecau-e an *mportant +actor go!ern*ng geo#aHard -uc a- ground -u'-*dence *- te geology o+ te areaPy-*cal caracter*-t*e- -uc a- roc4 type- ma5or geo#-tructure- and -o*l cond*t*on to a large e=tent control- ground-ta'*l*ty;

3& ?+ter care+ul con-*derat*on o+ te e=pert te-t*mony o+ SP1 te te-t*mony o+ SP3 and S.1 and .r*lco,-letter dated 1332006 : -ee no rea-on not to accept te te-t*mony o+ SP1 and *- +*nd*ng- :n reac*ng *-conclu-*on SP1 ad already ta4en *nto account te .e+endant,- -u'm*--*on tat te alleged ground-u'-*dence could 'e cau-ed 'y te ea!*ne-- o+ te mac*ner*e- u-ed 'y te Pla*nt*++ *n *t- +actory and add*-counted te e++ect- o+ te ea!y tra++*c on te near'y ang4a4 # Muar ma*n road : tere+ore +*nd tat tePla*nt*++ a- -ucce--+ully pro!en on te 'alance o+ pro'a'*l*t*e- tat te a'-tract*on o+ ground water *n te ,.e+endant,- prem*-e- a- re-ulted *n te w*de-pread -ettlement- and -e!ere crac4- *n te Pla*nt*++,- +actory

H/ CO"CLUSIO".

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