1. ) ROSLI A/L JENDUT 2. ) ATAN BIN BARO 3. ) MELAH BINTI HAMID 4. ) AWANG BIN BAKO 5. ) ESAH A/P WIR 6. ) KASIM BIN AWANG 7. ) Majib Bin Kasim v 1. ) AGROBEST (M) SDN. BHD 2. ) Mudzafar Bin Abu Samah 3. ) Khong Chung Chong

02f-33-07-2025c Federal Court (Mahkamah Persekutuan) 15 June 2026 • 02(f)-33-07/2025(C) • 64 min read

25 cases cited (0 SG, 25 foreign)

Catchwords

Notice of Appeal filed by defendants against the whole of the High Court’s decision eventhough the dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claim for special and exemplary damages were in defendants favour — whether plaintiffs ought to have filed a Notice of Appeal if they had wanted to appeal against the dismissal of their claim for special and exemplary damages —-Rules 5,8, 1A, 102, 103, 104, 105 Rules of Court of Appeal 1994 (RCA 1994), s 69(5) Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (CJA) —Proof of the Indigenous People of their connection to the deceased persons’ tombstones and grave sites — use of oral tradition and narratives under s 32(1)(d) and (e) Evidence Act 1950 (EA) — locus of the plaintiffs to sue for trespass for the demolition and desecration of their ancestors’ tombstones and grave sites —- nature of customary title — whether it has been extinguished before the alienation and issuance of land titles to private corporations —- effect of a 4(2)(a) National Land Code (NLC) on the law for the time being in force on customary tenure — whether Article 5(1) on right to life covers the protection of the indigenous peoples’ burial sites, custom and tradition —United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and its use in interpreting Constitutional Rights.

Judges (3)

Lee Swee Seng Delivered Nordin bin Hassan Coram Seri Vazeer Alam bin Mydin Meera Coram

Parties (10)

AGROBEST Sdn Bhd Respondent Atan bin Baro Appellant Awang bin Bako Appellant Esah a/p Wir Appellant Kasim bin Awang Appellant Khong Chung Chong Respondent Majib bin Kasim Appellant Melah binti Hamid Appellant Mudzafar bin Abu Samah Respondent Rosli a/l Jendut Appellant

Statutes Cited

Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (Cap 91)

Evidence Act 1950 (Cap 56)

Federal Constitution

Art 13(2) Art 160(2) Art 5(1) Art 8(1)

Interpretation Act

s 3

Land Acquisition Act 1960 (Cap 486)

National Land Code (Cap 828)

Cases Cited (25)

UK (6)

[1921] 2 AC 399 [1952] AC 189 [1998] AC 147 [2001] 2 AC 127 [2003] QB 195 [2004] UKHL 22

MY (19)

[1941] 10 MLJ 96 [1996] 1 MLJ 261 [1997] 1 MLJ 418 [2002] 2 MLJ 591 [2005] 6 MLJ 289 [2006] 1 MLJ 256 [2008] 2 MLJ 677 [2008] 3 CLJ 489 [2013] 4 MLJ 437 [2015] 2 CLJ 929 [2015] 6 MLJ 527 [2015] MLJU 1831 [2016] 5 MLJ 552 [2019] 1 CLJ 42 [2021] 4 MLJ 946 [2022] 5 CLJ 900 [2022] 5 MLJ 363 [2023] 4 MLJ 567 [2024] 4 MLJ 732

Judgment

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Source: eJudgment (02f-33-07-2025c)