Illegality
5 cases · November 2025 to May 2026
Case Volume by Year
1 25
4 26
2025–2026
Key Issues & Sub-Topics
Ex dolo malo non oritur actio — Whether plaintiff seeking to enforce illegal contract — Plaintiff recovering secret profits from fiduciary — No illegality in principal recovering bribes from errant fiduciary — Reading v A-G applied — Merong Mahawangsa distinguished. 1 Pleadings — Whether illegality must be specifically pleaded — Sufficiency of pleadings alleging payment of booking fee — Distinction between material facts and legal argument — Application of Yow Man Kong @ Senthil Kumar v Ghandirajan a/l Arjunan [2023] 5 MLJ 64. 1 Public policy — Ex turpi causa non oritur actio — Agreement disguised as "Investment Fund" — Funds disbursed to foreign third party — Purpose of funds to secure state land and political influence (merasuah) — Whether transaction was an illegal influence-peddling scheme — Whether agreement void ab initio — Contracts Act 1950, s 24(e). Restitution — In pari delicto — Plaintiff an active participant in illegal scheme — Whether Plaintiff barred from seeking equitable restitution or statutory relief — Contracts Act 1950, s 66. Guarantee — Liability of guarantor — Secondary obligation — Claim against principal debtor withdrawn — Guarantee Agreement lacking 'jointly and severally liable' clause — Whether action against guarantor alone maintainable without establishing principal debtor's default. 1 Defence of illegality — Whether plaintiff’s business allegedly unlawful — Whether claim barred — Pleading and proof — Application of proportionality test 1 Moneylending — Sham transaction — Allegation that musharakah agreement a disguise for unlicensed moneylending — Defence of illegality — Whether agreement void ab initio — Burden of proof — Factors considered: fixed periodic payments, informal references to “loan”, absence of licence — Whether sufficient to displace written terms of formal agreement — Court finding illegality not proven — Observation that claim disposed of on prematurity and failure of proof — Unnecessary to make conclusive finding on illegality. 1
Ex dolo malo non oritur actio — Whether plaintiff seeking to enforce illegal contract — Plaintiff recovering secret profits from fiduciary — No illegality in principal recovering bribes from errant fiduciary — Reading v A-G applied — Merong Mahawangsa distinguished. 1 case
Pleadings — Whether illegality must be specifically pleaded — Sufficiency of pleadings alleging payment of booking fee — Distinction between material facts and legal argument — Application of Yow Man Kong @ Senthil Kumar v Ghandirajan a/l Arjunan [2023] 5 MLJ 64. 1 case
Public policy — Ex turpi causa non oritur actio — Agreement disguised as "Investment Fund" — Funds disbursed to foreign third party — Purpose of funds to secure state land and political influence (merasuah) — Whether transaction was an illegal influence-peddling scheme — Whether agreement void ab initio — Contracts Act 1950, s 24(e). Restitution — In pari delicto — Plaintiff an active participant in illegal scheme — Whether Plaintiff barred from seeking equitable restitution or statutory relief — Contracts Act 1950, s 66. Guarantee — Liability of guarantor — Secondary obligation — Claim against principal debtor withdrawn — Guarantee Agreement lacking 'jointly and severally liable' clause — Whether action against guarantor alone maintainable without establishing principal debtor's default. 1 case
Defence of illegality — Whether plaintiff’s business allegedly unlawful — Whether claim barred — Pleading and proof — Application of proportionality test 1 case
Moneylending — Sham transaction — Allegation that musharakah agreement a disguise for unlicensed moneylending — Defence of illegality — Whether agreement void ab initio — Burden of proof — Factors considered: fixed periodic payments, informal references to “loan”, absence of licence — Whether sufficient to displace written terms of formal agreement — Court finding illegality not proven — Observation that claim disposed of on prematurity and failure of proof — Unnecessary to make conclusive finding on illegality. 1 case
Key Statutes
Contracts Act 1950 (Cap 136)
cited in 3 cases Evidence Act 1950 (Cap 56)
cited in 2 cases Rules of Court 2012
cited in 2 cases National Land Code (Cap 828)
cited in 1 case Stamp Act 1949 (Cap 378)
cited in 1 case Limitation Act
cited in 1 case Limitation Act 1953 (Cap 254)
cited in 1 case Subordinate Courts Act 1948
cited in 1 case Court Distribution
Key People & Firms
Top Judges
Top Firms
Top Lawyers
Muhammad Syahmi Akif Bin Jamili 1 Nur Adam Syahmi Bin Samril 1 Damian Kiethan A/L Anthony Jeyakumar 1 Justin Lee Soong Jun 1 Ahmad Hazieq Roshali 1 Muhammad Zulfaqar Zikry Wahidir 1 Muhammad Faiz Kamal Jaafar 1 Tan Ko Xin 1 Justin Voon 1 Joseph Ching Ern Hao 1 Vinci Ng 1 Lim Choon Khim 1 Mohd Zamri bin Mohd Idrus 1 Chin Yan Leng 1 Yeoh Yao Huang 1
Cases
wa-22ncc-128-03-2022
TRIPLC MEDICAL SDN. BHD. v 1. ) ZAIDI BIN MOHAMED NOR 2. ) NOR AZHAR BIN HAMZAH PIHAK TERKILAN 1. ) Wong Chun Lun 2. ) Hasmah Binti Yahaya 3. ) Zaidi Bin Mohamed Nor
19 May 2026
MYHC
wa-12ancvc-132-10-2025
LAKEFRONT RESIDENCE SDN BHD v 1. ) ANG SOK CHOO 2. ) LEE HAI PING 3. ) LEE THIN YOW 4. ) SAK YOKE MENG 5. ) TAM KWEE THAI 6. ) TEH HUI BOON 7. ) YAP HAN CHONG 8. ) SHIRLEY TEO
24 March 2026
MYHC
ka-22ncvc-21-06-2023
FAIZAL BIN ZAINAL RASHID v 1. ) KEDAH AGRO HOLDINGS BERHAD 2. ) SHUBERT DELOS REYES ANCHETA 3. ) Ahmad Qusyairi Bin Ahmad Zaini
1 February 2026
MYHC
wa-22ncc-412-06-2023
SAPELO MANAGEMENT SDN. BHD. v 1. ) FEEZAL SHAZLEE BIN RAHMAT (Disaman dalam kapasiti peribadinya dan sebagai pemilik tunggal yang berdagang di bawah nama dan gaya Floof Pet) 2. ) ADIBAH HANUN BT ABU SEMAN BUKAN PIHAK-PIHAK 1. ) Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd 2. ) HONG LEONG BANK BERHAD 3. ) AEON Credit Service (M) Berhad 4. ) ALLIANCE BANK MALAYSIA BERHAD 5. ) ALLIANCE ISLAMIC BANK BERHAD 6. ) LUNO MALAYSIA SDN BHD 7. ) ABDUL RAZZAQ BIN CHE AZIZ 8. ) XENDIT SDN BHD 9. ) CIMB ISLAMIC BANK BERH...
13 January 2026
MYHC
wa-22m-1624-10-2023
AL SAKB CAPITAL BERHAD v 1. ) RAHMAN BROTHERS AUTOMOTIVE SDN. BHD. 2. ) RABIATUL ADAWIYAH BTE ABDUL RAHMAN
24 November 2025
MYHC