Parties In Highland Towers Suit Triying To Resolve Matter

30/04/2003 The Sun

Kuala Lumpur : The Federal Court yesterday adjourned the hearing of an application by Arab Malaysian Finance Bhd (AMFB) and three others for leave to appeal against a High Court Ruling that they are liable for losses suffered by residents of two blocks of Highland Towers condominium.

Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Haidar Mohamed Noor, who sat with Federal Court judges Datuk Abdul Malek Ahmad and Datuk Siti Norma Yaakob, adjourned the matter to date to be fixed after N. Rajendran, councel for the residents, told the court that the parties were in discussion to amicably resolve the matter.
The appellants – AMFB, engineer Wong Yuen Kean, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), Metrolux Sdn.Bhd and MBF Property Services Sdn. Bhd did not object.

On Aug 11, 2000, High Court judge Datuk James Foong apportioned liability to AMFB (30%), engineer Wong Yuen Kean (10%) and Metrolux Sdn. Bhd and MBF Property Services Sdn Bhd (20%).

The High Court also apportioned liability to another three parties which were also named as defendants in the negligence suit, namely developer Highland Properties Sdn. Bhd (15%) draughtsman Wong Ting Sang (10%) and MPAJ (15%).

On Dec 3, the court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s ruling that AMFB and three others were liable for losses suffered by the residents when Block One collapsed in 1993.

However, it allowed MPAJ’s appeal and set asside the High Court’s decision to apportion post-collapse liability of 15% to MPAJ but instead apportioned it precollapse liability.

Highland Properties and Ting Sang did not appeal against the decision.

The 73 residents of Blocks two and Three had sued 10 parties for between RM31 million and RM35 million.