Defamation claims cannot be pursued by the relatives of a deceased individual as defamation is a personal action that ends at death, and there was no direct reference to the claimants in the publication.

[1] Before me is an application under O 18 r 19(a) to strike out the Plaintiffs' statement of claim on the ground that there is no cause of action against the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendant pursuant to s 8(1) of the Civil Act.

[2] The Plaintiffs' claim is one of Defamation by virtue of an article published by the 3rd Defendant.

Background Facts

[3] The 2nd Defendant authored an article with the title of "Tapak Perang Pandasan dipulihara" (roughly translated as 'Site of Battle ground at Pandasan to be revived") which was published in Berita Harian on the 21 May 2010. The 12 relevant paragraphs are as follows:

Paragraph 1:

"Kota Belud Tapak Perang Pandasan pada 1915 di Kampung Pandasan disini, berpontensi dimajukan sebagai memorial arkib negeri yang menjadi daya tarikan sektor pelancong dan pengkaji sejarah, sekaligus menguntungkan penduduk tiga etnik setempat iaitu Bajau, Iranun dan Kadazandusun dengan mengusahakan warung makanan, gerai kraf tangan dan inap desa".

Paragraph 2:

"Bagaimanapun, lokasinya yang terbiar dan makam pahlawan Sabah yang terkorban ketika meletusnya perang itu, Panglima Ali atau dikenali Embo Ali, tersembunyi dalam belukar gagal menarik kehadiran pelancong atau pengkaji sejarah".

Paragraph 4:

"Bagi generasi muda, memorial itu boleh membantu mereka membuat kajian sejarah perjuangan pahlawan terbilang yang sanggup mengorbankan nyawa demi menegakkan Islam dan membela anak watan supaya tidak menjadi hamba di bumi sendiri".

Paragraph 6:

"Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Tempasuk, Datuk Musbah Jamli, mahu ANS memajukan tapak sebagai Memorial Arkib Sabah dengan mengambil kira sumbangan rakyatnya menuntut kemerdekaan Sabah".

Paragraph 10:

"Musbah berkata, pihak tertentu tidak seharusnya mempertikaikan perjuangan. Embo Ali dengan mengaitkan pahlawan itu bukan menentang penjajah sebaliknya bertempur dengan rakyat tempatan"

Paragraph 11 the Second Defendant wrote in verbatim what the First Defendant said,

"Sejarah membuktikan Embo Ali dibunuh muridnya sendiri yang menyebelahi penjajah (British) kerana mahu kuasa dan kekayaan. Tentera British berada di belakang anak murid Embo Ali dikenali Arshad, bukannya bertempur sesama mereka, katanya".

[4] It can be easily seen from the article that it conveys a message that the late Arshad was responsible for the Murder of one Embo Ali and it is this that the Plaintiffs are saying that they as relatives of the late Arshad had been Defamed.

Issue

[5] This application raises one issue and it is this:

Whether the Plaintiffs' claim is barred by s 8(1) of the Civil Law Act 1956

[6] At this juncture, I should set out the connection between the Plaintiffs and the late Arshad and they are these. The 1st Plaintiff is the grandson of the late Arshad. The 2nd Plaintiff is the great great grandson of the late Arshad. The 3rd Plaintiff is the granddaughter of the late Arshad. The 4th Plaintiff is the granddaughter of the late Arshad.

[7] The late Arshad had some famous descendents in the personalities of Toh Puan Hjh Bandung bt Hasbullah who is the widow of the late Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Datuk Hj Said Bin Hj Keruak, Datuk Ashkar bin Hasbullah, Datin Hjh Darmatah bt Hasbullah, Datuk Golkhan bin Hasbullah, Golkhas bin Hasbullah, Datin Hjh Saidatul Badru bt Tun Said, Datin Hjh Sandralilah bt Tun Said, Datuk Seri Salleh bin Tun Said who was a former Sabah Chief Minister and the present State Speaker of the Sabah Legislative Assembly and Datuk Hj Mohd Noor bin Mansor, who was a former Minister of Finance during the Berjaya Government.

[8] It is contention of the Plaintiffs that because of the Defamatory publication on