Statutory duties under the Road Transport Act primarily concern accuracy in vehicle registration records instead of inspection obligations during ownership transfers.

[1] Leave was granted on 21 May 2013 to the appellants to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal given on 30 July 2012 on the following questions of law (in Malay):

"(1) sama ada kes Ketua Polis Negeri Sembilan & Anor v. Manoharan Dorasamy, [2004] 3 MLJ 565 terpakai kepada kenderaan yang ditukar hakmilik menurut s 13 Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 ; dan (Whether the case of Ketua Polis Negeri Sembilan & Anor v. Manoharan Dorasamy, applies to vehicles whose registration are transferred pursuant to s 13 of the Road Transport Act 1987);

(2) jika jawapan kepada soalan pertama di atas adalah dalam bentuk positif, sama ada gantirugi diperuntukkan di bawah Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 untuk keingkaran kewajipan statutori di bawah s 13 Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 tersebut.

(If the answer to question (1) is in the affirmative, whether damages can be claimed for breach of statutory duty under s 13 of the Road Transport Act 1987)."

[2] On 15 April 2014 this Court granted leave to the appellants to pose the following additional questions of law:

"(3) sama ada Mahkamah Rayuan boleh memutuskan di atas peruntukan undang-undang bertulis yang tidak diplidkan di dalam mana-mana kertas kausa atau disokong di dalam hujahan pihak-pihak semasa di peringkat Mahkamah Tinggi dan peringkat Mahkamah Rayuan sendiri; dan

(Whether it is open to the Court of Appeal to decide the appeal on a provision of written law which was not pleaded in any cause papers or canvassed in the submissions of the parties in the High Court and the Court of Appeal itself);

(4) sama ada selepas pendaftaran kenderaan bermotor dilakukan, tugas statutori dikenakan terhadap Pengarah Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan berdasarkan kepada s 59 atau mana-mana peruntukan di dalam Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 untuk menjalankan pemeriksaan fizikal terhadap kenderaan bermotor tersebut untuk mengelakkan sebarang kerugian di alami oleh seseorang yang telah membeli kenderaan tersebut.

(Whether after the registration of a motor vehicle has been done, a statutory duty is imposed on the Director of Road Transport Department pursuant to s 59 or any other provision of the Road Transport Act 1987 to carry out a physical inspection of the said motor vehicle so as to avert any losses incurred by a person who has purchased the said vehicle)."

[3] The appellants were the defendants in the High Court and the respondent was the plaintiff. In the High Court Tenaga Insurance Berhad, an insurance company, which provided insurance coverage for the motor car from 8 August 1996 to 7 August 1997 was also joined as the 4th defendant.

[4] The facts of the case are these. Sometime in March 1999, the respondent intended to buy a used Mercedes Benz motor car bearing registration number NAN 1888. He was given a transfer form executed by the registered owner, Riwanis Modal Sdn Bhd, and the original motor vehicle registration form issued by the Road Transport Department ("Department"). The respondent had checked with the Department's records and found the particulars relating to the motor car to be correct and there were no impediments of the transfer of the motor car to him.

[5] The respondent proceeded with the purchase and applied to the 1st appellant for a Selangor number plate. This was approved and the number given was BFN 1888.

[6] The transfer of ownership of the motor car to the respondent was completed on 1 April 1999. From the evidence given by the appellants' witnesses it was clear that no inspection was done on the motor car by the Department before the registration of the