RK Nathan J:

Facts

[1] The plaintiff and the 1st defendant are both leading lawyers in this country. The 2nd defendant is the publisher and owner of "The Star" newspaper. The 3rd defendant is the publisher and owner of the "New Straits Times". There is no doubt that both these newspapers are the leading English dailies in this country with a large circulation. The acrimonious, long standing feud between the plaintiff and the 1st defendant goes back to their days as law students at the Singapore University. Soon after both had set up their respective legal practices, both entered parliament. The plaintiff was elected as a government member of parliament, whereas the 1st defendant was elected to parliament as a member of the opposition. Even here they continued their running battle.

[2] The plaintiff had sued the 1st defendant on another matter. The then Supreme Court having ruled in the 1st defendant's favour, the plaintiff was ordered to pay the taxed costs of RM9,414.38 which included the allocatur fees. On or about 5.2.96 the plaintiff's solicitors, Messrs Murthi & Partners, faxed to the plaintiff the allocatur together with a letter from the 1st defendant indicating that si