Salleh Abas FJ:

This is another appeal in which Counsel for both sides argued and we were called upon to decide without the benefit of written grounds of judgment of the trial Judge.

The Facts

The appellants are a company carrying on the business of publishing books and have offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and are also associated with another company called Times Educational Co. Sdn. Bhd. The respondents are a firm of printers carrying on business at No. 538, MacPherson Road, Singapore. Between March 1970 and September 1971 the parties entered into a business relationship regarding the printing of school text books. This relationship would have continued beyond that period, had it not been for irreconcilable differences between them concerning ownership of certain film positives, which were used in the printing of those books. The respondents sent the appellants two bills; one bill for printing charges and another bill for extra charges for reproducing the film positives.

The appellants paid all the printing charges except a disputed sum of RM500 which they claimed to be an overcharge by the respondents. They withheld payment of the extra charges for reproducing the