Augustine Paul JC

This is an appeal under s 418 of the National Land Code 1965 by the plaintiffs against an order made by the Land Administrator, Alor Gajah ('the first defendant') creating a private right of way over Lot 419 Mukim Lendu, Daerah Alor Gajah, Melaka of which they are the registered proprietors for the benefit of the second to the fourteenth defendants ('the defendants'), the registered proprietors of Lot Nos 596, 1361, 1362, 1363, 1364, 1365, 1369, 1370, 1371, 1372 and 1382 Mukim Lendu, Daerah Alor Gajah, Melaka. Lots 596, 1363 and 1362 belonging to the defendants adjoin Lot 419, the plaintiffs' property. The rest of the defendants' plots adjoin the three lots just described. The National Land Code 1965 shall hereinafter be referred to as 'the NLC'.

Upon receiving Form 28A dated 14 April 1993 from the defendants as prescribed by s 390 of the NLC, the first defendant conducted the necessary inquiries. He then made the order against which the plaintiffs now appeal by way of a motion. The order is in the following terms:

Perintah Pentadbir Tanah Alor Gajah

1.1 Satu jalan keluar masuk selebar 20 kaki diwujudkan melalui Lot 419, 596, 1361, 1362, 1372, 1371, 1363, 1370, 1364, 1369, 1365 dan 1368 Mukim Lendu seperti yang ditunjukkan dalam pelan tanah berkembar. Jalan ini adalah bagi kemudahan keluar masuk untuk tuan-tuan tanah yang dinyatakan di atas serta lain-lain lot yang berhampiran.

1.2 Jalan keluar masuk ini akan dibina oleh pemohon-pemohon dengan kos pembinaan ditanggung oleh pemohon-pemohon sendiri.

1.3 Jalan keluar masuk ini akan digunakan oleh orang-orang yang berjalan kaki, kenderaan serta haiwan.

1.4 Tuan-tuan tanah yang terlibat dengan jalan keluar masuk ini tidak dibenarkan membuat apa-apa halangan terhadap jalan tersebut.

Jika dibuat demikian, tindakan perundangan akan diambil ke atas mereka yang berkenaan.

1.5 Pemohon-pemohon adalah dikehendaki membuat bayaran pampasan bagi tanaman-tanaman yang terlibat di atas tanah Lot 419 serta lain-lain tuntutan seperti berikut:

(i) 8 batang pokok kelapa sawit (8 x RM80)=RM640.00

(ii) 7 batang pokok durian (7 x RM68)=RM476.00

(iii) Pokok-pokok pisang=RM100.00

(iv) Gangguan perniagaan kerana hadir siasatan=RM1,200.00 RM2,416.00

(Ringgit Malaysia: Dua Ribu Empat Ratus Enam Belas Sahaja)

Bayaran pampasan hendaklah dibuat melalui pejabat ini dalam tempoh dua minggu daripada tarikh surat ini.

1.6 Pemohon-pemohon dikehendaki membuat jalan keluar masuk ini dalam tempoh satu bulan daripada tarikh perintah ini dikeluarkan. Jika gagal berbuat demikian, maka perwujudan jalan ini akan dibatalkan oleh Pentadbir Tanah Alor Gajah.

1.7 Pemohon-pemohon hendaklah membayar kos bayaran ukur yang akan ditetapkan oleh Jabatan Ukur bagi perwujudan jalan keluar masuk ini.

Tuan-Puan diminta bermufakat bersama-sama untuk menentukan cara pembayaran pampasan seperti yang dinyatakan tersebut.

From the affidavits affirmed by the plaintiffs (encl No 1), the first defendant (encl No 6) and the defendants (encl No 20), it is clear that the defendants' properties are landlocked. Originally, they had two rights of way from their land, that is to say, one through Lot 419 and the other through Lots 1382, 1381 and 1389. With regard to the second right of way, Lot 1382 belongs to the defendants while the other two lots belong to some other persons. As the owners of these two lots had developed their properties, they closed the right of way which had previously been enjoyed by the defendants. It must be observed that the right of way that the defendants had over Lot 419 was closer to the main road and more convenient. The defendants' reason for claiming the right of way over Lot 419 can be gathered from para 7 of their affidavit where they affirmed that:

Oleh kerana tanah-tanah kami tidak ada jalan keluar, kami memohon satu jalan yang berhampiran sekali ke tanah kami dan ke jalanraya.

It would appear that the first defendant took only that factor into consideration in making the order in favour of the defendants. Sect