A High Court cannot contravene explicit Court of Appeal orders, and failure to comply results in the striking off of suits per judicial procedure.

[1] These are the appeals by the Appellants against the decision of the Court of Appeal (COA) which dismissed the appeal by the Appellants against the decision of the High Court made on 28 March 2022 and against part of the decision of the COA in dismissing Notice of Motion dated 6 April 2022 [Encl 19]. We heard oral submissions by all learned counsel representing the respective parties and at the end of those submissions, we allowed the appeals. These are our reasons as to why we had so decided.

[2] On 23 August 2023, leave to appeal was granted to the Appellants on the following Questions of Law (QOL):

(i) Whether the Court of Appeal in Civil Appeal: W-02(IM)(NCvC)1556-10/2020 has, on 25 August 2021, which had ordered consequentially that "Perintah Mahkamah Tinggi bertarikh 7 Oktober 2020 dipinda ('varied') di mana pihak Responden-Responden/Plaintif-Plaintif adalah dikehendaki untuk menambah Soo Teck Lee (No. K/P: 680107-10-6035) dan Lim Siew Kien (No. K/P: 650930-10-6050), sama ada sebagai plaintif-plaintif ataupun defendan-defendan, dalam prosiding Mahkamah Tinggi ini dalam tempoh 14 hari dari tarikh Perintah ini, dan jika Responden-Responden/Plaintif-Plaintif gagal berbuat demikian, tindakan Responden-Responden/Plaintif-Plaintif di Mahkamah Tinggi akan dibatalkan ('shall stand as struck off) ("the said COA Order") become functus officio after granting the said COA Order and is, therefore, not entitled and/or does not have the jurisdiction to give the said COA Consequential Order.

(ii) Whether the High Court can give an order that "Notis Permohonan bertarikh 2 September 2021 (Lampiran 75) adalah dibatalkan tanpa perintah terhadap kos dan dengan kebebasan untuk memfail semula tertakluk kepada arahan yang diperolehi oleh Plaintif-Plaintif daripada Mahkamah Rayuan dalam Rayuan Sivil No.: W-02(IM)(NCvC)-1556-10/2020 berkenaan garis masa yang diberikan oleh Mahkamah Rayuan untuk memfailkan permohonan untuk menambah Soo Teck Lee (No. K/P: 68010710-6035) dan Lim Siew Kien (No. K/P: 650930-10-6050) sebagai pihak-pihak dalam prosiding Mahkamah Tinggi ini, iaitu dalam tempoh 14 hari dari tarikh Perintah Mahkamah Rayuan bertarikh 25 Ogos 2021" ("the said HC Consequential Order") when it is contrary and/or inconsistent with the said COA Order.

(iii) Whether any "liberty to file afresh" ("kebebasan untuk memfail semula") granted by the High Court to the Respondents is contrary to the said COA Order.

(iv) Whether the Respondents (who did not file any appeal and/or notice of motion) can benefit from the Motion (encl 19) filed by the Appellants in the Court Appeal below and obtain a consequential order, i.e., the said COA Consequential Order from the Court of Appeal.

[3] The facts in these appeals are straightforward and not complicated. They are mainly undisputed. However, having said that, it is necessary to set out the material facts to appreciate the issues argued in these appeals. The COA in Civil Appeal No. W-02(IM)(NCvC)-1556-10/2020 (Appeal 1556) had inter-alia ordered that the Respondents shall add Soo Teck Lee (STL) and Lim Siew Kien (LSK) as parties in the High Court's proceedings within 14 days from 25 August 2021, i.e., on or before 8 September 2021, failing which, the Respondents' suit at the High Court shall "stand as struck off" (the 1st COA Order).

[4] In compliance with the 1st COA Order, the Respondents filed a Joinder Application dated 2 September 2021 (Encl 75 in the High Court) together with an Affidavit in Support purportedly affirmed by one Chua Yok Sin, i.e., the 2nd Respondent, before a Commissioner for Oaths, YM Tengku Fariddudin bin Tengku Sulaiman (CO) on 2 Se