Low Hop Bing JCA (delivering judgment of the court):

APPEAL

[1]On 21 March 2011, the Shah Alam High Court allowed the respondents' (the defendants') summons in chambers and struck out the appellants' (the plaintiffs') originating summons ('the OS') under O 18 r 19 of the Rules of the High Court 1980. Being dissatisfied, the plaintiffs filed this appeal.

(A reference hereinafter to an Order and a rule is a reference to that order and rule in the Rules of the High Court 1980).

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

[2]The plaintiffs are members of the State Legislative Assembly of Selangor ('SLA').

[3]The first and eighth defendants refer to one and the same person ie Dato' Teng Chang Khim (Dato' Teng) who is the chairman of the SLA Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency ('SELCAT'), the chairman of the SLA Committee of Rights and Privileges ('CRP') and the speaker of the SLA. Both SELCAT and CRP are committees constituted under the standing orders of SLA ('SO').

[4]The second to seventh defendants are committee members of SELCAT.

[5]The ninth defendant is the clerk of the SLA.

[6]The tenth defendant is the State Government of Selangor.

[7]The plaintiffs' OS sought the following declaratio