Abdul Malik Ishak JCA (delivering judgment of the court):

INTRODUCTION

[1]After a full trial before the High Court, judgment was entered in favour of the respondent (the plaintiff before the High Court) with costs of RM30,000. Aggrieved, the appellant (the defendant before the High Court) appeals to this court.

THE PARTIES

[2]The respondent is the registered proprietor of three pieces of land known as Geran Mukim No 3607, Lot No 2391 (‘Lot 2391’), Geran Mukim No 2954, Lot No 4197 (‘Lot 4197’) and Geran Mukim No 3608, Lot No 2392 (‘Lot 2392’) and they are all located at Mukim Ayer Putih, Daerah Pendang, Kedah (‘the lands’).

[3]The appellant is the North-South Highway Concessionaires who built the highway just next to the lands belonging to the respondent.

THE BRIEF FACTS

[4]There is a hill known as Bukit Jenun on the lands belonging to the respondent. At the material time, the lands were planted with oil palm trees.

[5]Sometime in January 2000, there was a landslide at Bukit Jenun within the side of the appellant’s right of the way. The appellant entered into the lands belonging to the respondent to carry out remedial works as a result of that landslide. Thereafter, the appellant sought to enter into a temporary occupation agreement dated 16 August 2000 (‘the tol agreement’) with the respondent and, consequently, breached the terms of the tol agreement and damaged the lands belonging to the respondent thereby causing loss and damage.

[6]In the statement of claim, the respondent sought for the following damages as reflected in para 13 which was worded as follows:

13. Memandangkan perkara-perkara yang tersebut di atas, plaintif telah mengalami kerugian dan kerosakan.

Butir-Butir

APampasan mengikut skala yang ditetapkan:

BKos pengukuran tanah berdasarkan keluasan: RM36,190.75.

CKos untuk menstabilkan cerun bukit yang berhala Timur atas hartanah-hartanah tersebut dan kerja-kerja pemulihan tanah (‘soil treatment’) di hartanah-hartanah tersebut: 59,233.47 meter persegi x RM200 = RM11,846,694.00

DYuran jurutera perunding dan juru ukur untuk kerja-kerja ukur tanah, tanah, penstabilan cerun bukit dan pemulihan tanah: RM 196,721.27.

EKerugian sehari sebab tergendalanya projek perumahan atas hartanah-hartanah tersebut: RM3,500.00 sehari dari 16.02.2001 dan masih berlanjutan.

[7]And at para 14 of the statement of claim, the respondent sought for the following prayers:

14. Dan plaintif menuntut:

(a)Wang jumlah RM1,958,211.10;

(b)Secara alternatif atau selanjutnya gantirugi am;

(c)Selanjutnya gantirugi aggravated;

(d)Faedah;

(e)Kos;

(f)Lain-lain relief atau perintah selanjut yang dianggap patut oleh Mahkamah.

THE RESPONDENT’S CLAIM

[8]On 16 August 2000, the respondent and the appellant entered into a tol agreement. By this tol agreement, the appellant was allowed to do remedial works on the lands belonging to the respondent. The tol agreement contained the following clauses:

(a)that the appellant be given a temporary licence to enter and occupy part of Lot 2391 for a period of six months from 16 August 2000–15 February 2001. The temporary licence can be extended with the written authority of the respondent;

(b)the appellant has to furnish an ‘as-built’ drawing for the works done on the said Lot 2391;

(c)a final joint inspection has to be conducted within seven days from the date of the completion of the works;

(d)the appellant has to demobilise and remove from Lot 2391 all plant, equipment, labour, rubbish, surplus material upon the completion of the works and in particular, the excavated material from Lot 2391 has