Leong Wai Hong JC:

JudgmentIntroduction

[1]“Kata itu kota” is a well-known peribahasa. It means that every promise made must be honoured. Its English equivalent is “A man’s word is his bond”.

[2]In the instant case before me, the plaintiff’s learned counsel Ravindran Shanmuganathan submits that there is a prevalence of developers riding roughshod over the Latin maxim Omnia promissa servanda, “All promises must be kept”.

[3]He urges me to hold the defendant developer in this case to its promise to the 46 house buyers here.

[4]Learned counsel for the defendants Justine Voon urges me not to be swayed by the emotive language of the plaintiffs’ counsel.

[5]Let me put Mr Voon’s fears to bed at the outset. The Court will always treat a developer and the property buyers fairly and squarely, without fear or favour.

[6]However, if a developer had contracted with the buyers to deliver a development with specific features, the court expects the developer to meet its bargain. Nothing more nothing less.

Background Facts

[7]This is a suit filed by 46 plaintiffs who are house buyers against Lakefront Residence Sdn Bhd / the 1^st defendant (“D1”) who is the developer of a housing development known as Lakefro