JUDGMENTBY: ABDOOLCADER SCJ

(delivering the Judgment of the Court): The appellant, a citizen of the United States of America, was granted an employment pass on November 2, 1984 for a period of two years -- valid until November 2, 1986 -- for the purposes of his employment as a staff correspondent attached to the Kuala Lumpur office of the Asian Wall Street Journal. On September 26, 1986 he was served with a notice of cancellation forthwith of his employment pass by the first respondent under regulation 19 of the Immigration Regulations, 1963 (the Regulations) and simultaneously issued with a special pass under regulation 14(3) of the Regulations to remain in the country up to 3.00 p.m. on September 28, 1986 for the purpose of making arrangements to leave the country within forty eight hours of service, but the stipulated deadline was subsequently extended to midnight on October 1, 1986. The notice of cancellation of the employment pass recited that the first respondent was satisfied that the appellant had contravened or failed to comply with the Immigration Act, 1959-1963 and the Regulations, that he had failed to comply with the conditions imposed in respect of that pass or the