JUDGMENT

Edgar Joseph Jr J:

At all material times to this suit, the plaintiffs were a partnership firm carrying on, inter alia, the business of newspaper distributors and sales agents in Alor Setar in the State of Kedah while the defendants were the proprietors and publishers of a daily newspaper called "the Star" and a Sunday newspaper called "the Sunday Star".

In March 1971, one Liew Kok Hong, the sales manager of the defendants, entered into two separate but almost identically worded agreements in writing dated 3 March 1971, being Exhibits P1 and P2 ("the March agreements") whereby the plaintiffs were appointed the sole agents of the defendants for the purpose of effecting sales of their newspapers aforesaid, one in respect of the States of Kedah and Perlis and the other in respect of the State of Perak, each for a period of three years but expressed to be terminable after the first year upon three months' notice in writing and upon other terms and conditions appearing therein.

However, in September 1971, the two agreements aforesaid were, by mutual consent, cancelled and replaced, by two almost identically worded agreements dated 1 September 1971, being Exts P3 and P4 ("the Se