JUDGMENT

Ian HC Chin J:

Introduction

This is an application by Wong Hai Ong ("the defendant") to set aside the registration on 24 August 1998 of a Singapore High Court judgment dated 20 May 1998 that was obtained by United Overseas Bank Limited ("the plaintiff"). The grounds of the application are stated in these terms:

(a) That the High Court Suit No. 286 of 1998 of the Republic of Singapore had no jurisdiction insofar as the defendant had never voluntarily submitted to the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Republic of Singapore prior to or during the proceedings in Suit No. 286 of 1998 and the defendant had never been resident in Singapore and he has never had an office or place of business in the Republic of Singapore.

(b) That the enforcement of the judgment would be contrary to public policy in Malaysia insofar as at all material times the defendant had, contrary to the provisions of the Exchange Control Act 1958 (Act 17) not obtained the prior written permission of the controller of the foreign exchange (who is also the governor of Bank Negara) for the opening of the account with the plaintiff and neither had the plaintiff nor the defendant obtained the prior written pe