HONGLER ENTERPRISE SDN BHD v CHAI HON SANG (berniaga sebagai HOCK SENG TRADING & CONSTRUCTION)

w-02ca-1483-08-2024 Court of Appeal (Mahkamah Rayuan) 22 June 2025 • W-02(C)(A)-1483-08/2024 • 15 min read
7 cases cited (0 SG, 7 foreign)

Catchwords

Building and Construction Law — Construction contract — Adjudication — Claimant sought to enforce adjudication decision (“AD”) — Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 (“CIPAA”) — s 28 — Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 Building and Construction Law — Construction contract — Adjudication — Respondent sought to set aside AD — CIPAA — s 15 — Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 Civil Procedure — Parties— Proper parties to be sued — Whether proper to sue sole proprietor in his own name and to add below the name within brackets the name of the firm — Whether respondent was properly named at the adjudication proceedings — Whether action can be taken against a body that has no legal status — Whether the Adjudicator is clothed with the jurisdiction — Whether adjudication proceedings valid Civil Procedure — Jurisdiction — Defect in jurisdiction — Whether jurisdictional issue could be raised in subsequent proceedings

Practice Areas

Building and Construction Law Civil Procedure

Judges (3)

Azimah binti Omar Coram Azizah binti Haji Nawawi Coram Utama Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh Delivered

Counsel (7)

Kheng Hoe & Lee Yuen Firm Vilasiny Gan & Co. Firm Chan Kheng Hoe Counsel Appellant Gan Yi Yang Counsel Respondent Pung Kian Bang Counsel Appellant Vilasiny a/p Gannasen Counsel Respondent Yang Lee Yuen Counsel Appellant

Parties (2)

HONGLER ENTERPRISE Sdn Bhd Appellant Chai Hon Sang (berniaga Sebagai Hock Seng Trading & Construction) Respondent

Case Significance

HONGLER ENTERPRISE SDN BHD v CHAI HON SANG (berniaga sebagai HOCK SENG TRADIN... is a Court of Appeal (Mahkamah Rayuan) decision dated June 22, 2025 (citation: w-02ca-1483-08-2024). <p>Hongler Enterprise Sdn Bhd appealed the High Court's decision regarding enforcement of a CIPAA adjudication decision against Chai Hon Sang trading as Hock Seng Trading & Construction. The Court of Appeal dismissed both appeals, finding that the adjudication proceedings were void ab initio because the respondent was not properly named — a jurisdictional defect that could be raised at any stage and could not be cured by the parties' participation in proceedings.</p> The panel comprised Azimah binti Omar, Azizah binti Haji Nawawi and Utama Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh, with Utama Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh delivering the judgment. Counsel appearing: Chan Kheng Hoe (counsel for appellant), Gan Yi Yang (counsel for respondent), Pung Kian Bang (counsel for appellant), Vilasiny a/p Gannasen (counsel for respondent), Yang Lee Yuen (counsel for appellant).

Key issues: Building and Construction Law — Construction contract — Adjudication — Respondent sought to set aside AD — CIPAA — s 15 — Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012.

Summary

Hongler Enterprise Sdn Bhd appealed the High Court's decision regarding enforcement of a CIPAA adjudication decision against Chai Hon Sang trading as Hock Seng Trading & Construction. The Court of Appeal dismissed both appeals, finding that the adjudication proceedings were void ab initio because the respondent was not properly named — a jurisdictional defect that could be raised at any stage and could not be cured by the parties' participation in proceedings.

What was the outcome of HONGLER ENTERPRISE SDN BHD v CHAI HON SANG (berniaga sebagai HOCK SENG TRADIN...?

<p>Hongler Enterprise Sdn Bhd appealed the High Court's decision regarding enforcement of a CIPAA adjudication decision against Chai Hon Sang trading ...

Statutes Cited

Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012
s 15
Rules of Court 2012
Specific Relief Act 1950 (Cap 137)

Cases Cited (7)

UK (1)
[1958] 1 All ER 289
MY (6)
[1997] MLJU 142 [1998] 1 MLJ 393 [2001] 4 MLJ 346 [2013] 4 MLJ 545 [2015] 11 MLJ 499 [2019] 2 CLJ 229