Contoh kes 1: Re Tan Soh Sim

Isu: Hubungan rapat anak angkat lelaki dengan keluarga ibu angkat. Dalam kes Tan Soh Sim, Deceased,
Re, Chan Lam Keong lawan Tan Saw Keong (1951) MLJ 21, suatu perjanjian telah dibuat oleh waris
mendiang Puan Tan Soh Sim bahawa harta peninggalan beliau hendaklah dibahagikan di antara dua
anak angkat perempuandan dua anak angkat lelakinya sebagai memenuhi hasrat mendiang Puan Tan
Soh Sim. Isu utama dalam kes ini ialah adakah anak lelaki angkat mempunyai hubungan yang rapat
dengan ayah angkat atau ibu angkatnya? Mahkamah memutuskan isu tersebut berdasarkan adat
resam masyarakat Cina iaitu anak angkat lelaki mempunyai hubungan rapat dengan ayah angkatnya
sahaja dan bukan dengan keluarga ibu angkatnya. Oleh yang demikian dalam kes ini didapati tidak
wujudnya hubungan yang rapat di antara pihak-pihak yang berjanji, maka dengan ketiadaan balasan
serta tiadanya hubungan yang rapat, mahkamah memutuskan perjanjian di antara mereka adalah
tidak sah.
S.26 AK 1950: Sesuatu perjanjian yang dibuat tanpa balasan adalah batal.

Pengecualian:

Terdapat beberapa kontrak yang sungguhpun tidak mempunyai balasan, tetapi masih boleh dianggap
sebagai kontrak yang sah.

1. Perjanjian atas dasar kasih sayang.

S.26(a) AK 1950: Sesuatu perjanjian yang dibuat tanpa balasan adalah batal, kecuali ianya dinyatakan
secara bertulis dan didaftarkan menurut undang-undang (jika ada) yang pada masa itu berkuatkuasa
untuk pendaftaran dokumen sedemikian, dan dibuat berdasarkan atas kasih sayang semulajadi antara
pihak-pihak yang ada hubungan karib antara satu sama lain.

Syarat-syarat perjanjian atas dasar kasih sayang:

i. Perjanjian dibuat secara bertulis;

ii. Perjanjian itu didaftarkan menurut undang-undang (jika ada) yang ada pada masa
itu berkuatkuasa untuk pendaftaran dokumen sedemikian; dan
iii. Dibuat atas dasar kasih sayang semulajadi antara pihak-pihak yang mempunyai
hubungan karib.

Kes: Re Tan Soh Sim

Sebelum Tan meninggal dunia, dia telah menyatakan niatnya untuk menyerahkan hartanya kepada 4
orang anak angkatnya. Dia turut meninggalkan 10 orang waris yang telah membuat perjanjian
menyatakan kesediaan mereka melepaskan harta berkenaan kepada keempat-empat anak angkat
tersebut yang merupakan anak-anak saudara angkat mereka.

KM: Perkataan ‘hubungan’ dan ‘karib’ mestilah ditafsirkan berdasarkan kepercayaan dan kebudayaan
serta hal keadaan setiap kes yang terlibat. Bapa-bapa dan ibu-ibu saudara tersebut tidak mempunyai
hubungan karib dengan anak-anak saudara angkat mereka. Perjanjian tersebut adalah batal.

2. Janji untuk memberi pampasan tindakan sukarela yang telah lepas.

S.26(b) AK 1950: Sesuatu perjanjian yang dibuat tanpa balasan adalah batal, kecuali ianya suatu janji
untuk memampas, sama ada secara keseluruhan atau sebahagian, kepada seseorang yang telah
berbuat sesuatu secara sukarela untuk pembuat janji atau berbuat sesuatu yang pembuat janji boleh
dipaksa di sisi undang-undang untuk membuat.
4.1.2 NATURAL LOVE AND AFFECTION

Natural love and affection is also involved in this case. The English law does not recognize natural love
and affection as a valid consideration. It is only considered as a valid consideration if certain
prerequisites are complied with the Contracts Act1950 in Malaysia. An agreement made on account
of natural love and affection would be held to be binding in Malaysia if the requirements of section
26(a) are present. The requirements of section 26(a) is that the agreement must be expressed in
writing, registered if it’s applicable, and that the parties stand in a near relation to each other. The
consideration between Janice and Barbara is bad as it is made out of love and affection. Janice only
agreed to help Barbara take care of her house and dog because they were close friends. Janice even
did extra work out of goodwill. Hence this is a bad consideration and unenforceable in court. Even if
Barbara does not pay the money she have promised to pay Janice, it does not matter because there
is no written agreement between them.

In the case of Re. Tan Soh Sim, the deceased Tan Soh Sim in her last illness had expressed a wish that
her estate should be divided among her adapted children. The legal next-of-kin of Tan Soh Sim, three
sisters and seven half sisters and brothers, respecting his wish, made a contract renouncing all their
rights in favour of the four adapted children. The issues was whether the legal next-of-kin of Tan Soh
Sim are in near relation to their adapted nephews and nieces. Chinese adapted children are related to
the adoptive parents and brothers. However they are not nearly related to the family of their adaptive
mother. Therefore, the legal next-of-kin of Tan Soh Sim were not in near relation to the four adopted
children of Tan Soh Sim. Thus there is no valid of natural love and affection between them the contract
was invalid. The consideration can be made valid if both parties sign a written agreement.

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Even though, English law does not recognize natural love and affection as valid consideration.
However, the position under the Contracts Act 1950 is differing by virtue of Section 26(a) of Contracts
Acts which said as follows:-

“...An agreement made without consideration is void, unless it is expressed in writing and registered
under the law (if any) for the time being in force for the registration of such documents, and is made
on account of natural love and affection between parties standing in a near relation to each other...”

As such Illustration (b) to section 26 of Contracts Act provides an example which as follows:-

“...A, for natural love and affection, promises to give his son, B, $1,000. A puts his promise to B in
writing and registers it under a law for the time being in force for the registration of such documents.
This is a contract...”

Therefore, an agreement made on the ground of natural love and affection would be binding in
Malaysia if the requirements of Section 26 (a) of the Contracts Act are present, if it is full filled the
condition as follows:-

i) It is expressed in writing;
ii) It is registered (if applicable); and
iii) The parties stand in a near relation to each other.

The requirement that the document be registered appears unnecessary as there is no law in force in
Malaysia requiring registration of agreements made on account of natural love and affection.
In the case of Re Tan Soh Sim [1951] MLJ 21 the deceased, Tan Soh Sim, had three sisters. Their mother
was firstly married to one Tan Ah Thai and had four children. When Tan Ah Thai died, she married one
Khoo Kim Huat and had seven children. The Tan and Khoo children maintained social and friendly
relations with one another. Tan Soh Sim married, but having no issue, adopted four children. Her
husband, one Chan, married a second wife, Tan Boey Kee.

When Tan Soh Sim was on her death-bed, too ill to make a will, all the Khoo and Tan children signed
a document drawn up by a solicitor renouncing all claims to Tan’s estate in favour of the four adopted
children and Tan Boey Kee. They were told by Tan Boey Kee that this was the testamentary intentions
of Tan Soh Sim. Tan Soh Sim died without having recovered consciousness. The question arose in the
distribution of Tan’s estate, whether the instrument signed was valid. It was contended that he
instrument was a contract under Section 26(a) of the Contracts (Malay States) Ordinance 1950.

This raised the further question what exactly was meant by “near relations” under section 26 (a) of
the Ordinance. The Court of Appeal stated that the words ‘relationship’ and ‘near’ must applied and
interpreted in each case according to the mores of the group to which the parties belong and with
regard to the circumstances of the family concerned. A person who has been adopted according to
Chinese custom therefore is a relation and the answer to the question whether he is a “near” relation
within the scope of section 26 of the Contracts Ordinance depends on the position of the other person
in regard to whom the question arise. It can hardly be doubted that agreements between an adopted
child and his adoptive parents or brothers would be supported on the ground of affection existing
between them. But here, according to Chinese custom, the Khoo and Tans children are related to the
four adopted children of Tan Soh Sim only in a special and limited way which is not near. Tan Boey
Kee’s relationship to them is certainly more remote than that of the children, if indeed any relationship
existed. Accordingly, the court held that the instrument did not fulfill section 26(a) of the Contracts
Act.

The court further stated that in the phrase “natural love and affection”, full effect must be given to
the world “natural”, and that it means not only “reasonably to be expected”, but “reasonably to be
expected, having regard to the normal emotional feelings of human beings”. This immediately
establishes the connection of these words with the latter phrase “standing in a near relation”. That
phrase indicates that the “emotional feelings” required are of a special type, that is to say, they are
such feelings as may ordinarily be expected to spring from the fact of the “near relation”. “If either
the feelings or the relation are lacking the section does not apply.”

The court further mentioned that it would take a liberal view on the question what type of relation
could in law be near, and the answer to that question might be affected by the circumstances of the
individual case. For example, if an orphan was brought up by comparatively remote relations, who
were nevertheless his nearest, the court, might hold them to be “near” in the special circumstances,
though ordinarily they would not be “near”. In the present case, the court found that both these
factors, feelings (natural love and affection) and nearness were lacking and held that the document
was not a contract.
Kes yang berkaitan ialah ReTan Soh Sim (Deceased) – Chan Lam Keong v Tan Saw Keong [1951] MLJ
21 dalam kesini, suatu perjanjian telah dibuat oleh waris mendiang Tan Soh Sim bahawa
hartapeninggalan si mati hendaklah dabahagikan antara dua anak perempuan dan dua anakangkat
lelakinya sebagai memenuhi hasrat si mati. Isu utama dalam kes ini ialah adakahanak angkat lelaki
mempunyai hubungan karib dengan ayah angkat atau ibu angkatnya?Mahkamah memutuskan isu
tersebut berdasarkan adat resam masyarakat cina iaitu anakangkat lelaki mempunyai hubungan
rapat dengan ayah angkatnya sahaja dan bukandengan keluarga ibu angkatnya. Oleh yang
demikian dalam kes ini tidak didapati wujudhubungan yang akrab antara pihak-pihak yang berjanji,
maka dengan ketiadaan balasanserta ketiadaan hubungan akrab, mahkamah memutuskan
perjanjian antara merekaadalah tidak sah. Keadaan dalam kes Sam Tat dan Chong Kim adalah
berlainan dari kesTan Soh Sim iaitu hubungan antara ayah angkat dan anak angkat lelaki, hakim dalam
kesTan Soh Sim menyatakan dalam masyarakat cina memang wujud hubungan akrab antaraayah
angkat dan anak angkat lelaki.

Dalam kes Tan Soh Sim, Deceased, Re, Chan Lam Keong v Tan Saw Keong (1951)MLJ 21, suatu
perjanjian telah dibuat oleh waris mendiang Puan Tan Soh Sim bahawaharta peninggalan beliau
hendaklah dibahagikan di antara dua anak angkat perempuandan dua anak angkat lelakinya sebagai
memenuhi hasrat mendiang Puan Tan Soh Sim.Isu utama dalam kes ini ialah adakah anak lelaki angkat
mempunyai hubungan yangrapat dengan ayah angkat atau ibu angkatnya?Mahkamah memutuskan
isu tersebut berdasarkan adat resam masyarakat Cina iaituanak angkat lelaki mempunyai hubungan
rapat dengan ayah angkatnya sahaja danbukan dengan keluarga ibu angkatnya. Oleh yang demikian
dalam kes ini didapati tidakwujudnya hubungan yang rapat di antara pihak-pihak yang berjanji, maka
denganketiadaan balasan serta tiadanya hubungan yang rapat, mahkamah memutuskanperjanjian di
antara mereka adalah tidak sah