Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot

As a corporate governance measure, the law should closely monitor a company's ability to give financial assistance to those who control it or to those who seek to acquire it. In general, such financial assistance is prohibited. Yet, because the aim of such restraint is to protect corporate asse...

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Main Author: Low, Kee Yang
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Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2004
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/719
http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/db/ajal/ListArticles.cfm?Articles.ID=80
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spelling sg-smu-ink.sol_research-17182010-09-21T08:36:04Z Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot Low, Kee Yang As a corporate governance measure, the law should closely monitor a company's ability to give financial assistance to those who control it or to those who seek to acquire it. In general, such financial assistance is prohibited. Yet, because the aim of such restraint is to protect corporate assets, the usual consequence of illegality - the invalidity of the transaction and the refusal of the courts to aid enforcement or recovery - is not appropriate. For this reason, the statutory prohibition is accompanied by a saving provision allowing a company to recover payments and assets. As far as Malaysian law is concerned, a series of recent decisions by the Federal Court - Co-operative Central Bank (in receivership) v Feyen Development [1995] 3 MLJ 313, Lori (M) (interim receiver) v Arab-Malaysian Finance [1999] 3 MLJ 81, and Koperasi Rakyat v Harta Empat [2000] 3 MLJ 81 - has thrown the law into disarray. This article critically examines these cases and the approach of the court in the light of amendments to the Companies Act 1965. It concludes that legislative intervention is necessary to force a return to the pre-Feyen position. 2004-01-01T08:00:00Z text https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/719 http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/db/ajal/ListArticles.cfm?Articles.ID=80 Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Business Organizations Law
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Business Organizations Law
spellingShingle Business Organizations Law
Low, Kee Yang
Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot
description As a corporate governance measure, the law should closely monitor a company's ability to give financial assistance to those who control it or to those who seek to acquire it. In general, such financial assistance is prohibited. Yet, because the aim of such restraint is to protect corporate assets, the usual consequence of illegality - the invalidity of the transaction and the refusal of the courts to aid enforcement or recovery - is not appropriate. For this reason, the statutory prohibition is accompanied by a saving provision allowing a company to recover payments and assets. As far as Malaysian law is concerned, a series of recent decisions by the Federal Court - Co-operative Central Bank (in receivership) v Feyen Development [1995] 3 MLJ 313, Lori (M) (interim receiver) v Arab-Malaysian Finance [1999] 3 MLJ 81, and Koperasi Rakyat v Harta Empat [2000] 3 MLJ 81 - has thrown the law into disarray. This article critically examines these cases and the approach of the court in the light of amendments to the Companies Act 1965. It concludes that legislative intervention is necessary to force a return to the pre-Feyen position.
format text
author Low, Kee Yang
author_facet Low, Kee Yang
author_sort Low, Kee Yang
title Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot
title_short Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot
title_full Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot
title_fullStr Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot
title_full_unstemmed Financial Assistance by Malaysian Companies: A Gordian Knot
title_sort financial assistance by malaysian companies: a gordian knot
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2004
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/719
http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/db/ajal/ListArticles.cfm?Articles.ID=80
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