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During the famous defamation suit against SPD Chief Chee Soon Juan, his lawyer argued that a political party cannot sue or be sued for defamation.

Although the court did not agree with him, this reminds me of Foss v Harbottle‘s case, which I think is very important for business owners to understand.

The facts of this case are that two minority shareholders initiated legal proceedings against, amongst others, the directors of the company. They claimed that the directors had missapplied the company’s assets. The court dismissed the claim and held that when a company is wronged by its directors, only the company has standing to sue.

That means since the right to legal action belongs to the company, an individual shareholder has no right to commence action.

However, in exceptional situations, the law may allow an individual shareholder or some other person to commence an action in the name of the company. Such an action is known as a “derivative action” under Sections 216A and 216B of the Companies Act. The court may in its discretion allow a shareholder to commence the derivative action if:

  • He has given 14 days’ notice to the director of his intention to apply
  • He is acting in good faith, and
  • It is prima facie in the interests of the company that the derivative action be brought.
About the Author

Ivan Guan is the author of the popular book "FIRE Your Retirement". He is an independent financial adviser with more than a decade of knowledge and experience in providing financial advisory services to both individuals and businesses. He specializes in investment planning and portfolio management for early retirement. His blog provides practical financial tips, strategies and resources to help people achieve financial freedom. Follow his Telegram Channel to join the FIRE community.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. This does not reflect the official position of any agency, organization, employer or company. Refer to full disclaimers here.

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