s 201 Recovery of loss or damages
(1) A person who suffers loss or damages by reason of, or by relying on, the conduct of another person who has contravened section 188 may recover the amount of loss or damages by instituting civil proceedings against the other person, whether or not the other person has been charged with an offence in respect of the contravention or, whether or not a contravention has been proved in a prosecution. (2) In subsection (1), “loss or damages” includes an unrealised loss or gain, as the case may be, in the price or value of securities of a corporation being the difference between— (a) the price or value of securities in a transaction in connection with which the person first-mentioned in subsection (1) claims to have suffered loss or damages; and (b) the price which would have been the likely price of the securities in the transaction, or the value which it is likely that such securities would have had at the time of that transaction, if the contravention had not occurred. (3) Where an insider acquired or agreed to acquire, or procured another person to acquire or agree to acquire, securities from a person (the “seller”) who did not possess the information, in contravention of subsection 188(2), the seller may, by civil action against the insider or any other person involved in the contravention, recover, as a loss or damages suffered by the seller, the difference between— (a) the price at which the securities were acquired, or agreed to be acquired, by the insider or the other person, from the seller; and (b) the price at which the securities would have been likely to have been acquired at the time of the acquisition or agreement, as the case may be, referred to in paragraph (a) if the information had been generally available. (4) Where an insider disposed of or agreed to dispose of, or procured another person to dispose of or agree to dispose of, securities to a person (the “buyer”) who did not possess the information, in contravention of subsection 188(2), the buyer may, by civil action against the insider or any other person involved in the contravention, recover, as a loss or damages suffered by the buyer, the difference between— (a) the price at which the securities were disposed of, or agreed to be disposed of, by the insider or the other person, to the buyer; and (b) the price at which they would have been likely to have been disposed of at the time of the disposal or agreement, as the case may be, referred to in paragraph (a) if the information had been generally available. (5) Where an insider acquired or agreed to acquire, or procured another person to acquire or agree to acquire, securities, in contravention of subsection 188(2), and such securities were permitted to be traded on a stock market of a stock exchange, then, whether or not the insider or any other person involved in the contravention has been charged with an offence in respect of the contravention or whether or not the contravention has been proved in a prosecution, the Commission may, if it considers that it is in the public interest to do so, by civil action against the insider or any other person involved in the contravention— (a) recover an amount equal to three times the amount being the difference between the price at which the securities were acquired or agreed to be acquired, by the insider or the other person, and the price at which they would have been likely to have been acquired at the time of the acquisition or agreement, as the case may be, if the information had been generally available; and (b) claim civil penalty in such amount as the court considers appropriate having regard to the seriousness of the contravention, being an amount not more than one million ringgit. (6) Where an insider disposed of or agreed to dispose of, or procured another person to dispose of or agree to dispose of, securities, in contravention of subsection 188(2), and such securities were permitted to be traded on a stock market of a stock exchange, then, whether or not the insider or any other person involved in the contravention has been charged with an offence in respect of the contravention or whether or not the contravention has been proved in a prosecution, the Commission may, if it considers that it is in the public interest to do so, by civil action against the insider or any other person involved in the contravention— (a) recover an amount equal to three times the amount being the difference between the price at which the securities were disposed of, or agreed to be disposed of, by the insider or the other person, and the price at which they would have been likely to have been disposed of at the time of the disposal or agreement, as the case may be, if the information had been generally available; and (b) claim civil penalty in such amount as the court considers appropriate having regard to the seriousness of the contravention, being an amount not more than one million ringgit. (7) An amount recovered or obtained by the Commission in an action pursuant to subsection (5) or (6), respectively, shall be applied— (a) firstly, to reimburse the Commission for all costs of the investigation and proceedings in respect of the contravention; and (b) secondly— (i) where it relates to subsection (5), to compensate the sellers who disposed of securities of the same class on the stock market of the stock exchange when the information was not generally available between the time when the first contravention of subsection 188(2) occurred and the time when the information became generally available; and (ii) where it relates to subsection (6), to compensate the buyers who acquired securities of the same class on the stock market of the stock exchange when the information was not generally available between the time when the first contravention of subsection 188(2) occurred and the time when the information became generally available. (8) If the Commission considers that it is not practicable to compensate the persons referred to in paragraph (7)(b), in view of the amount of any potential distribution to each person or the difficulty of ascertaining or notifying the persons whom it is appropriate to compensate, as the case may be, the Commission may decide not to distribute to the persons referred to in paragraph (7)(b). (9) To the extent that any of the amount recovered or obtained in a civil action under subsection (5) or (6) has not been distributed pursuant to subsection (7), it shall be— (a) paid to the compensation fund maintained under Part IV; or (b) retained by the Commission to defray the costs of regulating the capital market, as the Commission, with the approval of the Minister, may determine. (10) Civil proceedings under this section may be commenced at any time within twelve years from— (a) the date on which the cause of action accrued; or (b) the date on which the Commission or the person who instituted the proceedings, as the case may be, discovered the contravention, whichever is the later. (11) Any right of action that is conferred under this section shall not affect the right of action that is conferred on a person who has suffered loss or damage referred to in subsection (1) or under any other law.