The Star today reported that a company called One Visa is suing Telekom Malaysia (TM) for providing telecom services and infrastructure to squatters on it’s land in Negeri Sembilan.

TM was alleged to have trespassed five pieces of One Visa's land by supplying the telco services to the illegal occupiers of its land.

One Visa had sought RM23.07mil as special damages being the total rental value of the land based on current market value rates calculated from March 22, 2011 and continuing until cessation of the telco services and the date of removal of TM’s infrastructure from the land.

That’s right 23.07mil in ‘special’ damages for the TOTAL rental value of the land, because TM had supplied telco services to the illegal occupiers.

Now, I’m no lawyer and I’m not familiar with the case, So I cannot comment on the legality (or illegality) of the squatters staying on the land. What I can comment on though is the utter ridiculousness of the suit to sue TM for the full rental of the land just because TM had supplied telco services. That’s like charging your neighbour rental for your entire house value, just because his mango tree has over-grown into your garden.