Troubled Snap risks being de-registered
The judgment has been obtained against the party for its failure to contest the suit by a construction contractor, who is claiming RM800,000 in damages.
Malaysiakini has earlier reported that a local construction firm, Eastern Park Sdn Bhd, had sued TV3 and Snap treasurer-general and member of parliament for Bintulu Tiong King Sing for non-payment of work done on a TV transmitting station in Nyabau, about 5km from Bintulu town.
Snap president James Wong Kim Min, confirming that a Bintulu contractor had sued the party over the controversial project, told malaysiakini today that the judgment had been made in default of appearance against the party at the Miri High Court on Aug 29 last year.
"We're applying to set aside the judgment which is wrong no matter how much it takes," said Wong. "Otherwise, the party faces the risks of being wound-up and re-registered."
No reasons given
Snap central executive committee (CEC) at its meeting last Saturday expelled Tiong from the party for alleged breach of party discipline, but did not publicly reveal the reasons for its action.
But a group of the party's elected representatives comprising members of parliament and state assemblymen, including a deputy federal minister, a full state minister and two assistant ministers, objected and walked out of the meeting before the vote was taken.
Speaking on behalf of the group yesterday, Snap vice-president and state minister for environment and public health, William Mawan, told reporters that they felt Tiong had not been accorded the basic right of natural justice by not agreeing to his suggestion for an independent panel of inquiry to be set up.
The CEC should not act as judge and prosecutor, he lamented.
Asked to comment on Mawan's remarks, Snap secretary-general Justine Jinggut had retorted, "What about the Anwar Ibrahim case?"
However, he agreed with Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's view that component parties should not do anything impulsively such as sacking members in order not to destabilise the ruling coalition.
"I wholeheartedly agree with the DPM's view. But in Tiong's case, it is different," he insisted.
Promises not honoured
The introduction of TV3 services to Bintulu was one of the major issues during the 1999 parliamentary elections.
Wong, who was then the state minister for environment and public health, was invited by Tiong to perform the ground-breaking ceremony during the elections campaign.
Tiong eventually won the Bintulu parliamentary seat by beating DAP's strongman Chiew Chiu Sing.
Tiong has since repeatedly denied ever making any promise to make a personal financial contribution of RM1.5 million towards meeting part of the cost of the TV3 project in Bintulu.
But several CEC members insisted he did, saying that it was stated in the minutes of CEC meetings.
According to reliable sources, the problem between Tiong and the top brass in Snap started after he was not re-appointed treasurer-general of the party, a post he held only for one year.
Political observers see the walk-out by the Mawan faction from the CEC meeting on Saturday to serve another purpose to show their dissatisfaction with the top leadership, in particular the party president whom they regarded as having overstayed and should realise it is time for him to make way for a younger leader.
Power struggle
Local newspapers have been carrying reports of moves by a certain section of the party to support Mawan, one of the party's seven elected vice-presidents, for the post of president in the forthcoming triennial general assembly in February next year.
"Although Tiong is an important issue, it is not the main issue," Mawan conceded during a press conference over the weekend.
"The party is facing mounting political problems," he said, indicating that it is about time a new team is needed to run the party.
