theSun | WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9 2009
news without borders
Disciplinary board
to address court on
Kayveas appeal
KUALA LUMPUR: The Advo-
cates and Solicitors Disciplinary
Board has been allowed to ad-
dress the High Court on the legal
aspects in the appeal brought by
People’s Progressive Party (PPP)
president Datuk M. Kayveas and
his wife over the board’s decision
to penalise them for misconduct.
Section 103 (E) (8) of the Legal
Profession Act (LPA)(Amendment)
gives the board the right to appear
in court and be heard pertain-
ing to matters arising from its
decisions. Justice Lau Bee Lan
adjourned the matter to tomor-
row for submission of all parties
on the interpretation of Section
35 (1) of the Legal Profession
(LPA)(Amendment) Act 9 2006 to
determine on the application of
procedural methods in respect of
appeals.
Counsel M. Puravelan, for Kay-
veas and his wife Datin Blanche
O’ Leary, informed the court that
the old LPA required an appel-
lant to file records of appeal and
notice of appeal. It also stated that
the proceedings would be heard
before a panel of three judges.
He said under the amended
LPA, an appellant should initiate
an appeal by way of originating
summons and the proceedings
would be heard by one judge.
“We have to have some
clear rulings on this matter,”
said Puravelan, who had earlier
informed the court of the board’s
intention to address the court.
He said since the matter was
before the court, it should be in
accordance to the amended LPA
while counsel Rabindra Nathan,
appearing for the Bar Council,
said the existing form of appeal
should be preserved but the man-
ner in which the proceedings is
conducted should be under the
new LPA.
The former deputy minister in
the Prime Minister’s Department
and his wife, who are both law-
yers, were ordered to pay RM5,000
each by the board on March 17,
2005, for misconduct by breach-
ing the terms of entrustment as
stakeholders in a RM2 million
property sale and purchase trans-
action between two companies.
They were asked to pay the
sum to the discipline fund within
one month of the order, failing
which they would be suspended
from practice as advocates and
solicitors until payment of the
penalty. In their appeal, they
claimed, among others, that the
board erred in law and in fact as it
had decided on a wrong issue.
The couple said the board did
not take into consideration their
reply to the submission of the
complainant, the Bar Council.
– Bernama
No plans to topple Ong at
EGM, claims Chai Ho
MCA central delegates extraor-
dinary general meeting (EGM)
action committee chief Datuk
Seri Tan Chai Ho has denied
that it is conspiring to topple
party president Datuk Seri Ong
Tee Keat by obtaining the signa-
tures of two-thirds of the central
delegates.
He said going by the party
constitution, any move to oust
Obama the president could only be done
at an EGM and with the consent
urges of two-thirds of the delegates
kids to present, Sin Chew Daily reported
stay in yesterday.
“What I can make public
school and confirm is that the number
pg 9 of central delegates who have
signed the requisition for the
MCA risks deep split if infighting prolongs
MCA vice-president Datuk Kong
Cho Ha says the party risks a deep
split if the infighting continues.
He said if there is no media-
tion and if the situation does not
improve, the party will be split at
all levels – from the party central
to states, divisions, branches and
grassroots. He said the grassroots
busy themselves talking about
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
EGM has exceeded the mini-
mum 800 needed for the EGM.
“But we are not targeting to
collect the signatures of two-
thirds of the total number of
central delegates,” Tan, who is
a central committee (CC) mem-
ber, told a press conference at
Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur
on Monday. There are a total of
2,402 central delegates.
He said the action committee,
which is moving to requisition
the EGM to reinstate expelled
whether to support party presi-
dent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat or
back the sacked deputy, Datuk
Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
The battle lines are drawn
between comrades who were
once soldiering shoulder-to-
shoulder, he said. “In fact, many
grassroots are torn between sup-
porting Ong and Chua. They are
7
deputy president Datuk
Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, will
continue with the signature
campaign but declined to
say how many signatures it
has collected so far.
Asked why the commit-
tee has not requested for an EGM
if it has obtained enough signa-
tures, Tan said it was because
secretary-general Datuk Wong
Foon Meng had proposed a
“two-in-one” EGM. This follows
Ong’s move to pre-empt Chua’s
camp by calling for an EGM.
He said the action committee
is agreeable to holding just one
EGM, but want the resolutions
of the EGM called by Ong to be
revealed first.
in a spot,” he said.
Speaking to Sin Chew Daily,
the vice-president, who was
elected with the highest number
of votes in the party election last
year, also denied rumours he
was planning to team up with
another vice-president Datuk
Seri Liow Tiong Lai, to replace
Ong and Chua.