Teng applies against Badrul keeping Port Klang

By Shannon Teoh

February 24, 2011

Teng: The Court refused to allow any adjournments, and had entered judgment against me. As a result of the Default Judgment being entered without submissions made on my behalf by Counsel of my choice, I have suffered grave injustice.

SHAH ALAM, Feb 24 — Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim challenged yesterday a court ruling allowing Badrul Hisham Abdullah to keep his Port Klang seat, claiming that he was unrepresented at the hearing.

The High Court here had ruled on February 18 that Teng had erred in declaring the Port Klang seat vacant due to Badrul being absent from the state assembly for six months.

Teng, in his application filed at the High Court yesterday, said that he had requested that the trial be postponed as his lawyer of choice Timmy Thomas was already attending another case in Johor Baru on that day.

“The Court refused to allow any adjournments, and had entered judgment against me. As a result of the Default Judgment being entered without submissions made on my behalf by Counsel of my choice, I have suffered grave injustice. A miscarriage of justice has occurred,” he said.

The DAP man said that it was unfair that the case had become “ex-parte.”

The court had said that the speaker should not have computed Badrul’s absence from July 16, the day after his last attendance in the assembly, but the first day of absence, which was November 8.

Badrul had last attended a sitting on July 15 last year and had missed the entire session from November 8 to 15.

During the hearing on February 18, Teng was represented by Nur Ashikin Abdul Rahim who had not participated in the hearing.

Teng said in his application that he had instructed Nur Ashikin, a lawyer in Thomas’ firm, to request for an adjournment and if unsuccessful, not to take part in the hearing. - Malaysian Insider