LAST Monday saw top national DAP leaders sitting huddled together in a central executive committee meeting trying to decide the fate of two of its former lawmakers from Perak - Keshvinder Singh and Datuk Hee Yit Foong.

However, at the end of the meeting that evening, the burning RM10 million question still remains unanswered.

Apparently, the leadership failed to reach a consensus as to whether legal action should be taken against the Malim Nawar and Jelapang assemblymen and sue them RM5 million each for breaching the contracts of loyalty which the duo allegedly signed during the 2008 general election.

This latest development is not entirely surprising as several DAP leaders were against the idea of hauling Keshvinder and Hee to court from the start due to a host of differing reasons.

"The ball is now in Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham's court. The general view is that he should decide whether any form of legal action is to be taken against the duo," said a party insider.

Another DAP lawmaker, who is also against dragging the defectors to court, said the whole thing would be a futile exercise for the party.

"I am not saying that I do not have faith in the judiciary but judging by the way things (previous court decisions) have been going, it would be quite difficult for us to win the case.

"Furthermore, it would be bad for morale if we were to lose the case," he said.

The central executive committee's move in allowing Ngeh to decide on the next course of action is rather wise, to say the least.

Even Ngeh himself had said last week that the party would first obtain feedback from the people on whether legal action was a good idea, via comments posted on news portals and blogs.

And judging by the committee's decision, feedback from the public must have been quite disheartening for the DAP.

A member of the public rightfully pointed out that the "actual" contracts were between the duo and their voters - not with the party.

"For whatever reasons they quit the party and became Independent assemblymen friendly to Barisan Nasional, their constituents will judge them in the next elections.

"There is no need for the DAP to punish them as they will be answerable to the people for their actions," he said.

Hee quit the party in February last year while Keshvinder followed suit two weeks ago.

Another member of the public went further and said the state DAP leadership should be blamed for fielding Keshvinder and Hee as candidates in the last general election.

"The person in charge of Perak DAP should also bear responsibility," he said.

Perhaps, this is the reason why Ngeh is feeling the heat and being on the defensive of late.

"She (Hee) is lying! We will see her in court," was his curt reply when asked to comment on Hee's statement that such an agreement did not exist.

It has been reported that elected DAP representatives in Perak and Negeri Sembilan were required to pledge their loyalty by agreeing to resign from their state seats and pay a fine of RM5 million if they were to quit the party.

However, it still remains to be seen whether Perak DAP will be sending out letters of demand to the renegade duo.

"We will send them letters of demand. If they comply (by paying the RM5 million), then there is no need to take this to court," Ngeh was quoted as saying by a news portal recently. - The New Straits Times