Pujut assemblyperson Fong Pau Teck who has been served with an expulsion letter by the DAP described it as a "small matter" and urged his supporters not to worry.

"I have received a lot of calls from my supporters expressing their concern over my would-be expulsion. But I told them not to worry. It is a small matter.

"Although it appears like I am in the pit of darkness now, I can tell you I will make it out and shine just like a diamond," Fong told reporters on the sidelines of the state assembly sitting.

He said he would give a full explanation to the public after the state assembly sitting ends.

In the meantime, he wants his supporters not to worry, for he is appealing against the decision of the DAP disciplinary committee, which gave him 14 days to appeal after serving the expulsion letter.

'Not due to failure to pay contributions'

Fong denied that his expulsion was something to do with his failure to pay his contributions to the DAP, and that he did not wish to go into details for now.

Fong contested the Pujut state seat in 2011 and won with a comfortable majority against the incumbent and Sarawak United People's Party president and deputy chief minister George Chan.

Meanwhile, sources close to the party said the trouble began just before the May 5 parliamentary election, when Sarawak DAP announced the candidacy of Lim Kui Hian for the Miri parliamentary seat, much against the wishes of the Miri DAP branch leaders.

The branch leaders considered the selection of Lim to have been done in complete disregard to the loyalty of the local members, who wanted their own man to contest.

Lim is considered as an "outsider", as she was born and bred in Bintulu.

Following the announcement, the DAP members protested against the decision of party leadership and declared they would not vote for Lim, with Fong being one of the very vocal opponents.

In the internal bickering that followed, Pakatan Rakyat in Sarawak decided to give the Miri seat to PKR's Michael Teo, who won it with a slim majority.

NONE Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP chairperson  Chong Chieng Jien ( left ) denied that the DAP disciplinary committee deliberately announced Fong's expulsion on the first day of the current state assembly sitting to deprive him of his right to appeal.

Chong, who is also the Kota Sentosa assemblyperson, said the announcement was coincidental and there was nothing planned to deprive Fong of his right to appeal.

He said this in reference to Fong's complaint that he had been given 14 days to appeal and with the current state assembly sitting due to last 10 days, it would leave him only four days to make the appeal.