JUDGMENT

Vincent Ng J:

Before me is an appeal by the appellant (the plaintiff in the court below) lodged pursuant to O. 49 r. 2(2) of the Subordinate Courts Rules 1980, against the decision of the learned Sessions Court judge on 3 March 2000 allowing the respondent to be made a party to the proceedings as an intervener.

This is a runner case, and those involved in the alleged accident are the respective parties in this case, wherein summons was filed on 22 January 1997 and the trial commenced on 24 September 1997. As usual in a runner case, a defendant is represented by counsel appointed by the insurance company. In the current case the defendant's counsel was an appointee of Kurnia Insurans (M) Berhad (Kurnia). During the trial, counsel for the defendant reported to the insurers that he suspected that the accident never occurred. Kurnia then conducted their own investigations and on 10 January 1998, lodged a police report alleging fraud. The hearing of the plaintiff's case, which began on 24 September 1997, was continued on 17 February 1998, 6 March 1998, 8 June 1998, 29 September 1998 and closed on 9 November 1998. Then, on 14 November 1999 the defendant opened his case and his e