You must be a youngster!
Accies were between grounds and in serious financial difficulties. The players hadn’t been paid for weeks. Eventually they refused to play, which brought matters to a head, but meant Accies failed to fulfil a fixture.
At the time, I think it was the harshest penalty any Scottish league team had ever been handed down. The panel hearing the appeal, which Accies lost 3-2, including clubs who benefited directly from the points deduction. It caused Accies to be relegated, and Queen of the South to survive.
Harsher penalties have been issued since, as you well know.
Different circumstances, sure. But a precedent. Regardless of the number of points, surely teams failing to fulfil fixtures should be docked points?