Snap rebels call EGM to oust party leader
Sarawak National Partys rebel group, led by vice-president William Mawan, ruled out any chances for a reconciliation or compromise with party president James Wong Kim Min, who is now under siege for refusing to step down.
In what political observers see as amounting to 'burning the bridges', the rebel group comprising all but one of the party's wakil rakyat or elected representatives, have sought and obtained the backing of 48 of the party's 62 divisions throughout Sarawak in calling for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to elect a new set of leaders.
About 1,000 party members from the 48 divisions attended a weekend meeting in Sibu, Sarawak's timber-rich town, for this purpose. Also present were the party's six state assemblymen and three members of parliament. The meeting passed a resolution calling for the immediate resignation of the party's secretary-general Justine Jinggut, a former member of parliament who is closely aligned to the Wong faction.
The divisions include Wong's own constituency in Limbang.
Faithful son
The beleaguered party leader now has the support of one elected representative his eldest son and the party's senior vice-president Richard Wong Shoon Fook, whose own political future is threatened by a RM10-million bankruptcy suit filed against him by an erstwhile corporate colleague from Pan Global Bhd, of which he is executive director.
His two younger brothers, Alex and Bernard, are also subject to bankruptcy proceedings relating to the same case.
At a post-meeting press conference in Sibu yesterday, Mawan, who is also state minister of environment and public health, said the party had complied with all procedures in calling for the EGM, and said that under the circumstances, there was no necessity to obtain the president's consent to call for one.
James Wong is away in Australia and could not be reached for comment.
Last week, he refused to comment on the call from his deputy president and old-time political buddy Peter Tiggom for his resignation, saying he would only respond on his return from Sydney.
Observers generally feel that with the mounting problems, both political and personal, facing Wong and his family, he may now re-consider his position and agree to step down to avoid an EGM and to save the family from any further embarrassment.
The Wong family made their fortunes from timber, but had suffered financial difficulties in recent years following the Pan Global takeover at a hefty price and the subsequent collapse in the stock and property markets. Worse, disagreement with former partners has also led to court cases.
Bridges burned
Speaking to reporters, Mawan, who is now the most likely candidate to take over, notwithstanding Wong's final decision, indicated that as far as his group was concerned the bridges have been burned.
He said: No one single person or single leader of the party should take the party's leadership to the grave.
These were generally seen as more than harsh words coming from a Snap leader who had until recently considered the senior Wong has a highly-respected fatherly figure.
He completely disagreed with Wong's remarks that the second echelon leadership was not ready or capable to take over.
Breaking his silence on the issue, he declared that he is now ready to take over as party president.
But Mawan himself, also in active business before his appointment as an assistant minister prior to his recent promotion as full minister, is also facing a bankruptcy suit filed by a commercial bank involving a sum of about RM200,000. He has until June this year to sort this out.
Another court case
Among the senior party members present at the Sibu meeting were deputy president and member of parliament Peter Tinggom, vice-president and assistant minister Peter Nyarok, vice-president and assistant minister Dr Judson Tagal, vice-president and member of parliament Jacob Dungau Sagan, vice-president, assemblyman and Sarawak Housing and Development Commission chairman Peter Nansian Ngusie, vice-president and assemblyman Sylvester Entri Muran, Snap central executive committee ex-officio and deputy federal minister Dr Tiki Lafe and vice-president and former assemblyman Geman Itam.
Snap itself is embroiled in another court case relating to a judgment that a Bintulu contractor has obtained for a sum of about RM800,000 for work done on the construction of a TV3 transmission tower in Bintulu.
Last week, a Kuching High Court bailiff had tried to serve a writ of seizure and sale after the party failed to pay the judgment sum when demanded.
The party's lawyers however managed to bide for time and the Miri High Court eventually agreed to grant a stay of execution pending the hearing in June to set aside the judgment which was entered against the party in default of appearance.
TONY THIEN is a malaysiakini correspondent based in Kuching, Sarawak.
For more news and views that matter, subscribe and support independent media for only RM0.36 sen a day:
Subscribe now