Sarawak National Party (Snap) secretary-general Justine Jinggut yesterday confirmed receiving a letter from the Registrar of Societies "seeking clarifications on points of illegalities" in party appointments amid little signs of an end to the long-drawn party crisis.

He declined to give further details on the clarifications sought by the ROS but told malaysiakini he and other Snap leaders would meet to discuss the letter today and then prepare a reply.

The party, a member of the ruling Sarawak Barisan Nasional front, has been split into two factions, led by veteran politician and former state minister James Wong Kim Min, 80, the party president, and the other by a former deputy federal minister and present member of parliament for Saratok Peter Tinggom, the deputy president.

The issues have remained somewhat clouded, but generally Tinggom's group which includes all but one of the party's nine elected representatives, want Wong and his supporters, including several of his relatives, to step down so that a new team led by state Minister of Environment and Public Health William Mawan can take over.

Wong has so far publicly refused to bow down to their wishes, and he and his supporters have not only ignored all calls for him to relinquish his positions but have also gone ahead to prepare for the next triennial delegates meeting (TGM) in February.

Two presidents

On the other hand, his challengers have already held a national council meeting of their own and elected Tinggom as acting president and Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications Dr Judson Sakai Tagal as acting secretary-general. Mawan himself was appointed to perform the duties of the senior vice-president.

Next they will be holding an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Aug 11 during which they will elect a new set of leaders for Snap that will effectively mean Snap will be a party with two presidents.

Wong and his supporters have been going round all divisions throughout Sarawak to explain what is going on. They are asking members to stay away from the EGM called by Wong's detractors, saying it is unconstitutional and unlawful, and urging them instead to rally round the president and attend the TGM in February.

The two sides have also gone to court, and an appeal by Wong and Justine against a court decision to set aside an injunction restraining Tinggom and his group from calling and presiding over any party meetings is pending.

Snap deputy secretary-general Stanley Juggol, who is also a political secretary-general to Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and one of the four appointed from Snap, told malaysiakini that the other side can go ahead with their meetings.

"But we will not recognise them, and the best thing is to resolve everything at the TGM in February," he said.