Troubled Sarawak party snaps off rebel Youth leader
The Sarawak National Party (Snap) today suspended its Youth leader and assistant minister of infrastructure development and communications Dr Judson Sakai Tagal as party member for "multiple breaches of the party's constitution".
At the same time, the party's central executive committee (CEC) issued Judson, who is also the assistant minister of infrastructure development and communications and one of the party's eight vice-presidents, with a show-cause letter.
Should Judson refuse to reply or fail to respond satisfactorily to charges of the alleged breaches or indiscipline, the CEC is empowered to expel him from the party.
Judson, a former deputy state assembly speaker, is a member of the 'Group of 8' led by suspended Snap vice-president Peter Tinggom, which is opposed to the leadership of beleaguered party president James Wong Kim Min. The rebel Youth leader has been appointed acting secretary-general by his group.
The CEC meeting today, which was chaired by Wong, also decided to write to the Sarawak Barisan Nasional chairman Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is also chief minister, to ask him "to consider relieving him (Judson) of the assistant minister's post in accordance with the conventions of our Westminister-model system of government".
In a press statement, the party explained that Judson had been behaving "as if the due process and rule of law did not exist".
"He has committed multiple breaches of the party's constitution, particularly in impersonating himself as the acting secretary-general of the party, and in that position he had called for the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Aug 11, 2002 in two local English-language newspapers The Borneo Post and The Sarawak Tribune of July 20 and July 21 respectively and, therefore, confuses our members and members of the public."
The statement said the party intended to lodge a police report and also take legal action against him "for impersonating, misrepresenting and holding himself up as the acting secretary-general".
The CEC meeting also suspended two other members of the party Liew Ah Lek of Kemena division and Tang Nguong Sit of Repok division on similar grounds.
Upcoming EGM unlawful
The Tinggom faction will be holding their EGM on Aug 11 during which they will elect their own president and senior vice-president and also make decisions on further meetings of the group.
At a press conference today, Wong asked Snap members to stay away from the EGM, saying it is illegal and unlawful as it does not follow the provisions of the party's constitution.
His detractors, however, said about 50 out of the 62 divisions throughout Sarawak are expected to attend the EGM in Kuching.
The embattled Snap chief reiterated that he is holding the door open for his rivals to resolve the party's internal problem together.
"If they want to have me and/or the secretary-general, or anyone, removed why not wait till the triennial general meeting in February?" he asked.
Today's statement also said the CEC meeting also discussed "with much amusement the claim of 'unseen hands' at work in the current strife to topple the de facto leadership of James Wong Kim Min. The CEC is not duly perturbed by such a claim".
It added: "The CEC reiterates that it holds in disgust Snap ministers who continue to abuse ministerial and government facilities to advance their own personal cause."
"Instead, they should use such facilities as made available to them by virtue of their elected office for the benefit and welfare of the poor people in the rural areas who need their help more than personal politicking."
The CEC also warned sacked member of parliament for Bintulu Tiong King Sing "to take his hands off immediately from the internal affairs of the party" as he is no longer a member of the party.
It said Tiong had made several press comments on the position of some of the party members. "The CEC did not see it fit to respond to him as he is to all intents and purposes no longer a member of the party."
Election promise
On a related matter, the statement said it had recently come into possession a letter dated Nov 18, 1999 written by Tiong to Sistem Television Malaysia Berhad (TV3) committing the party to pay directly to the contractor of the transmission station.
During campaigning for the 1999 general election, Tiong had promised voters that the building of a TV3 transmission tower in Bintulu should he be elected.
A photostat copy of the two-page letter under the Snap treasurer-general's letterhead signed by Tiong and addressed to TV3 was made available to the press today.
The Snap statement said: "The CEC views with concern the letter, as it has never authorised such a letter to be written...
"The party will take appropriate legal action against Tiong for the financial liability the party has been exposed to, and also for the embarrassment such a letter may have brought to the party."
The contractor of the transmission tower has filed a law suit against Snap for failing to pay for the construction costs.
When asked whether he still regards himself as Snap leader, Wong produced a letter of invitation from the federal Barisan Nasional secretary-general Mohamad Rahmat to a BN meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 10. The letter was addressed to Wong in his capacity as Snap president.
Wong confirmed that he had met Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib on the Snap crisis but declined to go into details. He add he had also met Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad who told him to try and resolve the matter within the party amicably.
For more news and views that matter, subscribe and support independent media for only RM0.36 sen a day:
Subscribe now