Snap leader hopes ROS can stop rival factions EGM move

comments     Tony Thien     Published     Updated

Embattled Sarawak National Party (Snap) president James Wong Kim Min and his men are counting on a favourable response this week from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) so they can stop a rival faction from holding a crucial meeting on Aug 11.

A senior party leader, who asked not to be identified, told malaysiakini today the party had replied recently to a letter from the ROS seeking an explanation from the top leadership on what had transpired within the party since the crisis broke out into the open in April this year.

"We are hoping the ROS would respond favourably," he added.

"It is our hope that the ROS will declare the originally elected central executive committee (CEC) of Snap with Wong as its chairman as the lawful committee," he added.

The opposing faction, led by suspended Snap deputy president Peter Tinggom, has told the ROS that the president's CEC has been rendered illegal and unconstitutional as they claimed it consists of members not properly elected according to party constitution.

Tinggom has been appointed acting president by his own group after a censure motion against several top Snap leaders, including Wong, senior vice-president Richard Wong and secretary-general Justine Jinggut.

Wong's group has instead accused Tinggom's committee that includes Snap vice-president William Mawan the man likely to take over as the party's new president and the minister of environment and public health as "unconstitutional and unlawful".

Wong has accused his suspended deputy chief of usurping the president's powers during the latter's absence in April when Tinggom called a meeting without his permission of the party's central executive committee.

The rebel's CEC, chaired by Tinggom, proceeded to call a national council meeting and elected the deputy party leader as acting president and Mawan to perform the duties of the senior vice-president in place of Richard Wong after a censure motion against several top party leaders.

Aug 11 EGM

The Tinggom faction today placed a second notice in local newspapers informing members of the forthcoming extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Aug 11 with the aim to elect several new top party leaders, including the president and senior vice-president. The notice was signed by Snap Youth leader and assistant minister of infrastructure development and communications Dr Judson Tagal, in his capacity as acting secretary-geenral.

Last week, Wong suspended Judson and urged Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to have Judson removed from the state cabinet.

Taib, however, refused. He said he hoped the two opposing factions could resolve their differences without further delay as the parliamentary elections might be held soon.

Another Snap leader told malaysiakini that the chief minister's response did not come as a surprise, but he hoped that "when everything has been sorted out the party's views will be given due consideration concerning its nominees in the cabinet".

Meanwhile, Snap Tasik Biru Youth division chairman Granda Aing complained of attempts to try and sabotage the party's division gathering recently.

According to him, after a permit applied by one of the local divisional chairmen had been granted by the police, the organisers were told it had been withdrawn at the last minute.

But later he was able to clarify the matter with the officer-in-charge and the meeting proceeded at Dewan Suarah, although he conceded that almost half of the members expected to attend did not show up. He did not elaborate.



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