The deregistered Sarawak National Party (Snap), one of the four component parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in Sarawak, should be rehabilitated through a new party, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir, who is BN chairperson, was quoted by Bernama as saying that the coalition was prepared to consider admitting the new party if an application was made.

Speaking to reporters after launching Proton's new models Proton Waja 1.8 and Proton Arena 1.5 at Putrajaya today, he also said that there should not be any opposition to the setting up of the new party.

Asked on the possibility of two new parties being set up by former Snap leaders, he said: "We will have to assess".

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) announced two days ago the deregistration of Snap, set up in 1961, following the party's failure to resolve its leadership crisis.

The party had four members of Parliament including Deputy National Unity and Social Development Minister Tiki Lafe and six state assembly representatives. The others are one state minister (William Mawan anak Ikom, and two assistant state ministers, Dr Judson Sakai Tagal and Peter Nyarok).

Yesterday Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud announced that the Sarawak BN had decided to allow the MPs and state assembly members to join the three remaining BN component parties while awaiting the outcome of either the party's appeal against the deregisteration or an application to set up new parties.

The other three Sarawak BN component parties are Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

A breakaway group of Snap, led by William Mawan who is state Environment and Health Minister, has applied to the ROS to set up a new party to be called Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Meanwhile, ex-Snap president James Wong Kim Min said two days ago that he was considering whether to turn to the home minister or the court for help in fighting the deregistration.