As an indication of how fast things are moving to get the newly-registered Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) admitted into the Barisan Nasional, the state BN supreme council will meet on Tuesday, (Nov 19) to discuss its application for membership.

All three component parties of the state BN Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak(PBB), the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) and the Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) have been notified of the date, time and place of the meeting.

SPDP pro-tem president William Mawan formally handed the application to state BN chairperson and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud on Wednesday. The party's registration was approved a week ago by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

The party's admission into the federal BN will only be a formality once the state BN has endorsed it. Abdul Taib told reporters two days ago all three state BN component parties had no objection to the new party being admitted into the BN.

Malaysiakini , however, understands that Abdul Taib would be interested to hear the views of leaders of the three component parties on the timing of the party's admission into the BN because office-bearers of the de-registered Sarawak National Party (Snap) have been given a 30-day period from the date of the party's de-registration to appeal against the ROS' decision.

Approve in principle

What could possibly happen is that Tuesday's state BN meeting will approve the application in principle but will not formally admit SPDP until after the expiry of the 30-day period for appeal or until such date as when no further appeal against the ROS' decision can be entertained.

In the meantime, the 10 elected representatives of the now-defunct Snap may have to be 'parked temporarily' within the three state BN component parties. All except one of them are now in the SPDP pro-tem committee, headed by Mawan, the state minister of public health and environment.

Former leaders of the de-registered party aligned to former president James Wong Kim Min's faction are expected to meet in Kuching today.

Malaysiakini understands that the meeting will likely give the authority to Wong and his former secretary general Justine Jinggut to decide on the best course of action on the party's final fate.

Approve in principle

Meanwhile, Abdul Taib repeated his call on Wednesday for Richard Wong (photo), the state assemblyperson for Limbang and Wong Sr's eldest son, to join SPDP.

Wong Jr was quoted as saying in The Borneo Post yesterday that he would decide soon whether to join the SPDP or one of the existing three state BN parties.

He added that he would remain a BN representative. Speculation is rife that Richard is likely to join Supp should be decide to abandon all hopes of reviving Snap.

Meanwhile the Dayak-based PBDS will also meet today, and one of the issues is temporary parking pending the formal admission of the new party into BN or until issues concerning the de-registration of Snap have all been addressed legally and constitutionally.