Former Snap members eye Umno, say Sabahs Akar a precedent

comments     Tony Thien     Published     Updated

About 150 representatives from 62 divisions of the de-registered Sarawak National Party (Snap) who attended a meeting in Kuching today resolved to join en bloc a national-based political party within Barisan Nasional in the event that all avenues to revive Snap are exhausted..

They are aligned to former Snap president James Wong Kim Min.

Meeting chairman Edwin Dundang told reporters after the meeting that "we will tell you (which BN party) when the time comes." He declined to elaborate.

Malaysiakini , however, understands from several representatives who spoke on condition of anonymity that the general preference is the United Malay National Organisation (Umno) the backbone of the ruling national coalition.

One representative cited the case of Sabah's Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat (Akar) which was dissolved in1999 and its members comprising both bumiputras and non-bumiputras joined Sabah Umno en bloc.

Another new chapter

"Snap which opened a new political chapter in Sarawak when it formed Sarawak's first post-independence government in 1963 could very well open another new chapter for Sarawak with its de-registration," he added.

However, unlike the former Akar in Sabah, there may be a problem for these former Snap members to join Umno. Umno has not yet been established in Sarawak.

Also present at the meeting held at a three-star hotel were former Snap president James Wong Kim Min, former secretary-general Justine Jinggut and former deputy secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol.

They ruled out joining the newly-registered party Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), saying its leaders had caused the de-registration of Snap.

Edwin, who is also chairman of Miri Port Authority (MPA), said the meeting had decided to apply for a judicial review of the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) decision to de-register Snap earlier this month.

The representatives also gave Wong the full mandate to pursue all legal avenues to try and revive Snap instead of appealing to the Home Minister who had already publicly said he agreed with the ROS' decision.

Edwin said the meeting also resolved that the state assemblyperson for Limbang Richard Wong, 51 (photo) who is also Wong's eldest son, should apply to join a BN party of his own choice, in accordance with the decision of the State BN supreme council.

Richard's own decision

Malaysiakini understands that Richard who was not present at the meeting has indicated that his preference is the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) whose president is Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan Hong Nam.

Wong Sr told reporters that his son is an adult and could decide on his own which party to join without being told to do so.

"At least he shows respect to me as his father unlike some people whom I've helped to build up," he added, in apparent reference to the opposing key leaders involved in the recent party crisis.

Edwin said the representatives were disappointed and sad at the ROS' decision and asked whether Snap because of its contributions to Sarawak deserved to receive such 'punishment' for "not having committed any crime."


TONY THIEN is malaysiakini correspondent based in Kuching, Sarawak.



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