A former Sarawak Barisan Nasional party which was de-registered last year following a leadership crisis is determined to contest in the upcoming polls even if it meant battling the ruling coalition.

"We are standing firm by our decision to contest even if we have to fight against BN," said Sarawak National Party (Snap) vice-president Justine Jinggut.

He added that although Snap may go to the field as an opposition, it does not mean that the party was against the ruling coalition.

"If we are forced to contest outside BN, we will oblige. Contesting outside BN is nothing new to us, it has happened before," he added.

Justine explained that previously many political parties had contested against BN but were later accepted into the fold because they gained the trust and support of the people.

"It's nothing unusual and all this is the process of politics," he told reporters after the party's central executive committee meeting.

This confirms party president Edwin Dundang's earlier statement that Snap would contest in the coming parliamentary elections to defend four seats - Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram.

The four elected representatives, along with six state assemblypersons, left Snap to join the Sarawak Democratic Progress Party (SPDP) after the former was de-registered by the Registrar of Societies last November.

Subsequently the matter went to court and pending a hearing of its application for a judicial review set for next May, the party has obtained a stay order of the ROS' decision.

'Designed' de-registration

The Snap vice-president also claimed that the de-registration of his party and more recently Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) was 'designed' and not coincidental.

"The de-registration does not happen to other ethnic-based parties. I believe that what had happened to Snap and PBDS is not by coincidence rather by design. But don't ask me who designed it," he said.

Justine said he was confident that members of both parties will be able to handle the crisis positively and sort out the political disunity and disarray which resulted from the de-registration.

He added that Snap was saddened by PBDS' de-registration and understood the feelings at the grassroots since both the Dayak-based parties had many things in common.

He also invited PBDS members to join Snap and continue their struggle to articulate Dayak aspirations.

PBDS, which was also de-registered following a leadership dispute, is hoping to get Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to overturn the ROS' decision.

Its top leaders are expected to hand an appeal letter to the premier at his office in Putrajaya in the next two days.

On Sunday, the premier told a media conference in Kuching that BN wanted to save PBDS, but indicated that this would have to depend on the contents of the appeal letter.