The Sarawak National Party (Snap), one of the state's oldest political parties, has called on the government to review what it calls the "arbitrary draconian powers" of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in determing the fate of an organisation.

This was one three resolutions unanimously adopted at the party's two-day national council meeting in Kuching over the weekend.

The party was deregistered in November 2002 after a bitter internal feud, but gained a reprieve after the Court of Appeal granted a stay order pending hearing of its application for a judicial review of the ROS decision.

Snap urged the government to review the powers of the ROS to deregister "at the stroke of the pen any constutionally registered organisation in Malaysia, bearing in mind that in our nation all societies are based on the (Federal) constitution".

It said the right to deregister any constitutionally registered organisation or society should be vested only in the country's courts after due process of the law.

"It is dangerous to give the power to any single person or body to decide on the fate of registered societies or organisation," the party resolution said.

Backing for PM

Snap president Edwin Dundang told reporters after the meeting that this and two other resolutions would be submitted to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

A second resolution expressed the party's support for Abdullah's leadership in implementing national development policies, and a third resolution backed his tough anti-graft stand.

"This tough action should continue to be taken against anyone regardless of his or her position and should transcend all geographical boundaries in the country," the resolution said.

Edwin said that, if necessary, such action should be applied to corrupt people in Sarawak as well.

Election candidates

The Snap chief also confirmed a malaysiakini report that the party has decided to defend its four parliamentary seats - Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram.

The party had claimed it had been robbed of these seats by the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party, led by former Snap vice- president William Mawan.

Edwin said Snap's election candidates had been identified but did not reveal their names.

He also confirmed his deputy Justine Jinggut's ( photo ) statement that the party was prepared to contest in all 28 seats in the state outside Barisan Nasional (BN) if the situation warrants this.

"The people on the ground are sad and mad at what has happened to the party," he said.

Until it was deregistered, Snap had been a component party of the Sarawak BN.

Edwin told reporters that Snap was also keeping the option open for a merger with other Dayak-based parties, especially Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) which has also fallen under the ROS axe.

PBDS has appealed to Abdullah in his capacity as Home Minister to reverse the decision.