The opposition Sarawak National Party (Snap) is facing its first obstacle in the run-up to the parliamentary elections after the Election Commission released the list of 27 political parties minus Snap eligible to contest.

Snap, a Dayak-based but multi-racial party formed in the early 1960s, has found itself thrown out of the ruling Barisan Nasional after the Registrar of Societies (ROS) de-registered the party in November 2002 following a bitter internal feud.

It is now allowed to operate on a court order pending its application for a judicial review of the ROS' decision.

The party has been looking forward to take part in the current general election, already naming its candidates to contest in four parliamentary constituencies (Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram), whose incumbents are now with the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), a splinter party from Snap.

Snap president Edwin Dundang described the latest development as 'confusing and sad, to say the least.'

"But we are not down. We are inspired. One day the EC tells us that Snap is registered, legal and eligible and next another thing," he said in a statement today.

Notified twice

He maintained that in reality Snap is legal, following the reprieve by the Kuala Lumpur Court of Appeal which granted a stay of execution of the ROS' decision on April 1, 2003.

"Based on this decision, we have received a letter from the ROS dated June 20, 2003 to confirm the legality of Snap to continue operating until the decision of the High Court (which is going to hear the party's application for a judicial review)."

Edwin said the party had conveyed twice to the Election Commission state director Nordin Che Ngah of Snap's legal operational position based on the Court of Appeal decision and the ROS's confirmation letter.

This morning, he went personally to inform the EC state director and to hand over again the relevant copies of these decisions in order to clear the party's legal position.

"The director promised to come back to us by Monday in writing. I pray the Court of Appeal decision is respected by the Election Commission."

"As of now, we want to state that Snap is legal and operational and that we will contest under Snap party symbol, as we have the Court of Appeal order to back us up.'

It would be "a very sad day for all Malaysians and democracy-loving people around the world who believe in the supremacy of the rule of law which Malaysia upholds that if the court decision is not respected by the EC," he added.

Contacted later, Edwin said if the EC should decide to exclude Snap from the list of political parties eligible to contest, the party would go to court and cite it for contempt of court order or might even apply for an injunction to stop the whole election process.

"But I hope it does not have to come to that. We should tell Pah Lah (the prime minister) that."