The Sarawak National Party (Snap) today issued a six-point manifesto that called for a limit to the tenure of the state chief minister in order to 'check abuses'.

The party, which will be contesting seven parliamentary seats, proposed that the state constitution be amended to limit the term to 10 years.

It was obviously retaliating against Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) chairperson Abdul Taib Mahmud, who had held the post uninterrupted from1981 up to early this month when Parliament was dissolved.

Snap was expelled from the BN after it was deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in 2002 following a protracted leadership tussle.

The tussle led to a splinter party Sarawak People's Democratic Party being formed and later accepted into the BN fold while Snap was awarded a stay of execution pending a judicial review on the deregistration.

Despite this, Snap president Edwin Dundang reiterated this afternoon that the party has no quarrel with the federal BN.

"We pledge that all seats won (by the party) will be given to (BN chairperson) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a sincere demonstration of Snap's full support to his leadership," he said.

System 'abused'

However, the party had a totally different view of the state leadership under Abdul Taib. ( photo)

"It is no longer a fair system that embodies a true family concept in spirit, practice and conduct," alleged Dundang, claiming that the system has been abused for personal gain and political manipulation.

"Snap will try to rebuild the state BN to ensure lasting political stability, national unity and security... a BN that truly operates as a family in practice and spirit.".

The party pledged to work with the federal government to ensure that all elected representatives are sensitive to the needs of the people and "do not lord it over them".

Snap called for urgent review of the powers conferred on the ROS to deregister political and suggested that the powers be transferred to the court instead.

On safeguarding native customary rights land (NCR), the Dayak-based party said the State Land Code provision requiring documentary proof for NCR claims should be abolished.

Queries on land rights

Sarawak DAP has also picked up on NCR issues, accusing those in authority of taking much land without paying adequate compensation.

Related questions raised in its manifesto are:

1. Why are you required to pay hefty premiums and not automatic renewal when your land lease expires?

2. Why has land been taken away from the natives and alienated to well-connected companies with hardly any compensation?

3. Why has compensation to crops (fruit trees and rubber trees) been merely RM1 to RM5 per tree?

4. Why has temuda land (claims on virgin land cultivated for at least 10 years before 1958) not been recognised in accordance with adat (customs) of the natives?