Sarawak National Party (Snap) central executive committee has rejected the proposal for merger from State Reform Party (Star), according to its secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol.

“We will reply officially to (Star president) Dr Patau Rubis on this soon,” he said when asked to comment whether the party had considered the proposal. He gave no further details.

Two days ago, Patau told Malaysiakini that he had written to Snap president Edwin Dundang proposing that the two parties merge as a first move to bring back the glory days of Snap

dr patau rubis Snap has been engaged in a court battle over the past few years to keep itself alive by firstly trying to get a judicial review of the ROS' decision to de-register the party and is now making a final appeal to the highest court with the hope the decision could be reversed.

Patau ( left ), one of Sarawak's first medical doctors from the Bidayuh community, has often described himself as still 'a Snap man at heart'. He wants Star to be the 'new Snap' in anticipation of the worst to come out from the court on the Snap's appeal. He is believed to be keen on leading the new entity.

Both parties fielded candidates in several previous elections and failed to win a single seat, raising questions about their future. Both are largely Dayak-based.

Lack of finance

Several Snap leaders, including its president Dundang, are uncertain about the party's future, especially the lack of finance to keep the party going. There has been talk that the party will fold up automatically even before the court makes any final decision.

No date has been set for the final appeal hearing.

Meanwhile, two of Snap leaders Stanley and his son and lawyer Darrel Walter Entrie, who is Snap Youth leader, have decided to support PKR. The two together with Dundang met PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur recently and spoke of working together in preparation for the next state election due in 2011.

Stanley told Malaysiakini he and Darrel have not however resigned from Snap, although they have pledged support for PKR in Sarawak.

“We will be holding a central executive committee meeting sometime next week to discuss the new developments and decide from there where to take the party to,” he added.

Snap is Sarawak's second oldest party after the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp), a member of the state's ruling coalition.

Star was formed in 1996 after Patau was sacked as assistant minister in late 1995 for alleged indiscipline by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.