By Joseph Tawie (From Free Malaysia Today)
Beleagured SNAP's 'pullout' from Pakatan is 'immaterial' as its current leadership has 'lost all credibility', said a former top party official.
KUCHING: A former Sarawak National Party (SNAP) vice-president has demanded that the party’s entire Central Working Committee including its president Edwin Dundang resign en bloc and take responsibility for the April 16 polls fiasco.
Declining to reveal his name, the former Sarawak Assistant Minister said: “They know who I am … they should all resign.
“They should be courageous enough to claim responsibility for the dismal performances of their candidates who all except one lost their deposits,” he said adding that it was irrelevant whether the party remained in Pakatan Rakyat or not.
The former Julau assemblyman described SNAP’s ties with Pakatan as ‘immaterial’ as party had ‘lost its credibility.’
“Whether SNAP is out of the Pakatan Rakyat or not is immaterial.
“The most important thing is for the CWC members – from the president downward – to resign and elect new committee members in order to bring credibility and integrity to the party.”
He was commenting on reports quoting SNAP secretary-general Stanley Jugol who on Friday said the party had severed its ties with Pakatan.
Jugol was quoted as saying that the 50-year-old SNAP had decided to quit Pakatan after it was sidelined following disagreements on seat allocation.
“We are no longer in Pakatan. We are now on our own,” he had said adding that it was meaningless for the party to remain in the coalition as it was no longer invited to attend any functions or meetings organised by the opposition alliance.
No credibility
Speaking to FMT yesterday, the former SNAP vice president said: “SNAP has lost its credibility and cannot claim itself to represent the Dayaks anymore.
“The recent state election clearly showed that the Dayaks have rejected the party especially under the current leadership.
“SNAP cannot rely on history and its past glory to win back the Dayaks’ support for the party, especially the young Dayaks who do not know even who SNAP’s Stephen Kalong Ningkan was.
“These young people cannot be bothered with past history as they are more interested with what the party can offer them in the future,” he said.
In 1974 SNAP won 18 state seats and nine parliamentary seats in the Dayak majority constituencies. Its leader, Ningkan was made Sarawak’s first chief minister. But their immaculate pedigree was of little use in last month’s polls.
Going into the election SNAP was already at loggerheads with PKR over seat allocation.
Refusing to compromise SNAP went ahead and contested in 27 Dayak majority constituencies with Dundang boastfully declaring they had the support of Dayaks.
In the end 26 candidates including Dundang lost their deposits.
Personal opinion
Meanwhile, Jugol today clarified his Friday statement.
He said it was his personal opinion that SNAP should pull out of Pakatan.
“The CWC members have not met to discuss the issue (pulling out), but I believe it is the general feelings of the CWC members as well as members of the party that it should leave the Pakatan Rakyat.
“What appeared in the local press that the party has severed its ties with the Pakatan Rakyat was my personal opinion,” he added.
Meawnhile Sarawak PKR information chief See Chee How when contacted said that it was not surprising that SNAP pulled out of Pakatan considering what its leaders did and acted before the state election.
He said SNAP had some good grassroots members, whom he thought would be good SNAP leaders in the future.
“But now some of them have started to join PKR… now they realised that the party is only an empty vehicle which is not able to serve the interests of the party and members of the Dayak community,” he said.
Showing posts with label Edwin Dundang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edwin Dundang. Show all posts
Monday, May 9
Tuesday, January 18
Join SNAP, Dayaks urged
SIBU: Former President of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Daniel Tajem called on all Dayaks especially the ex-PBDS members in the State to join Sarawak National Party which is now undergoing a process of rebranding.
“The policy, principle and the objective of SNAP are similar to those of the defunct PBDS,” he said at the SNAP symposium in Sibu.
“What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for all our native customary rights land to be taken away to be made as estates of certain Barisan Nasional leaders and their cronies and family members with little pittance given to the land owners?
“Do you wait until your individual rights whittle down to nothingness?” he asked.
Tajem, who was also former deputy chief minister, said that SNAP is the right avenue for the people to support.
He said: “We want to play an important part of a machine of politics that will churn the wheel and I can see that with the death of PBDS, we have no alternative but to support SNAP.”
Earlier in his opening g remarks, SNAP President Edwin Dundang said that the party’s symposium is to put SNAP back into the “factory” once again with the hope that it may churn SNAP out as either an old product with a new casing like an old wine with a new bottle or even become a different product with a new brand that will attract new sets of customers in addition to the previous Dayak and rural based set of customers.
“Inputs are needed from all of us present as to how we can together move SNAP once again,” he said.
He said that SNAP which was deregistered eight years ago by the Registrar of Societies has become legally operative since 23 June 2010 following the decision of the High Court of Appeal, which affirmed no legal reasons why SNAP was to be deregistered.
“SNAP was almost dead, only surviving through a very thin thread of so-called ‘stay of execution’ otherwise legally SNAP is dead.
“It was deserted almost over night as members left the party leaving behind some 70,000 members,” Dundang said, calling on all members who had left the party to return in order to make the party stronger once again.
The party at that time had a membership of 123,000.
“The policy, principle and the objective of SNAP are similar to those of the defunct PBDS,” he said at the SNAP symposium in Sibu.
“What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for all our native customary rights land to be taken away to be made as estates of certain Barisan Nasional leaders and their cronies and family members with little pittance given to the land owners?
“Do you wait until your individual rights whittle down to nothingness?” he asked.
Tajem, who was also former deputy chief minister, said that SNAP is the right avenue for the people to support.
He said: “We want to play an important part of a machine of politics that will churn the wheel and I can see that with the death of PBDS, we have no alternative but to support SNAP.”
Earlier in his opening g remarks, SNAP President Edwin Dundang said that the party’s symposium is to put SNAP back into the “factory” once again with the hope that it may churn SNAP out as either an old product with a new casing like an old wine with a new bottle or even become a different product with a new brand that will attract new sets of customers in addition to the previous Dayak and rural based set of customers.
“Inputs are needed from all of us present as to how we can together move SNAP once again,” he said.
He said that SNAP which was deregistered eight years ago by the Registrar of Societies has become legally operative since 23 June 2010 following the decision of the High Court of Appeal, which affirmed no legal reasons why SNAP was to be deregistered.
“SNAP was almost dead, only surviving through a very thin thread of so-called ‘stay of execution’ otherwise legally SNAP is dead.
“It was deserted almost over night as members left the party leaving behind some 70,000 members,” Dundang said, calling on all members who had left the party to return in order to make the party stronger once again.
The party at that time had a membership of 123,000.
SNAP was regietered on 10 April 1961 and had played a major role in the formation of Malaysia. Its Secretary General Stephen Kalong Ningkan was made Sarawak’s first chief minister.
During the height of its electoral successes in 1974 SNAP won 18 state seats and nine parliamentary seats.
Today it has no elected representative either in Parliament or in the State legislative assembly.
(The story first appeared in Free Malaysia Today)
Monday, January 17
SNAP SYMPOSIUM ON SAT, 15 JANUARY 2011
Picture of SNAP leaders during the symposium in SibuSPEECH OF THE ORGANISING CHAIRMAN, AUGUSTINE LIOM, AT THE SNAP SYMPOSIUM ON SATURDAY 15 JANUARY 2011
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
There is an undisputable ring of truth in that adage.
At national level, billions of Ringgit of People’s money has been spent in the PKFZ project and in the process, the bank accounts of some powerful personalities have grown unmanageably fat.
If not for a change of government that has occurred in Selangor, these corrupt practices and the massive abuse of power involved could not have been discovered.
We hear of a few hundred millions ringgit kickbacks involved in the purchase of military wares. But yet, a submarine cannot drive and military equipmentare substandard.
Those billions of ringgit lost through the rampant practices within the BN beaurocracy could be saved for development projects that could better benefit the rakyat.
Today, as we sit here, the PM is paying a visit to Bakun Dam. Predictably some time later an announcement will be made that the dam will be sold to the state government at a favourable price and at a favourable scheme of repayment.
The federal government would have already made a loss of billions of ringgit and our state government would within a span of couple of years incur billions of ringgit in repayment, spending money that could be utilised for the people’s benefit.
Predictably also, like many of the mammoth projects before, the state government would either sell the dam pretty cheaply or sell the energy generated by the dam cheaply to Sarawak Energy Berhad.
Billions of ringgit of money of the people of Sarawak would had been spent, but ironically the people as consumers of electricity would suffer more by having to pay increased electricity rates and Sarawak Energy Berhad will be making huge profits.
Who own and control Sarawak Energy Berhad?
Billions of ringgit have gone down the drain in the failed First Silicon project. But to the BN leaders that does not matter. The members of the Board of Directors and the senior management appointed by the BN State government get fat pay cheques, fees and allowances.
Money-making government undertakings are privatised. Road maintenance and road construction function of the PWD, enforcement function of the Forest Department and a few others have been awarded to private entities. Who own and control these enterprises?
Who own and control CMS, PPES Works, Naim Cendera, Sarawak Forest Corporation, etc?
Prime state land, for eg.the government quarters area in Batu Lintang and Sungai Bakong area in Sibu etc, are alienated to Naim Cendera to be turned into commercial development projects. Again, who own and control Naim Cendera and how are they connected to people in power?
Those are but a few examples. Not many years ago, logging permits to large tracts of forest areas were invariably granted to children, in-laws, friends, nominees or political affiliates of those in power.
Now, large tracts of plantation lands are alienated to the same people. It is not so bad if the lands are state land but it would be sinful if the lands are NCR of Native communities. The BN government just couldn’t be bothered.
The BN government says it would not take away people’s land without adequate compensation but when a great number of native communities find land they have cultivated for generations with rubber, padi and fruits are alienated to a plantation companies, they are baffled. To them, the reality is they have been robbed of their land.
The BN government has been oblivious to the plight of the native land owners. It has embarked on a policy of freezing issuance of titles to NCR land and has amended the land code many times thus making it easier to grant provisional leases to companies belonging to BN leaders and their relatives and making it difficult for the NCR landowners to prove their claims to NCR lands.
These are the ways of modern-day Robin Hood i.e. rob the poor to give to the rich.
The announcement now that the government is carrying out perimeter survey of NCR land is calculated for election purpose when the government realises it is in danger of losing power. But why only now and why only perimeter survey and not survey of individual lots? In any case, those surveys that have been embarked upon are only at areas to serve the BN election strategies
In strategising to hold on to power at all costs, the BN leaders are preaching to the Tuai Rumahs and Ketua Kampungs to keep away opposition campaigners. That is a selfish and irresponsible tactic which is oblivious to the adverse consequences to the solidarity and social cohesion of the longhouses and kampungs. It is a sure recipe that will destroy the social and cultural fabric of our communities. Again the BN leaders couldn’t care less.
The BN and its predecessor, the Alliance, have ruled this country and this state for almost half a century. That is far too long by anybody’s reckoning. Some BN leaders exhibit arrogance of power to proclaim that only the BN, can bring development.
But the truth of the matter is of course that parties other than the BN if put to power, backed by the same or even an improved civil service and having access to the same consolidated funds can not only bring development to the people but can better administer and manage the state and country.
The Kelantanese have demonstrated that they are happy with a non-BN led government. They have returned PAS to power in consecutive elections. From what we hear, the people in Selangor and Penang are happy with their Pakatan governments.
So to provide a check on the almost absolute power wielded by the BN government in Sarawak, it becomes imperative that we go for change. Change can only be for the better.
We believe therefore that a rejuvenated and revitalised SNAP working alongside its Pakatan’s partners will be instrumental and crucial in bringing about this urgently needed change so that power will not become absolute and corrupt.
Let’s hope we will have a meaningful and fruitful Symposium.
Thank You.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
There is an undisputable ring of truth in that adage.
At national level, billions of Ringgit of People’s money has been spent in the PKFZ project and in the process, the bank accounts of some powerful personalities have grown unmanageably fat.
If not for a change of government that has occurred in Selangor, these corrupt practices and the massive abuse of power involved could not have been discovered.
We hear of a few hundred millions ringgit kickbacks involved in the purchase of military wares. But yet, a submarine cannot drive and military equipmentare substandard.
Those billions of ringgit lost through the rampant practices within the BN beaurocracy could be saved for development projects that could better benefit the rakyat.
Today, as we sit here, the PM is paying a visit to Bakun Dam. Predictably some time later an announcement will be made that the dam will be sold to the state government at a favourable price and at a favourable scheme of repayment.
The federal government would have already made a loss of billions of ringgit and our state government would within a span of couple of years incur billions of ringgit in repayment, spending money that could be utilised for the people’s benefit.
Predictably also, like many of the mammoth projects before, the state government would either sell the dam pretty cheaply or sell the energy generated by the dam cheaply to Sarawak Energy Berhad.
Billions of ringgit of money of the people of Sarawak would had been spent, but ironically the people as consumers of electricity would suffer more by having to pay increased electricity rates and Sarawak Energy Berhad will be making huge profits.
Who own and control Sarawak Energy Berhad?
Billions of ringgit have gone down the drain in the failed First Silicon project. But to the BN leaders that does not matter. The members of the Board of Directors and the senior management appointed by the BN State government get fat pay cheques, fees and allowances.
Money-making government undertakings are privatised. Road maintenance and road construction function of the PWD, enforcement function of the Forest Department and a few others have been awarded to private entities. Who own and control these enterprises?
Who own and control CMS, PPES Works, Naim Cendera, Sarawak Forest Corporation, etc?
Prime state land, for eg.the government quarters area in Batu Lintang and Sungai Bakong area in Sibu etc, are alienated to Naim Cendera to be turned into commercial development projects. Again, who own and control Naim Cendera and how are they connected to people in power?
Those are but a few examples. Not many years ago, logging permits to large tracts of forest areas were invariably granted to children, in-laws, friends, nominees or political affiliates of those in power.
Now, large tracts of plantation lands are alienated to the same people. It is not so bad if the lands are state land but it would be sinful if the lands are NCR of Native communities. The BN government just couldn’t be bothered.
The BN government says it would not take away people’s land without adequate compensation but when a great number of native communities find land they have cultivated for generations with rubber, padi and fruits are alienated to a plantation companies, they are baffled. To them, the reality is they have been robbed of their land.
The BN government has been oblivious to the plight of the native land owners. It has embarked on a policy of freezing issuance of titles to NCR land and has amended the land code many times thus making it easier to grant provisional leases to companies belonging to BN leaders and their relatives and making it difficult for the NCR landowners to prove their claims to NCR lands.
These are the ways of modern-day Robin Hood i.e. rob the poor to give to the rich.
The announcement now that the government is carrying out perimeter survey of NCR land is calculated for election purpose when the government realises it is in danger of losing power. But why only now and why only perimeter survey and not survey of individual lots? In any case, those surveys that have been embarked upon are only at areas to serve the BN election strategies
In strategising to hold on to power at all costs, the BN leaders are preaching to the Tuai Rumahs and Ketua Kampungs to keep away opposition campaigners. That is a selfish and irresponsible tactic which is oblivious to the adverse consequences to the solidarity and social cohesion of the longhouses and kampungs. It is a sure recipe that will destroy the social and cultural fabric of our communities. Again the BN leaders couldn’t care less.
The BN and its predecessor, the Alliance, have ruled this country and this state for almost half a century. That is far too long by anybody’s reckoning. Some BN leaders exhibit arrogance of power to proclaim that only the BN, can bring development.
But the truth of the matter is of course that parties other than the BN if put to power, backed by the same or even an improved civil service and having access to the same consolidated funds can not only bring development to the people but can better administer and manage the state and country.
The Kelantanese have demonstrated that they are happy with a non-BN led government. They have returned PAS to power in consecutive elections. From what we hear, the people in Selangor and Penang are happy with their Pakatan governments.
So to provide a check on the almost absolute power wielded by the BN government in Sarawak, it becomes imperative that we go for change. Change can only be for the better.
We believe therefore that a rejuvenated and revitalised SNAP working alongside its Pakatan’s partners will be instrumental and crucial in bringing about this urgently needed change so that power will not become absolute and corrupt.
Let’s hope we will have a meaningful and fruitful Symposium.
Thank You.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)