Baram voters want Iban as candidate

KUCHING: Nowadays Marudi Town is abuzz with rumours that Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat is likely to nominate an Iban for the Baram parliamentary seat to challenge the incumbent Jacob Dungau Sagan, who has been named by Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party as the candidate to defend the seat for the Barisan Nasional.

The potential candidate has been identified as Patrick Sibat, a soil scientist, who is currently a supreme council member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak.

He is expected to resign any time from the party, said his supporters.

PKR has also identified another potential candidate Roland Engan, a lawyer.

Sibat’s supporters have been going around ‘selling’ his name among the voters in Marudi who are no stranger to him as he is not only from Marudi, but had one time stood as a candidate representing Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak in the 1983 state election.

He was narrowly beaten by then a Sarawak National Party candidate the late Edward Jeli.

Sibat’s supporters have met with longhouse chiefs and even with supporters of Sylvester Entri, discussing with them the possibility of Sibat contesting in the coming general election.

Entri is the incumbent Marudi assemblyman, who was expelled from SPDP in October last year.

Recently they met with PKR leaders explaining some of the reasons why the party must pick Sibat if PKR wants to win the seat in the coming general election.

One of the main reasons is that the Iban community which forms the biggest group with 10,294 voters have never been given a chance to contest the Baram seat. The majority of them are from the Marudi constituency.

The other ethnic groups which are from the Telang Usan constituency are Kayans numbering 6,365 voters, Kenyahs and Penans accounting for 4,500 and 600 voters respectively.

Two Kayans namely Luhat Wan and Harrison Ngau and a Kenyah in the person of Sagan have represented the constituency for a period of more than 40 years.

The other reason is that the Ibans in Marudi who are strong supporters of Entri are not only angry with  SPDP but also have vowed to vote any candidate put up by SPDP in the Baram constituency.

In October last year, more than 30 longhouse chiefs had banned SPDP President William Mawan Ikom from visiting their area as his visit would further create disunity among the people.

Mawan’s visit was only made possible with the intervention of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Mawan had been warned of the consequences of his visit, but he ignored it; one of which was heightening the tensions between SPDP and Entri and his supporters.

Another factor that is favouring Sibat is due to the strong opposition by the Kenyah, Kayan and Penan communities against the construction of the Baram dam now in progress.

From past records, the Kayan and Kenyah communities were split with 55% voted for the Opposition, and 45% for BN. While more than 2,700 Chinese voters voted for the Opposition, the Malays numbering more than 1,600 voted for the BN.

Kenyahs from Sagan’s own longhouse at Long Anap are against the dam as almost all the Kenyah heartland will be flooded by the dam.

Seen from these perspectives, the Iban votes are considered to be the determining factor. This is how Sibat and his supporters see it.

Even if Roland Engan is to be the PKR candidate, he still needs the Iban factor to win. But will the Ibans vote for him, when they are clamouring for an Iban to be the candidate?

“This is a point that PKR should consider,” said Sibat’s former polling agent.

But Baru Bian, Sarawak PKR chief said that the problem with Sibat is that he is still a member of PRS which is a member of the Barisan Nasional coalition.

“We are not sure how serious he is,” Bian was reported to have told Sibat’s supporters.

Sibat was not available to confirm the story as he was away in Miri allegedly meeting his supporters.  

The Baram Parliamentary constituency has always been a Barisan Nasional ‘fixed deposit’ since 1970, except for a period from 1990 to 1994 when an environmental activist Harrison Ngau defeated BN-Sarawak National Party Luhat Wan.

But for the coming general election, the political situation in the constituency is very volatile due to the strong opposition of the local people against the construction of the Baram dam that will submerge more than half of the Orang Ulu heartland.

More than 20,000 native people will be displaced and their roots, heritage and culture and their longhouses will disappear.

Recently 150 representatives of the Orang Ulu ethnic groups met in Miri calling on the government to immediately stop the construction of the Baram dam.

This and the  native customary rights land-grabbing cases  are going to be the main campaign  issues in the constituency against the Barisan Nasional.

Dare Mawan face off with Taib?

(Taken From Free Malaysia Today)

January 28, 2012

The next general election may see more of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's party members contesting under the banner of SPDP, PRS or even SUPP.

KUCHING:  Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) is not out of the woods yet despite the sacking of its five errant elected representatives, better known as the SPDP 5.

In fact word has it, that party  president William Mawan may now be faced with a bigger and more complex problem.

The five have declared themselves BN friendly and whilst they may be out of SPDP, they are not out of Barisan Nasional. They were all elected under a BN ticket, albeit under SPDP banner.

The question sifting through the party’s rank and file is: ‘Does Mawan have the political mettle, skill and courage to deal with this ‘new’ challenge’?

Because Mawan will be up against a political megamind – Taib Mahmud.

Will he dare face-off with Taib?

The four ex-SPDP assemblymen – Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) and the MP for Mas Gading Tiki Lafe are not ordinary elected representatives.

They are ‘PBB men” planted in SPDP and allegedly backed by Taib. PBB or Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu is Taib’s political vehicle.

Following their expulsion, they are now going to register a BN club with the Registrar of Societies to justify or sustain them as BN representatives.

This will also ensure that they continue to receive minor rural projects for their respective constituencies.

Mawan refuses to acknowledge the club as a political entity.

But that is his problem. The five have Taib’ s blessings to start the club.

SPDP ‘powerless’

Once registered, the BN club has the legal entity of a political party. In other words, Mawan cannot say that they are ‘partyless’.

This will justify Taib’s decision to retain Entri, Nansian and Rosey as assistant ministers.

The appointment of Paulus Gumbang as chairman of the Miri Port Authority effective next month is the latest indication that Taib is not supporting Mawan.

The chairmanship of the authority has always been allocated to SPDP.

Mawan recommended his own man to replace Rosey who has been appointed assistant minister.

But Mawan’s recommendation was rejected indicating again that SPDP is now ‘powerless’.

The formation of the BN club has two immediate effects:

Firstly, by recognizing the formation of the club, Taib may want them to defend their seats as they are still considered ‘winnable candidates’. 

Under the BN spirit of understanding, Mawan should oppose it.  But does he have the courage to protest?

If he is strong enough to defend the rights of SPDP in BN, it is possible that the seats may be returned to the party.

Taib may chose to re-use the formula he adopted to solve the problems between SNAP  and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) in the 1983 state election.

In this formula, both parties were allowed to use their own symbols for a ‘free-for-all’ in the disputed constituencies.

Setting a precedent

PBDS which broke away from SNAP demanded to contest in 16 state seats. SNAP strongly opposed them.

In order to show which of the two had the support of the people, Taib then proposed a ‘free-for-all’ in the disputed seats. Both SNAP and PBDS won eight seats each.

But the ‘danger’ in this solution is that the BN leadership may be forced to take sides in the midst of the electioneering as it did to PBDS.

After all BN has nothing to lose. Whichever party wins is still a victory for Barisan Nasional.

The party which allies itself with BN would also see financial and logistical support from the Barisan Nasional.

But such an action would further worsen the animosity between the two parties and this can cause a major problem for BN.

Secondly, with the formation of the club, every time there are internal problems in a Barisan Nasional component party, the disgruntled members may quit the party and join the BN Club.

The BN club would set a precedent. This is the danger the Barisan Nasional coalition may face later on.

Such scenario can happen to any party in the Barisan Nasional. It can even happen to PBB itself.

What would Taib say if PBB members who are not happy with him quit the party and join the club?

Then there are the seven elected representatives from Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) who are also in limbo.

Fear of political backlash

The six are – former SUPP deputy secretary general Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Asan) Tiong Thai King (MP for Sibu), Ranom Mina (Opar assemblyman), Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Francis Harden (Simanggang), Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili) and Lee Kim Shin (Senadin).

In the event that SUPP is deregistered due to breaches in party elections or if they are unable to reconcile with the newly elected president Peter Chin, Wong and his group have made it very clear that they will not form a new party for the time being.

It is, however, possible they may join the BN club and remain BN friendly.

As a UNIMAS lecturer Jeneri Amir said: “By allowing individuals who have been sacked from a Barisan component party to form or join a BN club, the implications are far-reaching.

“If such a club is being condoned by BN, It will create confusion, cause splits and weaken the coalition,” he said.

For the coming general election, it is anticipated by other leaders of BN component parties that more ‘PBB people’ will be contesting under the banner of SPDP, PRS or even SUPP.

This is based on what Taib said that he alone will determine who will be the winnable candidates.

For the time being no one dares to speak out their minds for fear of political backlash, but murmurs of dissatisfaction have getting louder in SPDP.

“What is the point of having our own political parties with our own presidents, if they cannot nominate their own party members to be candidates?

“We may as well dissolve our parties and join PBB or even join the Opposition?” said an angry senior SPDP leader who did not wish to be identified.

Mawan expels the remaining four

KUCHING:  The President of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party William Mawan Ikom has formally sacked the remaining four of the group which called themselves as ‘SPDP 5’ apparently ending a two-year old crisis in the party.

“They are sacked from the party and by implication they are no longer members of Barisan Nasional.

“The decision is regrettable, but you know I have been holding back (the decision), because I don’t like to do the thing that we don’t like to do.

“But sometimes a decision will have to be made in order to do justice to ourselves, to the party and to the Barisan Nasional and probably to the four,” he said after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting.

The four who are elected representatives are Tiki Lafe, (Mas Gading MP), Peter Nansian, (Tasik Biru assemblyman), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau).

The leader of the group, Sylvester Entri, Marudi assemblyman, was sacked in November last year.

All the five have expressed no confidence in the SPDP leadership after they walked out from the party’s supreme council meeting in January in 2010 following a major disagreement over the replacement and appointment of Secretary General.

Since then they had failed to attend the party’s supreme council meetings even though they had been invited to do so.

In announcing the expulsion, Mawan said:  “We wish them all the best.  We know that as far as SPDP is concerned, they are no longer members of the SPDP and by implication they are no longer members of Barisan Nasional.

“But if they profess to continue to support BN, that is well and good. But it should not within the definition of the BN framework, the understanding and the BN teamwork,” he said.

Regarding the formation of BN club by the five, Mawan said that he was not sure whether they as members of the club are members of the Barisan Nasional.

“We have various BN clubs and political clubs even in universities in London. But with regard to those who were once belonging to component parties and have resigned or sacked, I am not sure at the moment whether they still can continue to form an entity.

“We can acknowledge the existence of the support group, but not as an entity. It is not in line with the principle and understanding of Barisan Nasional. Otherwise it can set a dangerous precedent.

 “I shudder to think of the consequences,” Mawan added.

On the question of Chief Minister expressing support for the group forming a club, Mawan said that all component parties wanted BN to be strong and wanted everyone to support the Barisan Nasional.

“But he (Chief Minister) did not say that he formally recognised the legal existence of the club. Certainly the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and even I cannot refuse the support given by those even by those who have been sacked, except that we cannot formally say that their entity is legal in the context of the existing principle of Barisan Nasional.

“You cannot deviate from that,” Mawan said.

He made it very clear that his party would oppose the group joining any member party of the Barisan Nasional or even ‘parking’ with any party in Barisan.

“It is not the question whether we support them or not joining any other party in the Barisan. It is never the case. That is understood long time ago.

‘Anybody who said otherwise is on purpose.  Not because they don’t know. They just like to say it in order to confuse the people for their own ends,” he said.

Mawan, who is Social Development Minister, was apparently referring to the President of Parti Rakyat Sarawak James Masing who had invited the five to join his party or to be ‘parked’ for the time being.

Meanwhile, Mawan has identified three possible persons as potential candidates to replace Tiki in the Mas Gading parliamentary constituency.

The three are Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism Ik Pahon Joyik, Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) deputy general manager Anthony Nogeh and Zecon general manager Rayan Narong.

The three were introduced to the public over a dinner over the week-end in Bau.

SPDP is the latest victim?

KUCHING: Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat comprising DAP, PKR and PAS is keenly watching the latest political developments in the state - the crises in Sarawak United Peoples Party and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party as 11 parliamentary seats are at stake.

“This is because the two parties are getting weaker due to internal conflicts,” said See Chee How, vice-president of Sarawak PKR.

“SUPP and SPDP are the latest victims to fall prey to PBB’s ploy to weaken state BN in order for them to remain weak and dependent on PBB,” he said when asked to comment on the current political developments in the state.

“Both Baram and Mas Gading seats allocated to SPDP as well as its Saratok and Bintulu seats are now tough seats for BN,” he said.

Similarly SUPP’s allocation of seven parliamentary seats of Serian, Stampin, Bandar Kuching, Sibu, Lanang, Sarikei and Miri are weakened by the internal conflicts in the party.

Bandar Kuching and Sibu are already in the hands of DAP.

In their current political situations, both SUPP and SPDP are vulnerable to ‘aggressive’ attacks by Pakatan Rakyat in the coming general election.

SUPP for instance, almost all the 43 SUPP branches that held their meetings in the last week or so have one problem or another as the line is clearly drawn between the supporters of Peter Chin, Organising Secretary and Wong Sook Koh, Deputy Secretary General.

Chin and Wong are fighting one another for the party’s presidency in the coming triennial delegates’ assembly (TGA) scheduled from December 8 to 10, 2011.

SUPP has a two-tier system of electing their leaders.

The branch will elect 600 delegates to the TGA, who will in turn elect 133 central committee members. The CC members will in turn elect the principal office-bearers.

As electing delegates are extremely important, branch leaders have resorted to under hand tactics against each other in their bids to ensure who would be elected as delegates.

In branches known to be supporters of Chin, they were overzealous to find “irregularities and faults” with those who are supporting Wong.

Similarly branches supporting Wong have also tried to find ‘problems' against Chin’s supporters.

In Sibu, Dudong branch revival committee tried to stop the Sibu branch under the chairmanship of Wong from holding the branch meeting by resorting to court injunction, but the Sibu branch successfully fought against the injunction.

In Kanowit, there was almost a fist fight between supporters of the two leaders. Troubles also occurred in branch elections in Sarikei, Kuching, Miri, and Lundu.

What Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat sees in SUPP is that it may not be able to recover from the internal bickering when the next general election is held no matter whoever wins the presidential race.

As for SPDP, the sacking of Entri from SPDP and the dropping of the three-term MP Tiki Lafe from contesting the Mas Gading seat, both of whom are members of RENTAP (formerly known as SPDP 5), are not only worsening the crisis in the party, but are certain also to have some bearing in the Mas Gading and Baram parliamentary seats.

Even its Saratok and Bintulu seats are shaky.

Whoever is going to be nominated in the Mas Gading seat is going to have a tough time trying to win over Tiki’s staunch supporters.

In the event of a straight fight between the candidates of BN-SPDP and Pakatan Rakyat, both sides have an equal opportunity to win.

Assuming there will be a three-cornered fight with Tiki representing RENTAP, a SPDP candidate and PR candidate, the BN leadership may adopt a formula first used to solve claims over constituencies between Sarawak National Party and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (both members of BN) in the 1983 state election.

The formula will allow SPDP and RENTAP to have a free for all in the four parliamentary constituencies. The BN leadership in the midst of the election may have to choose who has a better chance to win: SPDP or RENTAP.

In the case of the 1983 state election, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud declared his full support for PBDS’ candidates and accused SNAP as the ‘enemy number one’.

SNAP was the biggest loser.

In the Baram parliamentary constituency, SPDP’s Jacob Sagan has been named to be the candidate to defend it. Judging by the hot issues concerning the construction of the proposed Baram dam, which the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities are strongly against it, Sagan may have some problems with the 13, 623 voters in the Telang Usan, a part of the Baram constituency.

Previously, he defended so much from 13,093 voters from the Marudi constituency to win big. About 90% of them are Iban voters.

But now the Marudi voters who are Entri’s strong supporters are against Sagan who is aligned to President William Mawan Ikom.

In last month’s function, Mawan and Sagan needed the help of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to be able to visit Ulu Teru in Marudi where the Iban voters were trying to stop them from ‘disturbing’ the longhouse residents.

At Rumah Ela in Selulit, Tinjar, Marudi, last Saturday, more than 2,000 people including 88 longhouse chiefs and councillors have expressed their strong support for Entri.

Also present were other RENTAP members – Peter Nansian, Tasik Biru assemblyman, Paulus Gumbang, Batu Danau assemblyman and Rosey Yunus, Bekenu assemblywoman. Tiki Lafe was unable to attend as he had a function Bau.

Condemning Mawan for sacking Entri, Councillor Kalang Kimie said: “Our Marudi assemblyman stood and won on a BN ticket, and his sacking is a show of total disrespect to the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and the mandate of the people.

“Sacking the party’s elected representative who had won with the biggest majority in the last election and acting against the others is tantamount to a hidden agenda. Every political party wants to have as many YBs as possible, now throwing them out would weaken the party,” he said.

SPDP’s two other allocated parliamentary seats, Saratok and Bintulu, are also tough seats if the crisis in the party persists.

The incumbents are Jelaing Mersat, (Saratok) and Tiong King Sing, (Bintulu) who are in Mawan’s camp and they too have been named to defend their seats.

“If the results of the last state election are of any indication, Saratok and Bintulu are in deep trouble,” said a political observer.

The Krian seat which is the other half of the Saratok parliamentary seat has been won by Ali Biju of PKR with a big majority. The other half is Kalaka seat.

In Bintulu, Tiong’s position is also precarious. The combination of the majorities (6,477)) obtained by BN in Jepak and Kemena are far less than the majority of 6,930 votes obtained by DAP in Kidurong.

As See, the Batu Lintang assemblyman said: “The Pakatan Rakyat is keenly watching what is happening in SUPP and SPDP.

“We expect to gain by their conflicts,” he said.

SPDP crisis deepens

14 Oct 2011

KUCHING: As the two-year old crisis in Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party deepens, the five rebels popularly known as the ‘SPDP 5’ challenge the party to expel them by refusing to reply to the show-cause letter given to them.

“It is up to them to expel us. That is their business. We are not going to reply to the show-cause letter,” said Peter Nansian, Senior vice-president of the party.

“Our statement today is good enough in response to the show-cause letter,” he added at a Press conference.

The other four are the MP for Mas Gading Dr. Tiki Lafe, vice-president; Sylvester Entri, vice President and Marudi assemblyman; Rosey Yunus, Supreme Council member and Bekenu assemblywomen, and Paulus Gumbang, supreme council member and Batu Danau assemblyman.

So far only Entri has received a show-cause letter as to why action could not be taken against him after he failed to attend the party’s supreme council meetings and other functions organised by the party.

“If the party takes action against one of us, it means you take action against all of us, and we will act as a group,” Nansian said.

“We have pledged to sink and swim together,” he added.

Asked if they are going to form a new party in the event they are expelled, he said: “We will tell you when we cross the bridge.

“For the time being, we are looking for the best solution to resolve the conflict in the party,” said Nansian, who is also the Tasik Biru assemblyman.

It is understood that the ‘rebels’ have formed a committee to study the possibility of forming a new party as well as to look into a temporary parking with one of the parties in the state Barisan Nasional.

Or they may remain partyless, but for Nansian, Entri and Rosey, their positions as assistant ministers are at the pleasure of the Chief Minister.

There was a precedent in the person of Larry Sng, who was partyless, but the Chief Minister still retained him as assistant minister.

Earlier reading a statement, Nansian said: “Today is one of the saddest and most regrettable moments of our lives to have come to a point that we have to make a decision to declare that we have lost faith and confidence in our President.

“He has now apparently no longer can resolve the current conflict in the party amicably and peacefully to maintain party unity and stability and to protect and safeguard BN seats vested in the party for a continuously strong BN government for the good of the rakyat.

“The last straw on the camel’s back that forced us to make this decision is that if the president seriously wants to resolve the current conflict in the party a ‘reconciliation or unity committee’ should have been formed rather than the ‘disciplinary committee’ to take action against us, which we feel very unfair and done solely chop us off,” he said.

Nansian said: “While we have extended our hands in reconciliation over the last two years by meeting him no less than three times formally as a group and more times on informal occasions, and agreed on many points on how to reconcile and work together to maintain stability and make the party stronger, has he implemented accordingly?

“Or is it not in the contrary whereby he has made many controversial remarks that create much uneasiness and suspicion within the party as well as between BN component parties?” he asked.

Nansian blamed the president for labelling them as the ‘rebels 5’ and the ‘group of 5’ and thus started the friction and faction in the party.

He also said the group is not happy when the president branded them as nominees of a BN component party and at the same time accused other BN component leaders of meddling in the party’s internal affairs.

Nansian said: “Our group pledges our undivided support to the leadership of Barisan Nasional at federal and state level.

“We will serve our people in our constituencies in the name of Barisan Nasional. We won the last state election with big majorities under the banner of Barisan Nasional.

“We will sink and swim with BN under the wise leadership of Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Sarawak,” he said.

Nansian did not specifically mention that Mawan should step down, but by saying that they have lost faith and confidence in his leadership, they are indirectly calling on him to step down.

To the group, that will be the ‘best solution’ to solve the conflict.

Except for Tiki, who had to attend to an official business, the rest were present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, Mawan when contacted refused to comment on the statement that the group has no faith and confidence on his leadership.

However, he is expected to issue a statement later.

The conflict within the party started after the December 2009 party election during which Mawan did not want any challenge to the top leadership after he heard some grumblings within the party.

One of the things that made members unhappy was the idea to extend its wing to Peninsula Malaysia. The idea came from the treasurer general Tiong King Sing, the MP for Bintulu, who had his own reasons to extend the party to the peninsula.

Among those who strongly opposed the idea was none other than Sylvester Entri, then the Secretary General. Tiong was heard by reporters of hurling unpleasant words against Entri and those present during one of the supreme council meetings.

From there on, rumours of ‘Team B’ preparing to challenge the leadership were circulated. But Mawan did not want any challenge to the president’s team by insisting on a status quo.

A pledge to that effect was signed by Mawan himself and distributed to all party leaders.

The ‘Team B’ agreed if their men like Entri retained as Secretary General. But in January 2010 in a supreme council meeting, Mawan replaced Entri with Nelson Balang Rining.

This triggered the conflict when the group walked out together with three other members from the meeting.

Since that January, the group had not attended any of the supreme council meetings or functions organised by the party.

SNAP to be rebranded

Picture shows the group before the meeting

KUCHING: Discussions have now been carried out between leaders of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and leaders of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) on the move to rebrand SNAP which has been left in political doldrums for the last eight years after a leadership crisis.

The rebranding of the party will not only make it into a formidable force, but it will become a truly multi-racial party of the future.

Among those involved in the discussions include former PBDS President Daniel Tajem, former PBDS treasurer general Anthony Liman, Douglas Alau, former PBDS executive secretary and several hardcore members of the defunct party, who have not joined any political party since the deregistration of PBDS in 2004.

Committee members of the stillborn Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) have also joined the discussions.

Asked to confirm the move, the SNAP Secretary general Stanley Jugol admitted that several discussions have already been held in Kuching and in Miri and a number of these leaders have been appointed to hold key posts in the party.

“SNAP is open to all who share its aspirations and struggle. It is going to remain as an inclusive party working under Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance).

“By rebranding the party, it is hoped that SNAP will once again return to its past glory,” he said, pointing out that the formation of Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat in May last year gave an opportunity for SNAP to play a bigger role both nationally and locally.

“We want to play a bigger role in Pakatan, but the party must first reorganise or rebrand itself in an effort to strengthen the party,” Jugol said, adding that the party needs the expertise and the guidance of the veteran Dayak politicians.

“But we also need young and professional people to come forward to be members of the party, because they are going to be the future leaders of the party,” he said.

Jugol said that the party has agreed to organise asymposium in Sibu on 15 January to explain the move to the people.

He also said that another symposium will be held in Kuching towards the end of the month on the same objective.

Later in February, the “new” SNAP will be launched, he said.

Jugol said that the party also agreed to form a “Council of Elders” whose main task is to guide and advice the party on matters of importance such as the issues of native customary rights land, traditions, customs and Adat.

Following a bitter leadership crisis in 2002, SNAP was not only reduced into a “mosquito” party, but was also deregistered by the Registrar of Societies. However, it was given a stay of execution pending its appeal to High Court. It was only on 26 June last year that the Court decided on SNAP’s favour.

The crisis began when the party found its former Treasurer General Tiong King Sing, the MP for Bintulu guilty as charged for tarnishing the name of the party over the failed TV3 building project in Bintulu.

His expulsion on 11 April 2002 led to nine central executive committee members walking out from the meeting as they did not agree with the decision of the party.

It also triggered the mass resignations of nine of its elected representatives and members who on 5 November 2002 formed Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). The “gang of nine” as they were popularly known was led by William Mawan Ikom, who later became president of the newly formed party.

The third party to be formed after Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Party Negara Sarawak (PANAS), SNAP’s formation on 10 April 1961 opened the way for the Dayaks to participate in politics during Sarawak’s preparation for independence.

When Sarawak became independence through the formation of Malaysia in September 1963, Ningkan who was the founding secretary general was made Sarawak’s first chief minister.

In the height of its electoral successes, SNAP had nine MPs and 18 state legislators. In 1976 SNAP joined the Barisan Nasional until it was unceremoniously kicked out in 2002.

Today it joins a new coalition, Pakatan Rakyat together with DAP, PKR and PAS.

WHAT IS SNAP’S FUTURE LIKE?

By Joseph Tawie

(This story was first published by The Malaysian Mirror and is updated and published for the readers of The Broken Shield)

KUCHING - After eight years in the political doldrums, Sarawak National Party has been given a new lease of life after the Court of Appeal on 23 June 2010 set aside the decision of the Registrar of Societies to deregister the party.

But what is SNAP’s future like? Will the Dayaks return to the party? Is SNAP that was the pride of the Dayaks in the 1970s when it had 18 State assemblymen and nine MPs, able to recapture its past glory? Or will it be able to capitalize on the sentiments of the Dayaks against the Barisan Nasional government and the authorities? And what are SNAP’s directions?

These are some of the questions that many Dayaks and non-Dayaks are asking and demanding to know.

Many believe SNAP can attain its past glory, but to do that it must be led by someone who has the charismatic personality – the bold and the fearless.

“Change of leadership must be made, if it is going to play a major role in both State and national politics. During these eight years, SNAP was left with a skeleton of members as many had left due to the uncertainty of its fate with the ‘Sword of Damocles’ hanging over its head,” said a former SNAP leader.

Its performances in those years in two parliamentary elections and one state election against the Barisan Nasional were not only dismal, but to the point of being embarrassed, considering the fact that at one time it was the party to be reckoned with.

On 10 April 1961, SNAP that became the third party to be formed after Sarawak United People’s Party and Party Negara Sarawak opened the way for the Dayaks to play active politics just before Sarawak obtaining its independence 1963. Synonymous with Dayak politics, it produced Sarawak’s first Chief Minister in the person of Stephen Kalong Ningkan.

However, SNAP’s fortunes began to decline after the 1982 leadership crisis during which James Wong took over the leadership at the expense of the support of the Dayaks who formed between 80 percent and 90 percent of the party membership. That crisis led to the formation of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak in 1983.

But the 2002 crisis, another leadership crisis, between Wong and a group of Dayaks led by Peter Tinggom dealt a fatal blow to the party when the Registrar of Societies decided to deregister it on 5 November 2002 ignoring the appeals from both sides.

Basically, the crisis was triggered with the expulsion of the MP for Bintulu Tiong King Sing over an issue involving the construction of a TV3 station in Bintulu.

The party accused Tiong of failing to honour his word of donating RM1.5 million to finance part of the project which was RM4 million. Both the Federal Government and TV3 agreed to come up with RM1 million and RM1.5 million respectively.

Tiong who was then treasurer general of the party denied that he had promised to come up with the money.

However, SNAP found Tiong guilty as charged under Article V, Clause (iii) and (vi) of the party constitution.

“Article V – Expulsion of members
(iii) Destroys or attempts to destroy the integrity and good name of the party; or and

(vi) Incites hatred and animosity amongst members or against any Party leaders.”

The case against Tiong was heard on 11 April 2002 at the party headquarters. All the Central Working Committee members attended the meeting.

Before the expulsion order was mentioned, nine members of the CWC led by Tinggom staged a walk-out in protest against the decision. They found that Tiong’s expulsion was flawed when two of the seven appointed CWC members took part in the decision.

The appointment of the two had not been lodged with the Registrar of Societies, although the party constitution to increase the appointed members from five to seven was amended and endorsed in 2000 TGM.

Thus all decisions including expelling Tiong made by the CWC with votes from the seven appointed members were invalid, null and void.

William Mawan, then the Minister of the Environment and Public Health, and obviously the leader of the group brought up the matter with the ROS. The protracted crisis led to the party’s deregistration and the formation of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party. But SNAP applied for stay of execution pending its appeal to the Court of Appeal.

That exactly is the story.

Since that crisis and the demise of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak in October 2004 also due to leadership crisis, had left Dayaks who were not with Barisan Nasional in political limbo.

Now that the Court of Appeal has made its decision in SNAP’s favour, many Dayaks both outside and within the Barisan Nasional are closely watching SNAP’s next move.
The first thing they are interested to know is when SNAP will be holding its TGM and the election of new office-bearers in the next two or three months.

Can they bring in new professionals and the thousands of ex-PBDS members to join the party?

To them this is vital if the party wants to be respected and to be reckoned with. They feel that SNAP should try especially to woo the ex-PBDS members who are still angry with the BN government and authorities for deregistering PBDS and for refusing to register Malaysian Dayak Congress as a political party to replace PBDS.

“We are closely watching SNAP’s next move,” said Daniel Tajem, a former senior vice-president before he was kicked out from the party in 1983.

Many prefer SNAP to remain in the Pakatan Rakyat as it can form the “Dayak arm” of the coalition. At the moment the Dayak interests are being covered by the multi-racial PKR whereas the Chinese and the Malay interests are being looked after by DAP and PAS respectively.

But a BN leader who refuses to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter believes that if SNAP is to remain in PR it may live to regret its decision.
To him, returning to BN should be an ideal and strategic move. Firstly, it can claim back all the seats now under the hands of SPDP. After all, SPDP is the “pretender”. So SPDP can be advised to dissolve and return to SNAP. After all SPDP is the off-spring of SNAP. From here, it can slowly and surely gain its past glory.

To his knowledge SNAP has never been expelled from the BN nor has it left the BN. This has been confirmed by SNAP Secretary General Stanley Jugol.

The BN leader says that once in BN, SNAP (including the dissolved SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak can discuss the merger of the two parties. Currently the merger between PRS and SPDP goes nowhere as there are obstacles that both parties are unable to solve.

“This is the bigger picture that SNAP must think in the interest of the future of Dayaks in this country,” he said.

But the question is: is SPDP prepared to dissolve itself for the bigger interest of the Dayak community? And the other big problem is that whether the Barisan Nasional component parties are ready to accept SNAP back.

Chief Minister and Chairman of State BN Abdul Taib Mahmud has made it very clear that only a collective decision by the BN parties can determine whether SNAP can return to the coalition.

“A lot of waters have gone under the bridge. I have to discuss it with other parties,” he said.

No doubt there are people including Dayaks themselves who do not wish Dayaks to be united under one political umbrella as this will pose a threat to their positions. In fact they prefer the current political scenario whereby the Dayaks are split right, left and centre: some are in SNAP, PKR, PRS, SPDP, PBB and even SUPP.

This results in Dayaks having weak and ineffective voice in articulating the community’s hopes and aspirations. And yet the Barisan Nasional parties consider the Dayaks as their “fixed deposits” in the coming election as they the urban voters are no longer reliable.

Given a new lease of life and the possible injection of new blood including professionals into the party, can SNAP be able to convince the Dayaks in the rural areas to support its political struggle and to reduce the BN’s “fixed deposits”?

This is its biggest test.

Empurau and solidarity dinner

SPDP president William Mawan’s remarks that the “group of eight” who were looking for empurau – the most expensive fish in Kapit (now about RM500 a kilo) - when they attended a PRS function last Saturday, have irked them.

“We don’t look for empurau. We are serious about merger,” said Peter Gani, a member of SPDP council member who together with five lawmakers and two other supreme council members last month walked out from a SPDP council meeting.

“Mawan’s remarks show that he is not interested in the merger proposal as he poked fun at our efforts,” he added.

On the proposed solidarity dinner, Gani said that Mawan could order a lot of empurau for the dinner.

“But can a large amount of empurau and crates of beer drown our problems in SPDP? Can our differences be washed away with the drinking of beer?” he asked.

Gani said that the SPDP president made a lot of promises even swearing by the light (api) and before the light went off he had already broken his promises.

“While on one hand he tries to mend fences with the renegades, he on the other hand introduces a disciplinary committee. Actually he is sharpening his daggers.

“We must beware not to stick our heads into the lion’s mouth,” he added.

Meanwhile, the five – State Assemblyman for Tasik Biru Peter Nansian, State Assemblyman for Marudi Sylvester Enteri, State Assemblyman for Batu Danau Paulus Gumbang, State Assemblywoman for Bekenu Rosey Yunus and the Mas Gading MP Dr. Tiki Lafe – met the BN secretary general Tengku Adnan soon after their return from Kapit yesterday.

According to one of the leaders, they told the BN secretary general that they would never return to the fold of SPDP as they have no more trust on the party leadership.

“The real root cause of the problem is that the president has been lying to us many times in the past.

“We cannot stand it any longer,” they told him.

In replying to a question posed by The Broken Shield regarding the solidarity dinner, Gani said: “We can forget the empurau as we prefer to go for smaller and less expensive fish, the one we can afford. Even ikan pusu is good for us.”

“You can tell SPDP leaders that we can only return if the three leaders step down,” he said, refusing to reveal the names of the three leaders.

Isn’t the shield of the SPDP going to be broken? Any bet? – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com