Is SNAP becoming irrelevant?

(This story has appeared in Free Malaysia Today)

KUCHING: After severe beating in the last week-end polls, Sarawak National Party (SNAP) has now withdrawn into a corner licking the wounds of its defeat.

“This defeat is not only shameful, but questions are being asked whether the party continues to be relevant or not,” said a former SNAP minister and leader.

The leader who refused to be named was an assistant minister in the good old days of the party in 1970s and 1980s.

All the 27 candidates of the party lost heavily in the rural areas which it claimed to be its traditional home ground and strongholds. Except for Tedong Anak Gunda in Pakan, all of its candidates including its president Edwin Dundang lost their deposits.
Dundang managed to secure 281 votes in the party’s so-called strong hold since September 1963 until November 2002 - a period of 39 years.

In Pakan Tedong Gunda secured 2,741 votes. But the voters had no choice. It was either him of SPDP President William Mawan Ikom.

“Isn’t it shameful to lose badly and to lose all the deposits?” the assistant minister asked.

The recently concluded state election was its second outing (the first was in 2006) after it was forced to leave the Barisan Nasional.

Following this crisis, SNAP’s fortunes began to dip down after nine of its elected representatives and senior party leaders left the party to form Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) due to the leadership crisis in 2002.

SPDP was immediately accepted to join the Barisan Nasional.

Adding to SNAP’s problem was the fact that it had been deregistered by the Registrar of Societies as a result of the crisis, but it appealed for stay of execution.

Following the court of appeal decision to remove the ROS’s order (deregistration) in June last year, SNAP started to rebrand and rejuvenate itself to become the party of the future.

Its programme of rebranding in January 2011 and February attracted a number of ex-Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) leaders as well as some financiers from peninsular Malaysia.

But things were not moving even though some financial resources had been given to them. Their lack of planning and slow moving forced some financial supporters to withdraw. Potential and educated Dayak leaders were reluctant to join the party.And yet their leaders talked big saying that SNAP should be dominant party in Sarawak and not Parti Keadilan Rakyat and not DAP.

“We must be given the leading role in Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat,” said its President.

“The party with its glorious past and representing the Dayak community should take the lead. Therefore SNAP felt insulted by PKR which wanted us to contest in only three seats,” he said.

“We have all the branches over the state with a membership of 123,000,” he said, declaring that it would contest in all Dayak majority seats.

Even it asked for 48 seats including the 29 Dayak majority seats.

PKR, a peninsular-based party, should stay away from these constituencies, he said.

SNAP secretary general Stanley Jugol suggested that PKR candidates should contest using SNAP’s symbol.

“We are more popular than PKR,” he said.

Of course PKR was not fool as it knew its strength. After all it has been preparing to contest against the state Barisan Nasional since 2006.

SNAP blamed PKR for the failed negotiation and left Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS.

Efforts by PKR to negotiate for seats were ignored. Telephones and ‘smses’ went unanswered.

Days before nomination days, the movement of change, Sarawak (MoCS) revealed that SNAP’s financiers John Soh had withdrawn supporting the party due to lack of commitment given to the party and its lack of planning and direction.

A number of sympathetic organisations also announced their disassociation with the party, leaving it in a limbo.

But the most devastating effect on SNAP’s credibility was the disclosure that it had obtained some funds from UMNO to fight not only Taib Mahmud, but also PKR.

That little piece of news spread like wildfire in the rural areas especially in the constitunecies where SNAP was contesting.

Despite these handicaps, SNAP leaders insisted that it would contest in the Dayak majority and some mixed constituencies.

During a Press conference, a question was privately asked why did SNAP put some ‘lousy and bangkrupt’ candidates to contest.

Jugol replied that it was to ensure that PKR would not contest in those constituencies since SNAP had announced its candidates.

Their reasoning backfired as it pointed to SNAP’s selfish decision – its main aim was to prevent PKR from contesting in these constituencies, but missed the bigger picture that of ousting the BN leaders.

“That will give SNAP not only a wrong impression and perception to the voters, but in the process it lost its integrity and credibility” said a political analyst.

SNAP’s leaders should realise that after eight years in the “ICU” it was suddenly waken from the deep ‘slumber’ at the time when the state was preparing for its 10th state election.

“It is still weak and cannot talk big,” said the analyst.

Worst, it wanted to contest not only in two to three seats, but the whole of the 29 Dayak majority seats and 19 other mixed constituencies.

People were laughing at them especially the BN component parties as it helped to split the Dayak votes much against the Patakan Rakyat’s desire for a one-to-one fight against the BN candidates in all the 71 seats.

“This was SNAP’s biggest political blunder.

“The party should not have contested but continued to rebrand or rejuvenate itself until perhaps the next state election,” said a political scientist.

“SNAP should only think of contesting in 2015 election. By then it has fully recovered from the eight years in the political doldrum,” he said.

From onward, there are two things that it must do if it wants to continue to stay relevance. First, the party calls for an urgent emergency meeting to discuss the future of the party.

Second, the present committee must all resign to open the way for new, young and capable leaders to take over. Otherwise, the party will be further reduced into smaller than a mosquito party.

And third, it must return to the fold of the Pakatan Rakyat. On its own, SNAP cannot remain to become a single party purely representing the Dayaks.

Sectarian political parties are no longer relevant to serve the narrow and bigoted interest of a community.

It needs to be together with national based parties like PKR and DAP in the effort to create a two-party system.

SNAP’s Sarawak for Sarawakians

KUCHING: Sarawak National Party has been asked to revive its battle cry – Sarawak for Sarawakians – as part of its rebranding programme, said a former leader of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak, Wilfred Gomez at the party’s third symposium on Saturday.

“This was the battle cry of the party in early 70s when SNAP was down,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong with the revival of the battle cry, because there are political parties which battle cry is more extreme in terms of religious and racial extremism for their parties,” said Gomez who was a former PBDS Secretary General.

The battle cry was adopted after Stephen Kalong Ningkan was removed as Chief Minister in 1966 and SNAP was pushed out of the state alliance. That was the start of the erosion of the State rights.

Using this battle cry in the 1974 state and parliamentary elections, SNAP won 18 state and nine parliamentary seats making it one of the strongest opposition parties then.

“What is wrong when we just want to protect and return our rights as enshrined in the 18 points agreement for Sarawak’s entry in the formation of the federation of Malaysia.

“However, if it is considered too controversial, I would propose that ‘Together we thrive for Sarawak.’

“I believe SNAP must be brave if it wants to attract the people to support its rebranding exercise,” he said, quoting Ronald Reagan, the late US President, who said that the “future belongs to the brave.”

In pursuing this objective, Gomez said it should be inclusive of the discontented, the partyless and all those who feel there is a need for change.

“However, do not feel complacent. People need to feel that they belong and identify with the struggle. Only then, will they participate in SNAP’s struggle,” he said, pointing out that they should not put the blame on the ‘black sheep’ and those who caused the failure of the unity of the community.

“On the other hand, we must not forget those who have in their own various ways contributed and have given inspiration towards our cause.

“SNAP leaders should play the role of strategizing and mooting the direction to bring the community together and to move forward,” he said.

He said SNAP is tasked with an unenviable job of leading the alternative to the present BN government in the state.

“Many, except for those aware of the local sentiments and theparticular attitudes of Sarawak, would think it preposterous for SNAP to want to lead,” he said.

To All readers in Kuching

Anyone who is interested to join Sarawak National Party (SNAP) is welcome to attend its rebranding process at Grand Continental Hotel, Kuching this Saturday, 29 Jan 2011 beginning from 8.00 am– 9.00 am registration.

Two VIP speakers will be among those addressing the symposium.

Come early to avoid disappointment as the place is limited.

Any interested person can contact SNAP HQ or Joseph Tawie at 019-8763222

What are UBF and its objectives?

During the meeting at the SNAP headquarters. Seen from left are Jugol, Zainal Ajamain, Dr. Jeffrey, Nilakrisna James and Anthony Liman, SNAP vice president.

United Borneo Front (UBF) is non-partisan and will align with parties who are willing to assist UBF by pursuing for the Borneo Agenda and UBF’s core demands through parliament.

Last Thursday, UBF leader Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan sought the support of Sarawak National Party and was happy that that SNAP is prepared to work together with UBF to pursue this agenda and named Datuk Daniel Tajem as the UBF leader in Sarawak.

Tajem will amalgamate the forces and Sarawak to promote UBF through “Borneo Tea parties”, the government and the media.

THE BORNEO AGENDA

1. That the Federal government to establish a “compliance Mechanism” vide a Ministry or an enacted body to implement their core objective and core demands stated herein and comply with Article VIII of the Malaysia agreement.

2. Demand for a fairer and more equitable revenue sharing formula including a review of the percentage of oil net revenue as well as fair and equitable representation and role in parliament/federal cabinet/judiciary and the civil and diplomatic services.

3. Restore the equal partnership status of Sabah and Sarawak to Malaya in the Federation including special rights and privileges for the abolishment of Cabotage/Transport/Trade policies that negatively affect the Borneo states.

4. Demand for the abolishment of Cabotage, Transport and Trade policies that negatively affect the Borneo states.

5. Demand for the respect and implementation of Native rights/NCR and articles 153 of the Federal Constitution.

6. Demand for a shift in the economic development focus to Sabah and Sarawak including the narrowing of the economic and digital divides between Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak, and;

7. Resolve the illegal immigrants (PTI) and “Project IC” problems and the threat to territorial integrity of Sabah and Sarawak including the passing of the heaviest deterrent sentence on rimes related to the issuance of citizenship to illegal immigrants.


MISSION
Its mission is to reverse colonization-style form of governance and restore the special rights, privileges and equal partnership status of the Borneo States in the Federation.

VISION
That the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak will be a free, politically autonomous, democratic, secure and economically progressive state of Malaysia.

CORE OBJECTIVE
To ensure that the Malaysia agreement including the 20/18 points conditions, assurances and the undertakings by Tunku Abdul Rahman and those contained in the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report as well as the Cobbold Commission are respected and implemented as per Article VIII of the Malaysia agreement 1963.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITY
Empowering the people by educating them about their political economic history; their rights and responsibilities, and to inculcate the spirit of our struggle for justice.

HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THE BORNEO AGENDA
UBF, as a pressure group and civil rights movement, will align itself with political parties, organisations, and individuals who believe in our struggle and who can support, fulfill, or satisfy our objectives, demands, and agendas. We stand on the side of reason, logic and what is right for the people of Borneo.

The Broken Shield: Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan was supposed to meet leaders of Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) and Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) at Telang Usan on Thursday night, beginning from 7.00 pm. But because the hall was booked for another function, the meeting place was shifted to SNAP Headquarters where Dr. Jeffrey had met SNAP leaders earlier in the afternoon.

Sadly none of the SDNU and SDGA dared to come out to attend the function on the reason that there were many Special branch Officers around. They were scared that they might be “marked”.

I would have thought that SDNU and SDGA leaders are the cream of our society. If those civil servants who sit in the committees of the two organisations dared not come out, fair enough. But what about committee members who are pensioners?

Jeffrey Kitingan has been sent to Kamunting Camp under ISA for fighting for the rights of peoples of Sabah and Sarawak, you and me and our children and their children’s children. He is still fighting for it.

I thought we were the descendants of the famous headhunters of Borneo. But now weare so ‘takut’.

No wonder our community continues to be suppressed, oppressed and marginalized.

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.

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)

SNAP SYMPOSIUM ON SAT, 15 JANUARY 2011

Picture of SNAP leaders during the symposium in Sibu

SPEECH OF THE ORGANISING CHAIRMAN, AUGUSTINE LIOM, AT THE SNAP SYMPOSIUM ON SATURDAY 15 JANUARY 2011
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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.