SNAP 'lives' again

It was a long drawn battle with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) but the perseverance of the current Sarawak National Party (SNAP) leadership finally paid off.

Today, the party succeeded in getting the Court of Appeal to set aside its de-registration by the ROS eight years ago.

The court also ordered ROS to pay RM10,000 costs.

Justices Zainun Ali, Ramly Ali and Zaharah Ibrahim unanimosly allowed the appeal brought by SNAP's then deputy president Justine Jinggut against a High Court dismissal of his bid to quash the ROS decision.

The ROS de-registered SNAP on Nov 5, 2002, following the party's failure to resolve its protracted leadership crisis since April that year, and was dissatisfied with the office-bearers constituted because of the internal dispute.

Jinggut then filed a judicial review of the ROS ruling but that was dismissed by the High Court on Sept 15, 2006.

He, however, obtained a stay of the decision, pending the disposal of his appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The party leadership was split by its former president James Wong Kim Min heading one faction, and the late Peter Tinggom, the party's former deputy president who subsequently formed a new political party called the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Produced Sarawak's first CM

Set up in 1961, SNAP gave Sarawak its first chief minister in Stephen Kalong Ningkan and was once a Barisan Nasional component in Sarawak.

Its current president is Edwin Dundang.

In the 2006 Sarawak election, SNAP managed to create an upset in the Engkilili seat when its candidate Johnicol Rayong emerged victorious. It was the only seat won by the party.

However, Rayong had since deserted SNAP to join SUPP.

SNAP was recently declared as the fourth member of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat by its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. The other PR parties are PKR, DAP and PAS.

courtesy of Malaysian Mirror