Fresh from defeat, Snap mulls going national

Ang Ngan Toh

The Sarawak National Party (Snap), which fared badly in the just-concluded state election, is considering amending its constitution to enable it to play a political role at either the regional or national level.

“We are examining various options open to us in terms of coalition building, one that would ensure stability of direction and purpose.

“This may include the possibility of electoral pacts with parties or organisations outside of Sarawak,” he said after the party's central executive committee meeting (CEC) yesterday.

“With such reforms being taken within the party, we are sure that Snap will emerge stronger and more responsive as a political organisation,” he added.

It is not clear whether Dundang was referring to DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, who yesterday proposed a Dap-Snap merger.

Meanwhile, Dundang said the Snap leadership accepted the verdict handed down by the voters in the polls.

“Owing to various factors, Snap did not perform well as it had expected. In fact, the party is at a low ebb,” he added.

He said an initial result of a post-mortem conducted immediately after the election showed certain structural weakness in the party for the poor response from the voters.

Dundang said the full result of the post-mortem would be known in a few weeks' time.

Snap fought polls 'virtually alone'

Another reason for the pathetic showing, he said, was the party's troubled relationship with Pakatan Rakyat, particularly PKR.

He blamed PKR for targeting Snap more than BN during the 10-day election campaign.

“Given the ferocity of attack on Snap by PKR, it was hardly surprising that Snap had to fight the election virtually alone,” he added.

“This was clearly not a satisfactory situation for Snap since we had considered ourselves part and parcel of Pakatan Rakyat,” he said, adding that the shabby treatment by PKR was uncalled for.

Dundang however said he would not be stepping down as party president to take responsibility for Snap's failure in the election.

“I am not a cabinet minister unlike Dr George Chan, the deputy chief minister, who took the full blame for SUPP's poor showing in the election,” he said.

He said his term as party president expired at the party's triennial delegates conference scheduled for August this year.

Snap claims Pelagus rep as its own

Meanwhile, Dundang claimed that an independent candidate, George Lagong, who won in Pelagus in last Saturday's polls is the party's state assemblyperson.

He said Lagong was supposed to contest in Baleh on a Snap ticket, but made a last-minute switch to Pelagus when incumbent Larry Sng was not re-nominated to contest on a BN's ticket.

“Lagong was unable to get a letter of authority from the party in time due to the last-minute switch so he stood as an Independent.

“This was done with the full knowledge and blessing of the party,” he said, adding that Lagong could not be present at the CEC meeting yesterday as he had prior commitment elsewhere.

Dundang said Lagong had stated that “he is and will remain steadfastly as a Snap member”.

“Being the sole Snap representative in the State Legislative Assembly, he will be given, in due course, an important and significant role in the party's central executive committee,” Dundang said.

He said Lagong had accepted as a member of CEC with immediate effect.

Dundang said Snap, therefore, was not totally wiped out in the election as widely reported by the media.

Twenty-five of 26 Snap candidates lost their election deposits when they failed to secure one-eighth of the total vote cast in the constituencies they contested.

The sole Snap candidate, who did not lose his deposit, was Tedong Gunda, who faced Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president William Mawan Ikom, in Pakan.

Lagong, however, is non-committal

Lagong, who is Larry Sng's uncle, defeated Stanley Nyitar @ Unja Malang of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Edward Sumbang Asun of PKR.

Lagong, when contacted, was non-committal about his ties with Snap.

“It was a mere speculation that I was a Snap candidate. I won as an Independent, and not on a Snap ticket,” he said.

He conceded that he was supposed to contest on a Snap ticket in Baleh, but made a last-minute switch to Pelagus.

Lagong said any political decision he made would be based on what is good for the people of Pelagus.

He nevertheless said he needed a political vehicle to pursue his political career.

“I do not rule out the possibility of joining PRS or any other parties,” he explained, when asked for his reaction to the invitation by PRS president James Masing to join PRS, a component of BN.