Monday 16 January 2012

We may seek alliance with other parties in future, says Jugol

Kuching  (Jan 15, 2012):  Sarawak National Party (SNAP) does not rule out the possibility of  seeking an alliance with other political parties in future, its newly elected president Stanley Jugol said yesterday.

“Politics is such that it is very fluid, anything can happen. So we don’t rule out such possibility,” he told reporters after the party’s 17th triennial general meeting here.

He added:”We believe in a two-party system. We can be either part of the ruling Barisan Nasional or the Pakatan Rakyat.”

Jugol said SNAP, however, had abandoned a proposal to merge with the DAP “because we found it to be not workable”.

“We also believe in the Borneo Agenda as propagated by Sabah politician Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

“We believe that Sarawak has been deprived of many things under the 18 Point Agreement which formed the basis for Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia,” he said.

“But for now, we want to consolidate our strengths by regularising our party divisions.

“We need to do this because after the party has split many times before, we are not sure who our members are,” Jugol said.

 He said only genuine members would be allowed to hold office in the divisions.

Meanwhile, Jugol and other office bearers of the party were all elected unopposed.

The deputy president is accountant Kebing Wan while the senior vice president is hotelier Johnny Wong Sie Lee.

The five vice presidents are retired senior customs officer Frankie Jurem Nyombui, lawyers  Dayrell Walter Entrie and Anthony Liman Sujang, businessman Roland Teo Yuk Tong and oil palm plantation manager Dan Giang.

Former Sessions Court judge Augustine Liom and retired state welfare officer Abang Othman Abang Gom were made the appointed vice presidents.

Jurem was also appointed the new secretary-general while Datuk Seri Dennis Chang Foh Onn remains as the treasurer-general.

The post of deputy secretary-general went to Paul Kadang with Entalai Munan as the deputy treasurer-general.

The organising secretary went to Lucius Jimbon, publicity officer to Lawrence Cosmas Sunang and financial officer,  Simijie Janting.

Jugol said the new line-up consisted of veterans party members and new faces, who were professionals.

He brushed aside criticisms that today’s TGM was illegally held because the Registrar of Societies (ROS) had not completed its investigation into claims of irregularities by one of its former members Michael Lias.
Today’s TGM was a postponement from the Sept 15, 2011 after it was found that Lias, who was contesting for the president’s post, was found to be a member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) as well.

Lias insisted that he was a SNAP member.

He had also lodged a report with ROS that he had every right to contest a post in the party.

SNAP constitution does not allow dual membership.

Lias, in his press statement, called today’s TGM illegal and urged party members to stay away from it.

Jugol said Lias had right to call on party members to stay away from the TGM since he was no longer a member of the party. by Sematong Express

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