Bukit Tunggal

Kuching
Wednesday, 16th March 2011

SNAP's Media Statement & List Of First 17 Candidates

MEDIA STATEMENT
For immediate release

Date: 15 March 2011

SARAWAK STATE ELECTIONS 2011


Sarawak National Party (SNAP) has always been, since the inception of Malaysia 47 years ago, the party that speaks out, defends and fights for the welfare of the people of Sarawak especially the interior native population. It must be reiterated that SNAP will remain so now, and in the future, in response to the popular requests and desires of the people of Sarawak. SNAP is synonymous with the political development of Sarawak and intends to play its role in positive nation building within the ambit of the Federation of Malaysia Agreement 1963. SNAP it should be remembered was one of the political parties which were signatories to the Malaysia Agreement.

The forthcoming state elections this year will be a watershed in the political history of Sarawak and it is imperative that SNAP, being the traditional party of choice among natives play a meaningful role in the shaping of Sarawak’s political future.

In this context, the Select Committee after being given the mandate by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of SNAP met this weekend and agreed among other things that SNAP’s participation in these elections will reflect its historic role and its presently reignited dynamic role, as requested by our membership. Consequently SNAP has decided to put up a total of 40 candidates, 29 of which will be in interior native-majority constituencies and the rest will be in areas where natives form the largest single grouping.

To underscore our seriousness and commitment to the above, SNAP hereby announces our candidates for the first 16 seats.

They are as follows:

1. Stephen Sigar - N. 1 Opar

2. Frankie Jurem Nyumboi - N. 2 Tasik Biru

3. Richard @ Peter M. Munai - N. 16 Bengoh

4. Slyvester Belayong - N. 19 Kedup

5. Abang Othman Abang Hj Gom - N. 23 Lingga

6. Dan Giang - N. 25 Balai Ringgin

7. Joe Unggang - N. 31 Layar

8. Dayrell W. Entrie - N. 32 Bukit Saban

9. Anthony Liman Sujang - N. 34 Krian

10. Tedong Gunda @ Jamal Abdullah - N. 41 Pakan

11. Augustine Liom - N. 44 Machan

12. George Lagong - N. 56 Baleh

13. John Bampa - N. 57 Belaga

14. Johari Bujang - N. 62 Lambir

15. Edwin Dundang Bugak - N. 66 Marudi

16. Kebing Wan - N. 67 Telang Usan


The candidacies for the remaining 24 constituencies will only be finalized and announced at a later date. This is because SNAP feels that its present effort to invite other native leaders who are currently partyless or dispersed in other political parties to come back to contest under the SNAP banner in order to avoid the dilution of native votes in these constituencies, will bear positive results. The present aspiring SNAP candidates for these constituencies are willing to sacrifice and accommodate these native leaders as candidates in favour of the desire not to split native votes.


The Select Committee having decided on the above also reiterates that it is SNAP’s fervent desire that there will be throughout Sarawak one-to-one contests against the ruling coalition. Common wisdom tells us that it is wise not to split the anti-BN votes to ensure opposition victory.


SNAP does not see any problem towards an electoral understanding with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) of Sarawak. We are urged by our membership to go further than electoral pacts and work towards greater understanding and mutual support with the DAP. Our leadership has been and shall be meeting DAP leaders over these matters in due course.


We also do not see any problems in our relationship with Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).


However, sadly, we have been informed that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has on its own initiative, and without mandate, took on the role of the leading opposition party by announcing that they intend to contest in 52 seats and leave SNAP a miserable 3 seats to squabble over. We also note that PKR has overlapping claims with the DAP. The very recent announcement by PKR that an agreement has been reached on the opposition electoral pact in Sarawak is totally inaccurate. PKR’s attempt to gloss over this major problem and ride roughshod against SNAP is unwarranted and unbecoming. There has been no agreement, no attempt to negotiate and PKR’s lackadaisical attitude towards native political issues is now becoming obvious.

We reiterate that such presumptuousness on the part of PKR is unwarranted and unmandated. We believe that PKR after reviewing its influence in Sarawak for the last 12 years should only concentrate in the mixed areas where we feel they can do better than SNAP. It is worthy of note that after 12 years and participating in 3 federal elections and 2 state elections over these years involving 74 candidates which they have put up, PKR has only managed to win 1 state seat. It is also a fact that can be verified that PKR has had little impact in native-majority areas ever since it first contested in Sarawak.

With that background, we hope that PKR will co-operate to ensure the opposition electoral pact will be a reality based on actual representation of the various political groupings. Its problems over overlapping seats with DAP should also be solved as fast as possible.

The above has been communicated to PKR in the various meetings but to no avail. It is sad that at this eleventh hour, PKR still insists on contesting in 52 seats at our expense, and without substantive grounds to support their insistence.

In this state elections of 2011, SNAP is taking back its rightful role as the leading opposition voice in Sarawak.

SNAP is conscious of its role and intends to fulfill it without reservation.

God bless the people of Sarawak.



EDWIN DUNDANG
President
Sarawak National Party (SNAP)