The Registrar of Societies has reached a decision on which of the two Sarawak National Party (Snap) factions it will back in the party's bitter leadership dispute, but an announcement on the matter will only be made at a later date.

"The case has been studied by the Home Ministry's legal department and a decision has been made," ROS' Ismail Dolah Harun was today quoted as saying by a Sarawak English tabloid Malaysian Today.

He was also quoted as saying that it is now up to him as to when to make the announcement.

"It could be by this week, or maybe next week," he said.

"Normally, we will inform the party leaders first. And if they are not satisfied, they can appeal to the minister."

Rightful party leader

The two factions in the party one led by embattled president and long-time politician James Wong Kim Min, 80, and the other by newly-elected 'president' William Mawan, 54 are anxiously awaiting the ROS' decision to determine who is the rightful party leader.

According to the Malaysian Today's front-page report, the ROS did not give any hint of its decision, other than to say that "either one of the groups or both are bound to be dissatisfied when the judgment is announced".

But responding to the possibility of the party being de-registered (presumably if both had been found to be in violation of the party constitution), Ismail said: "Of course, it's possible, if both groups fail to follow the party's constitution to resolve the crisis."

Malaysiakini had earlier reported, based on well-informed sources, that resolution of the party's crisis would involve both constitutional and political considerations.

Top Barisan Nasional leaders in Kuala Lumpur also favour a conciliatory approach by Wong to accommodate the Mawan faction ahead of any forthcoming party elections as a means to resolve the party leadership problem.

Accommodating Wong

Meanwhile, another English-language daily Sarawak Tribune today quoted Mawan, who is also state minister for environment and public health, as saying in a speech in Limbang in northern Sarawak that he saw no difficulty in accommodating Wong and his son Richard, the state assembly person for Limbang, in his new central executive committee, should he be declared the party head.

"Wong can be appointed advisor to the party as long as he wants while Richard can be given concession in the party leadership," he told some 150 party members from Limbang, Lawas and Ba'Kelalan at a dialogue session at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce conference room on Wednesday.

He was also quoted as saying he saw no point in either one of them (Wong and Mawan) leading the party if it were split in half.

"We cannot lead a party with some of the members supporting Wong while the rest support us," he added.

Mawan also said: "It doesn't matter who the president is or who the central executive committee members are. Everyone has a role to play in the decision-making process."

He told Wong indirectly that the latter must accept that the leadership style of the 1970s where decisions were made solely by the party president can no longer be accepted.

He said Snap's weaknesses were the result of the leadership's failure to be in tune with new realities and to listen to the voice of the majority.

"The mentality and aspirations of party members have also changed with times. Before, they were content with just being members of the party, but nowadays they are expecting more from the party, for they also have social and economic needs [to be met]."