Sarawak National Party (Snap) president Edwin Dundang today said their battle was half won after the Election Commission (EC) ruled that the party could contest in the general election using its symbol.

Snap leaders had expressed anger when the commission last week published a list of 27 political parties eligible to contest in the polls that excluded Snap.

The party had not expected this after it had obtained letters from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) stating that it was still legal and can contest the elections as it was in the process of appealing against its de-registration.

The former Barisan Nasional (BN) component party was de-registered following a protracted leadership tussle and subsequently kicked out from the front.

The ROS letters were also handed to the EC. On Saturday, Dundang went to the local office of the commission and again handed over the same set of letters to them.

The state election officer then promised to get back to the party by Monday after consulting the head office.

'Overjoyed' with decision

Dundang told malaysiakini that he got a fax signed by EC secretary Wan Ahmad Wan Omar informing him that the party could contest in the election using its symbol.

"Half of the battle has been won and the other is to make sure our candidates win those constituencies where the party will be represented," he added.

He said the party was "overjoyed" with the EC's decision which had cleared the confusion.

The party has been looking forward to take part in the current general election, already naming its candidates to contest in four parliamentary constituencies (Mas Gading, Saratok, Bintulu and Baram), whose incumbents are now with the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), a splinter party from Snap.

Meanwhile, opposition State Reform Party (Star) leader Dr Patau Rubis said today he was given the green-light by his central committee to go ahead and contest under the Snap symbol. His membership in Snap was reinstated last week.

However, Patau was evasive as to where he would stand, saying: "It may be Mas Gading, Mambong or Serian."

In a related development, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deputy president Peter Nyarok said it would not make any difference if Snap candidates stood under their own name or as independents "as the party is out of BN".

"Snap is in the opposition, and people should vote for the BN," he was quoted as saying in the Sarawak Tribune.