Sarawak veteran politician James Wong Kim Min has announced his resignation from the Sarawak National Party (Snap), saying he does not want to associate himself with the party's current political activities.

In a statement distributed yesterday at the current sitting of the state legislative assembly by his son, Richard Wong (BN-Limbang), he did not say what the current political activities are but this is taken to mean largely as Snap gravitating towards Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in what is likely to emerge as an election pact between the two parties.

A senior Snap leader told malaysiakini said the former Snap president's move is clearly to protect his son's seat currently held by the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). It is widely speculated that Richard, 50 and a businessman, is likely to be fielded in Batu Danau, a new Iban-majority seat. The seat is expected to be challenged by a candidate on a Snap ticket from the Bisaya community who make up about 20 per cent of the electorate.

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has announced that SPDP has been allocated the new Batu Danau seat.

Wong Sr is a former long-time state minister who was virtually forced out as Snap president at the height of the party's crisis more than three years ago which led to the de-registration of the party and the formation of SPDP.

After the Registrar of Societies de-registered the party, it took the case to court to apply for a judicial review and pending the outcome of the hearing of the application now set in February 2006, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted a stay of the ROS' decision.

Party operating normally

Snap deputy president Justine Jinggut told malaysiakini that Wong's decision to withdraw from the court action did not mean the legal process was being jeopardised as he (Justine) was one of the two plaintiffs and that Wong would be substituted by another party leader in the suit.

He assured party members that party would go the whole length with the legal process which would take sometime. "In the meantime, the party is operating normally."

There has been concern within the party that Wong's decision to withdraw from the court action could jeopardise the party's position and deny it the right to contest in the next elections.

Snap is to play an expanded role in the election in that candidates proposed by the yet-to-be registered Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) will contest under Snap ticket if the elections are held before any decision on MDS application for registration.

Snap is likely to field between 30 and 40 candidates, mostly in Dayak majority seats.

Meanwhile, Taib told reporters yesterday that the state's ruling component parties have more or less agreed on the distribution of the 71 seats, with the lion share going to his Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

The two partyless state assemblypersons Stanley Ajang (Belaga) and Gabriel Adit (Ngemah) from the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) have been notified they should join Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), failing which they could consider joining SPDP.

There has been no words from both Ajang and Adit, but observers expect one will eventually join PRS and the other SPDP in a compromise deal.