Snap pours cold water on merger with DAP

Sarawak National Party (Snap) secretary-general Stanley Jugol said today that it is unlikely that his party will merge with DAP.

“It is not going to happen anytime soon. We are not excited by the idea,” Jugol explained.

“We are not going to convene our central executive committee (CEC) meeting to discuss the suggestion from Lim (Kit Siang),” he said, adding that the CEC had just held its meeting on Monday.


He however said the CEC would have discussed the proposal had it been submitted to the party headquarters or had DAP supremo Lim called party president Edwin Dundang on the merger idea.

Jugol said he was surprised by the proposal as DAP was campaigning against Snap candidates in the state election.

Lim had mooted a merger between DAP and Snap to accelerate the Dayak political awakening following the April 16 Sarawak state election.

He said it would also avoid any multi-cornered contests, which could only benefit the ruling BN coalition.

According to Jugol, instead of a merger with DAP, Snap might expand its influence nationwide.

“We are going to amend our constitution at our next triennial delegates conference by the end of this year,” he said. The amendment would allow the party to play a political role beyond Sarawak.

PKR taken aback

Meanwhile, Sarawak PKR is taken aback by the DAP-Snap merger proposal.

"Since we are Pakatan Rakyat partners, we would appreciate a clarification of this proposal from Lim and the DAP," state party chief Baru Bian said in a strongly-worded statement issued to the press today.

He said Snap, despite its previous rhetoric of being a Pakatan Rakyat coalition partner, has explicitly opposed the opposition coalition by fielding candidates in 26 seats which saw multi-cornered fights with the PKR.

"Snap has also consistently been negatively critical of PKR for reasons best known only to them," he said, adding that if anything else, Sarawak PKR is deeply disappointed and saddened by Snap's approach within the Pakatan.

Baru (right) said as proven by its disastrous electoral performance, Snap has no electoral machinery, little political capital and even less social clout on the ground.

He added the total votes garnered by all of Snap's candidates combined were less than those that went to independent candidates.

Baru puzzled by Lim's suggestion 

"Snap came in last in almost all multi-cornered fights.

"Put differently, Snap's inexplicable political strategy of undermining Sarawak PKR even as they attempted to dislodge the BN on their own did not succeed," Baru said, adding that Snap's outlook only served to confuse the electorate, weaken the Pakatan, ultimately delivering electoral success to the BN.

He added PKR, therefore, is deeply puzzled by Lim's purpose in suggesting a 'merger' of the DAP with a party like Snap.

He warned that such a merger proposal - although the right of any political party in a free society - would have an influence on the existing relationship of Sarawak's Pakatan coalition members.

"It is thus Sarawak PKR's considered opinion that such proposals should be thoroughly discussed behind closed doors.

"This would ensure that all component parties of the Pakatan fully understand and endorse the objectives of such a possible merger, which ultimately must strengthen the coalition.

Proposal may sow confusion

He said without a thorough discussion, Sarawak PKR's fear is that the proposal only opens the door for multiple interpretations.

"This sows confusion in the hearts and minds of both PKR and DAP members who stood shoulder-to-shoulder against the BN (and also Snap) during the recent state elections.

"Additionally, Sarawak PKR is of the view that any such mergers by coalition partners must enhance diversity and reflect the multi-ethnic realities of politics in Malaysia instead of deepening any existing ethnic cleavage which would only serve the sectarian politics of the BN," he said.

Baru said Sarawak PKR is of the opinion that the best way forward is for Snap to dissolve itself and its members join whatever parties they wish to in their fight against oppression and for justice and development in Sarawak.

"In this way, we believe that Snap cannot ever be made use of as a vehicle to further undermine the stable coherence of Pakatan Rakyat in the years to come," he said.

By Ang Ngan Toh