FreeMalaysiaToday reported yesterday that PKR’s Tian Chua confirmed that negotiations with SNAP to work out an agreement on seat allocations for the forthcoming state elections had reached a fruitless end and a parting of ways, and speculated that SNAP’s “unbending insistence on contesting no less than 27 seats” was the result of “peninsular based forces that have long sought to subvert and break up the Pakatan Rakyat coalition” and have “successfully orchestrated the current impasse”.
The day before, Malaysiakini reported Anwar, while not explicitly referring to SNAP, yet leaving no one in doubt that he was referring to the latter, as saying : “Two years ago, there was a party which was dying but now suddenly it wants to contest here and there. Where does the money come from? “Who gave them the money? The party is to split the opposition votes”.
On 25th March, MCLM announced that it was severing the alliance forged with SNAP just the month before as we had received reports that the “SNAP candidates and some of their ‘privileged’ leaders had suddenly come into significant funds that were being made available by operatives from Kuala Lumpur acting under the directions of BN”, and that if this was in fact true, it was a “betrayal of the worst kind to a people who have been subjected to oppression for the last 30 years”.
Regrettably, to-date, no SNAP leader has stepped forward to allay these concerns.
SNAP’s director of operations, Paul Kadang, in a 39-paragraph press statement, most of which was devoted to painting a poor picture of PKR, said little of the concerns under consideration here.
A mere 4 paragraphs deal with the matter of the financing of their election campaign.
Paul offers that “in the last few months, SNAP has been inundated with monetary contributions from well-to-do natives working abroad”.
Yet, in our meeting with the SNAP leaders in Kuching in late February, no mention was made of this. Instead, they lamented of an impoverished state.
When MCLM announced the severence of the alliance with SNAP, I conceded that there was no cold, hard evidence of the matters that we had come to suspect.
Last week, whilst in Sabah, one of the local politicians asked if I thought that MCLM might have acted too hastily, and that we might be wrong.
I told him that, for the sake of the many marginalised Sarawakians, I hoped I was wrong and that SNAP would, in the final analysis, prove me to be so. I should happily eat humble pie if such is the case.
Until then, I am obliged to inform the voters in Sarawak of the concerns we have that has seriously undermned the trust we had in SNAP.
That trust, so vital for a continuance of the alliance, was, to some extent, founded on the willingness of the Dayak iconic leader, Daniel Tajem, to step forward and throw his support behind SNAP.
Perhaps it is time for Tajem to speak up on these matters, no?
The People's Parliament 
TuaiRumah
April 4, 2011
As a Sarawakian and one who knows a few of Snap leaders personally, I say don’t trust them. As far as a month back, they were as poor as a church mouse. Now some of the leaders are driving new cars and 4WDs. Maybe the Dayaks who migrated to Malaya to seek jobs are sending them plenty of money but I believe it’s more like Najib and co. are the generous donors. Their strategy is to win as many seats as possible and then rejoin the BN after the election, with plenty of carrots for their leaders of course. Pakatan should treat them like leapers.
looes74
April 4, 2011
It happened before…..Remember PBS!
kensball
April 4, 2011
2 Million for snap candidate
Tom
April 4, 2011
Harris, I can safely bet you don’t have any humble pie to eat where SNAP is concern. SNAP will sell whatever seat they win to BN period. As far as SNAP leaders are concern, they have been hungry far too long. They do not represent the dayaks but froggies.
theAlphamale Voter for Change
April 4, 2011
I too have relatives who are among those elected. I know him to be an honest and fighter of the dayaks. SNAP has always been the true force behind Dayakism. When rumors of an invincible hand behind PKR’s by election in Batang Ai surfaced. A lot of senior members were frustrated at how a so called solid opposition party can become easily influenced/swayed by one of the richest towkay of Sarawak. His son is still a minister in Taib’s cabinet.
looes74
April 4, 2011
The problem is why such sudden resurgent just 3 months before election. Something extremely strange
Nevertheless, I too doubt PKR capability particularly Azmin Ali & that loudmouth Tian Chua
DAP should have led the pack instead
mauriyaII
April 4, 2011
It is a fact the Opposition parties are squabbling over the allocation of seats. Each party insists on a certain number of seats perceived to be winnable and thereby being in a strong position to claim for ministerial posts should the Opposition come into power.
What most of these parties especially the peninsular parties such as PKR which is new to Sabah and Sarawak and without strong grass root support fail to realize is they have to show goodwill and even bend over backwards to show they are not acting as the Big Brother from Peninsular Malaysia.
The local indigenous parties on their part should realize that they cannot take on a corrupted and financially strong establishment such as Barisan Neraka which is ruled by Satan himself in Sarawak with the connivance of the mother of all Satans from Peninsular Malaysia.
In the in-fighting and lobbying for seats all these Opposition parties seem to have forgotten who their ENEMY is. To come to power and take over Putra Jaya, they have to win the most number of parliamentary seats collectively. This is ONLY ACHIEVABLE if they put their differences aside and reach a consensus on the broad strategies to defeat the BN.
Consensus is only possible if all parties concerned put aside their EGO, SELF-INTEREST and other VESTED INTERESTS in the INTEREST OF THE POOR RAKYAT who have been down-trodden by the evil and corrupted Barisan Neraka politicians.
The Opposition parties have very little time left to put up a cohesive force but they can still do it for the sake of the poor Sarawakians. If parties like the SNAP which seems to have come into a big infusion of money through dubious sources ought to be exposed to the rakyat. Their leaders should be made to lose their deposits to teach the would-be kataks that Sarawakians are not that illiterate or stupid as they are made out to be.
At any cost the Satan Pek Moh of Sarawak and his cronies must be booted out. When the Opposition captures the State government, those corrupted politicians especially Pek Moh should be charged for all his evil deeds that made Sarawakians the poor cousins of the Bumiputras of Peninsular Malaysia.
Such a scenario is probable; in fact possible if the main Opposition parties strike a consensus on seat sharing and come up with workable strategies and effort as a combined force.
The ENEMY is Barisan Neraka and the racists from Peninsular Malaysia and not Sarawakians per se.
Bill Keding
April 4, 2011
I am surprised Haris swallowed hook, line and sinker for the S’wak Report story on SNAP and other unverifiable reports on the party. SNAP has received and accepted many donations but they are far flushed from cash. And that’s one reason, among others, they had to turn down MCLM’s fee of RM10K per head for the vetting of their candidates.
Bill Keding,
Let SNAP come out and officially say MCLM wanted to be paid for the vetting of their candidates and I will then deal with such a preposterous allegation.
Your error is in assuming we relied on the Sarawak Report for our decision.
Gryphon Malx
April 4, 2011
Dear Ms Haris Harim,
With all due respect, why should Datuk Sri Daniel Tajem dance to your tune? Especially when MCLM broke off a trust-based alliance without clarifying matters with SNAP.
Why don’t you get off your moral high horse and come down to the ground and see the reality for yourself. Just as you claim others can be paid off, so can your informants and your informants’ informants.
Please, sir, if you insist on dabbling in politics, please get your head out of the clouds, be humble and sincere, and help on the ground. Not just offer to do background checks and try to charge exorbitant amounts of money.
By the way, care to let us know who funds MCLM and covers the cost of RPK’s posh hideout in London?
Humbly yours,
Anak Bangsa Malaysia
nwo
April 4, 2011
Two Dayak Iban from Pakan working in an oil rig as a helper and painter with Hercules Offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and Mdm Usu an Orang Ulu lady working as a nurse in King Fand Hospital, Riyadh,Saudi Arabia for generously donating to SNAP campaign fund
talisman
April 4, 2011
Dear Malaysians, please log into:
Marian Gurang
April 4, 2011
Look, people. How can anyone in their right mind accuse SNAP of having candidates who might jump ship when PKR is the one proven to have had so many of their reps defecting? Has MCLM vetted the PKR candidates in Sarawak? It’s a case of double standards when MCLM tries to cast aspersion against SNAP but not PKR S’wak when it’s obvious that PKR is the one afflicted with the frog phenomena.
Ramsey
April 4, 2011
I believe the pkr was not willing to let mclm to vet their candidates. correct me if i am wrong
Taikohtai
April 4, 2011
C’mon everybody, clap your hands, SNAP your fingers and sing along with Linda:
SwakWanderer
April 4, 2011
Haris, please give a good reason why Taib would want to finance Tajem who is his arch-enemy, as one of the allegations go? Also, if Taib is giving money to SNAP to contest, why stop at 30-odd constituencies? Why not go the whole hog and give money to the party to run in all 71 seats? Taib had done precisely that with another party many many years ago. So many of these allegations against SNAP are quite senseless by people who just don’t want a strong indigenous opposition party and believed by lazy thinkers and gullible people.
SwakWanderer,
Did not say Taib.
Operatives from KL taking directions from BN
suara rakyat
April 4, 2011
What about PKR? I heard they funded by Datuk SNG
Bill Keding
April 4, 2011
People’s Parliament, why have you deleted my comment? Is it the part concerning the fee charged by MCLM for vetting candidates that you disliked – because it’s so true?
Bill Keding,
go check
Foo Wy Len
April 4, 2011
Haris,
With “leaders” like these, is there still any doubt why the Ibans are perpetually marginalized in Sarawak? For money and position I think they will even sell their souls that is if they have any left!
Lefty
April 18, 2011
I’m impressed! You’ve managed the almost imopsislbe.
Badang Sarawak
April 4, 2011
Sooner or later Snap will bend & fall into BN’s fold, again Sarawakian will be cheated again.
Snap will become frog den, their leader will gain from this, just as rayong.
Kick Snap out this time.
looes74
April 5, 2011
As always…..But people always be fooled
MERAMAT TAJAK
April 4, 2011
True story this. I had PKR account no pasted as my screen background. And I cleared all my credit card debts, to be ready for the big electoral battle.
But after the rants by Francis Siah – who fancy himself as the judge, jury and the executioner for Paul Kadang – in MoCS Email Forum, follow by absolutely poor quality investigative journalism by Sarawak Report and then MCLM ‘snips’ its relationship with SNAP without so much as justifying its action, even to itself, it all became too clear that the big sweeping political change from Malaya is not exactly, on the side of that which is good and virtuous, as I had imagined it to be. Needless to say, its getting harder to contemplate material support for a movement when it start to manifest its ugly, perhaps – true side.
It also become increasingly difficult to believe if the Change, is anything more than trying to sweep Taib Mahmud aside – to wrest power and nothing much more. It became increasingly difficult to believe that there will be, at least an attitudinal change towards Sarawak (by West Malaysian leaders), even if structural political changes (such as aligning PKR along 3 autonomous, equal region) that would give Sarawak the political and economic autonomy it deserve – is getting more elusive.
Other than the politicians – the blogging crowds who supported PKR in the ‘public’ negotiation had become more and more irrational, by not stopping to examine all the facts, as any credible mass movement would. And by these collective mindsets, these crowds are presenting themselves as no better than many of the UMNO folks themselves. In fact, the extent of the herd mentality, reminds me of the French Revolution, that later fed itself human heads. Conjectures and rumours, repeated multiple times a la cut-n-paste, was gradually paraded as objective truths.
While in the last 2 years or so, ‘Change’ sounds like a beacon of hope, it has now look increasingly threatening to the future wellbeing of Sarawak and its indigenous people. Of course, shallow political pundits would point to the fact that all PKR candidates are local indigenous people – without realising that these candidates appear to be picked by Azmin Ali and Tian Chua, and that local leadership positions like those held by Baru Bian, Granda and John Tenewek are mere appointments within PKR political hierarchy; no political weight other than those granted by the PKR West Malaysian leaders care to give them. Imagine what would happen if one of them would rise to become Sarawak CM after Taib. Would they be protecting Sarawak interest in the Federation, or would they capitulate to the demands of their political captains ?
To my mind, unless there is compelling reasons to believe otherwise: this Sarawak Election is no longer the battle of good versus evil, but just the battle between ordinary flesh and blood politicians and political parties, hungry for power. Perhaps there never was, and never will be – any real virtue and selfless motivations, in Malaysian politics: only ‘wayang kulit’ street vendors selling dreams to the gullible. So much for all that ‘audacity of hope’.
ghkok
April 6, 2011
If there’s any doubt about the “Audacity of Hope” and the Sincerity of Change, just look at the fantastic changes in the states of PENANG and SELANGOR. Both states governed by Pakatan Rakyat with excellent 3-year track record of zero corruption, balanced budgets, free WiFi, free 20cu water, groundbreaking FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL passed, orang asli land recovered and protected and compensated, forest reserves gazetted, record investments, award-winning governance by Transparency International and Auditor-General of Msia besides countless other improvements in our daily lifes. People in Sgor and Penang are enjoying a better quality of life. All the “doubts” have been proven wrong. Yes, it’s not perfect BUT as a 47-year resident of Penang and Sgor, I can say that it’s MUCH BETTER than it was during BN rule. So really, there’s not much to doubt about the Audacity of Hope for Sarawak.
malaysianatheart
April 4, 2011
Mmmmm … first time I am seeing some dissent to Haris’s views. It seems there are some who feel SNAP ought to be given a chance. But ye all have not been paying attention … Haris did say that he hopes SNAP proves him wrong … in which case he will happily eat humble pie. But something tells me … Haris is NOT wrong. SNAP has been bought. But something also tells me the tactic is not going to work. DAP and PKR are going to win their seats. In fact watch out people … the opposition are going to take the state … and thats when the real problems are going to begin!
Jong
April 5, 2011
What do you want Daniel Tajem to say? He may just want to be on the winning side, whichever!
looes74
April 5, 2011
Harris,
I think we should dwell with it further. My suggestion is that since PKR & SNAP have released their names. Perhaps, we should vet them externally. Then we should support those candidates individually based on credibility & winnability.
Of course, one can look at all sources. This is only one of them
http://antubeduru.blogspot.com/2011/03/all-candidates-are-deemed-high-risk.html
In the case of three corner, one must ensure…..Be it bad apples to be “bankrupt”. Further, when one identify one good candidacy, we should poach into BN teritory. Let sink BN now
shakuntala
April 5, 2011
I still believe Sarawakians are honest to goodness people. In the old days you heard of the Dayaks and marvelled at their skills.For example, the accuracy and skill of the famous blow-pipers! The physical strength of the old leaders to protect and guard to death, their rights.
How come they have lost this bravery and valour of the old times…the warrior stance that is also coupled with principles.
It must still be there and needs awakening.
It cannot be all gone today. Come on leaders of Sarawak, do not let your people down. Do not be led by the promises of BN if any….trust in your own God-given strength, your pride as a colourful peoples and your unique culture which has given you such a good name, all over the world.
Najib tried to persuade Taib Mahmud to resign, but this oldie with money did not succumb. Now BN is trying its hand with the other leaders, SNAP included?
I do not want to believe that SNAP is a weakling party that can be led.
I also want to believe that the spirit of Rajah Brooke still lives on….his insight, his tenacity and his leadership should not be forgotten, by the present leaders.Although a white man, he took pride in protecting what was so important….the wealth of Sarawak.
Leaders of Sarawak stand up to the call to help your fellow Sarawakians from damnation and loss of their marvellous history and treasures. Sarawakians, you, as a whole own your land, your wealth, your culture and your pride. Please leaders do not destroy your heritage. This call is from a very concerned Malaysian who has a little knowledge but a lot of praise and pride in Sarawak.
Get back your lands come April 16th and may the good God bless and save you, at all times.
looes74
April 5, 2011
Harris,
Something that you can look at for PKR….Do so for SNAP too
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=10068:anwar-optimistic-as-pkr-unveils-list-of-48-candidates-to-take-on-taib&Itemid=2
Kanul Gindol
April 5, 2011
Election results on April 16 will tell us some of the truth…
Malaysian Care
April 5, 2011
Why not SNAP leaders call a press conference to state that they will not betray and join BN after the elections. Make a video for every SNAP candidates to state clearly in press conference with video recording and sign a statement.
Will SNAP leaders willings to do it to clear the air that they are not sponsored by BN?
looes74
April 6, 2011
You think they would…..I have given a party who kenna splitted so many times
ghkok
April 6, 2011
The 3 corners of a TRIANGLE could be of equal angles, or one corner could be bigger than the other two. ANY other the 3 parties could be ANY of the corners. A 3-cornered fight could benefit PKR as much as it could benefit BN.
looes74
April 6, 2011
Rationally speaking, I vouch for DAP’s objective of denying Taib 2/3 majority. Why? Because Najib & his clowns would do a Perak to take over Sarawak…..Remember Perak or Stephen Kalong Ningkan
Lets reserve it the next GE13
One thing, the federal government has the bad habit of freezing funds. Unless Sarawak unilaterally declare independence…..Haiz
Don’t ever believe Jefrey Kitigan…..I would believe his brother Pairin more…..Pairin has been brow beaten into accepting this predicament
Warga Malaysia
April 7, 2011
Didn’t I said you will be dealing with a foe with almost limitless money and resources cum no hesitation in using questionable tactics and strategies?