Home Ministry declares Sapa unlawful

“Those involved in Sapa will be investigated under Act 335, sections 6(2) and 6(3), section 42 and section 48 of the Societies Act as well as section 142 of the Penal Code.”

KUCHING: The Home Ministry has declared the Sarawak Association of People’s Association (Sapa), an NGO on Borneo rights, as not lawful under the section 5 (1) of the Societies Act 1966.

Home Ministry Secretary-General Mohamad Khalid Shariff made the announcement in a statement issued in Putrajaya.

“I appeal to members of the public to extend their co-operation to assist the Federal Government, in the interest of national security and peace, to help combat the activities of Sapa,” he said in the statement.

The immediate implications of the Home Ministry’s action is that Sapa’s name, symbol and logo can no longer be used and the assets of the Association will be taken over by the Malaysian Insolvency Department and wound-up.

“Those involved in Sapa activities will be investigated and charged in Court under Act 335, an example, sections 6(2) and 6(3), section 42 and section 48 of the Societies Act as well as section 142 of the Penal Code,” added Mohd Khalid.

Sapa had earlier on Sat categorically denied that it was deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) on Nov 12.

The denial follows rumours purportedly circulating on FaceBook.

“The authorities have never interfered with Sapa’s activities which are in line with the Constitution, human rights recognised by the United Nations and the Association’s Constitution,” said Sapa President Lina Soo in a statement.

“These rumours may be calculated to scare people away from Sapa and towards other associations and Facebook groups.”

Sapa, stressed Soo, was not a FaceBook group.

Sapa was approved and registered by the RoS in Nov last year.

The Association is at the moment conducting a signature campaign together with the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) to lodge a 2nd People’s Petition with the UN on self-determination for Sabah and Sarawak. It claims to have collected 20,000 signatures so far, including in Sabah, out of a target of 300,000 signatures.

The 1st People’s Petition in 1962 was aborted by the Brunei Rebellion in that year and Brunei’s decision at the 11th hour to stay out of a Federation with the peninsula.

Societies that need to be deregistered by the RoS would normally receive a show cause letter with the right to appeal to the Home Minister if deregistered. The UN only deals with registered entities. Any de-registration, if it comes about, would be a blow to Sapa’s bid to lodge the 2nd People’s Petition with the UN.