PUTRAJAYA, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The dispute over the registration of political party Sarawak National Party (SNAP) is not over yet as the Registrar of Societies (ROS) has been given the nod by the Federal Court here today to appeal against a court decision which had restored the party's registration.

Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin chairing a three-member panel unanimously allowed ROS's application for leave to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in setting aside the ROS's order in 2002 to de-register SNAP following the party's failure to resolve its protracted leadership crisis.

The panel, also comprising Federal Court judge Datuk Suriyadi Halim Omar and Court of Appeal judge Datin Paduka Zaleha Zahari agreed with the argument by Senior Federal Counsel Datin Azizah Nawawi representing ROS that the questions of law posed for the determination of the Federal Court concerned the interpretation of Section 13 and Section 16 of the Societies Act which were not decided by the Federal Court.

The Federal Court would have to determine four legal questions in the appeal proceeding including a question on whether under Section 16 of the Societies Act 1966 read together with Section 13 (2) of the same act, ROS was required to act mechanically or have the discretion to cancel a society's registration if conditions under Section 16 (1) was not complied.

Another question of law was whether Section 16 of the Societies Act 1966 read with Section 13 of the same act, ROS is required to give reasons for his decision in cancelling the registration of a society if conditions under Section 16 (1) were not complied.