A senior Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) faction leader wants an inquiry to probe the allegation that Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), led by Chief Minister and state BN chief Abdul Taib Mahmud, has been bullying the party.

Sidi Munan, secretary-general of the faction led by assistant minister Larry Sng, told Malaysiakini today the inquiry should preferably be chaired by an independent person to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the matter.

“Since it involved the question of selection of party candidates in the last parliamentary and state elections, both factions in the party should be asked to appear before it to give their respective views.

beginda minda He was referring to the allegation by Beginda Minda ( left ), until recently the publicity chief of Balleh PRS division led by the other faction leader and state Land Development Minister Dr James Masing, that PBB had interfered with the party’s decision on the selection of candidates for two parliamentary seats in 2008 and the selection of the candidate for a state seat in 2006.

A serious allegation

Munan said the allegation of PBB implying Taib Mahmud and possibly other leaders in that party had been a bully to PRS was a serious one which should not be simply swept under the carpet.

“It is very important we must get to the bottom of the matter (whether PBB has been bullying its partners in the state BN),” he added.

sng chee hua and james masing prs support 040206 Munan also said that contrary to Masing’s views, he supported PBB secretary-general Dr Stephen Rundi, who is also state assemblyperson for Kemena, in suggesting that the matter should also be brought up and discussed at the next BN supreme council meetings at both state and federal levels. ( photo from left: Munan. Masing and Sng Chee Hua in more cosy times )

PRS vice-president aligned to Masing faction, Mong Dagang who is also the state assemblyperson for Bukit Begunan, was reported in the Borneo Post today to have criticized Beginda as well another party division youth leader Nanta Chaku for making the ‘bully’ allegation.

He also said that it was ‘unethical and unfair’ for Malaysiakini to carry the reports without first verifying what he called the facts with the BN or PBB leadership.

Several of Masing’s top aides who are leaders in their own faction, including his secretary-general Wilfred Nissom, have tried to play down the matter, saying that Beginda was merely stating his own view and not that of the party.

Taib was clearly irritated when reporters asked him two days ago about the matter.

“You don’t need to ask me questions like this,” he snapped at reporters, according to a Borneo Post report today. He brushed aside the claims that PBB was bullying its partners and said it was only ‘a small thing.’

Meanwhile, Munan also said he believed Masing was behind what Beginda did and that he (Masing) had over-played his hand in the conspiracy clearly directed at Taib and Jabu.

Punish wrong-doers

He added that a thorough probe on Beginda’s accusation must be carried out so that PRS would not be a suspect.

“The wrong-doers must be duly punished,” he said, adding that members of either factions in the party who are innocent must be identified and thereby exonerated.

“Out of the over 40,000 members of the party, there may be many who may not subscribe to Beginda’s views,” he said, adding that “he may be a spokesperson for some one else in the other faction."

"It is a conspiracy to tarnish the name of BN and its chief, the object of the Ming Court plot in 1987.”

“Remember who said in 1981 that the chief minister was a weak CM?, he asked, adding that there must therefore be investigation ‘before another Ming Court coup rears its ugly head again.’

Masing was with the then Part Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) which teamed up with a splinter group of PBB to form the Maju Group to try and oust Taib as chief minister.

But the plot failed after Taib called a snap election and his team managed to secure 28 out of the 48 state seats then. Maju Group obtained 20.

He had since ruled Sarawak with an iron-fist and is widely said to be intolerant of dissent within the party’s ranks.

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