Faction leaders deeply embroiled in a struggle to control the leadership of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) no longer hide the fact the party is deeply divided.

Its secretary-general Stanley Ajang has even compared PBDS to the fractious MCA with its quarrelsome posture, also over a tussle for control.

To many observers, the situation also resembles the internal crisis that had engulfed the now-defunct Sarawak National Party (Snap).

That crisis led to the Snap's demise last November when the Registrar of Societies (ROS) de-registered the party, ostensibly over certain irregularities in internal elections.

Question of figures

Although no o­ne has questioned or is likely to question the conduct of the elections during the last PBDS triennial delegates conference (TDC) in 2000, or that of any presidential appointments

thereafter, the constitution is likely to be a focus of attention.

At a press conference yesterday to announce his decision to go for the top post - thereby ending months of speculation - PBDS information chief Dr James Jemut Masing ( photo ) touched o­n the number of branches eligible to send delegates to the coming TDC.

His faction claims that o­nly 206 branches would be eligible to send delegates, which is similar to the number at the last TDC. According to Masing, this was decided at o­ne of the supreme council meetings held some time ago.

This is, however, at variance with Ajang's statement that the number is higher, since new branches formed up to Aug 24, 2002 would also be included, as determined by the party's highest-decision body.

Ajang said the 32-member supreme council met in Saratok o­n that date and decided to use that date as the cut-off point.

"All supreme council members, including Masing, were present. The decision was minuted and approved at the subsequent supreme council meeting," he told malaysiakini .

Asked how this difference could be resolved, Masing, who is also state minister for social development and urbanisation, said: "If we all act like gentlemen, I am quite sure we can discuss all this in a gentlemanly manner."

Support from majority

Ajang had told malaysiakini that o­nce the date for the TDC has been fixed, a credential committee will be set up to verify branches and their meetings and office-bearers for eligibility purposes before the TDC.

But the Masing camp appears to be not the least perturbed even if there is an increase in the number of branches eligible to attend the TDC, because the numbers seem to favour it.

As at March 12, according to Masing, he and his running-mate vice-president Sng Chee Hua - who is nominated for deputy president - have already obtained support from 117 of the 206 branches throughout

Sarawak.

Prior to the press conference, Masing told malaysiakini that he had already secured "minus o­ne or two branches" endorsement of support from 156 branches to run for president.

Given the group's active campaigning o­n the ground, even if the total number of branches eligible to attend and vote is adjusted upwards to 157, the Masing-Sng alliance would be able to win.

Masing said he was more than confident of winning. He is clearly ready for a fight even if party president Leo Moggie, who is to retire, should make a last-minute decision not to step down.

Dark horse?

But many party members who are not aligned to any of the camps said Daniel Tajem, a former deputy chief minister and former Malaysian envoy to New Zealand, could be the dark horse in the contest. His strength is not to be under-estimated because he still wields a lot of influence o­n the ground.

"Tajem's name is almost synonymous with PBDS," said a member, who declined to be named.

"In fact it was he and not Moggie who was actually instrumental in starting the breakway group from Snap to form PBDS, after they refused to concede defeat and accept James Wong Kim Min as Snap president after the party election."

Sarawak being a vast state, any candidate would require considerable logistical support for mobility. Sng, for instance, is a corporate leader who is known as a party financier. Masing, therefore, would have a considerable advantage over his rivals in canvassing support.

The Moggie factor

Between now and August or September, when the TDC may be held, a lot of things could still happen.

Observers wonder what Moggie is likely to do because he appointed Masing as information chief after the latter lost the contest for the deputy president's post to Tajem in 2000. Will Moggie try and use his remaining time to mend the rift within the party?

Or will he tell the supreme council meeting this weekend that he is reconsidering his decision to step down? If so, it would come a little date because Masing has made it quite clear that he and Sng and his group are going for broke.

According to reliable sources, family members have already asked Moggie to step down and quit politics. Those who know him say he is unlikely to change his mind.

Therefore, if he finds it difficult to bring the two factions together ahead of the TDC, the o­nly option is to let them fight it out. That could turn out to be acrimonious.

Moggie, however, has enough of influence in Kuala Lumpur to make sure that whatever happens PBDS will not go the same way as Snap. An observer said none of the leaders in any of the factions would want this to happen anyway.

But what could happen this time is that the losers could be forced to quit the party and form their own party or join the existing parties in the Barisan Nasional.

In the wings

Masing's group has made it clear that the party is required to hold the TDC this year. He has brushed aside questions of any move to try and mend the rift within the party, saying he would do that o­nce he is elected president.

PBDS has 14 elected representatives - eight state assembly representatives and six members of parliament.

Masing's group controls six of the state assembly representatives and three MPs. This includes Masing (who is also a full state minister) and two state assembly representatives who are also assistant ministers.

Perhaps it was significant that Masing first introduced the party leaders seated with him at the table at yesterday's press conference. They included the head and deputy head of the women's section (Agnes Lia and Doris Brodie), youth chief Joseph Entulu, political secretary to the Chief Minister Wilfred Nissom and supreme council member Sidi Munan.

If this is a sign of things to come, Masing was not saying so directly. He told malaysiakini that he would announce his full line-up for the party elections at a later date.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini correspondent in Kuching, Sarawak.