Since voicing his intention not to seek re-election as president of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak recently, Leo Moggie has come under increasing pressure to step down immediately.
Moggie, who has led the Iban-based party since its formation in 1983, has been told by a majority of the party's supreme council members to quit immediately.
During a three-hour supreme council meeting at the party's headquarters in Kuching today, Moggie got the message that most party's divisions want him to step down and someone acceptable to the majority be appointed as acting president before next year's party elections.
Last month, Moggie, who is also federal minister of energy, communications and multimedia, announced he would not seek re-nomination as party president at the next delegates conference. But did not anticipate the reaction from members who were already disgruntled with his leadership.
Sensing this today, he told a media conference immediately after the supreme council meeting that there was a possibility he would seek leave from the party and hand over the reins of leadership to his deputy Daniel Tajem, the former Malaysian envoy to New Zealand and a former Sarawak deputy chief minister.
The partys triennial delegates conference is not due till August 2003 but under the constitution, it can be held not later than six months after that date.
A PBDS supreme council member Sidi Munan told malaysiakini that Moggie read the message loud and clear and it would in the interest of the party for him to step down immediately.
Another supreme council member Richard Will, the Miri division chairman and a vocal critic, said Moggie planned to stay to the end of his present term so his deputy Tajem would also step down together with him next year.
But we're not going to fall for that trap, Will said. He thinks he has convinced members not to accept (information chief and Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation) Dr James Masing as his successor so that he can put up his preference of Joseph Salang (party treasurer and member of parliament for Julau).'
Bruised feelings
At today's media conference Moggie said he had contemplated stepping down at the last triennial delegates conference in August 2000 but the sharp division following the bitter contests for key party posts had created what he described as 'bruised feelings' and therefore he had decided to stay on to try and heal the wounds.
He said he re-confirmed to the supreme council members his intention to step down and that from now onwards efforts would be concentrated on what he called consensus building to bring out a leadership team that would be acceptable to all in the next party elections.
According to well-informed sources, Moggie will find it extremely difficult to stick with his original decision to stay till the end of his term because of pressure from what were previously considered as the two rival factions within the party.
Even Tajem has now declared that he is ready to take over as acting president if Moggie decides to step down immediately.
Moggie refused to link his decision to quit with that of his parliamentary seat or even ministerial position, saying as far as his cabinet position is concerned it is the prerogative of the prime minister.
Asked whether he would also give up his parliamentary seat of Kanowit, he said he would not comment on it.' Let's deal with party matters first,' he said.
