Party meet reveals widening cracks in Sarawaks PBDS
The fissure within the Iban-based Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) was clear at a party gathering in Sibu in order to guide the party in the future for the good of the Dayak community.
Several pro-Moggie supporters, according to sources, were unhappy at Tajem's presence, after his name had been closely linked of late to the group identified closely with both Sng and Masing as trying to force the party president to step down before the end of his term.
One political analyst told malaysiakini that Tajem, a former deputy chief minister and former Malaysian envoy to New Zealand, is much too smart to identify himself too closely with any group.
Although he definitely harbours hopes of going back to some form of public office, but he doesn't want to be a president of half PBDS, the analyst said. He wants to be seen as a bridge and wants to be leader of the whole of PBDS.
Moggie in his speech called for party unity and said his recent announcement not to seek re-election next year was meant to give party members ample time to find a successor.
Interestingly, a group of about 35 members representing several branches in the Pakan and Julau areas — also from the Rajang — travelled to Kuching after the meeting and paid a courtesy call on Masing. They later emerged to join the chorus calling on Moggie to step down immediately.
According to Malaysian Today yesterday, the group felt that Moggie should effect a leadership transition now so as not to create a situation of uncertainty and to encourage ambitious people to exploit the situation.
They also wanted Masing, who is the party information chief, to be made deputy president after Tajem's ascendancy to the presidency.
Moggies protégé slammed
According to political observers, the statement was clearly aimed at not only Moggie but also Joseph Salang, his protégé, who took over as MP for Julau during the last elections when the Barisan Nasional dropped the incumbent Sng Chee Hua from re-contesting the seat.
The group said that Salang had not done much in Julau because he failed to set up a service centre after the previous one was closed during the last parliamentary elections.
The group suggested that the present MP continue the efforts put in by Sng to serve the area well, the Malaysian Today report said.
The division within the party has already driven a wedge among many of the party leaders and branch leaders, and even party headquarter officials have expressed concern that this could affect the smooth functioning of the party at all levels if the matter is not resolved.
PBDS, one of the four component parties of the ruling Sarawak Barisan Nasional, has seven state assemblymen and six members of parliament. At the elected representatives and supreme council members levels, Moggie is said to still enjoy majority support.
But so far the issue has not been forced open at the supreme council members level, although some attempts were believed to have been made but without success at the last supreme council meeting in Kuching earlier this month.
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