Controversial Sabah PKR chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini has come under fire just days after a PKR peace team left town counselling patience.

The Libaran division chief has incurred the wrath of PKR headquarters for telling the local media that he will not tolerate any opposition to his appointment as head of the party in Sabah.

NONE “We disagree with his (Thamrin’s) ( left ) statement. Let’s have some give and take here. Please let us defuse the tension,” said PKR director of strategies Tian Chua in a text message to several rebel division chiefs who were planning to retaliate via the media.

Chua, who led a two-member peace mission to Kota Kinabalu over the weekend, reminded these division leaders that whoever eventually takes over as state chief would have to work with the others as well. This appears to cast doubt on Thamrin’s hold on the post.

Chua was responding to an joint text message yesterday from the party’s former deputy chief Daniel John Jambun, division heads Christina Liew (Kota Kinabalu), Awang Ahmad Shah (Putatan) and Awang Tengah (Kimanis), and senior activist Moses Iking.

They had complained about Thamrin’s statements in the local papers that PKR would not bow to whatever had been raised by them during the peace meeting.

NONE “Is his statement a reflection of KL’s stand? It was agreed that both sides should not make any statements on the meeting or any other issues. This smacks of double standards,” said their text message sent from Kota Kinabalu.

It was copied to Malaysiakini and Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan ( right ), who resigned as PKR vice-president on Oct 27.

What aroused the suspicion of the division leaders was a meeting that Chua and Michael Bong - the other member of the peace team - had held with Thamrin and Tawau division head Kong Hong Ming.

Speculation is rife that the duo were asked to comment on Sabah PKR proposals for reform, prepared by the rebel divisions.

‘Extraordinary demands’

In an earlier appeal to the rebel division heads by text message, Chua called for an end to open statements while party headquarters “works out a formula”. He did not go into specifics but confirmed that “there were no demands or pressure from Jeffrey”.

“During our meeting, we exchanged ideas. We have brought back the ideas to the party headquarters,” said Chua in a message directed at rebel division chiefs who did not attend the peace talks but were represented by a seven-member panel.

Thamrin, in his statements, has stressed that he is against the rebel divisions making “extraordinary demands on the party”, and that they should use established channels of communication to bring up issues.

He dismissed calls for his post to be elected, reportedly spelt out in the Sabah PKR proposals by the rebel division heads. He pointed out that the party president has the power to appoint him.