An open campaign has been launched to urge Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Leo Moggie to remain at the helm in order to avoid a leadership struggle, which could cause a split in the Barisan Nasional component party.

The call came from 13 branches in Kanowit Moggie's own parliamentary ground in central Sarawak after their joint divisional meeting yesterday to ask the party leader to continue for another term.

Moggie has expressed his intentions to step down after the party's triennial delegates conference which must be held by next February. Moggie, who is currently not in Sarawak, has yet to react to this. He is expected to return to the state o­n March 14 and chair a PBDS supreme council meeting the next day.

The branch leaders from various parts of Kanowit also declared their support for incumbent deputy president Daniel Tajem to assume the leadership if Moggie insisted o­n stepping down.

They also wanted treasurer-general Joseph Sallang to fill the No 2 slot if Tajem became president.

Open confrontation

This clearly sets the stage for an open confrontation between the Tajem-Sallang faction and their rivals, who have named party information chief James Jemut Masing for president and vice-president Sng Chee Hua for the deputy president post

The Masing-Sng alliance claimed to have garnered more than the required nominations to qualify to contest at the forthcoming TDC.

Their supporters are asking for the TDC to be held this year, and the date is likely to be decided at the March 15 supreme council meeting.

Meanwhile, the Kanowit branch leaders felt that Moggie was "still young and has the energy and experience to continue in his current capacity."

"At the moment we feel that there is no o­ne who can replace Moggie but if he insists, we will give us our full support to anyone that he picks to succeed him," said a Kanowit branch chairperson Sebastian Ko.

"This is because we have full confidence in his decision," he added.

A local English daily The Borneo Post quoted Latong branch chairperson Gassan Yak as saying that if Moggie had already made up his mind about stepping down, he should name his successor "so that we will not choose the wrong person."

He also expressed doubt that both Masing and Sng had garnered the support of 40 branches as claimed.

The daily quoted Mapai branch deputy chairperson Galana Samangan as saying that Tajem was the right candidate to replace Moggie retire because of his seniority and experience in the party.

He called o­n Masing to stop making public statements about his intention to contest for the president post and the supposed number of nominations he had received.

He added that such statements had done more harm than good for the party.

Persuade Moggie

PBDS vice-president Peter Runin who declared open the Kanowit divisional meeting urged all party leaders to do their best to persuade Moggie to stay o­n as president.

But if this proved futile, he hoped they would throw their support behind Tajem and Sallang.

Meanwhile, PBDS secretary-general Stanley Ajang told malaysiakini that the party headquarters was in the process of determining the actual number of branches throughout Sarawak.

As at the last TDC in 2003 there were 206 branches but many were not active or had been dormant for sometime.

Stanley said it had been agreed that these branches be revived by calling for fresh meetings and branch elections.

He added that new branches have also been formed since and the number would be more than 206.

Anyone wishing to stand for president must garner nominations from at least 30 percent of the branches.

Observers said if the issue concerning the number of branches is not resolved it could become a contentious issue at the coming TDC.