Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) information chief Dr James Jemut Masing today formally announced he would contest for the party's president post, setting the stage for a bruising battle for the leadership in the predominantly Dayak party.

Masing made the announcement before a packed press conference at Kuching Hilton this morning after, according to him, 117 of the party's 206 branches had endorsed him as their choice for president to succeed Leo Moggie ( photo ).

Moggie has announced that he would be quitting after 20 years at the helm at the forthcoming triennial delegates conference (TDC).

PBDS vice-president Sng Chee Hua has also formally announced that he would contest the deputy president post.

Present at the press conference - considered as a show of force for Masing - were six of the party's eight state assemblypersons and three of the party's five members of Parliament as well as the party's women chief Agnes Lias and deputy chief Doris Brodie, and supreme council member Sidi Munan.

Tajem-Salang face-off

With the announcement today, two days ahead of the party's supreme council meeting scheduled o­n Saturday in Marudi, Baram in northern Sarawak, the joint Masing-Sng alliance has given the indication that they are not backtracking o­n their decision and intend to go for broke.

Although there is a move within the party to get Moggie, who is also the minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia, to change his mind and not to step down this coming TDC, the state is clearly set for a bruising leadership contest.

The other faction said to be aligned to Moggie has proposed deputy president Daniel Tajem for president and party's treasurer-general and member of Parliament for Julau, Joseph Salang Gandum, for deputy president.

Masing, who turned 54 last week, said he had given a lot of thought about the matter and decided to seek the party top post after many branches had resolved to support him. He added that the party had accepted Moggie's decision to retire.

"As responsible party members, the party should decide o­n who should take over from him," he added.

Masing said, according to records, he had received more than enough of nominations from party branches to qualify to contest for the president post. This was also true of Sng, his teammate.

"I accept the nominations and I accept the challenge to be the president of PBDS," he said.

Articulate hopes of Dayaks

Masing said he was confident about winning, and added that if and when elected the new party president, he would work very closely with Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and all other component parties of the ruling Barisan Nasional.

He said he would also articulate the hopes and aspirations of the Dayaks within the framework of the country's multi-racialism.

"As far as working closely with the chief minister is concerned, my stand is non-negotiable," he said.

He said he hoped there would not be any "outside influence" trying to get Moggie not to step down as party president.

Asked to be more specific, he replied that the press should go and find that out for themselves.

According to Masing, he last met Moggie around Christmas last year, and the party leader had sounded "quite definite" about stepping down.

Meanwhile, Masing confirmed that he would not be able to attend the PBDS supreme council meeting this week because of official overseas engagements.

But most of the supreme council members backing him will be there, including vice-president Sng.