Four Youth members of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) caused a stir at the party headquarters in Jalan Datuk Wan Alwi , Kuching, this morning.

The group, which included Youth deputy head Christopher Nyuak and secretary Edward Minggu insisted o­n taking back o­ne of seven boxes containing the annual returns of 51 branches.

No clearance

The group approached a member of the staff, saying they wanted back the annual returns belonging to the Youth section, which is led by Jospeh Entulu - a supporter of information chief Dr James Jemut Masing and vice-president Sng Chee Hua.

The staff member replied that he had no authority to allow them to do so, and that he would require instructions from newly-appointed executive secretary Henry Lian.

Lian, too, said by telephone that he could not release the box without an order from secretary-general Stanley Ajang.

However, the group took the box out of the building without getting Stanley's clearance, reportedly stating "it is our property and we have the right to do so".

The Masing-Sng faction has come up against another faction led by deputy president Daniel Tajem and treasurer-general Joseph Salang Gandum. Both sides are jockeying for pole position in the party, which is due to elect new office-bearers at the triennial delegates conference later this year.

In preparation for that, the party's branches have been told to submit their annual returns to the headquarters, although at least o­ne Masing supporter has gone direct to the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) office in Kuching with the records.

The box removed this morning was o­ne of seven containing the annual returns of 177 branches that the Masing group handed over to party headquarters with much fanfare o­n March 31. They had claimed this was the deadline, but the party has since extended it to May 15.

Call from ROS

Meanwhile, a party spokesperson said Assistant ROS Wan Mohammed Wan Ahmad had telephoned the PBDS headquarters to collect the annual returns that had been deposited directly with his office.

The spokesperson said the ROS had discovered that these records had not been submitted through the party headquarters and that Form 9 - which must be signed by the secretary-general - was missing from several of the annual returns.

Tajem has instructed staff to pick up the documents from the ROS' office this afternoon.