The political equation in the crisis-ridden Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak is now different.

With a single stroke in timing his resignation as president on Wednesday, Leo Moggie has given his deputy Daniel Tajem a clear and obvious advantage over his (Tajem's) main rival Dr James Masing in the fight for control of the party.

Along with his resignation as president, Moggie also has to request 10 members he appointed to the party's highest policy-making body, the supreme council, to step down as well.

Among the 10 was Masing whom Moggie appointed three years ago as information chief after the former lost in the contest for the deputy president's post against Tajem. All but three of the 10 appointed members, many of whom also lost in the last party elections in 2000, were in the pro-Masing-Sng faction.

It, therefore, was not a surprise line-up when the new president unveiled his new replacements today. Out of the 10 whose appointments lapsed when Moggie resigned on Wednesday, only three were re-appointed.

New faces

The re-appointment of Stanley Ajang, the state assembly person for Belaga, and Julau member of Parliament Joseph Salang as treasurer-general were made yesterday.

The third re-appointed is businessman Paul Kadang as information chief, replacing Masing.

The six few faces appointed to the 32-member supreme council are businessman Brendan Bujang, Presley Siros, businessman Stephen Randie Sakalai, businessman Kisun Munang, bank officer Juro Brauh, electrical engineer Ruis Jugah and company director Matthew Sendal.

Tajem told a press conference at PBDS headquarters in Kuching this morning that the appointment of the 10th supreme council member would be announced in a day or two.

The new faces replaced those whose services were terminated in two separate letter notifications - one from Moggie and another from Tajem - on the same day.

Not re-appointed were Masing, assistant minister Dublin Unting, two members of Parliament Jimmy Donald (Sri Aman) and Billy Abit Joo (Ulu Rajang), Kakus state assebmlyperson John Sikie, businessmen Sim Lai Ann and Assan Ngang.

With the latest SC appointments, the pro-Masing faction is now left with only nine on their side out of 32 members in the SC.. This will enable Tajem's group to bulldoze any decision they want to make.

Tajem said the appointment of the new supreme council members became necessary due to the sudden departure of Moggie as president.

No recognition

On his return from Kuala Lumpur early this morning, Masing told reporters at the Kuching International Airport that his group does not recognise the appointment of the new SC members.

"We (also) do not recognise the termination of our services (as appointed SC members by the president)," he added.

He described the manner of their removal as appointed SC members as improper, unethical and against the law of natural justice.

Masing said by suddenly resigning and handing over the party leadership to his rival, Moggie had given 'unfair and undue advantage' to Tajem.

"I am now fighting the acting president (for the post of president) of the party," he added.

Masing, however, fell short of saying that the move in removing them as SC members and appointing new ones in their place as something unconstitutional. "It is not just proper and not moral."

Responding to this, Tajem, a lawyer by training who once served as a Sarawak deputy chief minister and a former Malaysian envoy to New Zealand, said everything was being done according to the provisions of the party constitution.

"They only need to refer to the party constitution. I don't have to say more," Tajem said.

Two-third majority

Up to the point of Moggie's resignation, the number of SC members was split equally between the pro-Tajem and pro-Masing at 16 members each, leaving Moggie then with the casting vote.

But with Moggie's resignation and Tajem's ascendency to the presidency during this critical stage when the party is embroiled in a bitter fight for leadership control, the Tajem group was already assured of a marginal majority control within the 32-member SC.

And with the appointment of seven new faces that they count on to support them, the pro-Tajem faction has a two-third majority in the SC.

At today's press conference, after announcing the new appointments and swearing them in, Tajem said the party's SC will meet on Sunday, June 29, at 2 pm.

He said the 14 days' notice normally required for such a meeting had been waived as allowed under the party constitution when there is an urgency to do so.

Tajem said the supreme council with the new members joining in will review the preparations for the party's triennial delegates conference (TDC) scheduled on July 26-27 at Santubong Resort Kuching.

This will include the work of the credentials committee chaired by party veteran leader Dr Jawie

Masing, a private medical practitioner.

The five-member credentials committee, whose job is to scrutinise the eligibility of branches to attend the TDC and send delegates to vote, suspended its meeting indefinitely last week after some disagreement among members.

Observers expect two of its members - lawyer Clement Eddy and businessman Patrick Sibat - to be replaced by new faces.

"The final decision (on the credentials committee) will only be made during the supreme council meeting," Tajem said.