Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak's (PBDS) contender for the party's No 2 post Joseph Salang has this to say to fellow party members: "You may be a Yang Berhormat (The Hon'ble or elected representative), a president or an ordinary member, but one thing you must remember is that you have come from the party and not the other way round."

Salang, an Iban millionaire businessman and Julau MP who is PBDS new president Daniel Tajem's running mate for deputy president, was apparently directing the remarks at their rivals, especially another presidential aspirant Dr James Masing, who is a member of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's Cabinet.

Masing's two other staunch supporters -- Dublin Unting and Joseph Entulu - are assistant ministers.

Salang was quoted in today's Borneo Post , a local English-language daily, as saying: "All PBDS members, regardless of status, are governed by the party constitution."

President's prerogative

Addressing party members at a luncheon in Bintangor, Salang also said that Tajem as president has the prerogative to appoint supreme council members within the framework of the party constitution.

The remarks are seen as trying to defend the party president's recent decision not to reappoint Masing and six of his supporters whose terms as appointed supreme council members "lapsed" when Leo Moggie resigned as president with Tajem, the then deputy, moving up to take over as the new party leader.

Salang said Tajem's decision should, therefore, not be questioned in picking only leaders who could work with him.

Masing, on the other hand, had contended that while he did not question Tajem's right "to hire and fire" said their removal by Tajem as appointed SC members was wrong, saying it was going against "natural justice". He did not elaborate.

In what is seen by political observers as a dare to Tajem and his group to sack them from the party, Masing also reiterated his earlier statements that he had not done anything wrong either to apologise or to warrant being sacked from the party.

It was the Tajem's group who were feeling insecure, Masing said, claiming this was in fact the reason why they had allegedly resorted to abusing their powers and authority.

Meet supporters first

In an indication of the possibility of their going their own separate ways if eventually no solution is in sight to the party crisis, Masing said he would decide later whether to form their own supreme council and hold a separate triennial delegates conference "but only after meeting supporters first."

"I will be visiting them (supporters) again in the next few days or weeks to find out whether they still want me."

"If they say yes, I will ask them what they would want me to do next and only then will I decide," Masing said, according to newspaper reports quoting him during a chat with reporters in Kapit on Friday.

Asked to comment on a recent news report about the bankruptcy proceedings against his running-mate Sng Chee Hua, one of PBDS' three elected vice-presidents, Masing said the RM4.56 million owed had long been settled.

Meanwhile, the chief minister said he would not interfere in the party's internal affairs, adding that he would only step in if the crisis worsens "in order to defend the interests of the Barisan Nasional."

Taib did not elaborate, but most political observers take this to mean that if the crisis reaches the stage where there is a mass sacking of the party's members, including the nine elected representatives, from the party, there is a possibility that he will intervene.

PBDS has a total of 14 elected representatives -- eight state assemblypersons and six members of Parliament. Of this, nine are supporting the Masing faction comprising six state assemblypersons and three MPs.