The Masing-Sng faction in Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) appear to be caught in a quandary with indications becoming increasingly clear that none from his group is going to make it into the candidate list for the party election scheduled in Kuching on July 26-27.

At a press conference this morning, faction leader and presidential aspirant Dr James Masing ( right ) complained bitterly about the many branches supporting him and his running-mate for deputy president Sng Chee Hua ( left ) being shut out from the forthcoming triennial delegates conference.

Although the party's three-member credentials committee had already completed its work last week and should be sending out the nomination forms to branches, the state social development and urbanisation minister said: "We are not aware (of what's going on)."

Simple rules

"The rules governing nominations are quite simple: In order for nominations to come in, branches can nominate whoever they want or the credentials committee can decide by asking branch committees to hold their meetings and who they want to nominate."

"You can't nominate by sneaking into people's homes and asking them to sign nomination forms in the middle of the night," Masing said, adding that this was something unhealthy and against the party constitution.

He cast doubt on the credentials committee's impartiality since its membership was reconstituted with two supporters of Daniel Tajem ( photo ), leader of the rival faction, after the original committee was disbanded following a major internal dispute.

Masing said a check had been conducted at the office of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in Kuching on the 148 branches submitted by the party headquarters.

According to him, based on their findings, Tajem's faction would only be entitled to send 58 delegates based on the membership size of each and every of the branches whose annual returns were submitted to the ROS.

He claimed that because of this, the pro-Tajem supreme council had sought to override the party constitution by deciding that every eligible branch could send three delegates each, irrespective of their membership size.

Masing described this as 'a blatant contravention of the party constitution.'

Dangerous precedent

He also claimed that 19 branches supporting his rivals had also been formed without the approval of the supreme council.

Masing also complained that his rivals have stacked the supreme council with its own supporters.

He said under the constitution the president or acting president has the power to appoint 10 supreme council members.

"So they sacked us (referring to him and six of his supporters whose term of appointment as supreme council members lapsed when party leader Leo Moggie stepped down and Tajem - who was deputy president - took over as the new president.) The SC (supreme council) picked and chose who they wanted. This is a dangerous precedent."

By appointing only those supporting them, the Tajem group - which is now in control of the supreme council - could do practically everything they want, he implied.

"Our people (in the SC) objected (to the change of the rules). But they control the SC."

Masing also explained that his group had chosen to submit a copy of annual returns from some 175 branches directly to the ROS after handing the originals in metal boxes to the party headquarters "because we don't trust them."

Asked to reconcile newspaper reports and statements attributed to him and several of his faction leaders that they do not recognise the supreme council with its newly-appointed members, Masing said: "We have members who have been elected to the supreme council. They should be kept informed of what's going on."

No legal action

Asked whether he and his supporters would still attend the forthcoming TDC, he replied:"We will cross the bridge when we come to it."

Masing also said that he had not contemplated on taking legal action to stop the meeting. He also denied any moves to form a new political party.

"I've been through thick and thin with the party for the last 20 years. I will stick with the party," he stressed.

Masing disclosed that they would be writing to the Home Affairs Ministry secretary-general to inform him of the current development in the party.

He said his group had met Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last month as well as Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. "Their advice to us is: Follow the party constitution and follow the ROS rules. If you do that, you can never go wrong."

He disclosed that they had also met the ROS registrar in Kuala Lumpur about two weeks ago to seek his advice on the matter.

Meanwhile, Masing said his group would continue with their statewide road show. He said the big gathering in Kapit last weekend is likely to be followed by another - either in Sibu, Miri or Bintulu.

Asked what were the feedback from the members who attended the Kapit gathering, he said: "Fight on. The only time when I will concede defeat is when the 174 branches don't want me or tell me to stop."