Three Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) members of parliament are likely to face the chop when a new list of the party's candidates is drawn up for the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

They are Billy Abit (Ulu Rajang), Jimmy Donald (Sri Aman) and Joseph Mauh (Selangau) - all aligned to the losing faction led by former information chief and state social development and urbanisation minister Dr James Masing.

The Dayak-based party has six MPs. The others are Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Leo Moggie (Kanowit), who is the immediate past president, Joseph Salang (Julau) and Jawah Gerang (Lubok Antu).

Moggie's successor as party president, Daniel Tajem, said today one of his priorities after the party's triennial delegates conference scheduled in Kuching on July 26 and 27 is to prepare the party for the upcoming elections which he expects to take place within the next four to six months.

He said an operations room would be set up along with a committee to be led by a veteran party leader to make recommendations on the choices of candidates.

"The party is spoilt for choice as our new supreme council of 20 elected officials plus two appointed members - the secretary-general and information chief - look very much like a set of university lecturers," he said.

"In other words, we've a lot of educated people to choose from to decide on how we want to nominate as candidates," Tajem said.

Fractious party

In Sarawak, state and parliamentary elections are held separately. Elections to the state legislative assembly are not due till 2006.

Tajem also said he recognised that he had taken over what he described as a fractious party and that a lot of goodwill is needed among members after a bitter leadership struggle in the past months leading to the TDC.

He indicated that he does not believe that anyone "who has fallen cannot be helped up". However, he did not elaborate.

Last month, Tajem was appointed party leader when Moggie suddenly quit . The newly minted leader was quick to remove his rivals from the leadership. When nominations were called early this month for the party polls, none of the branches said to be aligned to Masing were recognised.

Meanwhile, malaysiakini learnt today that unknown persons had thrown human faeces and drawn graffiti at the private medical clinic in Sarikei belonging to Dr Jawie Masing, the head of the party's credentials committee.

The incidents were said to have taken place early this morning, and Jawie had lodged police reports. No one was hurt, however.

Jawie last week announced that the 147 accredited party branches had nominated Tajem and his supporters and that they were elected unopposed to all posts in the main body, the women and youth sections.

'Alternative' party meeting

In another development, the Masing faction is said to be making frantic preparations to hold their own version of the triennial delegates conference in Bintulu on July 23-24.

He claimed to have the support of 175 branches , which were not recognised by the credentials committee.

The delegates and observers will then travel to Miri on July 25 to give Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad a grand welcome when he flies in to open the new extension to Miri Airport.

The party's July 26-27 TDC will go ahead as planned, according to Tajem.

A number of resolutions are being proposed to amend the party constitution. Between 1,500 and 2,000 delegates and observers will attend.

Moggie will be the guest of honour at the dinner marking the party's 25th anniversary on July 26. He is expected to address the delegates and observers.