The former leader of the crisis-ridden Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) today denied reports that an 'emissary' of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud had seen him on Monday to discuss the factional split within the party.

"I am not aware of it," a close aide quoted Leo Moggie as saying when he spoke to him this morning on the phone.

Moggie's aide blamed the reports as the work of a known spin doctor. The speculation has been making the rounds of Kuching over the past two days.

Taib, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairperson, was reported to have expressed his concern over the status of PBDS as a member of the state's four-member ruling coalition, if problems within the party continued unabated.

Moggie, who resigned abruptly on June 25 as party president, has thrown his weight behind Daniel Tajem - his long-time party deputy president - as the 'legitimately-elected' president of the Dayak-based party.

This has annoyed the party's former information chief and Tajem's rival for the top post, Dr James Masing, and his supporters who have demanded for fresh elections.

'Impersonators'

Early this month, Tajem ( photo ) was returned unopposed as president and his running-mate Joseph Salang was similarly returned as deputy president after branches linked to Masing were disqualified from the polls.

In a statement issued last night by the party's secretary-general Stanley Ajang, the Tajem faction contended that they had followed all rules and procedures in the election of new office-bearers.

The rebel faction had organised its own party polls last week in which faction leader Masing was elected president and Sng Chee Hua as deputy president.

Ajang also said that anyone - other than the Tajem faction - who claimed to be office-bearers of PBDS "are impersonators". Tajem and his supporters were elected at the party's 7th triennial delegates conference on July 26-27.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) is now being asked to determine which of the two sets of leaders is legitimate.

The Tajem faction is sending a thick dossier to the Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi whom they hope to be able to meet soon.

A copy of the report will also be sent to the ROS and BN secretary-general Mohamad Rahmat.

Dinner for Moggie

Meanwhile, Malaysian Today , an English tabloid sympathetic to the Masing group, yesterday carried a news report questioning the presence of ruling Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) former secretary-general Leonard Linggi Jugah - an Iban lawyer turned businessman - at last weekend's dinner celebrating Moggie's 25th anniversary as a federal minister.

The function held at Kuching Sanbutong Resort was organised by PBDS members linked to the Tajem faction.

Linggi refused to comment on the newspaper report, but those close to him said he was the least disturbed by it.

"He was in fact surprised at all that they bothered to mention him at all, especially when he no longer holds any party post," said a source.

Moggie and Linggi, both Iban from the Rajang, were schoolmates at St Joseph's Secondary School in the early 1960s before they both left for tertiary studies abroad. It is understood that Linggi was invited to reminisce about their schooldays.