Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) secretary-general Stanley Ajang has refuted Barisan Nasional secretary-general Mohamed Rahmat's ( photo ) claim that he (Mohamed) had proposed a no-contest formula to avoid a Daniel Tajem-Dr James Masing clash in the party's recent elections.

Even if he had, he added, it could be a little too late because Masing had already spurned off months earlier a compromise proposal from then party treasurer-general Joseph Salang who offered to stand aside for Masing to have a clear run for the deputy president's post provided he agreed to support Tajem as president.

According to press reports yesterday, Mohamed claimed that he tried to mediate in the dispute by proposing a no-contest formula in which Tajem would be elected president and Masing as his deputy.

No mandate

"Nor did Mohamed raise the point that he was reported by Bernama to have mentioned during the first meeting he had with a group of PBDS leaders, including the president, at the Kuching Hilton on July 23," said Ajang ( right ) in a statement released in Kuching last night.

During the meeting, according to the PBDS leader, Mohamed ( right ) made it abundantly clear that he had not been given any mandate by anyone to speak or negotiate on behalf of any group.

"But the PBDS delegation did receive a request from him to postpone or delay the party's 6th triennial delegates conference (TDC) which had already been scheduled for July 26-27, 2003 in Santubong, Kuching."

On the same day of the meeting, the party's credentials committee announced that Tajem ( left ) and his supporters were returned unopposed after party nominations closed that day.

"We want to say it again that if there had been anyone who had spurned any proposal for a no-contest it would have to be Masing."

"This was because Masing ( right ) was himself quoted by Malaysian Today in its April 6, 2003 issue that he would not bow to any suggestion by any individuals to bar him from contesting the presidency in the forthcoming TDC.

"At the same time, he also brushed aside Salang's offer to stand aside and give way to him (Masing) on condition he supported Tajem as president," Ajang said.

Legal point

On Mohamed's comments that "because PBDS now has two sets of office-bearers under their respective presidents, it could not at the moment be legally accepted as the registered body to sit on the BN supreme council", he said by his statement, Mohamed did not address at all the question of legality of any particular set of so-called leaders.

"Had he (Mohamed) done so, the illegality of the Masing group would be too apparent and there can be no other set of leaders other than the Tajem group."

He added that the law could not simply be brushed aside and it could set a very dangerous precedent in BN in particular and Malaysian politics in general "if any faction in any political party can set up their own alternative line-up of "political leaders" and secure recognition from the powers that be."

"As far as PBDS is concerned, we reiterate that there is only one president, and he is Daniel Tajem and that there is only one supreme council and its members are all those duly elected at the 6th TDC on July 26 at Santubong Resorts, Kuching."

"We cannot and we will not compromise on the legality status of our leadership," he said.