The crisis-ridden Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) faction led by Daniel Tajem said today they would do everything to prevent the de-registration of the party by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Without going into details, Tajem, the successor to former president Leo Moggie, told reporters after the party's supreme council meeting this afternoon: "We've decided at all costs and going to any length to ensure that PBDS remains as a political party."

"We will prevent any attempt from within or outside that will affect the party's position as a political party," he added.

Tajem's statement is seen as a signal that they are prepared for this to be a long protracted fight to keep the party, and at the same time being prepared to sit down and discuss some form of a compromise if the other faction (led by Dr James Masing) is willing to do likewise.

At their public gathering in Sibu last weekend, Masing appeared to have toned down much of his rhetoric, indicating to some quarters a softening of his stand and possibly signalling a willingness "to talk things over," according to one political observer who was present.

Discussed at length

The Tajem faction at their supreme council meeting today discussed a national Bahasa Malaysia newspaper Berita Harian report on Thursday about the likelihood of the party being de-registered by the ROS if there is no solution to the on-going party crisis which has led to the party having two presidents with two separate committees.

The PBDS supreme council meeting, lasting three hours, was chaired by Tajem and attended by deputy president Joseph Salang and other council members.

"The on-going party crisis and the possibility of the party being de-registered were discussed at length," Tajem told reporters.

Tajem described the Berita Harian report in its October 3 issue (which the ROS subsequently denied) as without any basis and "speculative as well as mischievous" because he said the ROS had not at this point of time made any decision at all on PBDS.

The ROS, according to him, was still investigating the complaints from both factions.

The other faction in PBDS is led by former party information chief Masing, who is also a state minister. Its deputy president is Sng Chee Hua, a former member of Parliament and state assemblyperson.

The Tajem faction has accused the Masing group of trying to get the party de-registered so they could form a new party and then apply to join the Barisan Nasional. Although Masing has said publicly this is one option out of the present crisis, he also qualified that his group is not likely to do that as they prefer to keep the party intact.

Masing has, however, ruled out calling for fresh elections now, although his deputy Sng Chee Hua appeared to think that this is still the best way to resolve the party crisis.

Formula proposed

Malaysiakini understands that a formula to settle the party dispute has already been proposed and that top federal and state Barisan Nasional leaders are well aware of it and may have already been trying to put it in place ahead of any ROS' decision, if everyone can agree to it.

Well-informed sources said that any agreement to end the party dispute is unlikely to happen within the next three weeks as state BN chairperson and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud is going on leave.

The formula proposed by the Tajem faction recognises the need for Masing to remain as a state minister and at the same time to be given a senior party post.

However, there is a proposal that the two assistant ministers and one political secretary be replaced.

A seasoned political observer told malaysiakini that Taib has indicated that he will honour any pledge to appoint state assemblyperson for Ngemah Gabriel Adit as Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly and that he will opt for what has been described as 'a minimalist approach' to help resolve the party crisis.

Party secretary-general Stanely Ajang, who is an Orang Ulu and the state assemblyperson for Belaga aligned to the Tajem faction, and Adit, who is also a nephew of Moggie, the Minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia, are being proposed by the Tajem faction to be assistant ministers.

The Tajem faction has also proposed that one of its vice presidents Peter Runin, a Bidayuh businessman, should replace former educationist Wilfred Nissom as political secretary.

State Barisan Nasional sources told malaysiakini that a peace formula adopting a minimalist approach is expected to be put in place sometime this month before Dr Mahathir Mohamad steps down as prime minister and when Taib returns from leave.

Meanwhile today's PBDS supreme council meeting also decided to form a five-member committee to see what action could be taken about the last-minute cancellation of the use of the Sibu Dewan Suarah for the Tajem faction.

They have accused Masing of being politically motivated when he gave directive to his staff to cancel the booking by the Tajem group of the hall for their gathering last month .

Tajem said the dewan suarah (community hall) is a public property and PBDS members as tax-payers are entitled to use it just like anybody else.