The Sarawak Barisan Nasional supreme council at its meeting today decided to offer the 14 elected representatives of the deregistered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) temporary 'homes'.

If the 14, who are now party-less following the deregistration of their party on Friday, were to take up the offer, they could 'park' themselves in either Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) or Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

State BN chairperson and Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud told reporters after the council meeting in Kuching this afternoon that the State BN will meet again within the next few days to discuss the matter further.

According to Taib, this will not be a permanent arrangement as the 'parking' for the PBDS representatives is only a temporary measure.

Taib said the PBDS elected representatives were regarded as Barisan Nasional's as they were elected on BN ticket.

He declined to comment on PBDS' deregistration, saying it involved the law and that the ROS should know the reasons for taking that action.

He also refused to comment on the proposed Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) which supporters of the PBDS faction led by Dr James Masing are forming as a new vehicle for the stranded PBDS' elected representatives.

Taib appeared annoyed when a reporter raised the question about the new party. "It's out of the question," he responded, indicating that it had nothing to do with the matter at hand.

Senior BN leaders present at the meeting today were PBB deputy presidents Alfred Jabu and Abang Johari, Supp president Dr George Chan Hong Nam and secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui and SPDP president William Mawan and secretary-general Dr Jakson Tagal.

Also present was the state BN secretary-general Ambrose Blikau who is also PBB secretary-general.

Meanwhile, Dr Masing, who is also a state minister, has urged all 14 elected representatives, including Leo Moggie, the Minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia and the MP for Kanowit, to forget the past and sit down to plan their next move jointly.

He was quoted in local newspapers today as saying that he was, however, not optimistic that all 14 would respond to such a initiative.

Yesterday, the other faction leader Daniel Tajem issued a statement saying that the five elected representatives in his group would not join or 'park' themselves temporarily with the other BN component parties.

He said the party was going ahead with its appeal against the ROS' decision to the Home Minister within the stipulated 30-day period and declared that they would stick to the BN.