Faction leader Dr James Masing of the de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has spurned the party's former president Leo Moggie's overtures to discuss the party crisis, saying that it has come a little too late.

Masing, who is state minister of social development and urbanisation, was quoted in several local newspapers today as saying that Moggie had proposed to talk things over when they met each other last Friday during Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's one-day working visit to Sarawak.

Moggie together with Minister with Special Functions Effendi Norwawi accompanied the prime minister during the visit.

According to Masing, Moggie said he has the intention of wanting to talk about the party crisis.

"That's all he said and nothing more," he said, adding that it was too brief an encounter to offer any opportunity for a discussion.

Poles apart

Masing said even if there was a chance for a discussion, he doubted any agreement could be reached, saying the two rival groups (the other is led by Daniel Tajem) were poles apart in their viewpoints.

He described the situation as a husband and wife who were no longer on talking terms and in-laws trying to intervene.

"Both sides still refuse to talk and it is difficult to try and bring them to the negotiating table."

Before its de-registration in December last year, PBDS had six members of parliament, including Moggie, the federal minister of energy, communications and multimedia.

Last week, Abdullah told reporters in Kuching that he might have to decide on which incumbents to retain if there is no agreement among them.

Sarawak Chief Minister and state BN chairperson Abdul Taib Mahmud also said the state BN might be forced to step in and help resolve the candidate issue.

Masing, meanwhile, gave a clear indication that rather than leaving the top BN leadership to decide, his faction would suggest all six names to fill the PBDS group quota of parliamentary seats.

He said he expected the Tajem faction to name their own nominees and then leaving it to the BN top leadership to make the final decision.