Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has made public the contents of two official letters, including a recent one from the Home Affairs Ministry, to inform members on the legitimate status of its supreme council to run the party after its reinstatement.

Prior to this, party leaders had been weighing for several days whether to make them public after certain leaders aligned to a rival faction had publicly expressed doubts on the powers and authority of the supreme council in making certain decisions or to act.

PBDS secretary-general Stanley Ajang said in a statement issued in Kuching last night that he had taken the liberty to publish the two letters from the relevant authorities relating to the current status of the party.

The first letter dated March 9, 2004 and signed by the ministry's deputy secretary-general Shafee Abu Bakar conveyed the prime minister's decision in his capacity as home minister allowing the party's appeal for reinstatement.

The appeal was made to the minister after the Registrar of Societies (ROS) de-registered the party on Dec 5, 2003.

The second letter dated March 10, 2004 and signed by ROS Dahri Ibrahim was a follow-up to the ministry's letter inviting the party's secretary-general to fix a date for a discussion with the ROS on the question of organizing the party's triennial delegates conference.

"With the publication of these letters, it is hoped that any doubt whatsoever will be dispelled immediately on two matters," Ajang said.

April 24 meeting

First, it should be now clear as to the legality and authority of Daniel Tajem as the rightful acting president and the current supreme council to run and conduct the affairs of the party until the next TDC, he added.

Second, it shows the ROS' recognition of the current office-bearers (president and supreme council members) to prepare for the TDC and to fix a date with the ROS for further discussion.

He confirmed that the party will be holding its first supreme council meeting on April 24.

"At this meeting the party's preparations for the TDC will certainly be on the agenda," he added.

Ajang said that in the meantime, efforts towards meeting certain requirements as stipulated in the letters "are being pursued aggressively".

"Therefore, I call on all quarters to cooperate with the party and to focus on consolidating and building the party to become a meaningful partner in the Barisan Nasional," he added.

In the ministry's letter, other than requiring the Dayak-based party to hold new elections to elect office-bearers under proper supervision, it also said that the party's supreme council with Tajem as acting president would remain in status quo.

Ajang had released copies of the two letters to the media and had them published as advertisements in toto, also in response to rival faction leader Dr James Masing's ( photo ) reported comments questioning Tajem and the supreme council's authority and power to appoint him (Masing and two others) to the supreme council.

Party officials said they hoped with the publication of the contents of the two letters, no one would question the powers of the president and supreme council to run the party until the TDC.