Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Daniel Tajem said last night that the party's supreme council, the highest policy-making body, elected prior to the July 26, 2003 triennial delegates conference (TDC) should not be challenged by anyone.

This was clearly stated in the Home Ministry's reinstatement letter of March 9, 2004, when ordering fresh polls be held but without any deadline being given, to elect new office-bearers, to the party's secretary-general, he added.

Dr James Masing, leader of the other faction, was reported to have said that he sees no necessity to attend supreme council meetings of the party, because as far as he was concerned, the council does not exist anymore.

Masing and two others in his camp were appointed recently by Tajem to the council.

Meeting last night

An urgent meeting of the supreme council, chaired by Tajem, was convened last night at PBDS headquarters in Jalan Datuk Wan Alwi in Kuching to discuss matters raised during the discussion with representatives of the federal and state Barisan Nasional, the Registrar of Societies and the Ministry of Home Affairs on April 13 in Kuching.

In a three-page press statement, Tajem said the reinstatement of PBDS as a political party was based on a number of points enumerated by the Home Ministry and which, he added, would have to be accepted and implemented by the party in toto.

He said the reinstatement was a package deal, and that his group would honour all the points raised in the letter.

'We hold the stance, in pursuance to paragraph 2(iv) of the letter, that the status quo of the PBDS supreme council as prior to the July 26, 2003 TDC, where Daniel Tajem is president, is maintained.'

"Aside from being plainly in written form, the application of logic and common sense reinforces our stance that there is a supreme council in place. The minister in ordering a reinstatement could not have intended PBDS to operate in void without a functioning organ, that is, a supreme council which manages and decides for the party," he said.

Tajem disclosed that following discussions on February 25 this year at BN headquarters in Kuala Lumpur leading to the party's reinstatement, he was instructed as party president to appoint three members from the Masing group to the present council supreme, which he did.

"It simply makes no sense to direct the president to do so if there was never intended to be a supreme council in the first place. We have not reneged on any of the understanding reached," he said.

Within four months

Tajem said PBDS is now actively making preparations to hold the coming TDC.

"Although no time-frame has been set in the letter, the TDC shall be held within reasonable time, that is, not in too long a time as to render the spirit and intent of the letter meaningless or in too short a time as to render that the various provisions in the party constitution regarding the TDC and the elections unimplementable.'

According to the PBDS chairperson, the party would ensure the TDC is held even before the four months is up "if every reasonable steps had been taken."

"Let there be no mistaken belief that we the leaders of PBDS will shy away from holding the TDC. We look at the coming TDC as a rite of necessary political passage."

Last night's meeting also welcomed any advice or suggestion from and the supervisory role to be played by the BN and the ROS. But at the same time, it resolved that the 'party's pride and dignity must be upheld and not sacrificed as this is fundamental.

It explained: "This means that in the conduct of the TDC itself, the sacrosanctity of the party's constitution together with the relevant laws of the country must be respected and applied."

Tajem said the party would continue to hold meetings with representatives of the state and federal BN and those appointed from the ROS office on the holding of the TDC.

"In this respect, we would feel it more desirable if no official recognition is made to existence of factions in PBDS and that the party attends these meetings as a single entity, not in factions."

The supreme council meeting also said to help maintain the party's integrity and solidarity, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) should be present to monitor the electoral procedure and the TDC "so that money politics does not come into play."