The appointment letter for Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak's (PBDS) credentials committee (CC) chairperson-designate Muhammad Shafee Abdullah will be issued after the party's supreme council meeting on May 29, said a senior party leader today.

"The draft is ready, which will be signed by the party secretary-general. It is awaiting the supreme council's endorsement of the Barisan Nasional (BN) technical committee's proposal on the CC head," added the leader, who declined to be named.

Last week, BN secretary-general Khalil Yaacob suggested Muhammad Shafee, a well-known Kuala Lumpur-based constitutional lawyer, to head the committee. PBDS president Daniel Tajem and his rival Dr James Masing had agreed to the proposal.

The Borneo Post today quoted the lawyer as saying that he foresees no problems in chairing the CC, which is tasked to organise the much anticipated PBDS polls.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Tajem's faction has nominated two of its supreme council members to sit on the committee. The duo are Kuching-based lawyers Baru Bian and Kilat Beriak.

On the other hand, the Masing faction has nominated businessmen Patrick Sibat and Henry Upang Luhatan. The former was the political secretary to ex-PBDS president and federal minister Leo Moggie.

The credentials committee will also appoint a secretary. Under ordinary circumstances, the party secretary-general will serve as the committee secretary. However, since incumbent Stanley Ajang ( photo ) is seen to be aligned to the Tajem faction, a different person is likely to be suggested.

In addition to the CC's five members with voting powers, it has also been agreed that six observers will be appointed to monitor the work of the committee.

The BN technical committee last week also fixed Oct 9-10 for the PBDS's triennial delegates conference (TDC).

This will be preceded by the holding of annual general meetings (AGMs) of registered party branches numbering 415 drawn from the main body, youth and women sections.

'Unusual activities'

A senior party official told malaysiakini that the sequence of events, starting after the Gawai Dayak celebrations in June, involves issuing notices of meetings to branches, the holding of branch AGMs, scrutinising annual returns and financial reports from branches and issuing notice for the TDC.

Under this timetable, branch AGMs will take place everyday except Sunday in one particular month. The branches are scattered all over the state, with remote ones such as the Bekelalan branch in the northern highlands.

The branches will choose their delegates to take part and vote in the 2004 TDC.

It is also learnt that the Registrar of Societies has rejected requests from some quarters to use the 2000 TDC list. This means a new and up-to-date delegates line-up can only be obtained with branches starting afresh their respective meetings.

The official, who requested anonymity, said in the schedule submitted to the BN secretary-general, PBDS also suggested that one representative each from the state and federal BN, the Registrar of Societies, the Home Ministry and the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) oversee the conduct of the elections from the branch to the TDC level.

In a related development, Masing has been widely reported in the media as saying that he wants to compromise on the new list of office-bearers.

This appears to contradict his earlier stance that the best way to resolve the problems in the party is by allowing the grassroots to choose their leaders.

A Masing faction leader Dublin Unting was reported to have said he is concerned about some 'unusual activities' taking place in the Tajem-controlled party headquarters, which he claimed could disadvantage his faction in the run-up to the party polls.

Tajem could not be reached for comment.