The Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) supreme council today expelled 12 members, including its controversial vice- president Sng Chee Hua and former secretary-general Dublin Unting.

They were sacked for allegedly working against the party and Barisan Nasional during the recent general election.

Also given the boot were Kapit Walikota Philimon Nuing and the unsuccessful independent candidate for Julau and former PBDS women's wing chief Josephine Mawat. The duo were axed for their involvement in the registration of a new political party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).

The PRS prime movers recently withdrew their registration application following mediation talks - initiated by the BN - to resolve the PBDS crisis by holding fresh party elections fixed for October 9-10.

Other members sacked were PRS pro-tem chairperson Sidi Munan, lawyer Clement Eddy, Richard Will, Henry Upang, Munan Laja, Doris Sophie Brodie, Matthew American Lidud and George Lagong.

The PBDS supreme council had on April 21 suspended the membership of Sng ( photo ), the former Julau MP.

The remaining 11 were given 30 days from the same date to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them. However, they did not respond.

All those sacked are aligned to rival PBDS faction leader Dr James Masing, who has been locked in a protracted leadership tussle with party president Daniel Tajem.

Three-page statement

Masing was not immediately available for comment, but some of those axed said they did not recognise the supreme council's authority and therefore saw no reason in replying to the show-cause letters

This afternoon's supreme council meeting at the party headquarters in Kuching was chaired by Tajem ( photo ).

Announcing the supreme council's unanimous decision on the expulsion, PBDS disciplinary committee chairperson Gabriel Adit said action was taken against Sng for 'actively and directly supporting' Mawat who contested as an independent candidate against BN's Joseph Salang in Julau.

"He had openly campaigned for Mawat and declared that he had the state government's blessings. He openly provided Mawat with the necessary facilities and logistics support prior to and during the elections," he said.

In a three-page statement, Adit, who is also a PBDS vice president and Ngemah state assemblyperson, said action was taken against Unting for 'actively and directly supporting another independent candidate, William Nyalau Anak Budak, against BN candidate Jawah Gerang in Lubok Antu."

(Nyalau had resigned as a district officer on a 24-hour notice to contest as an independent).

"Unting had even allowed the opposition candidate to use his office and/or the PBDS Lubok Antu branch. He also used his position as state assemblyperson for Batang Ai by promising to give some longhouses within his constituency an emergency and/or immediate grant in return for their support for the independent candidate," Adit said.

He said the party needed to take action as failing to do so would affect its credibility.

"Some people may say this action may weaken the party as some so-called big names are involved. But I believe this is contrary to the feeling of the majority of party members.

Credentials committee

Adit said the expulsion was also consistent with the BN supreme council's decision on April 4 to authorise individual component parties to take action against members who stood against BN in the general election.

Meanwhile, the PBDS supreme council today also "reaffirmed its commitment to hold the Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) in a proper and orderly manner with its outcome to be respected by all".

It directed all members to give their full cooperation to the credentials committee which will be responsible for organising the party elections from branch to TDC levels.

Malaysiakini

learnt that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Radzi Sheikh Ahmad ( photo ) will replace Kuala Lumpur-based constitutional lawyer Mohd Shafee Abdullah as chairperson for the credentials committee.

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