Discreet campaigning is taking place within Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) branches in Sarawak, as aspiring leaders jostle for top positions ahead of party elections.

A clear line is being seen between the dominant cliques, comprising Iban and Malay/Melanau members respectively. This has a historical link, for they belonged to two parties - Pesaka and Bumiputera - that were eventually merged at the height of political turbulence in Sarawak.

In the Bumiputera wing, leaders aligned to Abang Johari Tun Openg are struggling to make their presence felt. The other faction, led by Adenan Satem, appears to have won the favour of party president Abdul Taib Mahmud.

At the last triennial party convention in 2002, Abang Johari's men were wiped out of the supreme council, losing to unknown candidates backed by Adenan.

Among the big guns toppled then were Assistant Minister of Public Health and Environment Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zain, veteran MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Kalaka assemblyperson Abdul Wahab Aziz.

Johari's faction has taken that result as a wake-up call for the next convention, which is widely anticipated to be held later this year. The impact of politicking in the party is also being felt in the women's and youth wings.

In Pesaka the battle lines between deputy president Alfred Jabu and former secretary-general Leonard Linggi have been drawn, albeit with invisible ink.

Linggi's Dayakism

Linggi resigned from his post in 2002. Although he is now an ordinary member, his influence and popularity among rural and educated Dayaks are almost on par with that of Jabu.

Linggi's decision to form the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry has irked Taib, who is obviously wary of 'Dayakism' taking root.

In the youth wing, nothing seemed to have gone in Johari's favour since the last party polls. His most trusted lieutenant, former youth vice chief Ibrahim Baki was sidelined from becoming the BN candidate for the Petra Jaya parliamentary seat in last March's election in favour of Fadillah Yusoff, backed by Adenan.

The decision is a slap on the face of Kuching Malays as Fadillah, nephew of former state forestry minister, the late Haji Noor Tahir, is from Sibu.

Ibrahim also had to give way to newcomer Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for the deputy youth leader's post in 2002 for the sake of 'party unity'. Ibrahim's men were almost all wiped out from the PBB Youth line-up while Abdul Karim, aligned to Adenan, is now the state assembly's BN Backbenchers Club chairperson and poised for greater promotion.

Simmering tensions

In the women's wing, under-currents are being felt between the top two Bumiputera leaders. Women's head Sharifah Mordiah Tuanku Fauzi has openly attacked vice-chief Rohani Karim over the years, occasionally at high profile public gatherings.

The feud between Sharifah Mordiah and Rohani is being attributed to their difference in age and educational qualifications. The former is a home-maker turned politician while Rohani holds a Masters degree. Sharifah is also a family-oriented woman while Rohani is a dynamic single mother.

Mud-slinging and personal attacks are expected to follow in the wake of currently discreet campaigning by both camps at branch level.

At the height of the last PBB convention, leaflets entitled 7 Dalil Mengapa Rohani Tidak Boleh Jadi Ketua Wanita were placed under the room doors of delegates.

With the Number Two seat allocated to Pesaka (currently held by Senator Empiang Jabu, who is Jabu's wife), a contest is expected for the top position unless Taib manages to douse the fire.

Meanwhile, some PBB leaders are not doing themselves much good with their display of wealth against a backdrop of inflation and rising food prices, which are affecting those in the lower income groups.

For instance, the ceiling price of dressed chicken has gone up to RM6.50 per kg compared to RM4.50 last year and RM3.80 the year before. The price of fish and shrimp has almost doubled.

A seasoned politician observed that certain leaders are not opening their eyes to problems at the grassroots. This, he added, is likely to lead to fireworks when the convention comes around.

JIMMY TEOH is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.