Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) was formed last October following a protracted leadership tussle in the now-defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

Less than eight months old, the party now appears to be sailing towards choppy waters with rumours that its deputy president, Sng Chee Hua, will call it a day soon.

Asked by Bernama in Sibu today, all party president Dr James Masing would say was: "No, I am not aware of this. It's news to me. You better check with him."

Sng, a businessman and former Julau MP, could not be contacted as he is believed to be overseas.

Front-page report

Utusan Sarawak today carried a front-page report, quoting a party internal source as saying that Sng would relinquish his post soon.

It said Sng was quitting the post voluntarily in a move to get the Dayaks together into the mainstream of development in the state.

Sng is said to be prepared to allow either vice-president Joseph Entulu or former PBDS treasurer-general Joseph Salang to replace him. Salang is deputy foreign minister and one of the five PBDS elected representatives who is still party-less.

PRS was registered on Oct 21 last year and is a component of the Sarawak Barisan Nasional although it is still awaiting acceptance at federal level.

Meanwhile, a party source told malaysiakini today that Masing had, in private, said he would prefer Larry Sng, Chee Hua's son, as his deputy if the senior Sng wanted to resign.

Larry, 25, is Pelagus state assemblyperson and an assistant minister in Sarawak.