Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) could find itself in hot soup with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and suffer the same fate as Sarawak National Party (Snap) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) if members who have complained of irregularities in divisional elections take the matter up with the authorities.

According to a PBB supreme council member with a legal background, many reports of irregularities were received by the party.

"There have been many complaints on the conduct of elections in the Tanjung Datu, Belaga, Padungan and Demak Laut divisions over issues such as double membership, notice of meeting given not according to party constitution, candidates allegedly prevented from contesting and unregistered branches being allowed to participate in the elections," the member revealed on condition of anonymity.

The latest complaint made officially to PBB headquarters yesterday was by a group of 17 people from 15 of the 23 branches from PBB Tanjung Datu division in Lundu who complained at the manner in which the Chief Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Idris Buang as meeting co-ordinator conducted the elections of the division during the weekend.

They complained of a lack of transparency in the whole exercise.

As a result, they said, Haji Johni Wahi, a former EPF officer said to be very popular locally, was shut out from the contest and the incumbent Hossen Busri, said to be a Idris Buang supporter, was returned unopposed.

Contacted today, Idris claimed that Johni who joined PBB as a member only three months ago, was neither a branch delegate nor observer to last weekend's meeting.

"As a lawyer who is aware of the party's constitution, I cannot possibly allow his name to be put forward for election," Idris explained.

According to him, four or five delegates who disagreed with his decision walked out of the meeting held at the Sematan Dewan Masyarakat.

Idris said 10 candidates were nominated for the seven committee posts. Three later withdrew, allowing the seven to be returned unopposed.

Fresh polls

A Pueh branch official told malaysiakini that dissatisfied members later met PBB senior vice- president Adenan Satem, who had earlier officiated at the meeting, in his residence in Kuching to express their unhappiness at the latest developments.

It is also learnt that a group of the newly-elected Tanjung Datu division officials called a press conference today to explain what actually transpired at the Lundu meeting and defended Idris' decision.

Meanwhile, some irregularities surrounding the Belaga division elections were reported after two-third of the branches were effectively prevented from nominating candidates for the various key posts.

At the recent Padungan division meeting, several branches complained about the 20 days instead of 30 days notice as required under the constitution for the meeting to be held, among other things.

In the Demak Laut youth election, the results were disputed after the co-ordinator Karim Hamzah, the state assemblyperson for Asajaya, allowed delegates from two branches said to be not registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to vote.

It is learnt that fresh elections for the Demak Laut youth wing will be held on July 23.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.