Next month's Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) triennial delegates conference has been postponed because of 'massive problems' with branch and divisional elections.

The party's supreme council meeting, chaired by its president Abdul Taib Mahmud, made the decision today. A new date for the conference has yet to be fixed.

The decision was taken so as not to put the party at risk of being de-registered after receiving at least 30 reports from branches complaining of certain irregularities in the conduct of elections in the run-up to the party convention, scheduled to be held in Miri on Sept 14-16.

The convention will now be turned into a seminar as preparations have all been made for the triennial delegates conference. The party has 62 divisions with more than 2000 branches throughout Sarawak and its triennial conference is usually attended by some 2000 delegates and observers.

A PBB supreme council member, who asked not to be indentified, told malaysiakini that a task force headed by Taib and comprising the two deputy presidents, two senior vice presidents, vice presidents and women and youth heads has been formed to look at the problems.

The 'massive problems' included the non-registration of branches that had been allowed to take part and vote in certain branch meetings and elections.

"The task force will act independently and only to handle registration matters and hear complaints," the source said. There are about 30 cases that have been brought to the attention of party headquarters.

"At least six months is required to attend to the registration of illegal branches," he said, adding that party elections can only take place six months after that.

State ROS mum

When contacted, Registrar of Societies Sarawak James Ho refused to comment on reports that his office had received complaints from PBB branches and that he had written to PPB headquarters regarding those cases and to advise that fresh elections be held.

"I've been away in Kuala Lumpur for a week and I''ve yet to look at the files," was all he was prepared to say.

On the status of the five partyless legislators from the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) whose applications to join PBB were rejected earlier, the same source said that no decision was made today on the five.

It is learnt that state BN secretary-general Ambrose Blikau will be writing to the four component parties - PBB, Sarawak United People's Party, Sarawak Democratic Progressive Party and Parti Rakyat Sarawak -- to inform them that they are at liberty to accept the five.

Meanwhile, Taib later told reporters the two-day seminar in Miri would give members an opportunity to debate the Ninth Malaysia Plan because of its importance to the state. He did not, however, disclose the reasons for postponing the convention to after state elections nor did he mention anything about complaints at branch level elections.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.