The internal strife within Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has now openly surfaced as the campaign for the state election gets underway in earnest.

Its deputy president Sng Chee Hua has expressed concern that saboteurs from within the party are helping the independent candidate in the Pelagus state constituency.

"I have received sufficient proof in the form of tape recordings of speeches at the independent's political gatherings. I am very sad and angry this back-stabbing happens," he said at the meet-the-people session at a longhouse near Kapit today.

Bernama quoted him as saying that it was ironical that some groups within the PRS were not giving their full support to the BN.

"Let us stop the instigations (against the BN). The incumbent Larry Sng is the only BN candidate for the constituency and not Jeffery Nuing, the independent as claimed by certain groups with vested interest," he said.

Sng said the group was bent on destroying Larry politically so that they could come up with a new candidate of their own choice in the next election.

Larry, who is Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Office (Economic and Industrial Planning) is involved in a three-cornered fight.

Apart from Jeffery Nuing Ebom, the other challenger is Snap's Simon Sibat.

Ready to step down

Sng said he knew there were groups within PRS who were not happy with his leadership.

"I am very happy if I can relinquish my deputy president's post even now. But please do not sabotage Larry just because he is my son. He is more importantly the BN incumbent," he added.

It is reliably learnt that the PRS No 2 reported the matter to Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud when he made a flying visit to Kapit today.

Taib is said to have told the senior Sng to concentrate on winning the seat first and that he would deal with the matter after the elections.

This is the junior Sng's second attempt to win Pelagus which was held by his father for a term from 1996-2001.

Pelagus which forms part of Kapit town was originally a Snap seat. It later fell to PBDS and when PBDS was de-registered, PRS automatically claimed the seat when Larry joined the party.

PRS is led by state minister Dr James Masing who is said to be at loggerheads with his deputy soon after the party was formed. It is one of the four BN component parties in Sarawak.