Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) deputy leader Sng Chee Hua has challenged anyone from the rival camp to contest the president's post in the upcoming extraordinary delegates' conference (EDC) to be held in August.

Responding to an accusation that he was behind the party crisis, Sng said this would be the best solution to the leadership tussle.

Newspaper reports on Sunday quoted vice-president Joseph Entulu as saying that Sng had engineered the crisis in the party.

Sng said it was meaningless for party leaders to be at odds with one another or to argue through the media as to who should be blamed for the problems.

"Entulu can either stand (for the post) on his own or as a proxy for (censured president) Dr James Masing, especially since his group claims to enjoy the support of 32 of the 34 registered divisions," Sng said.

He said this implies that he only had the support of two divisions - Meluan, which he heads, and Pelagus, which his son Larry leads.

Sng also said Entulu should explain his allegation and show proof, failing which, he (Sng) would contemplate legal action.

He further cautioned rival leaders against creating factions or talking about deregistering the party, saying they should consider the interests of some 40,000 members.

Sng told malaysiakini that the decision to hold the EDC was based on legal advice, in order to elect a new president and thereby prevent the party from being deregistered.

"I do not believe the party will be deregistered if we all follow procedures legally and constitutionally ," he added.

At a gathering in Bintulu last Friday, the pro-Masing faction said it had received a pledge of support and loyalty from 32 divisions and 12 pro tem committees of other divisions.

The group, which claims to be backed by the majority of the party's 11 elected representatives, has refused to recognise the June 14 supreme council meeting called by the Sng faction and the censure motion recorded against Masing.

The crisis was precipitated by Masing's sacking of principal office-bearers, including secretary-general Sidi Munan and treasurer-general Clement Eddy, soon after the state elections.

Four of those sacked lodged a complaint with the Registrar of Societies, claiming that the action was unconstitutional.