The Parti Rakyat Sarawak faction led by acting president Sng Chee Hua has rejected a compromise deal that would have deferred the election of a new president.

At a meeting on Saturday, faction leaders decided to proceed with their plan to call an extraordinary delegates conference (EDC) - rather than a triennial delegates' conference (TDC) as suggested - to elect a new president in place of Dr James Masing.

Masing had been censured on June 14 for alleged anti-Barisan Nasional (BN) activities during the state election. It was claimed that he and his supporters had campaigned against BN candidate Larry Sng in Pelagus.

Vice-president Jimmy Donald said today that the EDC would be held on Saturday at a resort facility outside Kuching.

Elected supreme council member Audie Chua told malaysiakini that 313 delegates from 23 registered divisions would attend the EDC, which is expected to be a half-day affair.

Chua also said the supreme council, to be chaired by Sng ( photo ), will meet about two weeks after the EDC to fix a date for the TDC.

Notice of at least 45 days is required for a TDC. The party has 34 registered divisions, according to the Registrar of Societies.

Rivals' complaint

Malaysiakini has learnt that Masing, who leads a faction that includes most of the party's 11 elected representatives, had complained to the BN leadership that members would be confused if the EDC is held.

He was quoted recently as saying that he would take "appropriate action". While he did not elaborate, it is learnt that he was considering referring the matter to the top leadership.

It is understood that this was the subject of private discussion among some top federal and state leaders, leading to the compromise proposal being put forward to the Sng faction.

According to legal sources, the Sng faction had considered many factors and sought advice before deciding that there was no turning back on the decision to censure Masing. The EDC had therefore to go on to give effect to this.

At the same time, the faction acknowledged that the ultimate solution would be to hold a TDC to let delegates decide who should lead the party, in what it described as a "a winner take all" fight.

"There is nothing to stop Masing from standing for president at the TDC, as he is a party member," Sng noted.