The crisis-ridden Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) faction led by deputy president Sng Chee Hua today lodged a police report against party president Dr James Masing for publicly displaying a 'new' party logo that has not been approved by the party and Registrar of Societies (ROS).

The report was lodged by PRS secretary-general Sidi Munan this morning at the Simpang Tiga divisional police headquarters in Kuching. He was accompanied by Sng and the party's deputy information chief and legal advisor Ernest Chua.

In the police report, Sidi said Masing, who is also state land development minister, launched the new PRS logo on Jan 13, 2007 at Mega Hotel Miri at a dinner function organised by PRS Senadin Division chairperson Richard Wil.

He also attached a press cutting from Utusan Borneo dated Jan 15,2007 showing Masing and Wil displaying the new logo.

"I would like to stress that PRS has not authorised Masing, Wil or any member of PRS to design and change the present official PRS logo," said Sidi.

Violated Societies Act

The PRS secretary-general alleged that displaying the new logo had violated Section 50 of the Societies Act 1966 and that he had lodged the police report "to protect and safeguard the interests of the party and all its office bearers and to enable the police to take immediate steps to carry out investigations and bring the culprits to justice."

The latest development is part of the on-going leadership squabble within the party which has been going on for more than a year.

The party's first triennial delegates conference (TDC) organised by the Sng faction will take place in Kuching on March 30-31 to elect new office bearers. It is understood that the ROS is waiting for the party to supply a list of new office-bearers after the TDC.

The Masing faction held their own TDC in December 2006 in Sibu and elected their own office-bearers.

Meanwhile, malaysiakini understand that no fixed date has been agreed on for the two factions to start reconciliation talks that have been ordered by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.