Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) which has been embroiled in a bitter leadership feud for the past two years will not be de-registered, said the powerful Registrar of Societies (ROS).

In a letter dated yesterday sent to the embattled party, ROS’ chief Md Alias Kalil said the agency had decided not to de-register PRS after explanation from its leaders.

This was despite that the ROS had found the sacking of the six supreme council members by Dr James Masing, the party president, had contravened both the party constitution and Societies Act.

Due to the dispute, the party has been operating with two presidents and two separate headquarters, resulting in the possibility of deregistration by ROS.

Two officers from the enforcement division of ROS in Kuala Lumpur hand-delivered the ‘no deregistration’ letter to party secretary-general Sidi Munan at his office in the party's registered headquarters in Kuching at 11am.

larry sng 061107 Disclosing this today, PRS faction leader Larry Sng, who is also assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Department, told reporters at a hastily-called press conference that this should end all speculation on the deregistration of the party.

“This is good news for our members, our party and supporters ,” he added.

Sng said he was expecting another letter from the ROS responding to the complaints his faction had made regarding the public display of the party's new logo, which had not been approved by the ROS at a function in Miri early last year.

james masing and parti rakyat sarawak prs logo launch 160107 The function ( right ) was organised by PRS' other faction led by Masing, who is also state land development minister. The Sng faction had also lodged a police report on the matter.

“The investigation papers are now with the Attorney-General’s Chambers and we're awaiting a decision,” said Munan, who told reporters he was informed by the enforcement division officers about this today.

Masing ‘no longer party president’

The Masing faction was not immediately available for comment on the latest development.

The Sng faction's information chief Ernest Chua said the legal effect of the latest ROS' decision as far as the PRS supreme council is concerned, is that the matter has legally reverted back to the status quo.

james masing On Masing's ( left ) membership, which had subsequently been terminated, Chua said: “As far as we are concerned, he is no longer a member of the party, let alone president.”

Meanwhile, Munan said he has sent out directives to all 28 party divisions to hold their annual general meetings.

On the resolution of the party's leadership problems, Larry said: “I have no political solution. I leave it to the BN leadership to find a solution.”

The party has eight state assemblypersons and six members of parliament, most of whom are aligned to the Masing faction.