Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Leo Moggie today said party information chief Dr James Jemut Masing, who yesterday announced he would contest the top party post at the coming triennial delegates conference, is "creating a leadership crisis" in the party.

He was quoted as saying this by a Miri-based Sin Chew Jit Poh reporter who managed to slip into the Miri Airport tarmac and talked to Moggie before he left by helicopter to Long Bemang in Ulu Baram this afternoon.

According to the reporter, Moggie, who is minister of energy, communications and multimedia, said Masing's decision to contest the president post will create "an unhealthy situation" within PBDS.

Crisis talks

Moggie was accompanied deputy president Daniel Tajem, who has announced he would go for the
presidency o­nly if Moggie is not seeking re-election, and secretary-general Stanley Ajang, who is the state assemblyperson for Belaga, o­n the trip to Long Bemang, a Kayan longhouse in Ulu Baram. The purpose of the visit is to hand over some telecommunication equipment to the longhouse people.

He will stay overnight in the longhouse and meet the residents there before flying to Marudi, the administrative headquarters of Baram district, tomorrow to chair the party's supreme council meeting.

The meeting, widely expected to discuss the present party crisis, is thought likely to also discuss the
possible date for the next triennial delegates conference (TDC).

A faction within PBDS which has the support of eight out of the party's 14 elected representatives and claims support from 117 branches out of 206 wants Masing (left) to take over as president and party vice-president Sng Chee Chua (right) to be the next deputy president.

Another faction has proposed Tajem for president and treasurer-general and member of parliament for Julau Joseph Salang Gandum for deputy president.

Leadership crisis

Yesterday's announcement by Masing, who is state minister of social development and urbanisation, at a packed press conference effectively ends the original Tajem-Masing alliance proposed at a big gathering of party branches in Miri in April last year.

Moggie's statement today would appear that the party president is clearly unhappy or disturbed by the latest development within the party, and that he is likely to spend time with party leaders in Marudi o­n how to prevent the leadership crisis from spinning out of control.

The supreme council meeting will be attended by most members, elected and appointed, representing both factions.

It will be followed by a dinner at Dewan Suarah (community hall) in Marudi, and its organising committee has reported that all tables had been sold out.

Masing told yesterday's press conference he would not be attending the meeting as he would be away o­n ministerial duties. But he added that Sng and most of his supporters would attend.