Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) secretary-general Stanley Ajang lodged a police report yesterday concerning a notice purportedly issued by rival party leader Sng Chee Hua claiming the venue for the youth and women wings joint triennial delegates conference today has been changed from Kuching to Bintulu.

Sng is the running mate of former information chief and presidential aspirant Dr James Masing for the deputy president post.

This weekend's triennial delegates conference on July 26 will not see any elections as candidates aligned to party president Daniel Tajem have all been returned on July 11 when branches which backed the rival faction were disqualified.

However, Masing and Sng were elected party president and deputy president at a rebel conference held in Bintulu today. The Dayak-based party, which has been embroiled in a bitter leadership struggle over the past few months, now has two set of leaders.

Ajang was accompanied to the Sekama police station in Kuching by the party's deputy president-elect Joseph Salang Gandum and two other party officials this afternoon.

The youth and women wings, according to party headquarters, will be held in Kuching tomorrow.

No authority

Later, in a press statement Ajang said: "Firstly, a vice president has no authority to convene a TDC or to issue any notice pertaining to the TDC. That authority is vested in the party's secretary-general, according to Article 1X Clause 4 (iii)(b) of the party constitution."

Secondly, he said there was never any supreme council meeting on June 21, 2003 during which the purported decision to change the venue was made.

"Therefore, on behalf of PBDS, and pursuant to the powers vested on me by the constitution of PBDS, I hereby give notice that the proper venue for the youth and women wings TDC on July 24, 2003 is at the 1st Floor, Kuching Park Hotel, Lot 6060, Jalan Padungan, Kuching as was informed to all eligible branches and as was also published in the Borneo Post newspaper on July 20, 2003."

He reminded party members of the provisions under Article V of the PBDS constitution that "disrupting or attempting to disrupt solidarity, unity and functioning of the party or inciting hatred and animosity among members or against party leaders are acts of indiscipline which may result in expulsion from the party."

Ajang also reminded all members not to attend any other TDC other than the TDC at Kuching Park Hotel on July 24, 2003 and at the Kuching Santubong Resort on July 26, 2003.

Malaysiakini learned that the new party leadership is seriously contemplating taking action against Sng, if he failed to deny or that he admit sending the notice out to branches in his capacity as vice president. This may possibly include expulsion from the party.