Sarawak National Party (Snap) today criticised Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) rival president Dr James Masing for dragging its name into PBDS internal problems.

"Snap strongly urges Masing not to hit at Snap in his desperation. Snap has nothing to do with his political problems. His problems are of his own doing," Snap's deputy secretary-general Frankie Bedindang Majah said in a statement to malaysiakini today.

He was referring to comments widely reported in local newspapers by Masing who has accused his rival group led by Daniel Tajem as stuffing many of those who attended their gatherings with members of other component parties, especially from Snap.

Snap singled out

Masing, who is also social development and urbanisation minister, particularly singled out Snap among other component parties, although he also mentioned the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) and Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), many of whose members he claimed were present at PBDS functions and even helped to organise some of the events.

According to sources, Masing and his group had been quite disturbed after learning of the huge turn-out at last weekend's gathering of former party president Leo Moggie's longhouse at Nanga Bejait. It was reported that between 4000 and 6000 came from all over Sarawak to listen to Moggie and other top party leaders speak on the party's on-going crisis.

Masing also claimed that the 2000 people who attended the Tajem-Salang's triennial delegates conference (TDC) in Santubong on July 26, 2003 comprised members of other component parties, including Supp, PBB and Snap.

But his attempt to link the Tajem-Salang group with Snap, whose status as a BN member is still uncertain, is, according to some political observers, calculated to cast doubts within BN top leaders of the group's loyalty to the BN.

On Masing's allegation that "Snap seems to be quite active in some of the functions held by the Tajem group, Bedindang said that "some of us attended a dinner held in honour of Leo Moggie's 27th years as a minister."

"We attended the function to pay our respect to an outstanding Dayak leader whom the community should be proud of."

He added:"What was surprising was that no Dayak members from the Masing group were present at the function.

BN functions

"Masing must maintain sobriety and should not allow himself to be used as a tool to split the Dayak community." he said.

The Snap's deputy secretary-general also said Snap leaders have the right to attend functions organised by any Barisan Nasional component party.

"The event organised by PBDS in Kanowit was organised by a BN component party. We do not see anything wrong or illegal for Snap members to attend the function," he said.

Bedindang added that the last BN function that Snap representative attended was the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) general assembly in Sabah.

Bedindang is the former Kapit walikota. His term was not renewed and he was replaced by one of Masing's strong supporters, Philimon Nuing, in July this year.

Masing's denial

At yesterday's press conference, Masing also vehemently denied that he ever wanted to switch camp and be the president of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

In an obvious reference to the claim by PBDS permanent chairman and former deputy federal minister Edmund Langgu who also spoke at Leo Moggie's longhouse last weekend, Masing said there was no truth in it and said he would give him (Langgu) "a piece of my mind if and when I meet him."

Many local politicians were wondering today why Masing had decided to mention other BN component parties, some of whose members he claimed had been attending functions organised by his rival faction in the party.

So far Supp and PBB leaders have refrained from making any comment. Masing had also claimed that at least two hard-core Supp members from Belaga and 15 from PBB had attended a function organised by the Tajem group.