The first clear indication that Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) last week, is likely to be re-instated on appeal came today from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

At a press conference before departing Kuching for Brunei this morning, Abdullah said he would 'save' PBDS and that he was only waiting for the appeal letter from Daniel Tajem, president of the party.

He said he was not aware whether the appeal letter had been sent to him or not as he had not gone back to his office since returning from Tokyo. The prime minister had to go straight to Kuching for the mammoth Hari Raya open house last night.

Abdullah said he would have to check with his office to find out whether Tajem had contacted the office to fix an appointment to see him with the appeal letter.

Yesterday, Sarawak Chief Minister and state Barisan Nasional chairperson Abdul Taib Mahmud already gave an indication on the official line of thinking on the part of the top BN leadership concerning the PBDS troubles, which Abdullah today described as merely an "internal problem".

In a move read as reversing an earlier decision, Taib was quoted by the Sarawak Tribune as saying that there was now no hurry to temporarily 'park' the PBDS' 14 elected representatives with other component parties.

Last weekend, after a state BN supreme council meeting, he said the state BN was offering temporary 'parking' to the stranded elected representatives, adding that he would decide in the next few days where to 'park' them.

Abdullah today also had a word of advice to Tajem and his nemesis Dr James Masing, leader of the other faction controlling nine of the 14 elected representatives.

Firm commitment

The prime minister said he had listened to both factions and "it is time that they listen to each other".

This is a clear indication that if and when PBDS is re-instated, he wants a firm commitment that the two factions would sit down and agree among themselves on how best to resolve their problems from within.

Observers say that Abdullah feels the only way is for the party to hold fresh polls, starting with fresh electoral list from branches and all party arrangements on nominations and elections that can be mutually agreed to by both factions.

There is also a possibility that since both factions have learned a lesson from the protracted leadership dispute, both sides may be more willing to compromise in order to save the party formed 20 years ago to articulate Dayak interests.

Abdullah told reporters he was confident that the internal problems within PBDS would not affect the winning chances of the BN in the coming general election.

Meanwhile, Paul Kadang, the information chief of the deregistered PBDS, said his group was happy with the prime minister's comments.