The Sarawak Barisan Nasional will leave it entirely to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide on the candidates from the de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) to contest the coming general election

This was disclosed in a two-paragraph statement from Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) headquarters signed by its executive secretary Sapawi Ariffin yesterday. PBB is the backbone of the state BN led by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The terse statement, referring to a news report in a local English tabloid yesterday, clarified that "as far as PBB is concerned, the division of seats among the PBDS group is still regarded as their own internal affairs."

The PBDS group holds six of the 28 parliamentary seats in Sarawak.

The two rival factions control three seats each. Yesterday, a faction leader Dr James Masing said a deal was most unlikely as both factions would be submitting their separate lists of six candidates for the forthcoming parliamentary election.

The PBB statement also said that the state BN leadership had not given any blessings to any side to become a candidate other than what would come out from the decision from the prime minister.

"The state leadership has left it to the prime minister to decide," it added.

In today's front-page report in the Borneo Post, a former Julau member of parliament Sng Chee Hua, who has offered to contest in Julau, claimed that he has the blessings of state leaders.

Group meets in KL

Meanwhile, malaysiakini learnt that the other group aligned with Daniel Tajem, president of the de-registered PBDS, has been in Kuala Lumpur for discussions with Leo Moggie, the party's former president and Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister, on matters connected with the forthcoming elections.

It is reliably learnt that the leaders are trying hard to persuade Moggie to seek re-election and to carry on as a minister representing the PBDS group and Dayaks.

The other six incumbent MPs are Joseph Salang (Julau), Jawah Gerang (Lubok Antu), Billy Abit Joo (Hulu Rajang), Jimmy Donald (Sri Aman) and Joseph Mauh Ikeh (Selangau).

A federal BN leader on a visit to Sarawak was quoted as saying that the six PBDS constituencies would probably require more attention during the BN campaigning because of the internal problems.

According to sources, this would imply that in order to avoid the BN position in any of these areas being undermined by anyone, BN parties and leaders both from state and federal would be campaigning for the chosen BN candidates.