Beleaguered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) faction leader Dr James Masing has called on his supporters to stay united as a team irrespective of what the future may hold for the party.

He made the plea this morning at a special gathering attended by some 480 delegates from the party's previous triennial delegates conference (TDC) at Holiday Inn Damai Beach Resort in Santubong, near Kuching.

The number represented more than three-quarters of the total delegates at the 2000 TDC.

There was disappointment among the Masing group leaders after Barisan Nasional secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad announced earlier in the week that plans for the October 9-10 party polls had been dropped following disagreement between the two rival factions on the proposed delegates list.

Masing's No 2 Sng Chee Hua was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that the group would still win if the Tajem request to amend the delegates list according to what they wanted at the TDC.

The Masing faction nevertheless decided to go ahead with their own planned gathering for the group leaders to explain to the delegates their own version of events that had led to the party's troubles.

Today's gathering was held under increasing uncertainties regarding the party's future, including even the possibility soon of a second and final de-registration.


Resolution passed

(The party was de-registered in December last year but reinstated in March before the general election on the directive of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi but on conditions fresh polls were held to choose its leaders properly).

All nine elected representatives - six state assemblypersons and three members of Parliament opposed to the PBDS president Daniel Tajem-led faction were present. Sng Chee Hua, a former elected representative, was also present.

Masing, the faction's women section chief Doris Brodie and several grassroots leaders spoke at the function.

The gathering passed a resolution supporting Masing as president, who is the state land development minister, and Sng as deputy president and also the state and federal Barisan Nasional leadership.

Later Masing told reporters that the group could only decide on their next course of action after the BN management committee meeting on Wednesday, Oct 13, to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The delegates at this morning's gathering appeared resigned to the likelihood of the party being given the axe.

The group's first option is thought likely for a new party to be formed, but this will need the approval of the top BN leadership which has already stated publicly they are not keen on another party being formed in Sarawak.

But circumstances may have changed, and, according to observers, even if PBDS survives as a party a new party might still be allowed to accommodate the Masing group as the differences between the two factions appear to be 'totally irreconciliable.'