The Barisan Nasional has suspended the membership of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) until it has resolved its leadership crisis.

There is still no official confirmation of this, but PRS president Dr James Masing told malaysiakini today on his return from Kuala Lumpur the party representatives did not attend the BN supreme council meeting chaired by Prime Minister and BN chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi this morning.

"The party will not be invited to attend BN supreme council meetings until we have resolved our internal party problems," said a disappointed Masing, who is also state land development minister.

The suspension of PRS' membership came in the wake of a serious split between one faction led by Masing and the other by his deputy Sng Chee Hua, leading to the setting up of two party headquarters and two sets of supreme councils.

The crisis was precipitated by the sacking of six principal office-bearers, most of whom were Sng's allies, by the president who replaced them mostly with his own men in order to secure his position in the 33-member council.

The Sng faction retaliated by passing a censure motion against Masing at their own supreme council meeting on June 14 , asking him to relinquish his position and announcing an extraordinary delegates conference is to be held within 60 days to elect a new president.

Dispute over reps

As there is a dispute over some who should represent the party at the BN meeting in Kuala Lumpur, it is understood the top BN leadership decided to ask PRS representatives to stay away until they have sorted out their internal problems.

Masing said he was prepared to sit down with Sng as two gentlemen to find a solution to the party problems. But he reiterated whatever promises made should be kept. He did not elaborate.

He said his rivals had sought to remove him as president on the basis of what he described as frame-up charges. Among other things, the Sng faction had accused Masing and some of his men of campaigning against certain BN candidates in last month's state election.

Meanwhile, Sng and his supporters were meeting today to discuss the latest development and to prepare for the party's extraordinary delegates conference which is expected to be held in August..

Among them were Sidi Munan, the secretary-general that Masing sacked but who insists the move is unconstitutional, and vice-president and Sri Aman MP Jimmy Donald.

Contacted today, all Sng was prepared to say was that changing circumstances led to the party not attending the BN meeting.

He also hinted that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) had made a decision but would not elaborate, adding that this was one of the reasons for their own meeting today to try and save the party.