Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Dr James Masing has received a show-cause letter as to why he should not be expelled for breaching party constitution and 'creating disunity and confusion among members.' from his opposing camp led by deputy Sng Chee Hua.

The letter dated October 23, 2006 was personally delivered to Masing at his residence in Jalan Laksamana, Kuching on the same day at 4.30 in the afternoon following a PRS supreme council meeting chaired by Sng the previous day.

Sng's group had earlier censured Masing as president and Sng now called himself 'acting president'. His camp is also holding a party conference soon to elect a new set of office bearers.

In his immediate reaction, Masing questioned the authority of the party headquarters to send such a letter to him.

Four grounds listed

The letter lists out four grounds as the basis for the 30-day expulsion notice but Masing is given the opportunity to defend himself as provided for under Article V Clause 2 (a) and (b). If he so chooses, he has to present himself before the party's disciplinary committee on November 28, 2006 at 5 pm.

One of the grounds is the sacking, declared in a letter dated September 7, 2006 from the Registrar of Societies to be against the party constitution, by Masing in his capacity as party president of six supreme council members on May 25 this year.

He is also charged for 'disrupting unity and inciting hatred and animosity' among members in organising a 'Malam Mesra Dengan Pemimpin' on August 12, 2006 in Bintulu in getting party divisions to sign pledges of allegiance to him.

Another ground is for deliberately putting up another party headquarters when the ROS had notified the party officially of approval for the party headquarters in Green Heights and 'advocating and inciting commotion and confusion.'