KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has sacked 11 key supporters of Datuk Dr James Masing for acting against the party’s interests.
Those removed included vice-president Datuk Sng Chee Hua and former secretary-general Dublin Unting, who is also state Assistant Social Development and Urbanisation Minister.
Sng, a former MP and assemblyman, and Dublin are the right-hand men of Dr Masing, who heads the faction against rival group led by acting president Datuk Daniel Tajem.
Sng and Dublin were expelled for campaigning against Barisan Nasional candidates from PBDS in the March parliamentary elections.
The other nine were sacked for their involvement in the formation of the proposed Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).
They were PRS pro tem committee members – president Sidi Munan, secretary-general Henry Opang, treasurer-general Clement Eddy, former MP Philimon Nuing, Richard Wil, Munan Laja, Doris Sophia Brodie, Mathew American Lidud and George Lagong.
The decision to sack the 11 was unanimously taken at a party supreme council meeting chaired by Tajem, also a former Deputy Chief Minister, at the PBDS headquarters here yesterday.
PBDS vice-president and disciplinary committee chief Gabriel Adit said Sng had openly campaigned for independent candidate Joseph Mawat who stood against PBDS treasurer-general Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum in Julau in the recent parliamentary polls.
“He (Sng) declared that he had the blessing of the state government and had openly provided Mawat with the necessary facilities and support for the campaign,” he told reporters.
Mawat was also actively involved in the formation of PRS.
Adit said Dublin had actively supported independent William Nyalau Badak who challenged PBDS incumbent Jawah Gerang in Lubok Antu during the election.
“He (Dublin) even allowed this opposition candidate to use the PBDS Lubok Antu branch office,” he said.
Adit, who is also Ngemah assemblyman, said the 11 were given 30 days to reply to the party’s show cause letters but none had replied when the deadline expired on May 24.
“It is the party’s unanimous decision that action must be taken against party members who had blatantly and intentionally breached party constitutions,” he said, adding that the 11 would be notified of their dismissal.
Adit said party elections and triennial delegates conference would be held on Oct 9 and 10.
