KUCHING: No discussions have taken place within Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) to choose a successor to president Tan Sri James Masing who passed away on Sunday (Oct 31).

       Deputy president Datuk Joseph Salang (pic) said it was too early to talk about a successor.

       "To us, (Masing) is still our leader. His spirit is still with us, so we haven't talked about who will succeed him," he told reporters at Masing's residence here on Tuesday (Nov 2).

       Salang said he was not the party's acting president but was merely assuming the responsibility and not taking over the position.

       He also refuted media reports of party infighting to fill the top leadership post.

       "As the deputy president, it is my responsibility to hold together the party leadership and membership.

       "It is not that I want to lead the party as a lot of people have been speculating," he said, adding that the party's supreme council members were united on the matter.

       An online portal had reported that Masing's demise had triggered jostling among PRS leaders for the president's post.

       On the supreme council's meeting on Sunday (Oct 31) afternoon, Salang said it had been planned over two weeks earlier but sadly coincided with Masing's death.

       He said it was not a rushed affair to grab power.

       "In Iban customs, we can have meetings and do our normal business during a wake or funeral. But after the burial, it is our mourning period when we cannot do anything. So we had to hold that meeting.

       "Perhaps we could have postponed it but the election bell is ringing so we can't wait, otherwise we may not have the opportunity to hold our supreme council meeting if we delayed it," Salang added.

       He said the meeting discussed how to continue Masing's legacy and to prepare for the coming state election.