A Warisan vice-president has questioned Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Jeffrey Kitingan’s threat to leave Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) over its electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan.
Warisan veep Terrence Siambun said Kitingan, a deputy chief minister, had been in the Sabah government with federal coalitions ever since October 2020, initially with Barisan Nasional and then PH.
“For two years from October 2020, Kitingan sat comfortably as deputy chief minister next to Umno‘s Bung Moktar Radin, who was later replaced by another Umno leader, Shahelmey Yahya.
“Since January 2023, PH leaders such as Phoong Jin Zhe and Christina Liew have also been in the state Cabinet. Through all those years, where was the ‘Justice for Sabah’ that Kitingan now suddenly demands?
“Why has it only become his slogan now with the state election around the corner?” he asked.
Siambun said in a statement that the STAR president should have quit the GRS coalition long ago if he was truly principled and had sought to defend Sabah from federal influence.
Earlier today, Kitingan reportedly threatened to pull STAR out of GRS if the ruling state coalition went ahead with its pact with PH for the state polls.
He said this stance was based on grassroots sentiment, adding that he would meet the eight-party GRS presidential council tonight to discuss the matter.
Kitingan’s shift in tone came two months after he dismissed speculation that STAR would leave GRS following a viral TikTok clip suggesting the possibility if GRS were forced to work with BN and PH.
Siambun claimed Kitingan was only making the ultimatum now for fear of his party losing Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) support to Warisan, using the PH pact as a scapegoat.
“He is now trying to cover up his weakness by pretending it is about defending Sabah’s rights,” he said.
The former Moyog assemblyman also said Kitingan had multiple occasions to leave GRS and even the unity government, citing the STAR president’s repeated tirades on a myriad of issues.
“Yet despite all these grievances, he chose to remain in the coalition. His words never matched his actions.”
Siambun said Kitingan’s latest statement also reflected a fractured GRS quarrelling among itself, adding that Warisan had consistently maintained it would go solo in the state polls.
