KOTA KINABALU, Oct 3 — Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR Sabah) has declared full backing for its president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s decision to contest the 17th Sabah state election solo, parting ways with the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
STAR information chief Anuar Ghani said the move came after weighing current political developments, particularly reports that GRS had offered 21 to 23 seats to Pakatan Harapan (PH), which he claimed ran against public sentiment.
“STAR initially suggested that PH only retain its seven incumbent seats under the GRS logo. However, reports said the GRS Supreme Council offered far more, which is seen as contradicting the aspirations of Sabahans,” he said in a statement today.
He said STAR would have remained with GRS if the coalition chose to contest solo, but the party could not be part of any arrangement involving PH and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Anuar added that Kitingan’s position reflected grassroots demands for local parties to lead Sabah without external or “Malaya agendas”.
He outlined 11 guiding principles behind STAR’s solo stance, including upholding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), prioritising Sabahans through the “Sabah First, Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga” concept, rejecting outside political interference, ensuring transparent governance, and strengthening confidence in local parties as Sabah’s rightful leaders.
“This decision is not about positions but about defending Sabah’s dignity. STAR is prepared to sacrifice for justice and to ensure that ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ and ‘Justice for Sabah’ are truly realised,” he said.
He also stressed that cooperation within the federation must be built on mutual respect as equal partners, not as a form of “colonial exploitation by Malaya”.
“STAR Sabah will continue to side with the people. Our fight is to ensure Sabah is governed entirely by local parties for the dignity, justice, independence, and future of a sovereign Sabah,” he said.
Yesterday, GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said STAR and the Sabah Progressive Party were effectively leaving the coalition for refusing to use the GRS logo in the election, though Kitingan has yet to make an official announcement on the matter.
