KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has mooted the idea of an alliance with no ties to peninsula-based political parties forming the next state government.
He is the kingmaker as he has two state seats to dangle before the state Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Parti Warisan Sabah-led pact. Both coalitions have 29 seats each. There are a total of 60 state constituencies.
The Tambunan assemblyman reached an agreement with Bingkor assemblyman Robert Tawik earlier today to align with Sabah BN to bring about a simple majority of 31 seats.
“Star is not joining BN. It is a collaboration to set up the state government,” said Jeffrey who wrested Tambunan from his brother, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who had held the constituency since 1976.
“This is for the sake of stability in Sabah. It is simpler to work with this group than the few groups on the other side,” he said referring to the Warisan-led pact, during a press conference in Sri Gaya with Sabah BN chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman and Sabah BN elected representatives.
Warisan, led by its president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, has 21 seats, DAP has six and PKR has two.
This morning, there were hopes that Shafie would form the next government. He had attempted to seek an audience with Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at Istana Negeri but was declined.
Shafie later met Upko acting president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau to form a new pact. But, five Upko assemblymen declared that they would remain with Sabah BN.
A statement, supposedly issued by Jeffrey, has been circulating on social media. It claimed that the 29 elected representatives who had won under the Sabah BN ticket were looking to forming a coalition of Sabah-based parties.
The statement said STAR was not joining BN or Warisan and that Jeffrey had been talking to Musa to find the best political solution for the good of the people.
The plan would involve Sabah Umno assemblymen leaving the party and BN so that the new coalition’s leaders could plan the future of Sabah in accordance with their own aspirations, culture and spirit – free of any control from Kuala Lumpur.
It even said that Jeffrey was offered the position of deputy chief minister, if he helped Warisan to form the state government but the offer was flatly rejected.
Giving more substance to the idea, Kadamaian assemblyman Ewon Benedick, one of the Upko assemblyman who has refused to leave Sabah BN, said it was likely that the 31 assemblymen in their alliance would join Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), the state’s oldest political party.
Ewon said Musa had given his word that he would meet the assemblymen to talk about quitting the party and joining PBS.
“In Sabah, PBS is a vehicle which can be used to unite elected representatives under a locally-based party. PBS has a long history and has its own way of ruling and it includes all races,” Ewon said, adding that a Sabah-based party would not be affected by anti-Umno sentiment, especially among the young generation.
He said this would put Sabah in a similar situation as Sarawak which has a state government that does not include parties from other states.