Jeffrey denies Star is pro-BN
Published on: Sunday, May 28, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has dismissed rumours that he and his party are pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) but admitted that he had recently been offered to join a component party in the ruling coalition."It's not true we're pro-BN. What's their basis in saying so? I have been consistent (in my struggles) all this while and I was once jailed for fighting for the rights of Sabah. And I've never stopped fighting until today," he told the press during a luncheon, Friday.He said he could have accepted an offer to join the BN if there was any truth in the rumours.
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Although refusing to disclose details, he confirmed that an offer was made."They said come to the BN la. After all your brother is going to retire and who is going to replace him," he said.The seasoned politician pledged he would never abandon his over 30-year fight for the rights of Sabah and Sabahans and accused the rumour-mongers of trying to destroy his credibility by labelling him and his party as pro-BN.He also criticised them for being too quick to suspect him over some friendly handshakes with BN representatives.
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"Did they think I'm pro-BN just because I shook hands with (Datuk Seri) Salleh Keruak or attended MySabah (group discussions) when (Datuk Seri) Anifah (Aman) was there?"
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"What's wrong with shaking hands with Umno guys or with my brother?" he asked.He explained that MySabah is just a WhatsApp group comprising individuals who are concerned about the rights of Sabah.Politicians in the group, he said, do not represent their respective parties. "Our condition is that the moment you walk into the group you must leave your party behind. There's no party politics in MySabah. We all want to work together to support efforts in claiming our rights as individual leaders. I see nothing wrong with Sabahans sharing ideas on how to claim our rights without involving our parties," he said.He revealed that Foreign Minister Anifah is the only Umno leader in the group that also comprises individuals from the private sector. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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