TAMBUNAN: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan denied he was responsible for ending the political career of his brother, Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
He said the claim is baseless, politically motivated slander intended to divide Sabah’s struggle.
“The accusation that I ‘betrayed’ or ‘brought down’ my brother is entirely false,” he said.
He claimed that Pairin retired from politics voluntarily after more than 40 years of service, prior to the 14th General Election (2018).
“There is no issue of ‘bringing down my own brother’. He retired of his own accord, and I merely continued the Star political struggle to serve the people of Sabah,” Jeffrey said, adding the contest in the Keningau parliamentary seat was a legitimate democratic process.
However, records show that Pairin did contest the May 2018 state election under PBS and lost to his main challenger, Jeffrey. In September the same year, Pairin announced that he was quitting politics.
Pairin was one of the few party leaders who contested in both the parliamentary and state elections.
Hence, he held both the Keningau parliamentary seat as well as the Tambunan state seat.
He had retained the Tambunan state seat since 1985, taking over from late Datuk Anthony Gibbon.
On claims that he had “closed the PBS’ door in Tambunan,” Jeffrey said it was the result of a strategic agreement between Star and PBS as coalition partners under Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) during the 16th State Election (2020).
“The seat allocation was made by GRS leadership through mutual consensus to avoid clashes among allies, not due to any personal political sabotage on my part,” he said.
Touching on the appointment of nominated assemblymen, Jeffrey denied having sole authority to appoint any individual, including the PAS member.
“The appointment of nominated assemblymen is a collective decision of the Sabah State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. It was a GRS consensus, not my personal decision,” he said.
He also dismissed accusations of “no development” in Tambunan, presenting his record of service during his tenure from 2020 to 2025 as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry of Sabah.
“The claim of ‘no development’ is an unfounded political slander. My development record is clear and verifiable,” he said.
He noted that various high-impact projects implemented under his leadership, including the Sabah Agricultural Revolution Programme (Rear), introduction of high-value crops such as the Nucifera Coconut Plantation in Tambunan and the Sabah Guarana Programme, Agricultural Infrastructure Enhancement Projects (farm roads, irrigation systems), and public housing initiatives (PPRT & SMJ Housing).
He reiterated his focus on bringing positive change to the people of Tambunan and Sabah through physical development, agricultural modernisation and the continued pursuit of state autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
