Sabah rights important, not who becomes PM
Published on: Monday, October 24, 2022
Jeffrey said the fact that GRS has succeeded in bringing old political friends and foes under its umbrella proves that Sabah leaders in the coalition now value unity as Sabah’s source of power.
Tenom: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is not interested in who is the next Prime Minister but that the rights of Sabahans be returned.Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president Jeffrey Kitingan said GRS is now in a strong position to challenge decisions made by the federal government and ensure that the rights of Sabahans are protected.ADVERTISEMENT
“We under GRS don’t care who will become prime minister. What’s important to us is to have all our rights returned,” he said.
GRS comprises Sabah Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and United Sabah National Organisation (Usno).
“We’ve been seeing a change in politics today. For so long, we’ve been divided and chopped into pieces so that the federal could rule over us and made decisions for us.
“It’s taken us about 50 years to realise this and throughout that period, we’ve wasted so much,” he said when delivering his speech at the GRS Road Show and Launch of Election Machinery, here.ADVERTISEMENT
Jeffrey said the fact that GRS has succeeded in bringing old political friends and foes under its umbrella proves that Sabah leaders in the coalition now value unity as Sabah’s source of power.
Jeffrey said if Sabah, which is said to be one of the poorest states in the country, continues to be politically divided and disunited, the State will sink further down into poverty.
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He noted that Sabah is already way behind its Borneo neighbour, Sarawak, in terms of development.
“All this is because we’ve not been united,” he said.
He warned the people against the opposition parties who claim to be championing for Sabah’s rights and Sabahan unity where in truth they are not.
He singled out one party without naming it, which he accused of tricking Sabahans into believing that they were a local party fighting for Sabah.
But he said there have been allegations about a body of evidence showing that they have been sympathising with illegal immigrants or PTIs.
He expressed fear of the damage to Sabah and Sabahans if the party was voted.
Meanwhile, some political observers said Jeffrey’s message of unity has somehow silenced the opposition’s propaganda noise about the GRS being in cohorts with Malaya-based parties.
“Every Sabahan knows the bitter truth that is they’ve been under a divide-and-rule politics for decades. The GRS has finally cracked it and came up with the formula by bringing the leaders together with only one thing in mind: unity as source of power.
“It’s not easy to bring political friends and foes together. But the GRS did it. And because there are united, they are strong. This is what Sabahans have always wanted. And now it’s time to show to that we’re not to be ruled over anymore.
“The opposition is also using this political narrative. But people know they will always bow to their federal masters. And they don’t have the right mix of unity in diversity in their party,” he said.
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