KOTA KINABALU: The current political uncertainty in peninsular Malaysia should not serve as a model for how Sabah political parties should treat their allies at the state level.
Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said that whatever was going on between Umno and parties in the Perikatan Nasional, should stay there and not be brought to Sabah's shores.
"I hope that we will be able to collaborate with each other in Sabah. If we do not allow such confusion and uncertainty to also happen here, I believe we will be able to win many seats without jeopardising the good relations we already have.
"I implore our political leaders to think as Sabahans. Our leaders must be united and work together," he told reporters after launching the 65th anniversary of the Quion Hill Agriculture Research Station in Tawau on Saturday (Aug 20).
Kitingan, who is Deputy Chief Minister in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) - Barisan Nasional-led state government - was referring to the current fallout between Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the peninsula.
Kitingan had last week said that there was a possibility for a free-for-all among Sabah parties due to the fluid political situation in peninsular Malaysia.
Bersatu together Sabah STAR, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Usno were under GRS who were working together with Sabah Barisan Nasional led by Umno in the Sabah coalition government.
"We don’t know when the general election will be held, but STAR together with other parties in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) are already preparing for it," Kitingan said.
Meanwhile, he said the Quion Hill Agriculture Research Station had the potential to diversify its operation to include ecotourism, especially for foreign researchers interested in local fruits.
He said the centre was also an appealing option for food enthusiasts who want to sample some of the centre’s new varieties of fruits.
He said since the station’s inception in 1957, it had introduced several commercially available fruit varieties including two varieties of avocados and plantains in 2012, two salak clones in 2014, two breadfruit clones in 2019, and one red-fleshed durian clone and jackfruit clone in 2021.
"I am also pleased that, in conjunction with the station’s anniversary, we launched two new fruit varieties - the avocado variety QAV 3 and the tarap variety QTRP 1.
"Both varieties were the result of a 20-year study in this station. The fruits are larger, have shorter maturation periods and are more disease resistant," he said.
