KOTA KINABALU: With the 17th state election months away, Sabah STAR has expressed its intention to contest in Chinese-majority seats, deputy president Datuk Kenny Chua reveals.
The move is part of the party’s plan to contest 16 state seats, as announced recently by party president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
Chua said the decision is driven by strong grassroots support from the Chinese community, which has shown increasing interest in the party’s struggles.
“Sabah STAR has traditionally been strong in the interior, particularly among the indigenous community. However, we are now seeing more Chinese voters and members joining us, with many urging the party to contest in their constituencies,” he said in a statement Friday (March 14).
Chua attributed the growing support to local party sentiment and Sabah STAR’s consistent advocacy for Sabah’s rights.
“Many Chinese voters want a local-based party or coalition to govern the state. Some may try to dismiss this, but we must respect the people’s aspirations.
“They see Sabah STAR and our president as champions of Sabah’s autonomy and future. This is why they want to be part of our struggle,” said Chua.
He also stressed that while seat allocations will be decided at the state leadership level, the voices of voters in Chinese-majority constituencies must not be overlooked.
“I believe in a bottom-up approach. The people’s voices should be heard, but we will leave the final decision to the party leadership,” he added.
During his recent announcement, Kitingan said that Sabah STAR’s bid to contest 16 seats remains open for discussions with other parties.
In the 2020 state election, Sabah STAR contested eight seats and won six, recording the highest success rate among its coalition partners, a performance Kitingan believes justifies the party’s plan to double its contested seats this time.
