KOTA KINABALU: Sabah STAR dismissed claims it is leaving the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, calling the narrative misleading and taken out of context.
A viral TikTok video recently stirred speculation that party president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan had signalled the party's withdrawal from GRS while continuing to support the state government.
However, Sabah STAR communications director Datuk Jalumin Bayogoh clarified that the video clip was selectively edited and misrepresented Kitingan’s actual stance.
“There is no question of Sabah STAR exiting GRS. We are one of its founding parties and remain fully committed to strengthening the coalition,” Jalumin said when contacted.
He stressed that Sabah STAR continues to uphold its principles of Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga, Sabah Kita Jaga (Our Home, We Protect, Sabah We Protect) in solidarity with other component parties in GRS.
“No outside party can influence Sabah STAR to waver in its commitment to GRS. We stand firm and are fully prepared to face any opponent in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election,” he added.
Jalumin also warned against attempts to destabilise the coalition by spreading falsehoods.
In a related matter, Sabah STAR is taking legal action over what it described as a defamatory report by MalaysiaKini, which allegedly linked cartel figure Albert Tie, accused of monopolising mineral exploration licences in Sabah, to leaders within the party.
“The party takes this matter seriously. These are baseless accusations and a form of slander that we will not tolerate,” Jalumin said.
