KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Sabah STAR) president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan says his remarks about possible cooperation with Peninsular Malaysia-based parties after the state election have been taken out of context.
Kitingan stressed that Sabah STAR’s focus remains on building a “Sabah-first” political movement that mirrors Sarawak’s model of governance.
“My statement has been taken out of context. I did not say that Sabah STAR or Team S4S will cooperate with parties from Malaya,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 7).
“What I said is that we will continue building a political movement that puts Sabah first, just as Sarawak has done. Sarawak is governed fully by Sarawak-based parties. Malaya-based parties and coalitions are not part of the Sarawak government. They are the opposition. That is what true autonomy looks like,” he added.
Kitingan was responding to a report published by an online news portal earlier, which suggested that Sabah STAR was open to cooperating with peninsula-based parties after the state election — a claim the party now says was taken out of context.
Kitingan said Sabah STAR would work with the federal government when necessary but insisted that Sabah must ultimately be governed by Sabahans through Sabah-based parties.
“Our stand is clear. Sabah must decide for Sabah, just as Sarawak decides for Sarawak. The time for dependency is over. The time for dignity has begun,” he said.
