KOTA KINABALU: Parti Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s decision to take the chairman position of the state agency was, according to party information chief Anuar Ghani, in the interest of political stability in Sabah.
Anuar said criticism of the appointment did not account for Sabah’s unique political conditions.
“Sabah STAR was part of the state unity government but not a component of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). Sabah STAR’s supreme council made the decision collectively, not an individual,” he said
Kitingan pulled Sabah STAR out of the GRS coalition government days before the dissolution of the Sabah assembly last year, and the party contested against GRS in the Nov 29 state election. The party held six seats before the election and won two seats in the state polls.
Anuar said that Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Mohd Ishak Ayub was appointed as Sabah's Assistant Finance Minister after the formation of the GRS-led coalition government.
Sabah STAR’s return to the GRS-led state government drew scrutiny from political circles and analysts, who questioned the party's credibility after it opposed GRS in the state election and later returned to support the GRS-led administration.
Anuar said Sabah STAR’s decision took into account Sabah’s political conditions that he described as requiring strategic cooperation and pragmatism.
