Jeffrey Kitingan accepts Sabah Opposition leader post ‘under protest’

KOTA KINABALU, July 4 — Parti Solidarity Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan reluctantly accepted the role of Sabah Opposition leader today, in the absence of state Umno chief Tan Sri Musa Aman.

The Tambunan assemblyman who had been nominated for the position by his allies in Umno and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) said he accepted the position “under protest”, asserting that their Gabungan Bersatu Sabah alliance is the rightful state ruling coalition.

“Tan Sri Musa should have been the Opposition head but he is not here so I was selected by the other elected representatives to be the leader, and maybe also because I’m used to being in the Opposition.

“I’m OK with that. I can accept it and carry out the responsibilities,” he told reporters at the State Assembly here.

Jeffrey said that the Opposition leader in the Sabah Legislative Assembly was a simple process of informing the Speaker’s office of the decision, but that there was no additional allowance or benefits to the role.

There is also no official role of the Opposition leader in the state constitution.

“We in Gabungan Bersatu Sabah talked about it amongst ourselves and between the three deputy chief ministers, the other two asked me to lead the group in this sitting. 

“So that’s how the seating arrangement was made,” Kitingan said, adding that he will remain in the role until Musa returns to the country.

Musa had on May 16 initiated a court case against the appointment of Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as Sabah chief minister.

The 20 elected representatives from Umno, PBS and STAR have said they were attending the state assembly sitting in protest pending the outcome of the legal wrangle over which alliance should be the rightful government.

In the May 9 polls, Musa and his coalition had narrowly gained a majority ahead of Shafie’s Parti Warisan Sabah alliance to form government. 

Musa was initially sworn in as chief minister by the Sabah governor in a delayed ceremony. 

He had formed a state Cabinet which included Kitingan as one of three deputy chief ministers.

However, several defections later led the governor to ask Musa to step down and make way for Shafie to take the oath as chief minister.