Jeffrey Kitingan: Too early to call Sabah polls a ‘local vs national’ fight

KOTA KINABALU, May 22 — Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy chairman Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan says it is premature to label the upcoming state election as a contest between local and national political parties.

The Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president stated that the GRS coalition remains open to collaborating with any party, including national alliances such as Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), in the interest of political stability.

“We have to listen to the people. If the majority say A, then we go with A,” he said when asked about the possibility of GRS joining the PH-BN coalition.

Kitingan acknowledged the speculation surrounding a potential “local vs national” battle but stressed that it is too early to draw conclusions.

“The elections are still some time away. So for now, let’s focus on what is currently on the table,” he said.

He revealed that GRS has begun preliminary discussions on seat allocations but has yet to engage with PH or BN on potential collaborations.

“We will come to that. Right now, the priority is to maintain unity within GRS so that we can move forward,” he added.

Speculation about a “local vs national” contest has grown since PH and BN announced their alliance for the state elections, seemingly sidelining GRS, which is currently in a coalition government with PH in Sabah.

GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has previously stated that the coalition is prepared to contest the election independently if the PH-BN pact materialises. However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed hope that GRS would eventually join the alliance.

Meanwhile, Kitingan responded to Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s call for a public debate to discuss issues, including the controversial “Sabah for Sabahans” slogan.

“But what’s the benefit? If it brings good, then good-lah. Let’s wait and see. Anyway, I am ready anytime. It does not necessarily have to be me; my team is capable too,” he said.

Bung, who is also Sabah BN chairman, recently challenged proponents of the slogan, arguing that sentiments rooted in regionalism are exclusionary and disregard BN’s past achievements in Sabah.