TAMBUNAN, Nov 17 — Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STARSabah) President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said every party decision, including the selection of election candidates, is made through rigorous collective evaluation and is never influenced by emotion or external pressure.

He said this following the disappointment of STARSabah Wiramuda and Nabawan Division Chief Jordan Jude Ellron, who was not selected to contest the Tulid seat in the 17th State Election.

“We stress that the seat in question falls under the leadership of Datuk Evaristus and as a disciplined party, STARSabah cannot arbitrarily bypass its organisational structure due to personal demands,” he said.

Dr Jeffrey said Jordan is a young leader with great potential, and the party has planned a more significant path for him in the Pensiangan parliamentary constituency, either in the next general election or earlier if the circumstances are suitable.

“Jordan initially agreed before ultimately changing his mind. I want more young people to be in Parliament, but they must be patient. Many young talents exist, yet they often lack resilience and give up too easily,” he said.

He added that to be a good leader, one must first be a good follower.

Dr Jeffrey urged all STARSabah leaders and members to respect the party’s decisions in order to maintain unity and focus on the greater struggle for the people of Sabah.

“The struggle of STARSabah is not about who gets the seat, but about who is willing to sacrifice for the people,” he said.

STARSabah will continue to fight for Sabah’s rights, including state autonomy, and the party’s doors will always be open should Jordan choose to return to the cause as a loyal and principled young leader.

Earlier, Jordan expressed disappointment with the party leadership, saying that he was “pranked” by Jeffrey.

In a statement, Jordan claimed that Jeffrey had earlier confirmed he would contest the Tulid seat, a decision endorsed by the party’s Political Bureau, which prompted him to pay his nomination deposit and purchase campaign materials, only to find out later that he was dropped from the party’s list of candidates.

“I chose to resign as a form of sacrifice, hoping the president realises his mistake and does not repeat it,” said Jordan, who is contesting as an independent candidate against 13 other contenders, including Datuk Everitus Gungkit of Star, in the race for the Tulid seat. — Daily Express