SIPITANG, Nov 19 — Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) Sabah President Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan said the party is determined to reclaim Sabah’s political power and restore the State’s full autonomy, which he claims, gradually slipped away over the years.
Kitingan said Star seeks real change for Sabah to regain control over its political direction.
“Every time we sing Sabah Tanah Airku, we proudly declare that Sabah is a free and independent state. But are we truly free? Where is our independence now? Slowly, our political power has slipped from our hands,” he said.
Kitingan recalled how Sabah’s autonomy began to erode following the fall of Berjaya in 1985, when the then-newly elected PBS government faced resistance from the Federal level despite its electoral mandate.
“When PBS won in 1985 with only 25 out of 48 seats, bombs went off everywhere and the palace doors were closed. One year later, another election was held — PBS then won a two-thirds majority with 36 seats, yet Kuala Lumpur still refused to accept the people’s choice,” he said.
“They took away the chief minister’s powers and formed their own Federal Development Department, bypassing the state government. That was the start of federal interference in Sabah’s affairs,” he added.
On the 40 per cent special grant issue, Kitingan said Sabah Star supports the recent court victory by the Sabah Law Society (SLS) and will ensure fair revenue distribution between the state and federal governments.
“Now is the time for Sabah to claim its rightful share of revenue. Sabah Star will make sure this is implemented fairly,” he said.
He also announced that Star would contest all constituencies in the next State election as part of its mission to restore Sabah’s political strength.
Sabah Star and the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) have formed the Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) coalition to face the upcoming polls, underscoring their stand against external political dominance. — Daily Express
