Sabah BN leaders have stood silently watching Sabahans become poorer and marginalised, says newest political party Star, Jeffrey Kitingan

KOTA KINABALU: Star, the newly launched opposition party headed by Jeffrey Kitingan, has shrugged of criticism by Barisan Nasional leaders who have written off the party and its leader as upstarts lacking backing.

Star Sabah chapter secretary Guandee Kohoi, hit back at local BN component parties who on Saturday mocked Kitingan for finally finding a party.

Said Kohoi: “It is better to have good dreams for a better Sabah for Sabahans than to have nightmares under the Barisan Nasional component parties”.

Kohoi added that state leaders have stood by watching silently as Sabahans became poorer and marginalized due to policies of the federal government which helped flood the state with new voters holding Malaysian identity cards obtained through dubious means.

Contrary to accusations, Kohoi said Kitingan’s stand is clear that state leaders must unite to protect the state rather than focus on electioneering.

He said that is was clear that Sabah leaders had been manipulated and hoodwinked, resulting in the slow but steady erosion of Sabah’s rights and the siphoning off its natural resources resources.

He accused Sabah leaders of looking out for their own interests rather than protecting the state rights.

What’s wrong in seeking state rights?

He said these leaders, knowing the truth, were continuing to do so by attacking the fledgling party under Kitingan, who had always fought for state rights and had even be jailed for it.

“If Sabah BN leaders love Sabah and care for the rights and welfare of Sabahans, they should take proactive actions to safeguard the state’s rights.

“Under Sabah Umno’s ‘Sabah Baru’ policy, Sabah is now the poorest state in the country with 40% of the poor in Malaysia.

“The local Sabah BN components are no longer relevant and are nobodies in the eyes of the Umno.

“Dare Bernard Dompok, Joseph Kurup and Johnny Mositun deny that Upko, PBRS and PBS are not treated as equals and policies are decided without consensus from Sabah BN components?” Kohoi asked.

He said it could be clearly seen that Sabah Umno was hoping to take over the seats currently held by Upko and PBRS including Kurup’s Pensiangan parliamentary seat and in turn providing them constituencies which Umno controlled so that they would always be subservient to the ‘ruling’ party.

“What is wrong in seeking the restoration of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in Malaysia and seeking a better and more equitable treatment for Sabahans by the federal government, higher oil royalties, the resolution of the illegal immigrants and Project IC issue under the Borneo Agenda”?

“Is it wrong to have such dreams when they are good for Sabah and Sabahans?

“Is Dompok, Mositun and Kurup meaning to says that they and Upko, PBS and PBRS will not fight for Sabah’s rights?

“If Kuala Lumpur leaders want Sabah leaders to be traitors to Sabah’s case, are Dompok, Mositun and Kurup and their other leaders willingly to be led by the nose?” asked Kohoi.

Kitingan’s call consistent

He said his party’s vision for the state was clear and precise unlike those of the local BN coalition who he claimed are rapidly becoming irrelevant.

Kohoi also rejected Dompok’s mockery of Kitingan as a person who had always wanted to head a political party.

“His political stand has always been that there must be justice for Sabah,” said Kohoi pointing out that Kitingan alone had been persecuted for his stand while others had sold out.

On Sabah People Front’s (SPF) denial of any link to Kitingan’s United Borneo Alliance (UBA), Guandee pointed out that the SPF secretary-general was present at Friday’s launching of the party.