Jeffrey
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan regretted a local daily report that suggests he is willing to go to war to become the next Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) paramount leader.
Kitingan said in a statement it was saddening for the daily to even consider making such accusations based on recent political statements made by him and the Parti Bersatu Sabah President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili.
“It never occured to me to become the Huguan Siou. I’m not interested in that job. Nor am I interested in any proxy battle for Huguan Siou even if intentions of others may seem to suggest so. I am already the Huguan Siou Lundu Mirongod and I’m happy with the title.
“It is wrong to think that I am vying for the position of Huguan Siou. The report was written in such a way that it appeared that Ongkili and I were greedy and envious of the current Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan,” he said.
Kitingan said while both STAR and PBS appeared to be at odds over the Tambunan and Keningau seats.
In reality, both parties are allies and any disagreement can always be resolved through discussion.
“For me, I just want to be the best version of myself and serve the people, all Sabahans, regardless of race to the best of my ability,” he said.
Pairin, Kitingan’s elder brother, has held the cultural position since 1984. He is only the second person to be appointed the role after Sabah founder and first chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens. The position, while meant to have no political role, is a reverent role bestowed on only the worthiest of leaders to be the cultural and spiritual native head.
Tensions escalated between the two KDM majority parties when Ongkili staked his claim on the two seats, saying it has been PBS’ base and stronghold since the 1970s and that the party would work hard to retain its base.
To compound the rivalry, Kitingan is the incumbent in both the Tambunan state seat and Keningau parliament seat which he won in the recent state elections last year and GE 14 in 2018 respectively.
After Ongkili’s ‘challenge’, Jeffrey insisted that he would defend the Keningau seat in GE15 and said it was understandable that PBS would want the seat back. He said it was a ‘friendly reminder’ to work harder to defend the seat and that the statement was just ‘politics’.
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