Jeffrey Kitingan doesn’t care being called ‘frog’

KOTA KINABALU – Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan has indicated his willingness to switch sides if his demands on state rights are not met.

Kitingan, 72  whose penchant for party-hopping, told The Vibes that he has never swayed in his political goals. 

He said name-calling in politics is not new and does not affect his political goals.

“It’s an old story and it’s a good thing they call me the ‘frog king’. At least, I don’t live under a rock."

Behind his party-hopping ways, Kitingan said he switched parties to find the one that is suitable to fight for the rights of Sabahans.

“I am not anti-federal (government). I am only against leaders who refuse to honour state rights, especially former leaders like ex-PM (Tun Dr) Mahathir Mohamed.”

He said only the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government under Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been listening to Sabahans.

“They (Putrajaya) treats us like a colony, ignoring Sabah’s rights even those stipulated in the Federal Constitution.”

Under the Federal Constitution, Sabah is entitled to an annual special grant where funds are derived from the revenue collected from the state. Sabah was supposed to get 40% of the revenue.

Although many see Kitingan as a fickle politician through his 30-year-old political career, the veteran politician has picked up a legion of loyal followers. 

Championing state rights

UiTM senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said Kitingan’s consistency on the Borneo agenda and state rights are the reasons behind a political career spanning three decades. 

“Jeffrey’s political struggles on Sabah rights is something that is very close to the heart of Sabahans, especially among the Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDMs) people. 

“His struggles are consistent although he changed parties many times. His Borneo agenda has convinced the KDM to be on his side,” he told The Vibes. 

Kitingan’s fight for state rights and the Borneo agenda can be traced back to when he joined his older brother, Joseph Pairin’s party, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), in 1990. 

PBS’ political slogan “Sabah for Sabahans” has become well-known and saw the party form the Sabah government between 1985 and 1994. 

The fall of PBS in 1994 saw Kitingan joined Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat (Akar). He rejoined PBS again in 1996 and in 2000 joined Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and tried to take over the party but failed. 

He left PBRS in 2002 and tried to enter United Pasok Momogun KadazanMurut Organisation (Upko). He quickly withdrew his membership and tried to join PBS again for the third time, but was not welcomed. 

Kitingan also twice tried to join Umno and successfully did so through the Keningau branch. But Umno later revoked his membership. 

In 2006, Kitingan joined PKR and became vice-president and resigned in 2009. But remained as a member of the party until 2011. 

He later formed the United Borneo Alliance, a non-governmental organisation that strives for the rights of Sabah and Sarawak according to the 20-point agreement and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)

The 20-point agreement is the list of items drawn up by North Borneo, proposing the terms for the incorporation of Sabah in the formation of Malaysia negotiations. 

The points are now or supposedly incorporated in varying degrees in the Malaysian constitution, while some are accepted orally, therefore, has no legal clout. 

The MA63 is the agreement signed between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore that resulted in the union named Malaysia. 

In 2012, Kitingan launched the Sabah chapter of Sarawak-based state reform party (Star) and later established Sabah Star in 2016. 

In the 13th general election, Kitingan captured the Bingkor seat. In the 2018 general election, his party won the Bingkor and Tambunan seats, as well as captured the Keningau federal seat, proving Kitingan’s growing influence in Sabah’s interior divisions or the KDM-majority seats.  

Growing regional sentiments

For political pundits, Kitingan had been part of the growing regional and anti-federal hegemony sentiments in the state, while crediting him as one of the politicians who had brought the Sabah rights issue into mainstream politics. 

His views on the Sabah rights and Malaysia Agreement had triggered former Kimanis MP Anifah Aman interest that he established the MySabah Group, a non-partisan group that wants to see the Sabah’s rights restored.  

Anifah now leads Parti Cinta Sabah, once led by former Upko stalwart Wilfred Bumburing, a party that is also fighting for state rights. 

He beat his brother Joseph Pairin, who is the KDM’s paramount leader, in Tambunan in 2018. 

Talks have surfaced that Kitingan left PKR following party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s refusal to endorse the Tambunan Declaration ahead of the general election in 2008. 

The declaration promised packages including more autonomy, 20% oil royalty, a deputy prime minister post designated for Sabah and Sarawak, six to seven federal cabinet members, the return of Labuan, 30 ambassadorial posts for Sabah and Sarawak, and the scrapping of the State Federal Development Department (JPPS).

A different perception

But, Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer Lee Kuok Tiung said Kitingan has changed. 

“He used to have this anti-federal image but his popularity dropped dramatically after the 14th general election.” 

Lee said his popularity was affected by him forming an alliance with former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman in the wake of Sabah’s hung assembly in the 2018 general election. 

The 14th general election saw Sabah run into a hung assembly with Barisan Nasional and Warisan-Pakatan Harapan (PH) tied with 29 seats, with Kitingan’s Sabah Star became the kingmaker, with the two state seats – Bingkor and Tambunan. 

Kitingan was given the post of deputy chief minister in Musa’s short-lived government, which collapsed due to crossover of Barisan Nasional reps and Upko switching sides to Warisan-PH. 

Lee said Kitingan’s decision to take the side of Perikatan Nasional in the power struggle at the federal level was a move that has affected his political image. 

“Kitingan appears to have lost track of his real struggle now that he was made a federal deputy minister after the federal political crisis. 

“He is no longer the anti-federal politician that everyone knows.” 

In Saturday’s polls, Sabah Star will contest in eight seats – Panginatan, Sook, Sri Tanjung, Bingkor, Liawan, Tambunan, Moyog and Tulid – under the Perikatan Nasional coalition. 

Kitingan will defend his Tambunan seat. — The Vibes, September 22, 2020