STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has taken issue with what he describes as USNO president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s “compromising stand” on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), saying it reflects a readiness to yield Sabah’s constitutional position.
Earlier on Sunday, Pandikar took aim at Sabah politicians, saying they had turned MA63 into campaign rhetoric every election.
He added that constant confrontation with the Federal Government over the 40 per cent revenue entitlement would never bring fairness.
Kitingan said Pandikar’s call for a “balanced and fair” approach towards MA63 carried the same conciliatory tone long heard from federal-aligned leaders defending Putrajaya’s position.
“This is my fear, if they can already compromise and sit down like that, they will compromise even more.
“The story today about Pandikar shows they are willing to go further in compromising.
“That’s my fear, that they will keep giving in until there’s nothing left for Sabah,” he told reporters at Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
At the launch of his book earlier, Pandikar argued that MA63 was not a special pact for Sabah alone but a broader treaty joining Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore with the already-independent Federation of Malaya.
He said MA63 should be understood in its historical context and not treated as an exclusive charter of Sabah’s rights.
“This is why I cannot follow Jeffrey Kitingan’s approach,” he said.
USNO is a component of the GRS coalition led by caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Kitingan said Pandikar’s words revealed a worrying mindset among leaders who were “too eager to please Kuala Lumpur” instead of defending Sabah’s rights.
“When leaders start talking that way, it shows they are no longer fighting for Sabah, but for Malaya,” he said.
He accused the former Dewan Rakyat Speaker, which was once a close ally within GRS, of reversing his position for convenience.
“He once agreed we must demand our rights and admitted there were wrongs.
“Now he says there’s no wrongdoing and that we should remain silent,” Kitingan said.
He recalled Pandikar telling him previously that he could not join STAR’s MA63 campaign because “we have no money”, a remark Kitingan said reflected the patronage culture long entrenched in Sabah politics.
“Wherever the money goes, they go. That’s the weakness of our leaders — not only today but in the past,” he said.
Kitingan warned that such attitudes risked eroding decades of struggle for fiscal and constitutional justice.
“If MA63 had been fully honoured, we would not be the poorest state today even though we are the richest in resources,” he said.
GBS deferred until after the election
Amid concerns over federal influence, Kitingan also updated reporters on his plans for Gerakan Bersatu Sabah (GBS), a coalition he first envisioned to unite local-based parties under one banner, confirming that it has been put on hold until after the state election due to overlapping seat claims and timing issues.
He said he had initially intended to formalise the alliance before nomination day on November 15 but now considers the timing impractical.
For now, the focus will be on consolidating the Sabah for Sabahans (S4S) team, a loose movement of local parties and movements contesting under their respective logos.
S4S, founded by Kitingan, drives the “Justice for Sabah” agenda, which promotes a strong local-based political front to reclaim state rights.
“Yes, GBS is my idea, but we’ll defer it for now. Now, the S4S team is more prominent, so our focus is there first,” he said.
He said GBS would only materialise after the election once parties have finalised seat allocations and agreed to formalise the coalition structure.
“Everyone wants to contest more seats, and they don’t want to be restricted now. Once things stabilise, we’ll formalise GBS and decide on a logo,” he said.
Asked whether the cooperation could extend to Warisan, Kitingan said the alliance remained open to any local or Sabah-based party.
“We cannot close our doors. Anyone who truly fights for Sabah is our friend,” he said.
He said STAR would begin announcing its candidates in stages starting next week, with a manifesto to follow coordination with partners including SAPP.
“We’ll announce in phases. The manifesto will be aligned once everyone is synchronised,” he said. – October 27, 2025
