Cracks emerge in Perikatan as Sabah STAR reveals they’re on ‘different paths’

KOTA KINABALU – Sabah STAR, a component of Perikatan Nasional (PN), is in a stark quandary as it finds itself at odds with the national coalition it is part of due to the antics of PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Its president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also a deputy chief minister of Sabah, said his party is now keen to join the federal “unity government” led by PN’s rival Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Though he did not say Sabah STAR would leave PN, Jeffrey stressed that his party will support the federal government although Muhyiddin has decided otherwise.

As it stands, the state coalition Sabah STAR is part of, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which governs Sabah, has already agreed to join the unity government under newly minted prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is chairman of PH.

“We (Sabah STAR and PN) are on different paths. If you move this way and I move that way, what does it mean?” Jeffrey asked, while indicating that his party could possibly allow its participation in PN to lapse. 

“Time will tell. If we don’t attend a few meetings we will automatically (not be members of PN). Let things cool down first.” 

Jeffrey said this when met by reporters after the tabling of the 2023 Sabah budget at the state assembly here today.  

He also said that he felt Sabah STAR is no longer relevant in PN since the coalition has gone in the opposite direction from the party’s stand on the federal government.  

Jeffrey stressed that Sabah STAR’s intention for supporting the unity government was the same as GRS’ – to solve the political impasse that followed last Saturday’s general election where no single political party or coalition earned an overwhelming majority of seats in Parliament.  

“We supported for the sake of stability,” he said.

On Tuesday, Muhyiddin had revealed that he rejected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s proposal for a unity government comprising PN and PH. 

Earlier today, he confirmed that his coalition will remain as the opposition. He said this after he had earlier in the day said PN would play the role of check and balance on the PH-led government of several coalitions, including GRS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Barisan Nasional (BN). 

PN also consists of Bersatu which is chaired by Muhyiddin, PAS, Sabah Progressive Party, and Gerakan. 

KDM and independent MPs join unity government  

Meanwhile, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) and two independent MPs in Sabah have announced their support for the unity government.

This leaves only one opposition MP in Sabah – PN’s Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee who won the Beluran seat in the general election.

KDM president Datuk Peter Anthony handed over his party’s letter of support to Anwar in Putrajaya today, paving the way for its sole MP Datuk Wetrom Bahanda (Kota Marudu) to join the unity government.  

The two independent parliamentarians – Wetrom’s brother Datuk Verdon Bahanda (Kudat) and Riduan Rubin (Tenom) – have also joined.

Peter said in a statement today that he believes Anwar’s appointment as prime minister will resolve the political turmoil and restore the political stability of the country.  

This development means 24 MPs out of 25 in Sabah are now in support of the unity government. They are GRS (holding 6 parliamentary seats), Warisan (3), Sabah PH (5), and BN (7), as well as the three MPs mentioned above.  

Kiandee defended Beluran under PN’s ticket after he was not chosen as a candidate by the GRS-BN pact during the election.  

He contested against BN’s Benedict Asmat, and won the seat with a 1,594-vote majority to become Beluran MP for the sixth time in a row. – The Vibes, November 25, 2022