KOTA KINABALU:. Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) wish to congratulate and welcome the new assembly speaker, five new state ministers, 18 assistant ministers and the six nominated assemblymen who took their oaths of office today.
From among the party’s ranks, STAR has an additional one new minister namely Datuk Ellron Angin who will oversee the Youth and Sports Ministry while four others including our sole assemblywoman Flovia Ng have been appointed assistant ministers.
Personally, I would like to welcome my friend, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee, who had been appointed as one of the six nominated assemblymen by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor.
I am confident this new line-up which is a combination of new and experienced leaders would be able to bring Sabah back on course towards a prosperous nation.
Unfortunately, these appointments also include the Sabah PAS secretary Aliakbar Gulasan as one of the six nominated assemblymen and this fact had opened the present state government to criticism and ridicule from the oppositions.
STAR remains steadfast in its principle that any party whose ideals are not compatible with Sabah’s multicultural values and sensitivity should be rejected and rebuffed.
PAS leaders have time and again issued statements that upset the feelings and sentiments of multicultural and multireligious Sabah. Sabahans do not need a political party to teach them about unity between religions. Sabah is the shining example of multireligious unity together with our neighbour Sarawak.
This statement however should not be construed as an attack on Aliakbar’s personality. I am aware of his public disapproval of a PAS leader’s statement recently when the latter made erroneous and sensitive comment about the Bible in the parliament. The comment deeply offended Christians in Sabah and Sarawak and Aliakbar, as a Sabahan, is in touch with the reality of Sabah.
Nevertheless, I would like to stress here that the appointment of nominated assemblymen is the prerogative of the chief minister. Aliakbar is a nominated assemblyman with no ministerial duty. He has not been appointed to the Law and Native Affairs Ministry as rumoured by DAP and Warisan.
Therefore, I would urge all STAR members and the public at large to remain calm and not give in to the taunts and insults thrown at them by the oppositions. Playing politics all the time would not get us anywhere.
Let us be responsible citizens who see things from all perspectives, not just our own. We have lots of work to do and politics should be put on the backburner for now or else, we would end up like the previous state government; no action talk only.-
Datuk Jeffery Kitingan, Solidarity Tanah Airku (STAR) President.
