KOTA KINABALU: The statement by Keadilan Rakyat Parti (“PKR) Secretary-General Fuziah Salleh, who regarded Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan as inconsistent and merely vocal during election periods, is completely untrue.
Dr. Jeffrey has been remarkably consistent in his struggle, even being labelled power-hungry and imprisoned solely for advocating the rights and autonomy of Sabah.
This consistency is not solely linked to upcoming elections. He has repeatedly affirmed that the Sabah government must be administered and governed by local parties, which will then collaborate with whoever is in power at the federal level.
“As Dr. Jeffrey has voiced, we want Sabah to have the political power and autonomy to make decisions without referring to Malaya.”
“We do not want to constantly refer to Malaya, as if we are incapable of managing Sabah and must rely on parties from Malaya.”
“We can observe the impact of the stance taken by local parties in Sarawak, which have rejected peninsula parties, leading them to self-govern and achieve substantial progress and economic benefits.
“I want to remind everyone that among Dr. Jeffrey’s consistent struggles is the demand for 40 percent of Sabah’s financial rights, which was recorded in the Hansard of the Sabah State Assembly on June 19, 2013, when he was still in opposition.
This includes long-standing demands related to MA63 and the request for 35 percent of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak.
All these demands pertain to autonomy and the rights of Sabah, which are fundamental claims for both Sabah and Sarawak and must be fought for until they are fully realized.
Now, due to Dr. Jeffrey’s advocacy and the growing awareness among Sabah and Sarawak leaders, local parties are becoming bolder and more vocal in their demands.
In his speech during the recent launch of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Youth wing, he emphasized the importance of Sabah with the slogan “Our Home, We Take Care of It,” a concept that categorizes an individual’s or leader’s position based on their stance and inclinations.
Fuziah’s proposal challenging Dr. Jeffrey to exit the Federal Government is baseless, as the State Government is firmly committed to continuing its cooperation with the Federal Government.-pr/BNN
