Jeffrey denies plans to jump ship

Friday 6 December 2013

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah State Reform Party (Sabah Star) chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is happy being an ‘independent’ assemblyman.

“So there is no hopping out or becoming partyless. I am on the opposition side, but I am not pro Pakatan Rakyat, nor am I pro-Barisan Nasional — I am the third force,” stressed the Bingkor assemblyman, yesterday.

Speaking to the Borneo Post, Jeffrey said he had never voiced intentions to leave the party or the opposition.

“In fact I am happier to be that ‘independent assemblyman’ because I am free to express my thoughts. If the BN government or Pakatan Rakyat does something good, then I will give my support and praise their good work.

“But, I can also criticise them if they do bad, because I am free to say anything,” he said, stressing that the report in a local daily yesterday (not Borneo Post) was not true and that the story had been diverted from what he actually meant.

“The reporter asked me if there was any truth that I was going to be an independent assemblyman, to which I replied that I am an independent assemblyman since election. And that I am a Star representative, and not BN or Pakatan Rakyat. We do not want to be colonised by any Malaya-based parties. But we can work with them for the good of the people of Sabah without being ruled by them.

“Obviously my statement was taken out of context and the article was written as though I was hopping out of Sabah Star and be part of those who had left the opposition parties. I am an independent assemblyman but not with the two alliances, because I do not agree with their policies towards Sabah,” he said.

He was once asked to declare his position — whether he was pro BN or Pakatan Rakyat, because, as he put it: “People thought that there are just two alliances without realising that there is actually a third force, and that is where I am.”

Borneo Post

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Important - The views expressed and the links provided on our comment pages are the personal views of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sabah Report.