Kitingan's 'Justice for Sabah' pits him against federal power, GRS

Summary

• Jeffrey Kitingan launches Justice for Sabah, demanding fairness after decades of alleged federal mistreatment and broken promises, as well as his move to go solo.

• He warns GRS against conceding seats to Pakatan Harapan, saying Sabah risks “colonisation” by outside parties.

• Kitingan signals readiness to walk away, despite federal pressure and smear campaigns ahead of the GRS presidential council meeting today.

Branded for decades as Sabah’s ultimate katak, the political frog who never stays put, Jeffrey Kitingan is once again back in the spotlight.

In Kuala Lumpur, federal leaders have long dismissed the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president as everything from a traitor to an opportunist.

Recently, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim fired indirect jabs against him, talking about billions stolen and corrupt leaders in the news, barely 24 hours after businessperson Albert Tei released a video of him allegedly pocketing RM1.78 million.

Yet, the 75-year-old deputy chief minister seems unfazed. Instead, he doubled down.

He had just recently launched his Justice for Sabah movement that embodies six decades of broken promises and structural neglect from Putrajaya, and also signals his political ways of wanting only local parties to reign in the state.

The emergence could shake, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), the very coalition he helped stitch together, with Kitingan indicating he would break away from GRS if it gives too much leeway to Pakatan Harapan.

In this interview, he lays bare his position, even if it means inviting the full weight of Putrajaya in what he claims is an attempt to use corruption to make him yield.

Question: Why did you feel the need to launch Justice for Sabah? What is at the heart of this struggle?

Answer: Well, you know, Malaysia was formed 62 years ago (in 1963). Until now, the Malaysia Agreement has not been fulfilled. Not only that, but many of our rights have been violated.

Over the years, we have been unfairly treated. I mean… how do you look at constitutional rights, for example, for the revenue, which is provided even in the Federal Constitution, but has never been fulfilled over the years?

So, where is the money all this time? That in itself makes us very dependent on the federal government for finance and development.

And the result is, we remain underdeveloped, we remain poor. To me, that is injustice. Not only that, they unconstitutionally took our natural resources, oil and gas.

So, is it fair to give us five percent? Is it fair to look at the (1976 Double Six) plane crash and say, “Well, let’s see if the new chief (minister) just signs this agreement?”

And one week later, they come back and ask the new chief minister to sign.

Is it fair to ask them to sign and to ask the state not to collect royalties?

Is it fair for the state not to be given even five percent? Is it fair to violate our constitutional rights and our natural resources? Of course, it’s not.

Is it fair for them to interfere in our politics? I mean, how can you go and instruct the police to close the palace gate to prevent the winner from being sworn in?

This happened not once, not twice, but a few times.

Is it fair for the federal government to come here, set aside our constitution and then start implementing a rotation system? (The chief minister rotation system imposed from 1994 to 2004). Of course, that is not fair.

Is it fair for the federal government to try and change our (racial) demography, to give undocumented migrants citizenship without following the Constitution, and give them the right to vote? Is that fair?

(Kitingan is referring to the so-called Projek IC controversy).

So, are we going to allow this to continue? Are we going to be treated this way? To me, enough is enough. So now Sabah has to rise, fight and say, enough is enough. We want justice for Sabah.

(Note: The Justice for Sabah movement takes shape from the Sabah for Sabahan movement).

Q: You launched it on Malaysia Day at the Batu Sumpah oath stone in Keningau. Why was that symbolic?

A: The soft launch. We chose Sept 16 at the Batu Sumpah (Oath Stone in Keningau) because it is symbolic of Malaysia Day.

It was when Malaysia was formed. Batu Sumpah represents some of the basic rights, and that is why it is symbolic of Justice for Sabah Day, because it is Malaysia Day.

Is Malaysia consummated or not? Batu Sumpah is a symbol where our people took an oath to support Malaysia, provided they adhere to the rights of Sabah as symbolically represented by the oath stone. That is why we chose that title.

Q: Critics say you are challenging the federal government. Is this movement anti-federal?

A: No. If we have that attitude, then we are allowing the federal government to continue injustice because we are not saying what we should be saying.

We are not questioning them for their treatment. So that is not anti-federal.

That is fighting for justice, asking them to be fair, to be just…I tell you from the beginning until now, from the formation of Malaysia, they have already had their agenda set, and that agenda is the opposite of what Sabah leaders had wanted.

Q: How does Justice for Sabah tie into the current political situation? Is this your way of pushing GRS to go solo?

A: Well, yes, because how can you allow the federal political parties to come and take our seats away, which legally and politically belong to the state?

By allowing them to do that, we are opening the door and continuing the injustices of their dominance. We have already tried that before. They came here to make sure they oust the local party and take over.

What did they do? They set aside the Constitution. They set aside not just the constitution but the security, getting these people (undocumented migrants) to come in to vote and then try to change the government through that means.

They take your money, they take your oil away. Now they want to take your seats, your political power. If they rule here, that means they are colonising us, basically.

I don’t agree with that. And the people don’t agree with that anymore. They have had it. To say, oh, we must work with the federal government, for sure, we are in a federal system.

But that doesn’t mean we have to agree to everything the federal leaders suggest to us.

If we do that, then what is the purpose of us being leaders here? What is the meaning of Sabah being independent? Nothing.

So we have to start fighting for justice. That’s why I go along with the people to say I can’t agree to that. And the people can’t agree to that.

Q: The GRS presidential council meets on Oct 1 to endorse seat seat-sharing formula with Harapan. Do you expect any real debate, or has the decision already been made?

A: The way I look at it, when I met the chief minister a few days ago, they already decided. So, if they have decided, the presidential meeting will be just an endorsement now.

But if at the last minute he says, “Okay, we listen to the people, we go solo,” then I’ll go along with it.

They are asking for 23 from seven. So, you think he has agreed to 23?

When I asked him (the chief minister) about two days ago or three days ago, he said like 20, 21, like that. The most I could have agreed to is if they maintain, they have seven seats.

Those seven seats, why don’t they use the GRS logo? We don’t use our logo. So why can’t they use the GRS logo? We (Sabah Star) don’t agree.

Going solo

Q: You’ve said repeatedly you’re prepared to go solo. Would that really mean leaving GRS?

A: If GRS goes solo, I go along. If they don’t, then I can’t go along because that is going against the sentiment of the majority of the people. And I can’t go against them (the people).

They are the ones deciding, voting. How can I go against the people?

Q: So, if you do go solo, would that be because of the people’s demands?

A: Yes. You follow what the ground sentiments are saying. Everywhere I go, I get messages like that. I read the internet, it’s like that. Those are public sentiments.

I go to my constituencies, it’s the same. I go to coffee shops, it’s the same. Even people messaging me, it’s the same.

It’s a clear message. It’s not just me, it’s everywhere.

Q: You’ve also talked about PBS. How does your understanding of them fit into this picture?

A: Well, we have a sort of memorandum of understanding. The understanding is actually for merger and cooperation.

Unfortunately, the timing is too short for us to merge, although we have agreed. But that is the reason why we held the PBS-Star Convention.

And from the convention, it’s clear they want PBS-Star to go solo. And how can we ignore that? So if I go to the side of the members and the public, and the PBS members want solo also, if the leadership doesn’t go, then that is a disappointment.

They will have to face the wrath of the members.

Q: Do you think PBS leaders share your view?

A: PBS leadership, the acting president (Joachim Gunsalam), I don’t think so… Because their beliefs are different from mine.

You know, when we were asked to meet the PM in Kuala Lumpur, it was supposed to be a private meeting, the PM asked.

(GRS leaders, including chairperson Hajiji Noor, Joachim, Kitingan, and Pandikar Amin, had a meeting with Anwar at his office in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 18).

We were surprised when the door opened, the whole gang was there, all of them - Umno president and PKR leaders.

(Top BN leaders, including Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the chairperson and Umno president, also attended the meeting).

So each of us had a turn to speak. And when my turn came, I said, in Sabah, the public sentiment is for local parties. If you don’t believe (me), you do a survey.

Joachim also said the same thing. But he said we are prepared to work with Harapan. So, my reading is like that.

But (PBS) members, in Tambunan, for example, not just Tambunan, but everywhere, the sentiment (of going local) is like that.

Q: How do you see Oct 1 shaping up? What’s at stake in that meeting?

A: First of October. Yeah. We have been invited to a meeting already. You see, if we don’t provide an opportunity, because people want to go solo, if we don’t go solo, they will not go.

If we stay in GRS, we will be rejected by the voters. So we don’t want to be rejected by the voters.

Where will the voters go? They will go to political rivals. So the rivals will be the beneficiary. We don’t have competitiveness for local parties.

GRS only. Because they are president, you know. Only GRS. Presidential. Yes. So only presidents.

Corruption allegations

Q: Anwar recently attacked Sabah leaders in his speeches, accusing some of stealing billions. He clearly meant you. What is your response?

A: Well, they did the same thing to me during PBS time. They said I stole, that I was corrupted, missing RM4 billion. They painted a lot of things.

They are doing the same thing now. But in those days, they sent the income tax, every night, to my place. Then they sent the Special Branch, every day, to disturb me. They drummed up charges.

Eventually, they couldn't find anything, so they used the ISA (Internal Security Act). So now they are doing the same thing. And the people doing this are the same team. So, it’s a recycled strategy.

This is a way to stop me from doing what I want to do, from speaking what I want to say. And I don’t think they can stop me.

They can put me in jail, they can hang me, but they cannot hang my spirit; they cannot stop. They cannot break your spirit.

Q: At the same time, Tei has alleged you received money linked to mining. Anwar quickly echoed these claims. Do you see coordination here?

A: Yes, they are behind it. It’s too obvious already. And then, as much as I didn’t like what Tei did, in a sense, he’s also questioning why act quickly on me, but so slow on the others.

So then, so quick for Anwar to pick it up, and come here, and mention all this. They are hypocrites, I tell you. I’ll tell you that will not dampen my spirit, because this is nothing but a smear campaign.

One, to destroy my image. And then to weaken GRS. And then to frighten my people, especially my YBs (elected representatives).

They start thinking, I’ll be next. And then, to make sure they will obey them - stay! So, even if I have to go alone, I’ll go alone.

Q: Are your own representatives worried they might be targeted next? Could they abandon you?

A: Even if they abandon me, I will go myself. Well, I’m not surprised. I will not be surprised, because they are also doing it to intimidate the YBs. But do they have the strength that I have to say, no, no, no, this is all a game? They may not.

So maybe that's one way, push. And then maybe other pull factors, like money. They are also bribing - bah. But I say, it’s okay (laughs).

Q: Why do you think there is so much effort to control or sideline you?

A: Yeah, but why? Why do they want to do that? I mean, I’m a leader, I am a leader for the people. I have a perjuangan (struggle).

They don’t have perjuangan. What is a perjuangan? To be elected, and then to get a jawatan (position), and then to curi (steal) some more. Maybe.

But that’s not my mission. My mission is to stand up for the people.

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