PCS saw Star as a threat: Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU - Star said Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) leaders are being hypocritical in their continued criticism of the efforts by Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) pursuing Sabah rights and autonomy through MySabah.

Star President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, one of the senior leaders in the informal group known as MySabah, said in a statement that PCS leaders have been harping on this issue behind his back even when PCS was still in the United Sabah Alliance also known as Gabungan Sabah.

"Now they are blaring it out as if it is the only political issue that can save them."

He said PCS had the erroneous thinking that Star was a threat to them, so the top leaders tried to discredit him by accusing him of working with Umno.

"Sabah leaders should stop being hypocritical on MySabah and be supportive of whatever efforts being made to ensure Sabah's rights and assurance are implemented," Jeffrey said.

"For the record, MySabah is apolitical. This is the only group in which leaders from various parties and non-political professionals set aside their political ideologies in pursuit of a common goal.

"The goal is nothing less than to get back Sabah's rights and find solutions to Sabah's problems. Here we interact with leadership personalities, not political parties. And why not? If you believe in your cause and others share your beliefs why can't you sit down and discuss irrespective of your political membership?"

He said it is foolish, selfish, narrowminded and hypocritical to deny ourselves of that golden opportunity of sharing a common agenda as Sabahans and as rational human beings.

Jeffrey said he sometimes wondered what happened to the rational thinking of Sabahans! "Are we that politically naive to think everything has a sinister political motive?"

By the same token, he asked why some leaders think it is alright to work with Mahathir (ex-PM) even though he is now (PM) Najib's political enemy? Do the PCS leaders really believe that simply replacing Najib with Mahathir you will get back Sabah's rights?" Jeffrey asked.

Jeffrey said no one, including Najib or Mahathir, "will take care of our rights in Sabah except ourselves."

"I no longer believe in the saying that we 'change first and negotiate later'. What is the guarantee that you will get back your rights by that simple assurance? For all you know the new devil you are dealing with may well be a stronger devil to deny us of our rights!"