Jeffrey’s struggle to claim Sabah’s rights has given freedom of speech
TELIPOK: The struggle of the president of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) Sabah, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan, to demand Sabah’s constitutional rights until he was imprisoned for almost three years in the early 1990s has given freedom of speech to today’s leaders thus becoming an important concern of debate in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly and the Malaysian Parliament.
Star Sabah Secretary General Datuk Edward Linggu said more and more leaders and political parties are taking the topic of MA63 and Sabah’s financial rights in the Federation of Malaysia as the core of their struggle.
“We see the political leaders now scrambling to fight for MA63 and thankfully there are more and more achievements in the demand for Sabah’s rights,” he said, adding that Jeffrey’s statement about Sabah’s rights published in the local Sabah newspaper on January 16, 1987 had led him to become a political fugitive target under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Linggu, the former Tamparuli assemblyman, said this when officiating the Triennial General Meeting of Star Sabah Karambunai Division on Sunday at Dewan Bukit Payung, KKIP here. Therefore, Linggu who is now the chairman of the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) invited the members of the party to continue to increase their understanding of Sabah’s position as an equal partner in Malaysia so that they can enjoy 100 percent of Sabah’s right to independence.
Earlier in his welcome speech, Star Sabah Acting Deputy President Datuk Kapitan Stephen Teo who was re-elected as the head of the Karambunai Division, insisted that he along with all the party members in the division will continue to support Jeffrey’s struggle to demand Sabah’s constitutional rights. According to Stephen, the support is expressed in active involvement in the implementation of party programs at the central and divisional levels. He said that various programs have been carried out in that division since the Movement Control Order (MCO) of Covid-19 involving the distribution of food baskets, children’s supplementary food programs, welfare donations, the maintenance of several sports facilities and cooperation in surveying the visibility of the installation of telecommunications transmitters.
Also present were Vice President Dr Paul Porodong who is also the party’s Strategy Director, Deputy Chief of Wiranita Maria Gimbun and Deputy Chief of Wiramuda Jordan Jude Ellron.