Latest news with #JeffreyKitingan
Borneo Post
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Afterglow of PBS and STAR Convention
The Chief Minister with PBS and Star leaders at the convention on July 12. THE election fever has gone up a significant number of notches up the scale! Thanks to the rousing PBS and Star Convention at the Hongkod Koisaan on July 12, Sabahans have now been triggered to a palpably higher fever pitch. Everyone with the smallest dosage of interest in political developments is watching more sharply, pouring out all the rumours he has in stock for good over-coffee political 'analysis'. It is amazing how excitement can turn novices into blind-shooting pundits overnight! What was the convention's objective and what had it achieved? Obviously, it was to foster greater unity between two brothers, to flex muscle for a pre-combat posturing — to send a message to voters that the two parties are the new force to be reckoned with. But what it achieved was beyond expectation. The 7,000-strong crowd that the two parties managed to gather from all over Sabah was, I believe, a record for an organizational convergence at the Hongkod. And the attendants' pre-election spirit rose to the ceiling and synergized into a spontaneous frenzy. Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan's entry into the hall was received with the loudest applause and cheers from the PBS and Star members who chanted 'Solo, solo, solo …'. They had already known of Dr Jeffrey's anointing by the Huguan Siou, Tan Sri Jseph Pairing Kitingan, to be undisputed future president of a possible PBStar merged entity and, therefore, its chief-in-command of the coming election campaign force. On the other hands, Datuk Joachim Gunsalam tripped in his address by speaking on the possibility of working with Pakatan Harapan, triggering an instant backlash of loud booing from the crowd, which, long-enamoured with the 'Sabah for Sabahans' slogan, was in no mood for compromise or collaboration with Peninsula-based parties. Reflecting this sentiment, the dominating one-word slogan of the day was 'Solo!' to which the MC, Ardino Diris, fed on by continually saying it in his leading from the stage, and never once failed to get instant and rousing supporting 'Solo!' shouts from the audience. The crowd continued to chant 'Solo, solo, solo …' with vigour even during the address by the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajii Hj. Noor, who was elated by the sheer size of the crowd. He remarked later that with such an indication of support there was no reason to doubt a GRS election victory. In his Instagram post he again expressed excitement: 'The PBS-STAR Convention 2025 last night symbolized the strong unity between the two local parties that are the main pillars of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition. This proves that GRS is ready to face the 17th State General Election with a united, strong and capable leadership lineup.' But the verbal expressions at the event didn't reflect the unspoken feelings of PBS and Star members and supporters. The 'Solo' shout to Dr Jeffrey had a different suggestive meaning from the one shouted at the CM – to Dr Jeffry, solo for PBStar, and to the CM solo for GRS. There are post-convention whispers that while giving due respect and courtesy to our state CEO, they feel the occasion should have been officiated by Tan Sri Huguan Siou, to forge a stronger 'in-house' unity. Shimmering below the surface is the old, half a century of Momogun nationalism that was stifled but never died, as Margaret Roff wrote to end her paper on 'The Rise and Demise of the Kadazan Nationalism', with the phrase 'one wonders … if it has been killed so easily'. No, it still simmers long, quiet and undying. Spurred by memory and simmering spirit of 1985, the Momoguns in the two parties are now quietly envisioning a new Sabah in which they play a commanding leadership role. In the current political structure and chessboard they are face with the dilemma of dreaming of hegemony (which is no longer easy to grasp) and having to compromise and accept power sharing (which is more achievable and pragmatic). Some even extend their imagination to a possible creation of a PBStar-led coalition san-GRS, a projection which made the Star secretary general, Datuk Edward Linggu, ask this writer if 'we should be emotional or rational'. But admittedly, to noticeable degree, this dream has somewhat solidified behind the curtains at and after the convention. Weighing the pros and cons of being in or outside the GRS post-assembly dissolution, a segment of party leaders and members are keeping their fingers crossed for the possible turn of events, a readjustment of political alignments, which will justify a true 'solo', i.e. PBStar only, foray into the PRN17. But for the moment several key Star leaders are adamant that the party's more realistic option is to march forward within GRS, while top PBS leaders such as Joachim Gunsalam and Datuk Joniston Bangkuai have repeatedly stated their 'commitment' to remain in GRS. But then again, there are those nudging top leaders in Star to seriously consider for the party to go solo, even without PBS. They are calculating possible sudden positional advantage should drastic change of the current scenario takes place, e.g. if the corruption allegations against state non-Star leaders develop into highly damaging legal battles, or PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's legal tangles incapacitate him. But the CM may already be pre-empting such a development with an early dissolution of the state assembly, possibly next month. The other factor in the decision-making consideration is election funding which would distort political ambition, ideology and strategy. If cash is truly king, then those with abundant stocks, will gain leveraging on the voters' hunger for vote-buying handouts, especially with the current inflationary and income-strapped economic climate. While rumours circulate in kopitiams and WhatsApp about a flood of vote-for-me gifts in the cities and poor villages, with some speculating that it could amount to billions of ringgits, mosquito parties are scratching their heads in panic, praying for miracles to empower their campaign ideologies and promises. But then again Berjaya and Barisan Nasional were defeated despite massive bankrolls. So while the pre-election excitement rise steadily to explode into a frenzy soon, Star continues to bath in the warm afterglow of the convention, although with some questions on strategy still hanging in the air. At the same time PBS feels a lack of confidence to safari solo into the hunting ground, believing in the security of clinging to the bigger hunting team. But let's not forget that size doesn't guarantee the amount of harvest; even the Titanic, the ship that 'even God couldn't sink', sunk tragically!
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Almost RM850mil spent to boost education in Sabah, says CM
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has invested over RM848mil in educational assistance in the last four years, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. He said this showed the administration's commitment to human capital development under the Sabah Maju Jaya initiative. "We believe that every Sabahan child deserves access to quality and equal education,' he said at the 29th Education Convention and 3rd Delegates' General Assembly of the Malaysian Headmasters Association here on Wednesday (July 16). In his speech, delivered by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, he said that 14 new education initiatives were introduced from 2021 to last year, involving an allocation of RM164.14mil and benefitting over 210,000 students in Sabah. Among the initiatives are the cash assistance scheme for higher learning institute enrolment (Budi), the Graduan Rindu Sabah (GRS-Subfly) programme, and Sentosa, a contribution scheme for students pursuing higher education locally. 'These programmes reflect the state government's commitment to building an inclusive, progressive, and sustainable education system,' he said. The Chief Minister also stressed the vital role of headmasters in adapting to 21st-century education challenges, especially in the era of digital transformation. He called on school administrators to lead with innovation and resilience, stating that an institution's performance often hinges on the strength of its leadership. 'The quality of a school depends greatly on the headmaster's leadership, both in administration and in guiding educators. They are the pillars of our education system,' he said. Hajiji noted that the convention serves as an important platform to exchange ideas, strategies and experiences to drive excellence at school level. 'I believe that through collaboration and continuous learning, we can strengthen school leadership and empower our young generation to be excellent, distinguished and outstanding,' he added. He also acknowledged the role of the association in championing professionalism among primary school leaders across the nation. 'Let us work together to uphold the teaching profession, strengthen the role of headmasters, and continue our efforts to empower the nation's youth,' he said.
Borneo Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Jeffrey: Sabah should emulate Sarawak in increasing seats
Jeffrey (seated, second row, right) attending the special screening of the scam awareness film Oppa. KOTA KINABALU (July 14): Sabah should follow in the footsteps of Sarawak in adding more constituency seats, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. He reminded that during the formation of Malaysia, a formula had been established where 65 percent of the country's parliamentary seats were allocated to West Malaysia, with the remainder divided between Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. However, following Singapore's exit from Malaysia, Jeffrey said the allocation has become lopsided, with West Malaysia now holding nearly 75 percent of the seats — effectively giving it more than a two-thirds representation in Parliament. 'This contravenes the conditions outlined under paragraph 6 of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC),' he said. Although the proposal to increase Sabah's constituency seats has not been formally raised in State Cabinet meetings, Jeffrey said the idea has been circulating, and he intends to bring it up in the next meeting. 'Before we increase parliamentary seats in Sabah, we first need to identify and increase the state seats. 'For example, if we want 14 new parliamentary seats, we would need at least 28 new state seats. Although this is just my personal view and calculation, I believe Sabah should follow Sarawak's example,' he said. Jeffrey, who is also Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president, shared this after officiating a special free screening of the scam awareness film Oppa, sponsored by STAR Luyang and Persatuan Inspirasi Sabah at a hotel here yesterday. Around 1,000 people — including students, enforcement agencies, and members of the public — attended the two-day screening of the locally produced film, which highlights the dangers of modern-day scams. Also present were Persatuan Inspirasi Sabah chairwoman Eliza Jane, the movie's producer Captain Denil, and Women Entrepreneurs Consortium founder Prof Dr Liana Lim.
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Sabah recommends 40% federal revenue be used for non-disputed items
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is suggesting that 40% of federal revenue be allocated for non-disputed items, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan says. 'We have suggested implementing this 40% on items that are not disputed, such as the taxes collected from the state as a temporary measure,' he said after attending the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) technical committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof here. He said these suggestions must not prejudice the final decision on the issues involving the state's claim to the 40% federal tax revenue return to the state as provided under Sections 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution. It is understood that the technical committee were cautious due to the Sabah Law Society's (SLS) ongoing High Court case against the federal government over state rights to 40% revenue. Fadillah said the technical committee meeting on Monday (July 14) was specific to Sabah's claims for its revenue under Sections 112C and 112D only. He said they were looking at solutions outside the court jurisdiction, seeing that there is an ongoing case by the SLS at the moment. 'There are constraints in making decisions that are under the court's jurisdiction for the time being, so we must find solutions to areas outside the court's jurisdiction,' he explained. Fadillah said that this special technical meeting in Sabah is specific to the needs and claims in Sabah, and would be followed up with another technical meeting with Sarawak. He said an MA63 action council meeting to discuss Sabah and Sarawak's rights is scheduled to be held on Sept 12 in Kuala Lumpur. Earlier, he said that the suggestions from Sabah will be conveyed to the Prime Minister for consideration, and whether they will be adopted as an interim measure. The SLS court case e-review is set to be heard at the Kota Kinabalu High Court on Aug 7.
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Fadillah to chair MA63 committee meeting in Sabah tomorrow
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof is scheduled to chair the technical committee meeting on the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) tomorrow. He said the meeting would be the first item on the agenda in the state capital this morning. "Tomorrow, I will personally chair a special technical committee under MA63 for the state of Sabah. "I believe the meeting will be attended by (deputy chief minister) Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, Finance Minister (Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun), and fellow representatives from Sabah," he said during his Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry's media night here. Following the meeting, the Petra Jaya member of parliament is expected to make several visits under a programme dubbed Petra Squad. "This programme, which started during my tenure as the public works minister, adopts the same concept as our previous ground outreach initiatives, where all top ministry leadership go to the ground to oversee project implementations and programmes under the ministry in Sabah. "We will listen to feedback from Sabah's leadership directly on-site to discuss any problems or improvements needed. "We expect to visit many areas, and I hope the media will play an important role alongside us," he said, adding that Universiti Malaysia Sabah would be one of the sites. Earlier in the evening, upon his arrival, Fadillah paid a courtesy call on Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman.
