Disappointed Sabahans Stage Protest After Jeffrey Joins BN To Form State Govt
This comes after Barisan Nasional obtained a 31-seat simple majority from aligning with Sabah STAR.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 11 May 2018, 01:29 PM
Yesterday, 10 May, President of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) Dr Jeffrey Kitingan announced that the party, which won two state seats in GE14, will be aligning itself with Barisan Nasional (BN) to form the state government
The two seats won by Sabah STAR were crucial for either Warisan or Barisan Nasional to obtain a clear 31-seat simple majority in the 60-member assembly.
As a result of Jeffrey's decision, Sabah Barisan chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman was sworn in as Chief Minister yesterday morning, reported The Star.
Tan Sri Musa Aman being sworn in as Chief Minister at the Instana Negeri yesterday, 10 May.
Image via Front DeskToday, 11 May, Jeffery Kitingan was named by Tan Sri Musa Aman as one of Sabah's three deputy chief ministers, according to Malaysiakini.
Despite being known for advocating against the BN-led state government, Jeffrey claims that the move to collaborate with BN was made "for the sake of Sabah"
According to Jeffrey, he "flatly rejected" PKR's offer of a deputy prime minister post contingent on his joining the Parti Warisan Sabah-Pakatan Harapan pact to form the Sabah government.
"We decided for the sake of Sabah to work with Sabah Barisan," he said, according to The Star.
"This is for the stability of this state," he said at a press conference at Sri Gaya with Sabah BN chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman, New Straits Times reported.
Discontented Sabahans took to the streets of Kota Kinabalu in a show of protest against another term under BN's rule
According to Malay Mail, the crowd carried placards, blew vuvuzelas, and waved flags from Parti Warisan Sabah, PKR, and DAP in Padang Merdeka, just a stone's throw away from the Instana Negeri where Musa was being sworn in for his sixth term last night.
Protestor Harjinder Kler told Malay Mail that, "It just goes to show how angry people are. I’ve seen Facebook Live videos of the protest with 20,000 to 30,000 views. People are looking at us."
Sabah artist Yee I-Lann told The Star that, "Of all people, he should know and understand better the Sabahan sentiment. What he did made us lose faith in our leaders."