‘Big crowds not a judge of BN support’

STAR Sabah chief Jeffrey Kitingan has dismissed the state level Kaamatan celebrations yesterday as yet another 'BN political gimmick'.

KENINGAU: Flooding Keningau with busloads of Sabahans to celebrate the state level Kaamatan festival with Prime Ministe Najib Tun Razak  is not  a yardstick to measure support for Barisan Nasional in the state.

Alluding to the reported 20,000 strong crowd in the Interior division of Keningau yesterday, State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chairman Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said it was ‘obviously a BN political gimmick and a waste of taxpayers money.’

“It is laughable that a national-level celebration is being held in the Interior when it should rightly be held in the national capital where it would attract national and global attention, and get participation from all states.

“The National Pesta Kaamatan is a strong instrument of national unity but what national unity are they going to achieve in the remote Keningau?

“It should be a grand national celebration based on the spirit of Sabah’s culture and not a political gathering.

“Obviously this is all just an expensive gimmick for the BN’s political agenda and a waste of taxpayers’ money,” he added.

He  said it was an obvious attempt to reverse the strong anti-BN sentiment in the Interior in which the shouts of “Ini kalilah!” is being heard in every nook and corner, even from small children.

“This is clearly more of a political campaign rather than a national festival to benefit all Malaysians!” he said alluding to the increasingly strong anti-Umno sentiment in Keningau where his brother deputy chief minister Joseph Pairin is MP.

Nothing new with KDM College

Kitingan also took a dig at the launch of the KDM College in Keningau, saying it was long overdue and that the BN was blowing the whole publicity out of proportion.

He said that the plan for one community college for every parliamentary area was decided a long time ago but had never materialised until now.

“The KDM College is actually a community college, not one with a special purpose for the KDMs.”

“And it is definitely not due to the special efforts of the (Pairin’s) PBS that the college is going to be built, ” he added.