‘Jeffrey desperate because STAR falling apart’

Angkatan Perubahan Sabah chief Wilfred Bumburing has reminded STAR's Jeffrey Kitingan of his own "cari makan politics" past.

KOTA KINABALU: Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing believes that State Reform Party (STAR) chief Jeffrey Kitingan’s incessant attacks on him is because of Angkatan Perubahan Sabah’s (APS) increasing presence in KadazanDusunMurut areas.

Bumburing said it was now obvious that Jeffrey, who’s been claiming absolute strength in KDM areas, was “desperate” because “STAR is falling apart since the formation of APS”.

He said the dissolution of the STAR Papar division last month with the exit of well-known activist Patrick Sindu and more than 1,000 members was an indication of the beginning. All of them joined PKR.

“My political history is well recorded and I need not have to elaborate.

“In contrast, the people in general especially Sabahans are well versed with the political record of Jeffrey Kitingan,” Bumburing said.

He also hit out at Jeffrey for accusing him of practicing “cari makan politics”.

“If l were to practise politics of “cari makan” then the best platform would be to remain in BN.

“Wouldn’t you find it very ironic for someone who left the comfort of a ruling party like BN to join the opposition camp and thereafter be labelled as practising ‘politics cari makan,”? he asked alluding to Jeffrey’s comments last weekend.

Bumburing reminded Jeffrey that he too had practiced the ‘cari makan’ politics and the latter’s own history of moving from party to party reflected this and his one deep desire to become the Chief Minister of Sabah.

“But with Jeffrey just ‘cari makan’ is not enough for him. He must ‘makan besar’.

“Jeffrey Kitingan mentioned about certain people who are prepared to sell their soul to secure position.

“Let me remind Jeffrey, lest he has forgotten about his own record.

“Did he not (once) join the federal government as a deputy minister? Can he also explain to the people about his application twice to become an Umno member? asked Bumburing.

APS not subservient

Bumburing als touched on Jeffrey’s accusation that APS was subservient to peninsular-based Pakatan Rakyat.

“Let me clarify that APS is not subservient to any party in Pakatan Rakyat. As announced by Anwar (Ibrahim) recently, APS together with PPPS is an equal partner in Pakatan Rakyat.

APS, he said, subscribed to the national agenda for change. Similar to the Borneo Agenda, the Kuching Declaration by Pakatan Rakyat is also the Borneo agenda of the opposition coalition.

He also alluded to Jeffrey’s version of the “kingmaker” role.

“Referring to my encounter with Jeffry in my house, I asked Jeffrey as to what he meant by a ‘kingmaker’ and I asked him to explain about his statement that he is ready to support BN.

“Jeffrey said that as a kingmaker he can bargain. I told him that if he is prepared to support BN then why bother to use STAR, might as well just join BN.

“But of course he won’t join any of the BN component parties because he will never be the number one there.

“I also reminded him about PBS. We won the state government but could not formulate and form changes because Umno is in control.

“And PBS always had to beg for whatever things it wanted.

“Our cry about the illegal immigrants and poverty in Sabah fell on deaf ears. Sabah had always been taken for granted and forgotten.