Ex-STAR veep Abidin joins Hajiji’s Gagasan Rakyat

 The two-term Paginatan assemblyman submitted his application to join Hajiji Noor's party together with 30 other former STAR members.

Abidin Madingkir was first elected as the Paginatan assemblyman in 2018 on an Upko ticket and re-elected in 2020 on a STAR ticket. (Facebook pic)

KOTA KINABALU:

Former Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) vice-president Abidin Madingkir has joined Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), having left STAR before the Sabah state election last November.

The former Paginatan assemblyman and 30 other former STAR members submitted their membership applications to Gagasan Rakyat deputy president Masidi Manjun in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.

Among those who applied to join chief minister Hajiji Noor’s party was former Kota Kinabalu mayor Nordin Siman, Berita Harian reported.

Abidin claimed that more than 3,000 STAR supporters in Paginatan are expected to follow his lead and join Gagasan Rakyat, which he said prioritises the interests of Sabah and Sabahans.

Abidin was among five senior STAR leaders who broke ranks with their president, Jeffrey Kitingan, and quit the party after STAR decided to leave the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

He was a two-term Paginatan assemblyman who was first elected in 2018 on an Upko ticket and re-elected in 2020 on a STAR ticket.

He contested under the GRS banner in last year’s state polls but lost to Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat’s (KDM) Rusdin Riman by 736 votes in a 10-cornered fight. - FMT