New opposition bloc Gabungan Bersatu still on, says Jeffrey

The Keningau MP says Gabungan Bersatu is a new platform for local politicians to unite and form a strong opposition bloc.

STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan says the new alliance will include existing Gabungan Sabah parties. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: The Gabungan Bersatu political alliance promoted by local opposition leaders to replace Barisan Nasional (BN) in Sabah is still on the cards, says Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Jeffrey Kitingan.

Speaking to reporters here today, Jeffrey said the new and bigger alliance would include the existing Gabungan Sabah parties, namely STAR, the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS).

“It is still on. We are all part of Gabungan Bersatu,” he said.

The Gabungan Sabah political alliance was mooted after the May 9 election which saw Sabah BN and Parti Warisan Sabah-Pakatan Harapan (PH) tied on the number of state seats with 29
each.

Jeffrey’s STAR party won two state seats and sided with Sabah BN, allowing Sabah BN chairman Musa Aman to be sworn in as chief minister on May 10.

However, the United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) decided to jump ship and threw its support behind the Warisan-PH coalition, bringing four of five assemblymen with it before three other Umno assemblymen followed suit.

This disintegrated the Sabah BN government, with Warisan president Shafie Apdal sworn in as the chief minister on May 12.

The local political parties under Sabah BN, namely the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), subsequently left the coalition.

While LDP and PBS did not comment on whether they would be joining or cooperating with the new state government, PBRS president Joseph Kurup said he would lead his party into PH. However, no news about this has been reported to date.

Gabungan Bersatu is supposed to be a new platform for local politicians to unite and form an opposition bloc. PBS
president Joseph Pairin Kitingan even declared that all Sabah Umno members, including Musa, were invited to join his party.

However, this may not proceed as planned as Sabah Umno has received a new liaison chief, with Salleh Said Keruak appointed to the position by Umno acting president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey who was appointed deputy chief minister in Musa’s short-lived state Cabinet, said he had not heard from Musa for some time now.

“The last time was, I think, some time after the Cabinet meeting or after. From what I heard, he has left Sabah for medical treatment and I understand he is currently in London,” he said.

Musa is wanted by the Sabah police for a statement following a police report lodged against him by the Head of State, Juhar Mahiruddin, for alleged criminal intimidation.

Musa has a court case coming up on June 9. He has petitioned the court to declare him as the rightful chief minister of Sabah.

Shafie meanwhile has filed a countersuit to strike out the application. -FMT