Star Sabah branch Chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan denied that his Sarawak party is being backed by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to split opposition votes by preventing straight fights in the coming general election.
Met after launching the Star manifesto here, he also denied that Star was getting funding from the BN and that those making such allegations were only out to destroy the image of Star.
He was responding to claims that Star faced little difficulty in obtaining approvals for its gatherings unlike the other opposition parties like DAP and Pakatan Rakyat.
Dr Jeffrey, who was also Yayasan Sabah Director during the period claimed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when some RM4 billion went missing from the Sabah Foundation coffers, said the issue should not arise anymore.
He said the missing RM4b was meant as a joke by the then Prime Minister and asked why Dr Mahathir himself did not launch the investigation if true.
Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh had raised the RM4b missing funds issue as an example of instances when Dr Mahathir did not practise the rule of law in Sabah to investigate and recover the funds.
Harris said Dr Mahathir based his statement on a Price Waterhouse Audit report on Yayasan Sabah and that surely there must have been alleged frauf or wrongdoings on the part of those responsible.
When the question of the missing RM4b was posed to Dr Mahathir by Daily Express an exclusive interview in 2005, he had responded thus: "I was given the information and it was up to the people to investigate to see whether the allegation was true or not.
Asked about the Price Waterhouse audit report on rampant under-declaring of logs value at the time, Dr Mahathir also said it was up to the people concerned to investigate.
Meanwhile, Dr Jeffrey also said Star had no intention of joining the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance although it (Star) wants to sit down and discuss seat distribution among the opposition in Sabah.
"Until now there is still no discussion with PR or other opposition parties.
Our intention is for Star to be at the same level with Pakatan and Barisan Nasional as the third team competing in the election," he said.
He reiterated that if they could not find a solution where Pakatan Rakyat should stay away from contesting in Sabah and Sarawak, then Star would have no choice but to go for its next plan and contest in all the seats in Sabah.
If for the best for Sabah within Malaysia, Star is entitles to be supported by Sabahan because " KLAU BUKAN KITA SIAPA LAGI. kALAU BUKAN SEKARANG, BILA LAGI. INI KALI LAH.
ReplyDelete