Please stay! Sabah PKR leaders urge Jeffrey

By Luke Rintod of FMT
KOTA KINABALU: Senior Sabah PKR leaders tried their utmost to convince Jeffrey Kitingan to continue to help lead the beleaguered party at a gathering in Tuaran last night.

The informal meeting, attended by the party's top guns, was hosted by Dusun community strongman and former senator Kalakau Untol at his residence.

Outgoing state liaison chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini, newly-elected supreme council member Dr Roland Chia, Tawau division chief Kong Hong Ming, veteran politician Karim Ghani and scores of other leaders, urged Jeffrey to continue leading the opposition's struggle.

Jeffrey, who was present, said he was there "just to meet friends and tell them that he will continue the struggle in his own way”.


Recently, Jeffrey, the younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister and PBS president Joseph Pairin, said he was unhappy with the way PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had handled various issues relating to Sabah and Sarawak.

"I'm not going to accept any appointed post anymore," Jeffrey told the gathering, effectively ruling himself out not only from being reappointed vice-president but also from the post currently held by Ahmad Thamrin.

A visibly dejected supporter of the maverick politician said: "I don't know what to say. It looks like he is leaving anyway, but let's wait and see over the next several weeks..."
Meanwhile, Karim, who quit Umno recently to cross over to the opposition, was among those who believed Jeffrey's leadership was needed not only by PKR but also by the Kadazandusun community in Sabah and other native groups in Sarawak.

Backstabbers singing different tune
At least six PKR divisional heads were reported to have turned up last night, including from the east coast of Sabah. A PKR leader, who requested anonymity, said that the gathering's sole purpose was to convince Jeffrey not to abandon PKR.

He also took a swipe at the presence of these divisional leaders.

"Many of these leaders, who had appealed for a closing of ranks, were responsible for getting Jeffrey sidelined by the top leadership," he alleged.

PKR strongman Daniel John Jambun, who was suspended for his part in registering and withdrawing Parti Cinta Sabah last year, also criticised them for just wanting to ride on Jeffrey's coattails.

"All they want is to ride on him," he said in a text message to FMT.

Another leader said many of those present last night had stabbed Jeffrey in the back numerous times.

"Ahmad Thamrin himself was not very helpful to Jeffrey's struggle for an autonomous Sabah, but last night he sounded different.

"Suddenly he has realised the importance of Jeffrey's struggle. This is amusing. I don't know whether to cry or laugh," he said.

Others who spoke were Kalakau, Karim, Kong, and Ahmad Thamrin, besides Edward Linggu who acted as organising chairman.

Earlier, Jeffrey reminded the gathering that Sabahans have been at the receiving end of Kuala Lumpur politics ever since they became Malaysians in 1963.

"We have been played out by those in Kuala Lumpur, many times," he said.