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THE President of Star, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan does more than make U-turns. He is a living roundabout. He seems to flip more often than any household switch I know.

Here’s a leader of the KDM Community that shouted Sabah for Sabahans and quit the GRS before the 17th State election on the principle that only Sabah based parties should be participating in the elections. No PH led by PKR, no BN led by Umn0 and no PN led by Bersatu.

He repeatedly said that Sabahans should take charge of their own destiny and not the leaders in Malaya. 

Even at the now best forgettable “Roundtable discussions” which saw the participation of the “3 Wisemen” plus the Presidents of PBS and Upko, Jeffrey stood his ground. 

This, he declared, was the “Mother of all State elections” in which the destiny of Sabah can only be determined by Sabah based parties. 

To add insult to injury, his older brother and one of the “3 Wisemen” Tan Sri Pairin said it is time to keep out PKR, DAP and Umno. Very brave suggestion and one that echoed what Jeffrey was expounding all along.

On the night of 29th November, the election results began to be known one after the other. 

All original PKR candidates were sent packing except for Jamawi Jaafar in Melalap who was given the blessings by CM Hajiji Noor of GRS to stand under the Harapan banner. 

This was a big slap to the President of PKR Anwar Ibrahim. Losing 11 out of 12 !! Almost identical to my report card when I had 11 Red marks and only one Blue mark!

All eight DAP candidates landed on the moon in their Rocket not from Cape Canaveral in USA but from Sabah and Umno won a mere 6 seats.

PN got one seat and Star led by their warrior Jeffrey only managed two seats!

Realising that he would not be in the new State Cabinet lineup, Jeffrey declared that he would not support the Government led by CM Hajiji Noor of GRS but instead sit in the opposition bench.  It was the shortest time he ever would spend on the opposition bench. So short that it would be worth a mention in the Malaysian Guinness Book of records!! 

Now he says he thought it over and decided to support Hajiji because his supporters want him to and for the sake of political stability? Really? 

If Jeffrey was truly sincere in his struggles for his people, and he was ready to sleep with the enemy in the form of Umno and PKR, he should never have abandoned GRS and fought them. 

Instead of becoming a hero or a Kingmaker in this State election, he turned more yellow than an over-ripe banana! 

Contrary to his bold claim that Sabah should be governed by only Sabah based parties, his about turn in supporting the newly-formed Government led by GRS sees him supporting Jafry Ariffin from Umno and Jawawi as well as Grace Lee from PKR. 

Where has all that bravado dignity and pride gone? I guess in the ready mix concrete to patch up the pot holes in our highways and byways lah.

I am guessing this is going to be his last election battle since he is already 76. Extremely pensionable I might add.

And as for the cries of Sabah for Sabahans, it is “Gone With The Wind” or as Rhett Butler put it in his parting shot in that film of the same title to Scarlet O’Hara - “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!”

CP Kui

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