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PARTI Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan described the decision of five of his incumbents to back Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) instead of following him into the state election alone as “nothing new”.
“I respect their decision. Each person must act according to his conscience. I have seen this before, and I am not surprised,” he said in a statement last night.
The five incumbent Sabah state assemblymen Star announced that they will remain with GRS, distancing themselves from the party president's decision to leave the ruling coalition ahead of the state election.
Deputy STAR president Datuk Ellron Angin confirmed the stance , speaking after the official announcement of the dissolution of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly at Menara Kinabalu yesterday.
Apart from Ellron, the others are Datuk Annuar Ayub Aman (Liawan), Datuk Robert Tawik (Bingkor), Datuk Flovia Ng (Tulid), and Datuk Abidin Madingkir (Paginatan).
Kitingan also said that Star remains open to working with federal-based political parties after the state election and that while the party champions the 'Sabah for Sabahans' (S4S) narrative, it is open to collaborations that promote political stability.
"However, this does not mean working under or following instructions from Malaya-based parties.
"Any cooperation must be based on mutual respect and a true partnership within Malaysia — without sacrificing Sabah's rights or autonomy," he said in a statement.
Last week, Jeffrey announced that Star had exited the GRS coalition after refusing to align with Pakatan Harapan and that it would contest under its own logo, stressing that the decision is driven by principle, not power.
"Sabah must be led by true and patriotic Sabahans — not weak leaders, traitors, or those who take orders from Malaya-based parties," he added. - October 7, 2025