Kota Kinabalu: Sabah PKR Youth leader Eldridge Laurence Timis has called on Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan to stop blaming Putrajaya for the state’s challenges, urging instead for more responsible and forward-looking leadership.
Responding to a Malaysiakini report titled “Sabah for Sabahans – Kitingan challenges Putrajaya”, Eldridge, who is PKR Penampang Youth Chief and Sabah Deputy Youth Chief, said Jeffrey’s remarks painted an incomplete picture of Sabah’s struggles.
“We, the younger generation of Sabah, do not forget history, and we will not allow misleading claims to go unanswered,” he said in a statement.
Eldridge recalled that political divisions in the past had slowed Sabah’s progress and left lasting effects on its younger generation.
He said leadership should not revolve around pointing fingers at the Federal Government.
“When he was in government during the PBS era, there was little real effort to restore Sabah’s rights.
“If he is truly the defender of Sabah’s interests, the people should be able to see meaningful results by now,” he said.
Highlighting federal reforms, Eldridge noted that the process of restoring powers to Sabah and Sarawak officially began during the Pakatan Harapan administration in 2018 and has since continued under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He also criticised Jeffrey’s suggestion that Star might leave Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) if space was given to PH, describing it as a return to old-style politics.
“Sabah must move beyond the politics of threats and blame. What the people, especially the youth, want is honest, courageous and progressive leadership,” Eldridge added.