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Dr Jeffrey tells East Malaysian PKR members to vote in leaders who fight for people's right and state rights and autonomy in weekend party polls
By Ezra Haganez
KOTA KINABALU: The maverick Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice President, Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, finally broke his silence on who to support in this weekend party polls by straight talking divisional members, at least in Sabah, to vote in leaders who fight for people's rights and who have been brave in fighting to retain and regain state rights and autonomy.
"PKR members in Sabah should throw their support behind candidates who fight for the people, our state rights and autonomy as stipulated in the 20 Points...
"Don't vote for those who 'angkat kaki' Kuala Lumpur only," he said not mincing his words at a PKR ceramah at Kampung Malawa in Telipok near here Monday night.
His statement is yet a clear indication of the man's unflinching stand on Sabah and Sarawak special privileges as stipulated in the 20 Points (18 Points for Sarawak) which necessitated the birth of the Malaysia Agreement in 1963.
Jeffrey's strong stand on this issue had at times irked Federal powers, at one time during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's iron-fist rule, he was put to almost three years of ISA detention, for purportedly taking Sabah out of Malaysia.
Now this sometimes too had become a thorn-in-flesh in his relationship with several PKR central leaders particularly those who still love to stick to UMNO's incline of centralising everything, and on top of it hegemonising the two Bornean states who had in them inherent autonomy of their own.
Jeffrey told the crowd that Sabah PKR members should appreciate leaders who subscribe to the struggle for Sabah state rights and the 20 Points, as this is what East Malaysians wanted from an alternative government at the Federal level.
Otherwise, he argued, Sabahans and Sarawakians could just stick with the ruling BN, who because of its own precarious position now, had been more on the listening mode for the two states.
"Under a two-party system we have now, the rakyat can have BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as alternative.
"If PR forms the Federal Government next but did not perform as the people wished, the rakyat may and could kick PR out at the very next general election," he said forewarning PKR leaders of the dire consequences of not listening to the growing demands of the people.
Maintaining that every Party members must respect the each other's democratic right, and that it is the exclusive right of party members whom to vote to lead their respective Division or Cabang, effort must be taken to ensure only good, useful and far-sighted leaders be elected to lead in the Cabang.
At the function, Jeffrey gave his blessing to Felix Sitaun, a strong believer of his struggle, as the right candidate to head the Sepanggar division. Two others in the running for the post are Paul Kuleling @ Mohd Ibrahim and Erveanna Ansari.
He also endorsed Timothy Lim and Simplicius Lipaun candidacies to be Sepanggar deputy and vice head respectively.
Meanwhile, Priscilla Molison has won unopposed the post of PKR Women Head in Sepanggar, and so were her full line up including for deputy and vice head and the seven committee members.
Young lawyer Soo Chin Fook, who was present at last night ceramah and is also aligned to Felix group, however is to be challenged by another candidate for the post of Youth Head or Ketua Angkatan Muda.
All his running mates including for the post of deputy and vice youth head and all 15 Youth committee members, however, had already won unopposed as the other aspirants for Ketua Cabang failed to put up challengers.
A senior PKR leader, Daniel John Jambun, a staunch Jeffrey's supporter with a reputation of very independent and strong-willed, was the hot favourite to win Sepanggar until he was suddenly suspended by the Party for a year for his involvement in an attempt to register a PKR-breakaway party called Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) last year.
It is believed, Felix and his running mates are all aligned to Daniel.
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