Star denies lacking in vision and mission

By Joe Fernandez

KOTA KINABALU: The State Reform Party (Star) has denied allegations by the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Ronald Kiandee, that the party “has no vision and mission, lacks ideas and is struggling to the extent of harping on the same old ideas”.

Star, in a press statement, clarified that it’s a party of the young generation with a clear vision, mission, objectives, and goals and “this is reflected in its calendar of activities” or the Vimoga concept.

“The young leaders of Star want to address important issues in Sabah and Sarawak which the previous generations were unable to resolve,” said Star deputy chairman Awang Ahmad Sah. “We need to get our politics and relationships right before talking big about other things. The older generation in Star is helping to lay the foundation for the young to continue the struggle.”

Sabah villagers outraged by road to nowhere

By Luke Rintod of FMT

The current government has done poorly in terms of maintaining Sabah's roads and rural infrastructure, unlike their predecessors, Usno and PBS regimes claim villagers.

PAPAR: Outraged Dusun villagers from kampungs within the vicinity of the controversial Mini Estate Sejaterah (MESEJ) project in Kg Kinolosodon are demanding to know why the government has neglected to maintain the roads in the villages but see it fit to build a new road to nowhere.

Villagers stormed the MESEJ site a few days ago despite police guarding the access road following a police report by a landowner over logging activities in the MESEJ area, which is allegedly the site for houses for the hardcore poor families.

The villagers wanted to have a look at the ‘beautiful’ new road and at the same time check the felled logs believed to have been illegally extracted from a privately owned site nearby.

Jeffrey accepts ex-CM’s challenge but…

By Raymond Tombung of FMT

Jeffrey Kitingan has welcomed Harris Salleh's challenge to debate the issue of Kuala Lumpur colonising Sabah on condition it is open to the international media, among others.

KOTA KINABALU: State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chairman Jeffrey Kitingan is willing debate with former chief minister Harris Salleh if the latter is “formally appointed” by the federal and state governments to represent their viewpoints.

Describing Harris’ invitation as “a golden opportunity”, he said the debate would be a “historic” one and should be open to the international media.

“As far as STAR is concerned, this will be our golden opportunity to publicise the whole issue of Sabah’s position in Malaysia to the global community.

“So let’s not do it half way. Let’s make this a historic debate which will be judged not only by Malaysians but by other governments and peoples of the world,” Jeffrey said.

Putrajaya will not win stand-off with Bar Council

By Joe Fernandez

It appears that the current Najib Administration has forgotten the bitter lessons learnt during Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's long innings in office when he, the frightened little man he was by default in office, openly and shamelessly rooted for extreme coercion as his preferred modus operandi.

It's not so much that Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is calling the shots in the current stand-off with the Bar Council of Malaya on the proposed Law Academy in the wake of Bersih 3.0.

First round victory to Borneonisation suit against the governments

KOTA KINABALU: The "Borneonisation suit" brought by two Sabahans against two respondents, the Federal and State Governments, for failing to Borneonise Federal agencies in Sabah tasted a first-round victory at the High Court Friday (May 25).

Justice David Wong Dak Wah dismissed the application of both the first and second respondents' to strike out the suit brought by the duo last year. He had now fixed June 18 this year as a new mention date for the case which many see a test to Sabah special rights and autonomy within the Federation of Malaysia.

The judge in dismissing the respondents' application ruled that contrary to the respondents' contention, the Sabahan duo do have locus standi to sue the government in regards to their rights in relation to non-compliance of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.