By : SELVARAJA SOMIAH
REMEMBER Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, my good friend, that old gadfly of Sabah politics? Well, after spending several years on the margins of mainstream politics, the maverick at long last might be on his way back to the Parti Bersatu Sabah. The return of the prodigal, as it were, has the blessings of the PBS supremo, Pairin Kitingan.
Even though a couple of second rung leaders are rather apprehensive of their own place in the party should Dr Jeffrey be allowed to stage a comeback, Dr Maximus Ongkili is still opposed to his return, known to keep his own counsel in these matters, however, cannot be too pleased at the prospect of one of his more trenchant critics a more capable leader than him being allowed admittance in the PBS.
On his part, Dr Jeffrey has been wooing the PBS leadership for sometime now, clearly with an eye on making himself relevant yet again in the state polity.
Having come a cropper as the head of his own one-man United Borneo Front (UBF), this highly positive, former Harvard scholar has taken up causes dear to the pro- Sabah outfit, now pro-Borneo outfit or the Borneo Agenda.
Along with some strong supporters from the PBS days, Jeffrey alone, among all well-known pro-Sabah protagonists, defended the 20 Points, when the then Mahathir government had locked up the latter in Kamunting Detention Center under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) for 3 years in connection with the taking ‘out’ Sabah from the Malaysian Federation.
No comments:
Post a Comment