Written by Admin
Saturday February 2014
BY: CHARLES P ANDIANG
KOTA KINABALU:-“UPKO leaders ought to have appreciated my statement in the correct context instead of being ultra-defensive and rushing and resorting to personal attacks seemingly and as though to defend their guilt” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief in response to the personal unjustifiable accusations over his query on Upko’s relevance in BN.
The people would still remember that it was Parti Demokratik Sabah (now Upko) that acted in cahoots with Umno/Kuala Lumpur’s divide and rule policy that resulted in dividing the unity of Sabahans and caused the break-up of Sabahan unity under PBS and the downfall of the democratically elected PBS government.
Upko in further rushing to join the CM-rotation system, further divided the Sabahans by resorting to be a racial and racist party, something alien in multi-racial Sabah. Like other Sabah BN parties, they fell for the CM-rotation system hook, line and sinker and ended up carrying out the divide and rule policy of Umno/Kuala Lumpur in Sabah.
This led to the subsequent abolishment of the CM-rotation system and entrenchment of Umno in Sabah. Like they say, the rest is history and today Sabahans are suffering and paying for this move.
The powerless roles of Upko and other BN components cannot be more succinctly said that the recent disclosure by the immediate past president of MCA, the second biggest party in the Barisan, that there is no sincere power-sharing in the BN.
In the 13th General Election, Upko being a KDM-based party, was emphatically thrown out in its Kadazan/KDM heartland in Penampang and Moyog, by political novices in comparison to Upko’s heavyweights. The results could be interpreted to mean that the party did not do the right things for the KDM community and failed to defend and look after the interests of Sabah and Sabahans resulting in the desertion of the people’s support and consequential losses.
Upko should have learnt from the 13th GE results and its ineffectiveness in BN and adopted a more assertive position in the BN given the kingmaker roles of Sabah and Sarawak in helping retain BN in power as the federal government.
"UPKO and other Sabah BN parties can do more if they can work together and leverage their presence instead of being used as a pawn and falling victim of UMNO/Kuala Lumpur's divide-and-rule."
“That's all I am saying” said Dr. Jeffrey.
If Upko had been effective in the KDM community, it would have produced more golden sons of the kadazans not more mere followers and stooges of Umno/Kuala Lumpur.
As for the RCI, the initial mis-steps in its terms of reference and its set-up and announcements have made many people wary. The unsurprising revelations at the RCI hearings have proven the people’s concerns. In which direction the RCI will lead to or whether it is a political gimmick in the run-up to the 13th GE, it is too early to tell or to claim credit.
"As for me, my struggle since my activist days in the 1980s is and has always been for Sabah and Sabahans rights not for any single community or race” said Dr. Jeffrey.
Political analysts have concluded that there has been a significant rise in the awareness of the formation of Malaysia and Sabah rights nationalism and patriotism as well as a clamouring of better treatment of Sabah by the federal government and the return of Sabah as an equal partner of nation-hood status in Malaysia.
"Whether I have contributed to this significant rise or whether I achieve anything is not for me to say. I leave it to history to judge my contribution to Sabah and to humanity but one thing is clear I am not a stooge of anybody” added Dr. Jeffrey.
Upko: Jeffrey did nothing but weaken KDMs
Published on: Thursday, February 06, 2014
Kota Kinabalu: United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) lambasted Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan for questioning the party's relevancy.
Secretary General, Datuk Donald Mojuntin, said it was disappointing that "a person of Jeffrey's stature and intelligence is taking pot shots at Upko over a statement made by Putatan Member of Parliament, Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh for the interest of Sabah."
"What Marcus said should be supported by all Sabahans and it is Marcus' responsibility as an elected representative to voice out the people's concerns in Parliament and in public.
"Upko fully supports the Putatan MP who recently stated that Sabah should get more federal funds to improve electricity supply in Sabah while lamenting that electricity tariffs were increased without consulting elected representatives," he said, Wednesday.
"Perhaps Jeffrey wants people to think that he is the only one capable of bringing up issues affecting Sabah effectively.
"We are all Sabahans bah. What's good for Sabah is good for all of us. And what Marcus said is in the best interest of Sabah," he said.
Meanwhile, Upko Komulakan Chief Ewon Benedick called the Star Sabah Chief to check his own record for the last 20 years if there was anything that he had done which Sabahans could be proud of.
Ewon said, in fact, Jeffrey had delivered nothing to the people of Sabah the past 20 years.
"Except that he contributed to the political weakening and disunity especially among the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM).
And perhaps he is a Wakil Rakyat that believes in the philosophy of political frog which benefits nobody but himself," said Ewon.
According to him, Upko had always been on the frontline to safeguard the interests of Sabah and its people, especially Pasokmomogun and it had been proven in many cases when Upko took up sensitive issues to the highest level of decision making in the country.
"Upko has successfully safeguard the three main identities of the Pasokmomogun i.e. language, native law and cultural. Kadazandusun and Murut language is now a syllabus in national education system.
"We secured commitment by the Federal Government to strengthening and upgrading the Native Court institution, and Tadau Kaamatan is one of the six main celebrations in the country.
"I would like to remind Jeffrey that the successful formation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants, development of oil and gas industry in the State and freedom of religious were much attributed to the determination and daring participation by our President when he was in the federal Cabinet," he said.
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