KOTA KINABALU, July 3 — Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan has laid down conditions for any collaboration between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the upcoming state election, insisting that local parties must lead Sabah’s political direction, not Putrajaya.

The Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president said that while his party is open to cooperation, any arrangement involving PH must preserve local autonomy and include clear seat allocations.

“We have outlined two options. First, we divide the 73 state seats among ourselves in GRS. Then, if any of the eight component parties want to work with PH, they can relinquish their seats — negotiations are up to them.

“Or, we can agree to allocate PH a fixed number of seats and let them divide them among themselves. But everyone must contest under the GRS logo,” he told Malay Mail in a recent interview.

He noted that the concept was not new, pointing out that DAP had previously contested under Parti Warisan’s logo in the last general election.

Using the “Sabah for Sabahans” rallying cry, Kitingan — a long-time advocate of state autonomy — said it was time for Sabahans to unite and take full control of their affairs, free from federal interference.

His party, which expanded from two to six seats in the 2020 state election and enjoys strong support among the Kadazan-Dusun-Murut (KDM) communities in Sabah’s interior, joined GRS in 2022 in a bid to foster local unity.

However, as friction builds within GRS’s eight components and amid ties with PH at the federal level, Kitingan warned that the coalition’s strength now depends on genuine collaboration.

“We came together for MA63 and the shared will to push for state rights. It was the right platform. But that’s not enough if local leaders continue to chase power over unity. If we can’t unite, we’ll be forced to fall back on sentiment,” he said, referring to the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Kitingan warned against what he viewed as federal overreach, suggesting that recent political developments reflect Putrajaya’s growing influence in Sabah — to the detriment of GRS’s identity and autonomy.

Most recently, he took issue with the Prime Minister’s announcement in Indonesia regarding joint cooperation over the disputed, resource-rich Ambalat maritime region, located near Sabah’s borders.

“They are trying very hard to control us, and we have to take it back and make our own decisions. The answer is a local coalition. Look at Sarawak — they have done very well,” he said, referring to the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition.

Kitingan said the current trajectory was “as good as colonisation”.

“Sabah should be of one heart — from leaders to government agencies to the people. But we’re still competing, still grabbing for power. That’s our failure,” he said, urging leaders to put aside egos and partisan divides.

Kitingan said an all-local alliance was the only solution against federal exploitation and did not rule out working with opposition forces like Warisan.

The interview was conducted just before Kitingan was linked to a mining corruption scandal, which has so far seen two GRS-aligned assemblymen charged with accepting bribes.

Still, Kitingan maintained that the scandal has no bearing on his political convictions.

“If anything, this will strengthen my political strategy,” he said. When asked how, he simply replied: “My resolve.”

However, he acknowledged that public trust may be tested — and suggested the situation was part of a “political entrapment” orchestrated by “hidden hands” to bring down local parties.

Without naming individuals, he pointed out that parties like PKR — supposedly allies — were already using the scandal to claim the political landscape was shifting.

“Even the Chief Minister believes this is all just a political game. If we react by stepping down, we’re falling into their trap.

“Still, we have to monitor public perception. If action is warranted, then maybe we’ll consider it,” he said.

Seeking a legacy, not a position

Kitingan said the core issue remains whether GRS, as a local platform, should remain aligned with PH out of gratitude for support during the 'Langkah Kinabalu' crisis, or whether Sabah’s interests would be better served with full independence from federal coalitions.

“Yes, the national alliance helped us then and we are grateful. They became part of the state government. But does that mean we still owe them?” he asked.

“Don’t we want to save ourselves from being under federal control? Then we need to be truly united with all local parties,” he said, adding that even parties like Warisan share this sentiment.

"Langkah Kinabalu' refers to the 2023 Sabah political crisis.

Despite growing calls for GRS to contest the election independently, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has signalled a preference to move forward with a GRS-PH alliance — despite potential clashes with Barisan Nasional — adding to the political complexity.

Kitingan was quick to clarify that his intensified push for Sabah autonomy was not a bid to become Chief Minister.

“I’m not looking to be CM. I’ve gone through a lot already. I just want to leave a legacy for the next generation of Sabahans,” he said.