PBS doubts CM post offered to Jeffrey in 1994

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice president Datuk Radin Malleh has questioned the authenticity of STAR Sabah chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s claim that he was offered to be the Sabah Chief Minister in 1994.

The Melalap assemblyman in a statement yesterday said that it was doubtful Jeffrey was offered the Chief Minister post in 1994 by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad.

“Because if it is true then his brainchild party namely Parti Demokratik Sabah Bersatu (PBDS) should have been registered by Mahathir who also happened to be the Home Minister,” he said.

According to Radin, he vividly remembered watching on television, Jeffrey waiting outside the room where Mahathir was having a meeting with Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

“But until the BN government was formed in Sabah in April 1994, his PBDS was not approved by Mahathir. So he joined AKAR, then PBRS, and he created problems there resulting in him being sacked by the respective parties.

“When he rejoined PBS, Jeffrey contested against his former lawyer friend Yunuf Maringking for the vice presidency but lost miserably. Then he jumped ship to Umno but his membership application was rejected. He tried his luck in PKR but still to no avail,” Radin claimed.

Now Jeffrey is in STAR, a party from Sarawak and if based on his political history of which he changed parties not more than seven times, then it is true that Jeffrey is only running for the Chief Minister’s post, Radin said.

“But he is just like chasing after his own shadow which he can’t catch because the more he chases, the shadow goes further and further,” Radin said, adding as the old adage goes, a rolling stone gathers no moss.