[ad_1]
Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) Chairman Jeffrey Kitingan said his party no longer supported independent candidates.
“Independent candidates are not our candidates. (What they do) is out of our control,” he told reporters in Keningau today.
On September 16, Kitingan (above) said publicly that his party backed the independent candidate and Inanam incumbent Kenny Chua, and a few unspecified others.
Chua himself claimed to have the “blessing” of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, of which Star is a member. He has been seen campaigning in the colors of PN.
Read more: Sabah Decides 2020: Making sense of players, parties and battles
Chua will defend the Inanam seat against 10 other candidates, including a candidate from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
PBS is a “partner” of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), a mega coalition consisting of the PN and BN coalitions, as well as PBS.
Meanwhile, Bersatu Supreme Council Member Azmin Ali, who was campaigning in Keningau today, said the PN cannot prevent independent candidates from using the PN logo on campaign materials.
“It is proof of the popularity of the PN, even among independent candidates. However, the PN leadership has made statements that we do not endorse any independent candidate.
“This is because (GRS) we have candidates for all electoral districts. If (independents) want to use our name, I see it positively,” he said.
In the case of Inanam, Azmin said PN will support GRS and therefore support PBS candidate WilIiam Majimbon.
Follow Malaysiakini’s coverage of the Sabah state elections here.
