[ad_1]
SABAH SURVEYS | Two independents who join the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) are not party candidates, insisted party chairman Jeffrey Kitingan.
However, he hopes the duo, who will face PBS candidates in tomorrow’s state elections, will win.
Inanam’s independent candidate, Kenny Chua, has been accepted as a star member, while Tandek’s independent incumbent, Anita Baranting, has applied to join the party.
This came after a partial truce was reached between Star and PBS in four seats in which they face.
Star, who is competing under Perikatan Nasional, is supposed to be a PBS ally under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah umbrella.
Read more: Sabah Decides 2020: Making sense of players, parties and battles
When asked if Chua and Anita joining Star was a betrayal of the truce with PBS, Kitingan (over) said it was not.
“No, they are still independent. They have joined Star but they are not Star candidates, they are independent.
“They will, however, benefit from the support of Star members,” he told a news conference in Tambunan today.
He added that this was different from PBS’s “intrusion” into Star’s seats, as Chua and Anita had joined the elections as independents.
Accepting their memberships was the right thing to do, Kitingan said, as there was no reason to reject them.
When asked if Chua and Anita would become Star Assembly members if they won, he said they would become party members regardless of the outcome.
“I hope they win,” he added.
Read more: Who’s Who is Sabah 2020 Pick
Meanwhile, Bersatu General Secretary Hamzah Zainudin reiterated that he was surprised Chua and Anita were joining Star.
However, he said he had no power to get Star and PBS to reach an agreement, beyond asking them to sit down and discuss the matter.
“I am only the mediator, not the one who decides. Those who must decide are the candidates, it is not up to us (to do it for them),” he added.
Malaysiakini currently provides stories about Sabah surveys for free. Continue supporting Malaysiakini and independent journalism subscribing for just RM20 per month.
Follow MalaysiakiniCoverage of the Sabah state elections. here.
