STAR Sabah is ready for GE15, even if held tomorrow

 By Olivia Miwil - June 23, 2021 @ 8:11pm

Its secretary-general Datuk Guandee Kohoi said after the state election in September last year, the party’s operation and machinery teams were still around. - Pic courtesy of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) Facebook

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) is ready for the 15th general election even if it is to be held tomorrow.

Its secretary-general Datuk Guandee Kohoi said after the state election in September last year, the party's operation and machinery teams were still around.

"Our teams at the constituencies are still active and we have formed coordinators at the parliamentary seats we wanted to contest," he told the New Straits Times.

Guandee added that the party was hoping to contest in nine out of 25 parliamentary seats for the upcoming general election.

One of them is the Keningau seat which the party president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is the incumbent. Others are Kota Belud, Tuaran, Sepanggar, Putatan, Penampang, Ranau, Tenom and Pensiangan.

He said these seats were chosen based on the strength and requests from the grassroot level.

"However, we must also consider our partners in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

"We have submitted the list of parliamentary seats to contest to the leadership, but we will also work closely with others," he said.

Guandee also did not rule out the possibility of clashes or swapping of seats which could take place among the parties in the alliance.

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah consists of Star Sabah, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, Sabah Progressive Party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, PAS, Barisan Nasional and Parti Bersatu Sabah.

Guandee added that the alliance had entrusted STAR to coordinate the election machinery at four parliamentary sites— Putatan, Penampang, Keningau and Pensiangan.

He said being the coordinators, it would not necessarily mean that STAR's candidates would be fielded for these constituencies, but more to help candidates regardless of which GRS party they come from.

Meanwhile, on recent association of outraging modesty and insults issues involving STAR members, Guandee said it would slightly affect the party but he believed the people could make their own judgment.

"The party has never asked its members to commit such offences, especially those which are sensitive issues.

"It is the same with Marcel Jude. He is never hired as the party's counsel, but it is merely his own profession (as a lawyer)," he said, adding that the party's disciplinary board would take necessary actions against its members according to its Constitution.