THE GENIUS, SACRIFICE & MORAL VICTORY OF DATUK SERI DR JEFFREY G. KITINGAN

 

Monday, 1 December 2025

There will come a time when Sabahans must stop and evaluate events with clarity — free from propaganda, hatred, or jealousy. And when one examines closely the turbulent years leading to the recent election, one truth becomes impossible to ignore:

The brilliance behind Sabah’s political reawakening

came from the mind and sacrifice of one man —

Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan.

The younger generation may not realise this, but the “Dr” in his name is not merely honorary. He holds a Doctorate in Political Science, specialising in politics, federalism, and constitutional structures.

His entire life has been dedicated to understanding — and correcting — the structural injustice Sabah has endured since 1963.

And this dedication has not been easy.

He has been called a “frog.”

He has been mocked as “crazy.”

He was imprisoned for two years under the ISA, during which his first marriage collapsed under the stress and pain of political persecution. Few Sabah leaders have paid such a personal price for their convictions.

Yet behind the suffering, there were victories — major victories that shaped the fate of Sabah.

1. With just ONE seat, he broke the national power barrier.

When STAR won one seat, many laughed. But few understood the deeper strategy at play.

With that one seat, Dr Jeffrey entered negotiations that helped form the federal government under Perikatan Nasional(PN).

And because he succeeded in breaking that door open, something historic happened:

For the first time in history, MA63 became mainstream national politics.

It was under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s government that:

• Sabah & Sarawak’s partner status was restored

• On 14 December 2021, Parliament passed the amendment to reinsert Sabah & Sarawak as Borneo States

• The constitutional amendment took effect in February 2022

This was something no Sabahan Federal Minister ever accomplished — including those who held federal positions for decades yet stayed silent while Sabah was stripped of her rights.

2. He walked away from federal power — because MA63 was being blocked.

If Dr Jeffrey were the usual politician chasing wealth, power, and perks, he would have stayed happily as a Federal Deputy Minister.

But instead, he stepped down on 29 September 2020, because under PN:

• MA63 progress stalled

• 40% rights were sidelined

• Federal ministries watered down Sabah’s demands

• Powers taken in 1976 were not returned

• Bureaucracy blocked any real reform

Dr Jeffrey refused to be a puppet. He refused to be decorative window-dressing. He refused to sit quietly while Sabah’s future was once again put on hold.

He chose the harder road — to come home and reignite the Sabah struggle.

3. He returned to Sabah and rebuilt the movement from the ground.

Once he left the federal cabinet, Dr Jeffrey relaunched the MA63 and autonomy agenda with renewed force:

• He revived Sabah For Sabahan

• He initiated Justice For Sabah

• He helped engineer the formation of GRS

• Bersatu assemblymen left en bloc to join the local-based movement under his influence

“Sabah For Sabahan” became Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga. A powerful grassroots identity movement.

Although not his design, GRS initially had to work with UMNO for stability — because exiting the government then would have opened Sabah wide to federal interference again with no one in the inside to resist.

As Deputy Chairman of GRS, he could only advise and deferred to consensus — yet he remained consistent with his principles.

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🔥 4. When Langkah Kinabalu struck, he held the line.

UMNO attempted to retake Sabah through political manoeuvring which allowed PH to intervene, demanding concessions — including making Salleh Said Keruak Sabah’s Finance Minister.

GRS stood firm. They refused to bow. And Sabah was saved from falling back into Malaya’s full control.

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🔥 5. When PH demanded 22 seats (from 8), Dr Jeffrey said NO.

He warned the GRS Chairman that allowing PH to expand aggressively would:

• invite deeper external influence

• weaken local parties

• destroy the Sabah For Sabahans movement

• and hand Sabah back to political domination from the Peninsula

Seeing GRS trapped in the Mining Scandal and losing public confidence, Dr Jeffrey made a decisive move.

6. He withdrew STAR from GRS — to save Sabah’s autonomy movement.

This bold move shocked many — but it awakened Sabah.

Suddenly:

• Justice For Sabah caught fire

• Sabah For Sabahan returned with force

• Other parties followed with slogans like Sabah First

• Rakyat were energised

• PH was crushed to 1 seat

• UMNO shrank to 6 seats, with Bung nearly defeated

• DAP suffered a heavy defeat in Sabah. They lost in all the urban areas that were traditionally their strongholds

This would NEVER have happened if STAR stayed quietly inside GRS.

Dr Jeffrey’s exit opened the floodgates of Sabah nationalism.

7. He may not have won big on paper — but he won big in history.

STAR did not secure many seats this round. But Dr Jeffrey’s personal victory is clear:

• He reduced outside political influence drastically

• He revived Sabah’s political identity

• He awakened the youth

• He pressured all parties to adopt pro-Sabah narratives

• He raised the bar for political awareness

• He proved that autonomy is not a fringe idea — it is Sabah’s mainstream

And despite the noise, Dr Jeffrey himself won Tambunan with a larger majority than before, proving that:

At the grassroots level, he remains one of the most trusted leaders in Sabah.

His name still inspires.

His struggle still resonates.

His vision still guides Sabah’s future.

FINAL VERDICT:

Dr Jeffrey lost nothing. Sabah gained everything.

If he had stayed in GRS, Sabahans would not have awakened.

If he had stayed silent, Malayan parties would have expanded again.

If he had put his comfort above the struggle, Sabah’s identity would have dimmed.

But he chose struggle over comfort.

He chose truth over popularity.

He chose Sabah over himself.

So yes — on paper, others may have won more seats.

But morally, historically, and politically —

DR JEFFREY G. KITINGAN IS THE TRUE WINNER OF THIS ELECTION.

His fight laid the foundation for the Sabah that is rising today.