Dr Patau's STAR to spread wing to Sabah

Kuching (Dec 14, 2011): Maverick Sabah politician Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is to announce the setting up of the Sabah chapter of the Sarawak State Reform Party (STAR) in Kota Kinabalu on Friday, his close friend said tonight.

He said STAR president Dr Patau Rubis have agreed to extend his party's influence to neighbouring state.

"Dr Jeffrey and Dr Patau have talked of spreading STAR to Sabah for sometime, and they have agreed," Dr Jeffrey's close friend said.

He said Dr Jeffrey had to resort to STAR after failing to re-register United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

USNO was dissolved in 1991 after UMNO spread its wing to Sabah, after PBS pulled out of the Barisan Nasional in the middle of the campaign for the 1990 general election.

Dr Jeffrey had also submitted an application to register his United Borneo Front (UBF) as a political party with the ROS, but has not succeeded.

According to sources, a number of Dr Jeffrey's supporters are expected to join to join the Sabah chapter of STAR.

Baru wants Taib & family members to be arrested

Media Statement: Taib’s Corruption – The Grandest Scandal of Them All?

A group of international and Malaysian NGOs have written a letter to the Malaysian authorities demanding the immediate arrest and criminal prosecution of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his family members for the alleged illegal appropriation of public funds.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police must respond immediately to the letter and evidence furnished by the NGOs.

While Taib’s wealth is not a secret, the details provided by the NGOs are shocking. Taib and his family’s alleged interest in just 14 companies amount to RM4.6 billion. In total, Taib and his family are alleged to have interests in 332 Malaysian and 85 foreign companies.

This debunks his recent official interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YK8KGX7E4A) where he stated that his family’s wealth is accumulated from business abroad and due to their talents.

Unfortunately, this allegation will continue the downward trend of Malaysia’s corruption score, making a mockery of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s transformation agenda. As Transparency International has stated, Malaysia continues to slide due to its inaction on ‘grand corruption’.

In other cases, the most recent being the alleged RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation scandal involving Minister Shahrizat Jalil and her family, the authorities do nothing. If they continue to remain silent in this grandest alleged corruption cases of them all that has now come to the world’s attention and drawn wide interest internationally, not only will our country’s image continue to deteriorate, but so will the faith of the rakyat.

Baru Bian

Sarawak State Chairman, Parti Keadilan Rakyat

State Assemblyman for Ba’ Kelalan