This comes after a show of unity by the government and opposition benches in rejecting the Territorial Sea Act 2012 in the state assembly sitting yesterday.
Kitingan, who is also deputy chief minister, hoped that all political parties, particularly the local ones, could put aside their differences and work together as a single entity, like in neighbouring Sarawak.
“We are open to suggestions and we can work with any political party, as we have been doing all this while,” he said in a statement here today.
“This is so that we can be stronger. I think that is ideal and one day it might be like that. Let’s work towards that.”
Kitingan was speaking at the launch of a joint venture between Koperasi Star Sabah Bhd (Kopstar) Holdings Sdn Bhd and Trucknet Machinery Trading Sdn Bhd here.
Currently, he said there was a show of unity between both the government and the opposition when it involved the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and restoring Sabah’s rights.
For example, Kitingan said in the state assembly yesterday, all the representatives had unanimously rejected the TSA, which unilaterally reduces the territorial sea of Sabah and Sarawak from 12 nautical miles (22km) to three nautical miles (5.5km).
The Keningau MP said this was a reduction of nine nautical miles, or 16.5km.
He said he had also raised an objection last April over the Act, which he branded as unconstitutional and demanded that it be limited only to the peninsula as Sabah and Sarawak had never agreed to such an imposition.
Responding to a question by Warisan’s Moyog assemblyman Darell Leiking at the state assembly yesterday, chief minister Hajiji Noor welcomed his suggestion that both sides of the political divide combine their efforts on a motion for Sabah to reject the TSA.
“I feel this is a good proposal and we can work on it in the hope of resolving some of the MA63 issues,” he said to the thumping of tables by assemblymen during his winding-up speech.
Meanwhile, the joint venture between Kopstar and Trucknet Machinery Trading will allow the latter to supply and assemble small- and medium-sized lorries to local farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs in the state.
Kitingan said it is hoped that the initiative will assist cooperative members, especially farmers, in transporting and marketing their produce.
“Through this agreement, cooperative members will be able to own these light machinery through easy hire purchase financing designed by Kopstar,” he said.