Kitingan, president of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), said his party has consistently supported Hajiji’s appointment as chief minister since 2020, and its backing has never wavered despite facing numerous challenges.
“There is no such conspiracy, nor has there ever been one.
“These accusations are false, misleading, and politically motivated. I believe they are intended to create divisions among us within the GRS coalition and the people of Sabah as we approach the state election,” he said in a statement.
Kitingan said the screenshot, allegedly taken on Nov 1, shows part of a conversation taken out of context and falsely presented as evidence for these accusations.
“Furthermore, these allegations seem to align with recent baseless claims against the state government, which is currently under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
He urged the public to be cautious of misinformation and not to be deceived by “malicious narratives” intended to destabilise the state government.
“I remain committed to fostering unity, political stability and continued development for Sabah. Any attempts to drive a wedge between leaders working towards a better Sabah will not succeed,” he said.
On Wednesday, Kitingan again defended Hajiji from calls for his resignation after an Umno leader claimed that the chief minister’s leadership had suffered a trust deficit.
Kitingan dismissed Umno Youth treasurer Naim Kurniawan Moktar’s claim, saying it was not for Naim to judge whether Hajiji had lost the trust of Sabahans.
Whether Hajiji faces a trust deficit over the purported scandal should be left for the court of public opinion to judge, not Naim, he said.
He questioned Naim’s intentions, noting that his father, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, had previously led a failed coup against Hajiji.
On Monday, Naim repeated his call for Kitingan to replace Hajiji, claiming that the GRS chairman suffers from a trust deficit. He said Kitingan should step in to safeguard Sabah’s economy.
Sabah Umno Youth had earlier demanded Hajiji’s resignation in the wake of an alleged mining scandal said to involve several of the state’s assemblymen.