Social activist Remy Majangkim pointed out that STAR had a major role in the state government with party president Jeffrey Kitingan serving as deputy chief minister, while helming the agriculture and fisheries portfolio.

“Have Sabah farmers seen any drastic improvement in the agriculture sector? The price of animal feed keeps rising, leading to higher costs that are ultimately paid by the consumer.

“What happened to pursuing the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)? Remember the London trip you made with Maximus Ongkili, visiting the UK National Archives in London? What came out of that?

“At the age of 77, what unfinished work does Kitingan have that needs to be done?” he said, according to the Jesselton Times.

Majangkim also questioned if STAR had a leadership succession plan prepared, having been led by Kitingan for nearly a decade now since its formation in 2016.

“Many argue that Sabah has been plagued by ageing politicians who refuse to step down and give way to a new lineup of leaders.

“Has STAR actively engaged a new generation of leaders to take over? Who are these leaders, and what are their aspirations for Sabah in the next 10 years?”

STAR and the Sabah Progressive Party decided to leave Gabungan Rakyat Sabah on Wednesday after being founding members of the ruling state coalition.

A former Perikatan Nasional component, STAR had insisted that GRS go solo in the upcoming state election based on local sentiments, urging for the electoral pact agreed with Pakatan Harapan to be scrapped.

STAR, a Kadazandusun Murut-based party, won six seats in the 2020 state election contesting under the PN banner.

Kitingan has been a deputy chief minister since 2020, and remained in the post after the 2022 general election led to shifts in political alliances at the federal level, which culminated in STAR leaving PN and supporting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.