Kitingan was appointed chairman of the Sabah Agricultural Marketing Authority (Sama) yesterday. He received his letter of appointment from state agriculture minister Jamawi Jaafar.

Jamawi said Sama was a new agency formed under the state ministry to support the marketing of agricultural products for the domestic market and export too.

After his party won two seats in the Sabah state election last November, Kitingan was reported to have said that STAR would serve in the opposition benches instead of joining the state government.

However, STAR’s Bingkor assemblyman Ishak Ayub was later made assistant finance minister, saying he had Kitingan’s blessing.

Kitingan, a former deputy chief minister, led STAR out of ruling coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah prior to the state polls.