KOTA KINABALU, Oct 18 — Amid contentious seat negotiations between the nine parties in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling state government, Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (STAR) said that it is ready to take on its allies in a head-to-head clash.

The party’s assistant secretary-general Rizal Johari said that the party took to heart Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah's (PBRS) remark echoing BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for the pact to go solo in the upcoming election, adding it is happy to take on the party in the event of a free-for-all.

"If PBRS-BN wants to go solo in this general election, then so be it. Sabah STAR is always prepared to contest because we have always been true to our struggle in fighting for the rights of our state and our people,” he said in a statement here.

Rizal said it would respect the decision, and there would be no love lost between them should the state BN decide to go solo.

He announced that the party wanted to contest five seats, out of the 25 seats in Sabah for GE15.

"I believe it’s a fair request because we are a local Sabah party and we are the voice of the people especially in the interior areas of Sabah in parliament,” he said.

He said that STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan was well known for his consistency in his political struggle for the state’s rights.

"His opponents can criticise him all they want but the people know that at the core, he always fights for you and me and our future generation,” he said.

"Any party can claim to be a local party and that it is fighting for the rights of Sabah and Sabahans. Spend some time to check their track record because talk is always cheap,” he said.

However, Rizal said that GRS’ principle was to support any bloc that formed the next government in the interest of Sabahans.

Cracks in GRS emerged last weekend as PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, in a statement on Saturday, urged Sabah BN to go solo in the state. He said that the BN-GRS alliance in Sabah would only be an advantage for Perikatan Nasional (PN).

He said almost 100 per cent of PBRS divisions and grassroots members were against an electoral pact between BN and GRS.

Kurup’s statement came despite both Sabah BN chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and Sabah GRS chairman Datuk Hajiji Noor claiming there would be no clashes between the coalition as they were working out the differences.

A GRS state assistant minister, Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda also unofficially announced he would contest the Kota Marudu seat on a Warisan ticket. It is believed that he was adamant on contesting the seat, which was promised to Parti Bersatu Sabah.