PARTI Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing has slammed the raid on the home of Sabah’s STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan as political persecution for his alignment with the opposition Barisan Nasional pact following the 14th general election.

On Monday night, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officers raided Kitingan’s home in Keningau over allegations of corrupt practices.

Masing said today that the anti-graft agency’s actions appeared to only be targeting politicians who jumped to BN after GE14.

“This is a case of selective persecution. ‘Frogs’ that jumped to Pakatan Harapan, no problem,” Masing said, in reference to politicians who had abandoned their parties after the May 9 polls to hop to Warisan, led by former federal minister of rural and regional development Shafie Apdal.

None of the two political blocs – Warisan and Sabah Barisan Nasional – had a majority in the 60-seat Sabah legislative following GE14.

STAR then became the kingmaker, and Kitingan drew criticism when he announced he would be aligned to BN, giving the pact the majority and tilting the balance of power to incumbent chief minister Musa Aman.

However, 10 BN state assemblymen from Umno and Upko almost immediately switched political allegiances to Warisan, triggering a leadership crisis.

Last week, Masing had urged the new PH federal government to prosecute all leaders, former ministers from BN and PH alike, who were suspected of involvement in corrupt activities.

“Some of the PH people have to look at themselves, too. Don’t look at us only. PH leaders may not be the devils, but they are not angels, either,” he said after chairing his party’s Supreme Council meeting. – May 24, 2018.