UPKO’s Exit From PH — Welcomed, But Not Blindly Trusted

 

Monday, 17 November 2025

While we welcome and appreciate UPKO’s decision to quit Pakatan Harapan — a coalition undeniably centred in Malaya — it is important to place this move in its proper context. For years, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan has championed the call for all Sabah-based parties to unite as one powerful local bloc. His message has been consistent: only Sabahans can defend Sabah’s right to determine our own destiny.

And this is not a new theme.

For the past five years, Dr Jeffrey has made five separate public invitations to local parties to unite:

1. 2021 – Invited Peter Anthony and ex-Warisan leaders to join forces with STAR under a unified Sabah platform.

2. 2022 – Called on all Sabah leaders to “unite as Sabahans” and reject imported political conflicts from Semenanjung.

3. 2023 – Launched a statewide STAR outreach tour specifically to build bridges and strengthen cooperation with local partners.

4. 2024 – Formalised unity efforts through an MOU with PBS for the political unity of Sabah’s native communities.

5. 2025 – Publicly renewed calls for a Sabah-only coalition (the GSB initiative), inviting local parties including SAPP, Warisan, PKDM and others to unite as one front.

This is a documented, consistent, five-year effort — not a sudden election stunt.

A Critical Election, A Desperate Opponent

This year’s election is one of the most critical in Sabah’s history.

Our opponents from across the sea are throwing money like water — as if the supply is endless. The irony is bitter: they are using our own money, money owed to Sabah under 40%, to buy Sabahan votes.

What greater humiliation is there than being bribed with your own stolen rights?

With this landscape in mind, UPKO’s exit from PH might appear like a welcome correction — a long-overdue alignment with Sabah’s fight for autonomy.

And to an extent, it is.

But Forgive Us If We Are Not Naïve

While UPKO now presents itself as “Sabah First”, the rebranding does not erase history.

UPKO’s past decisions and betrayals remain fresh in public memory.

Most glaringly:

UPKO withdrew its lawsuit against the Federal Government immediately after receiving a position in the Cabinet.

Dress it up in any justification — call it strategic, call it procedural, call it whatever you like — but the rakyat are not fools. Sabahans saw what happened. They remember. They understand what it means when a fight for state rights is dropped the moment federal power is offered.

So yes, UPKO leaving PH is good for the Sabah narrative.

But Sabahans are right to ask:

Is this a sincere stand?

Or a calculated move to stay politically relevant?

The Timing Raises Eyebrows

Had UPKO taken this stand years earlier — when the federal leadership began dragging its feet on MA63, when the 40% revenue entitlement was stonewalled, when promises were broken — it would have seemed principled.

But to do this mere weeks before the election?

It looks less like conviction, and more like vote-fishing.

Political timing is never accidental.

And when something happens this close to nomination, the rakyat naturally question the motive.

A More Cynical Possibility

There is also the uncomfortable but necessary question:

Is UPKO quitting PH merely a performance orchestrated by their Malayan partners?

A strategic drama designed to:

• appear pro-Sabah at the right moment,

• scoop up angry Sabah voters,

• weaken the MA63 movement,

• and then quietly return to the same federal masters after the goal is achieved.

Because make no mistake:

The greatest threat to the federal status quo is a united Sabah bloc that refuses to compromise on:

• the 40% revenue entitlement,

• MA63 rights,

• fiscal autonomy,

• and internal self-determination.

Neutralise the parties championing MA63,

and you neutralise Sabah.

Welcome the Move, But Question the Motive

We welcome UPKO’s new stand.

We welcome any party willing to fight for Sabah.

But Sabahans have every right — and every reason — to be cautious.

Sabah’s future cannot rely on sudden conversions or last-minute awakenings.

It must rest on consistency, courage, and a track record of actually standing firm before power is on the table, not after.

As the election draws near, one truth remains:

Sabah must stand with leaders who have fought for our rights consistently —

not only when it is politically convenient.