KOTA KINABALU, May 13 — Three political parties – Sabah Umno, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) – today called for a more unified approach in asserting Sabah’s rights within Malaysia.
All three parties, including the latter two which are both part of national coalitions Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional respectively, said they rejected what they described as “divisive rhetorics” and confrontational politics like “Sabah for Sabahans” ahead of the upcoming state election.
“Fighting for Sabah’s rights is not a race, but a responsibility that must be shouldered with historical awareness, political courtesy, and the courage to build, not to divide,” Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said in a statement.
Bung said that historical leaders such as the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun championed Sabah’s rights through partnership with the federal government, not by sowing distrust.
“The reality is, Sabah’s voice at the federal level is now more respected. Rights over appointments, development allocations, and involvement in national policies are gradually being restored through negotiation and diplomacy – not provocation,” he said.
“This is the approach Sabah Umno supports – quiet work that brings about real change, not loud shouting that gets lost in the winds of politics,” he said.
The Sabah BN chairman was responding to Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan who rejected claims that the slogan “Sabah for Sabahans” was an act of defiance.
Kitingan defended the slogan, saying such clamours would persist, adding that if anything was divisive, it is “the persistent federal arrogance that refuses to recognise Sabah’s rightful place”.
“Our cooperation with Putrajaya must be based on respect and equality, not subservience. We will work together when it benefits Sabah, but we will no longer tolerate interference, manipulation, and exploitation,” Kitingan said in a statement last night.
His criticism was made after Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described the “Sabah for Sabahans” slogan as unproductive and harmful to national unity.
Bung claimed that Kitingan failed to bring meaningful progress to his party’s constituencies despite past promises to deliver reforms under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Sabah for Sabahans” can be a spirit, but when it becomes an excuse to reject federal cooperation, it turns into a wall of division. We do not want Sabah to remain a victim of empty slogans, while the people continue to long for clean water, stable electricity, and sustainable job opportunities,” Bung said.
“These are the real issues, not recycled slogans,” he added.
In a separate statement, UPKO president Datuk Ewon Benedick and PBRS president Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup also called for local aspirations to be the focus for any broad-based political coalition on Sabah.
“UPKO and PBRS want a strong, locally anchored foundation for political discussions in Sabah, without compromising the stability and harmony needed for long-term development,” they said, adding that they were in support of the broader unity of Malaysians.
“As members of the current national political coalition, both parties see themselves as “Sabah’s bridge to Putrajaya,” working alongside other parties to consistently raise key issues affecting the state, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“The ‘Sabah First’ struggle requires cooperation among all political parties in the state. This must be achieved through wise and consultative engagement between the federal and state governments, not through confrontation,” they said in a joint statement.
Ewon and Arthur stated that both UPKO and PBRS have raised numerous Sabah-related issues through their coalition platforms, including at the Cabinet level which they said has proven effective, with nine MA63-related demands fulfilled under the current federal government, while four were resolved under the previous administration.
