KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) has withdrawn from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition on Monday, five days ahead of the Sabah state election nomination day.

In a statement, Upko secretary general Datuk Nelson Angang said the decision comes amid policy differences over the interpretation and implementation of Sabah’s constitutional rights, particularly the 40% revenue entitlement. The move also reflects what the party described as a "lack of autonomy for the coalition’s Sabah chapter", despite repeated assurances made during earlier discussions within the unity government.

Angang said that during the four years with PH, Upko consistently placed the Sabah First agenda at the centre of negotiations on PH’s election manifesto and within the administration of the unity government led by PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“However, throughout this period, there have been persistent gaps in interpretation, viewpoints, and positions between Upko and PH’s national component parties on key issues — including the implementation of Sabah’s 40% revenue rights, the demand for one-third of parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, and the failure to implement administrative autonomy for PH Sabah,” he added.

The decision came a few hours after Upko party president Datuk Ewon Benedick submitted his resignation letter as a minister of entrepreneur development and cooperatives. Ewon resigned, citing his disagreement with the stance of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) during the judicial review proceedings to Sabah’s 40% entitlement, filed by the Sabah Law Society.

Subsequently, Bernama reported that Anwar described Ewon’s resignation as “premature”, and said that the federal government is still reviewing Sabah's 40% revenue entitlement before deciding on its next steps.

The prime minister said that a special Cabinet meeting will be held on Tuesday (Nov 11), Anwar added, to discuss whether to appeal a High Court decision that Sabah is entitled to 40% of revenue collected in the state.

Upko currently holds two parliamentary seats, namely, Penampang, held by Ewon himself, and Tuaran, held by Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau.

The party's decision to leave the PH coalition was reached during a special meeting of Upko’s Supreme Council on Monday, just less than three weeks before the Sabah state election. The Election Commission has set polling day on Nov 29, nomination on Nov 15, and early voting on Nov 25 for the 17th Sabah State Election.

In the 2020 Sabah state election, Upko contested 12 seats but won only one, Kadamaian, through its president Datuk Ewon Benedick

“After four years in Pakatan Harapan, and in response to the people’s call for unity among Sabah-based parties ahead of the upcoming state election, the Upko Supreme Council has decided to withdraw from PH with immediate effect,” the statement said.

The party added that the decision would be formally communicated to the PH chairman and other coalition component parties.

Upko affirmed that its two MPs — Ewon and Wilfred Madius Tangau — will continue to uphold the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree to maintain federal government stability until the end of the current parliamentary term.

Additionally, Upko argued that while it had played an active role in PH’s activities and manifesto development, its leadership of Sabah PH, which was confirmed through an internal election, was never formalised by the PH Presidential Council due to objections from PKR Sabah. 

“Even though the selection process was administered by PH headquarters, Upko faced public criticism over the outcome,” the statement read. “Subsequently, our president was only appointed as a ‘coordinator’, while key election-related decisions were made by PKR, contradicting earlier promises of autonomy for PH Sabah.”

The party added that it had reassessed its direction and concluded that “only Sabah-based parties truly understand the pulse, spirit, and aspirations of the people of Sabah,” especially regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the state’s 40% revenue entitlement.

It reaffirmed that Sabah’s 40% entitlement “must be treated as distinct from the federal government’s responsibilities under the Federal List” and pledged to work with other Sabah-based political parties to more effectively push for the implementation of MA63 and the "Sabah First" agenda.

Upko also said it remains committed to maintaining constructive relations between the federal and state governments, but stressed that such cooperation “must be rooted in the spirit, intent, and execution of MA63”.

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