Upko and PBRS, as part of the national political coalition, position themselves as a “bridge” between Sabah and Putrajaya, advocating Sabah’s key concerns including the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
They stressed that the “Sabah First” agenda requires cooperation among all Sabah parties through wise negotiations with the Federal Government, not confrontation.
In a joint statement, Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick and PBRS counterpart Datuk Arthur Kurup said both parties have effectively raised Sabah issues within their political platforms to Cabinet.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});"This has led to the resolution of nine MA63 demands under the current MADANI Government, with four more previously resolved.
"Upko and PBRS pledges to continue pushing for outstanding MA63 demands and ensure Sabah’s priorities are reflected in the 13th Malaysia Plan (2026–2030).
"We also support building local political consensus for the upcoming state election without compromising political stability and national unity," they said.