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THE United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) has announced its decision to withdraw from Pakatan Harapan (PH) with immediate effect.
The decision was made after a special meeting of the UPKO Supreme Council held on Monday to discuss the direction of the party's struggle based on the Sabah First agenda.
According to UPKO Secretary-General Datuk Nelson W Agang, the meeting also fully supported the decision of President Datuk Ewon Benedick to resign as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development because he did not agree with the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) stance throughout the judicial review proceedings regarding the right to 40 percent of Sabah's revenue filed by the Sabah Law Society (SLS).
"The meeting was to discuss the Sabah First agenda which is the basis of the struggle and direction of the UPKO leadership.
"This special meeting fully supports the decision of Ewon, who resigned as a minister because he could not agree with the position and views of the AGC throughout the Judicial Review proceedings regarding Sabah's 40 percent rights filed by the Sabah Law Society," he said in a statement on Monday.
Nelson said that throughout his four years in PH, UPKO has consistently made the Sabah First agenda the basis in the election manifesto negotiations and also in the administration of the Unity Government led by the PH Chairman.
However, he said that throughout that period, there was a gap in interpretation and differences of opinion between UPKO and PH component parties at the national level regarding the issue of implementing Sabah's 40 percent revenue rights, the demand for one-third of the parliamentary seats for Sabah and Sarawak, and the failure to implement Sabah PH's administrative autonomy.
"The chairmanship of PH Sabah by UPKO through the PH Sabah General Meeting was never resolved by the PH Presidential Council following objections from PKR Sabah.
"In fact, UPKO also received open criticism even though the decision was made through an election conducted by administrators from PH Headquarters," he said.
He added that the UPKO President was later only appointed as a coordinator, but decisions regarding election preparations were still made by PKR without giving real autonomy to PH Sabah, contradicting the original announcement.
Following this, Nelson said, UPKO reassessed the direction of the party's struggle and concluded that only local Sabah parties truly understand the aspirations and needs of the people of this state.
"Only local Sabah parties truly understand the pulse, soul, vision and dreams of Sabah's future based on the 1963 Malaysia Agreement and Sabah's rights in the Federal Constitution, especially the 40 percent right," he said.
He stressed that UPKO remains committed to the position that the 40 percent right to Sabah's revenue is a separate right and cannot be equated with the Federal Government's responsibilities under the Federal List."UPKO is ready to work with local Sabah parties who want to fight for the Sabah First agenda together so that the actual implementation of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement, including the 40 percent right, can be fought for more effectively," he said.
At the same time, he stressed that the good relationship between the Federal Government and Sabah must continue, but must be based on the spirit, purpose and actual implementation of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.
"After considering participation in PH for four years and taking into account the call of the people of Sabah for the unification of local parties to begin through this election, the UPKO Supreme Council Special Meeting decided to withdraw from PH immediately," he said.
Nelson said the decision would be officially communicated to the PH Chairman and its component parties.
He also announced that two UPKO Members of Parliament, Ewon and Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, would continue to uphold the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's directive so that the stability of the Federal Government is maintained until the end of this term.
Ewon decided to resign from his position as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development last Saturday. – November 10, 2025