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United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation

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"UPKO" redirects here. For the Sabahan defunct political party of the 1960s of the similar acronym, see United Pasokmomogun Kadazan Organisation.

United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation
Malay namePertubuhan Kinabalu Progresif Bersatu
Chinese name神山前进统一机构
Shénshān qiánjìn tǒngyī jīgòu
AbbreviationUPKO
PresidentEwon Benedick
ChairpersonFredoline Jominoh
Secretary-GeneralNelson Angang
SpokespersonPeter Jr. Naintin
Deputy PresidentDonald Peter Mojuntin
Vice-PresidentsPangiran Lalung
Basari Sarkun
Wong Thien Fook
Fairuz bin Bandar
Laurentius Ambu
Gilbert Syam
Selvester Taing
Women ChiefMohina Sidom
Youth ChiefFelix Joseph Sitin Saang
Treasurer GeneralDennison R. Indang
FounderBernard Giluk Dompok
FoundedMarch 1994 (Formation of Sabah Democratic Party)
8 August 1999 (Renamed as United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation
24 November 2019 (Renamed as United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation)
Split fromPBS
Preceded byPDS
UPKO
HeadquartersPO Box 420, Lot 9 & 10, 2nd & 3rd Floor, New World Commercial Ctr, Donggongon, 89507 Penampang, Sabah
NewspaperUPKO Kini
Unofficial:
Nabalu News
Membership (2022)9548
IdeologyRegionalism
National affiliationBarisan Nasional (1994–2018)
Pakatan Harapan (since 2021)
Colours  Blue, white and red
SloganMisompuru Tokou Wagu
Mari Kita Bersatu Kembali
(Let Us Be United Again)
Doiti Miampai Diau
DI Sini Bersamamu
(Here With You)
AnthemGunung Kinabalu
Dewan Negara
1 / 70
Dewan Rakyat
2 / 26
(Sabah and Labuan seats)
Sabah State Legislative Assembly
1 / 79
Election symbol
Party flag
Website
www.upko.org
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of
Malaysia
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Race and politics

The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Malay: Pertubuhan Kinabalu Progresif Bersatu; abbrev: UPKO) is a multiracial political party based in Sabah, Malaysia.[1] The party was rebranded from its previous party's name, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation using the same UPKO acronym; which was a widely known Kadazan-Dusun-Murut based party in 2019.[2] The party had earlier been renamed once before in 1999 from its initial 1994 formation name of Sabah Democratic Party.[3] In August 2021, UPKO has officially joined the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition as a component party.[4] It is one of the four component parties of the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition in Malaysia.

History

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Sabah Democratic Party

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The party started as Sabah Democratic Party (Parti Demokratik Sabah or PDS) which was founded by Bernard Giluk Dompok and other detractors who split from United Sabah Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS) soon after the Sabah state election in March 1994 to join the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.[5] PBS had earlier won a majority in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly then but with the two breakaway factions setting their own spliter new parties of PDS by Dompok and another United Sabah People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS) by Joseph Kurup had caused the crumble of PBS new Sabah government and allowed BN to form the government instead.[6] Part of the enticement offered by BN to the defectors was the promise of a rotating Chief Ministers of Sabah post, which Dompok held from 1998 to 1999.[7] The defection from PBS however damaged the party at the 1995 federal election, in which it won no seats.

United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation

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PDS was renamed as United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) or Pertubuhan Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Bersatu on 8 August 1999, taking the same acronym of the now defunct original United Pasokmomogun Kadazan Organisation, which was formed and dissolved in the 1960s by Fuad Stephens.[3] The name of the new UPKO includes the words "Kadazandusun" and "Murut", with a new logo of a silhouette of Mount Kinabalu and was not a water buffalo as in the old UPKO logo.[5] It was redefined as an ethnically-based party striving to voice the rights and advance the development of KDM populations of Sabah and the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia.[8][9]

The party won three federal seats at the 1999 election, and four at the 2004 as well as 2008 polls. In 2009, UPKO opened four divisions in Perak, seeking a foothold among local Orang Asli indigenous people.[8] In the Malaysian general election, 2013, the party was reduced from four to three federal seats and from six to four state assembly seats. Dompok lost his federal seat to the People's Justice Party (PKR). The following year he resigned as the party's president, a position he had held for 20 years.[10][11]

UPKO was one of the component parties in the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition which ruled Malaysia until 2018. The party's core Sabahan indigenous constituency includes many Christians, while BN is, on a national scale, dominated by the United Malays National Organisation, an overtly Muslim-Malay party. While a member of the BN federal government, UPKO often spoke out about government policies affecting Christians. In 2013, the party's president Bernard Dompok distanced himself from Prime Minister Najib Razak on the contentious question of the use by Malaysian Christians of the word "Allah" to describe God. Najib had supported a government appeal to the High Court seeking to outlaw the word's use by a Christian newspaper; Dompok criticised the appeal and defended the right of Christians, especially indigenous Malaysians, to use the word.[12]

UPKO also agitated, often against the national government of which it was a part, for tougher measures against illegal immigration in Sabah. In February 2012, UPKO succeeded in forcing the establishment of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah. In the same year one of the party's federal parliamentarians, Wilfred Bumburing, quit UPKO and joined the opposition PKR in protest at what he considered to be government inaction on illegal immigration.[13]

UPKO was an advocate for the repeal of the Internal Security Act, which for over 50 years permitted detention without charge in certain circumstances. The law was repealed in 2011.[14]

In the 2018 general election, the party won only one federal seat and five state assembly seats. Following this, the party's acting president Madius Tangau announced that UPKO with five of their party state assembly seats members had left BN to form a coalition government with the Sabah Heritage Party, alongside PKR, DAP and Amanah became a partner party for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition instead.[15][16]

  • Logos of Party
  • UPKO logo (1999-2019)
    UPKO logo (1999-2019)

United Progressive People of Kinabalu Organisation

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The party was re-branded again as United Progressive People of Kinabalu Organisation or Pertubuhan Kinabalu Progresif Bersatu while retaining its existing UPKO acronym on 23 November 2019.[2][3][17] There is also a slight change in UPKO's logo with the inclusion of a new colour, red while the Mount Kinabalu image remains.[1][5] The party re-branding process was aimed to migrate from the communal politics to a universal and inclusive politics by opening the party membership to other races than KDM communities.[1][3] On 26 August 2021, it officially joined opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition.[4][18]

Leadership Structure

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Elected representatives

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UPKO currently holds two seats in the federal House of Representatives and one in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.

Dewan Negara (Senate)

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Senators

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Main article: Members of the Dewan Negara, 14th Malaysian Parliament
  • His Majesty's appointee:
    • Nelson Wences Angang

Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)

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Members of Parliament of the 15th Malaysian Parliament

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Main article: Members of the Dewan Rakyat, 15th Malaysian Parliament

UPKO currently has 2 members in the Dewan Rakyat.

State No. Parliament Constituency Member Party
 Sabah P170 Tuaran Wilfred Madius Tangau UPKO
P174 Penampang Ewon Benedick UPKO
Total Sabah (2)

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)

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Main article: List of Malaysian State Assembly Representatives (2022–present)

Sabah State Legislative Assembly

1 / 79
State No. Federal Constituency No. State Constituency Member Party
 Sabah P169 Kota Belud N7 Kadamaian Ewon Benedick UPKO
Total Sabah (1)

General election results

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Election Total seats won Seats contested Total votes Voting Percentage Outcome of election Election leader
1995
(as PDS)
0 / 192
 5 199,900 Steady; No representation in Parliament (Barisan Nasional) Bernard Giluk Dompok
1999
3 / 193
 5 89,999 Increase3 seats; Governing coalition
(Barisan Nasional) 		Bernard Giluk Dompok
2004
4 / 219
 5 55,117 0.79% Increase1 seat; Governing coalition
(Barisan Nasional) 		Bernard Giluk Dompok
2008
4 / 222
 5 58,856 0,74% Steady; Governing coalition
(Barisan Nasional) 		Bernard Giluk Dompok
2013
3 / 222
 5 53,584 0.48% Decrease1 seat; Governing coalition
(Barisan Nasional) 		Bernard Giluk Dompok
2018
1 / 222
 5 57,062 0.47% Decrease2 seats; Opposition coalition
(Barisan Nasional),
later Governing coalition,
later Opposition coalition
(Pakatan Harapan) 		Wilfred Madius Tangau
2022
2 / 222
 5 72,751 0.47% Increase1 seat; Governing coalition (Pakatan Harapan) Wilfred Madius Tangau
Ewon Benedick (leader-elect)

State election results

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State election State Legislative Assembly
Sabah Total won / Total contested
2/3 majority
2 / 3
2 / 3
1999
2 / 60
2 / 12
2004
5 / 60
5 / 6
2008
6 / 60
6 / 6
2013
4 / 60
4 / 6
2018
5 / 60
5 / 6
2020
1 / 73
1 / 12

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "CM welcomes rebranding of Upko into party for all". Borneo Post. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Upko opens doors to other races in rebrand bid". Daily Express. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "UPKO rebranded to United Progressive People of Kinabalu Organisation". Bernama. Malaysiakini. 23 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Upko is now part of PH". Free Malaysia Today. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "UPKO/PDS". Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "PBS, UPKO, PBRS urged to regroup or merge under one political party". Bernama. The Borneo Post. 19 February 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  7. ^ Regina Lim (2008). Federal-state Relations in Sabah, Malaysia: The Berjaya Administration, 1976-85. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 129.
  8. ^ a b "Sabah-based Upko targets Orang Asli". New Straits Times. 12 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  9. ^ Nancy Lai (18 September 2014). "Upko pledges to help achieve 'ideal Malaysia'". The Borneo Post. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  10. ^ "Bernard Dompok quits as Upko president". The Malaysian Times. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  11. ^ Kristy Inus; Laili Ismail (6 March 2014). "Dompok resigns as Upko president". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  12. ^ Boo Su-Lyn (27 April 2013). "Christians to continue using 'Allah' despite government appeal, says Dompok". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  13. ^ Clara Chooi (9 August 2012). "Dr M 'insensitive' for defending Sabah illegals, says UPKO". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Upko also wants ISA reviewed". Daily Express. 23 September 2008. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  15. ^ Sadho Ram (12 May 2018). "Sabah Musical Chairs To End With Shafie Swearing In As Chief Minister Tonight". Says.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  16. ^ Alyaa Azhar (11 May 2018). "Six switch sides, Warisan has majority with 35 seats". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Upko undergoes rebranding". Borneo Post. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Upko officially joins Pakatan". The Star. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
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