KOTA KINABALU: United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) has been formally accepted as a component party of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), the party announced on Friday.
In a statement, UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick said he had been informed of the party’s acceptance following an application submitted on 29 May 2026.
He thanked GRS chairman and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor and members of the GRS Supreme Council for approving UPKO’s membership.
“As UPKO president, I am delighted to bring UPKO to where it rightly belongs: within the coalition of Sabah’s local parties,” Ewon said.
He described the move as a restoration of the original spirit of Malaysia’s formation under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), when political parties in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaya formed regional alliances and signed the agreement to establish the federation.
Ewon added that only Sabah’s local parties truly understand the state’s identity and how to shape its future in line with MA63. He said GRS, as the sole coalition of Sabah’s local parties, should be the natural home for Sabah-based political parties.
UPKO pledged to support efforts to strengthen and empower GRS to lead, govern and develop Sabah under the leadership of Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.
Ewon also appealed for unity among Sabahans, urging them to rally behind the coalition to realise a “Sabah First” vision of a prosperous and united state.
He concluded by reiterating his thanks to the Chief Minister and all GRS leaders.-pr/BNN
