PETALING JAYA: Upko’s application to join the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah is a show of confidence in chief minister Hajiji Noor’s leadership and the direction of the state government, says GRS secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali.
Armizan said the application also reflects a positive development in efforts to unite local parties under one coalition umbrella.
“Upko’s immediate and voluntary decision to back Hajiji as chief minister after the last Sabah state election demonstrated its sincerity in aligning with GRS from the outset,” he told reporters when asked for an update on the party’s application.
“Upko is not a new party, but it has a long legacy, particularly in championing the rights and interests of the state. Most importantly, it is committed to GRS’s four core pillars – Sabah First, Sabah Forward, Sabah Prosper, and Sabah United,” he said.
Armizan said a decision on Upko’s application is expected at a GRS Supreme Council meeting on June 18.
“As secretary-general, I am engaging with the Upko leadership to gather additional information for a consideration paper to be presented at the meeting,” he said.
Upko submitted its application to join GRS on May 29 after its Supreme Council unanimously agreed to the move.
The party is already part of the GRS-led state government, with its president, Ewon Benedick, serving as one of the three deputy chief ministers.
Upko won three seats in the 17th Sabah state election and later threw its support behind Hajiji, whose coalition secured 29 of the 73 seats.
The party was part of Barisan Nasional from 1994 to 2018, then left after the 14th general election to form the Sabah government with Warisan and Pakatan Harapan.
It joined PH in 2021 and contested GE15 under the coalition, before leaving in November 2025 after Ewon resigned from the federal Cabinet, citing the party’s principle in upholding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Sabah’s constitutional rights.
