Decisions on Pakatan Harapan’s preparations for the Sabah state election were made unilaterally by PKR, claims Upko secretary-general Nelson Angang.
He said despite Upko president Ewon Benedick’s appointment as a “coordinator” for Sabah PH, decisions on electoral preparations were decided by PKR “without real autonomy for Sabah PH”.
“Upko has re-evaluated its direction. We have concluded that only local Sabahan parties truly understand the heartbeat, soul, vision, and future of Sabah, based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Sabah’s rights in the Federal Constitution,” he said in a statement when announcing the party’s exit from PH today.
Angang said Upko’s chairmanship of Sabah PH, a decision made at the chapter’s general assembly, was never formalised by the PH presidential council because of objections from Sabah PKR.
“Upko was also criticised openly even though the decision was made via an electoral process managed by an administrator from the PH headquarters,” he said.
Angang said the decision for Upko to leave PH, more than four years after joining the coalition, was made after taking into account its time in PH and the sentiment among Sabahans for local parties to join forces.
He said Upko’s two MPs – Ewon and honorary president Wilfred Madius Tangau – will continue to back Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
