Kota kinabalu: The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) has decided to withdraw from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition with immediate effect, said UPKO secretary-general Datuk Nelson W Angang. He stated that the decision was made during a special meeting of the UPKO Supreme Council and will be formally communicated to PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the other component parties of PH.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the decision follows UPKO’s reflection on its four-year participation in PH and the call from the people of Sabah for the unification of local Sabah parties. This strategic move aligns with the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election, for which the Election Commission has set Nov 29 as polling day, with nomination on Nov 15 and early voting on Nov 25.

In the 2020 Sabah state election, UPKO contested 12 seats but secured victory only in Kadamaian through its president Datuk Ewon Benedick.