KOTA KINABALU, Dec 2 — The outcome of Sabah’s 17th state election should be seen as a defining moment for the state to chart a new political course free from outside interference, said United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) deputy president Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin.
He said the results announced by the Election Commission signal a clear desire among Sabahans for a political landscape shaped by local parties — similar to the model seen in neighbouring Sarawak.
“This is the time for Sabah to follow Sarawak’s example. Enough of outside meddling. Sabah is ours, and we must be the ones determining our own future,” he said in a statement.
“We can work with national parties, we can discuss and cooperate — but we cannot allow undue influence over Sabah’s direction anymore,” he said.
His party, who has been campaigning on a “Sabah First” slogan, is facing backlash from grassroots after the party was among the first to join the GRS-PH government in the late night post-polls melee.
Upko had said it left the PH coalition to fight on a local platform.
Now that chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is also including Barisan Nasional into the fold, the criticism has grown and spread even among Hajiji’s own party and the GRS assemblymen.
Mojuntin echoed former Umno minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s recent remarks on the Keluar Sekejap podcast, where he described the situation as Sabah’s “GPS moment”, referring to the Sarawak-based Gabungan Parti Sarawak that dominates the state’s politics with a fully local coalition.
He said the strong showing of local parties in the state polls should pave the way for a united Sabah political bloc capable of asserting the state’s rights at the federal level.
“To seize this momentum, our leaders must be willing to set aside ego, disagreements and even old grudges. These divisions have weakened Sabah for too long,” he said.
Mojuntin urged leaders from all Sabah-based parties to come together, reconcile, and hold honest discussions toward forming a state administration that reflects unity and the will of the people.
“A stable, united government is essential as we head towards the next general election, expected by February 2028.
“Sabah must stand as a solid political bloc in Parliament — 25 MPs speaking with one voice, boldly defending our constitutional rights.”
He said such unity is the only way Sabah can reclaim its position and shape its future “on our own terms”.
Calling on leaders and citizens alike to rise to the occasion, Mojuntin said: “Hear the people’s voice. Sabah United. Sabah First. This is our home, and we must protect it.”
