(Kota Kinabalu, 10 May) – In response to Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) arrangement to jointly contest the upcoming Sabah state election, Yong Yit Jee, Supreme Council Member cum Vice Youth Chief of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), criticises and calls it a direct blow to Sabah DAP’s long-standing claim that “Sabah DAP has autonomy.” He also exposed DAP central leadership’s previous assurance of “empowering” Sabah DAP as an empty promise.
“On 10 November 2024, DAP Secretary General personally declared that Sabah DAP had been granted autonomy to negotiate its own cooperation. Yet in just half a year, the latest announcement by the Unity Government has completely proven that to be false.”
Yong pointed out that in the official statement released by the Secretariat of the Unity Government on 9 May 2025, it is clearly stated: “Segala keputusan akan dimuktamadkan oleh kepimpinan tertinggi Pakatan Harapan dan Barisan Nasional di peringkat kebangsaan.” (“All final decisions will be made by the top leaderships of PH and BN at the national level.”)
“May I ask DAP, both national and Sabah, whether this is what they call ‘autonomy’? Sabah DAP can’t even decide its own seat allocations, and everything is determined in Kuala Lumpur — yet Sabah DAP can shamelessly tell the people they have autonomy?”
Yong further criticised Sabah DAP’s for their repeated inconsistencies — such as firmly denying any cooperation with UMNO before the 2022 general election, only to later sit in the same government after the polls. Now, Sabah DAP has gone a step further by becoming a mere puppet and executor of decisions made by the central leadership of PH and BN, thus betraying their original promises to the people of Sabah.
“The people of Sabah are not forgetful. One single statement from the central government has exposed all Sabah DAP’s falsehoods. Can Sabah DAP still face the voters with a straight face and claim that they represent Sabah?”
Yong stressed that what Sabah truly needs is a party that is firm in its local stance and refuses to compromise with the central authorities, not agents who chant slogans while accepting decisions handed down from KL.
“Sabah is not a vassal of Malayan parties, and the power to decide Sabah’s fate should not lie in distant KL. The people of Sabah deserve autonomy and the right to self-determination — not external control!”
“Therefore, SAPP calls on all Sabahans to unite and support a truly Sabah local based government that will fight for their rights and aspirations. In the coming state election, Sabahans will have the chance to choose a voice that truly belongs to Sabah — not political actors who merely change their ‘packaging’ but remain obedient to outsiders.”
“Now is the time for us Sabahans to unite and build the Sabah we rightfully deserve.”
Yong Yit Jee
SAPP Supreme Council member cum Vice Youth Chief