KOTA KINABALU: Upko secretary-general Nelson Angang emphasised the need for a fresh approach in light of the unique and unprecedented political landscape, particularly in Sabah.
Nelson, as stated in the FMT report, voiced his dissent towards the idea that a single party can exert dominance and unilaterally make decisions without taking into account the perspectives of others within a coalition.
“If there are those who still cling to the old ways of thinking that one party can dominate and make a unilateral decision while ignoring the views of others in a coalition, then be prepared to face extinction,” he said.
This response comes after Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah supreme council member Datuk John Ambrose criticised Upko for demanding more seats in the upcoming Sabah state elections.
Nelson defended Upko’s intentions by highlighting their performance in the previous general election, where they secured two parliamentary seats despite winning only one state seat in the Sabah polls.
He acknowledged that many doubted Upko’s chances of success but emphasised that their achievements with Pakatan Harapan (PH) were remarkable.
Nelson said Upko President Datuk Ewon Benedict was right in proposing a new and fresh approach in seats negotiations amongts potential coalition partners.
“If there are some who disagree with the proposal and feels that they are better of, then by all means you may decide to either choose a different partner or go on your own and contest all the seats. This is a democracy after all,” he said.
Last year, the GRS government was on the verge of collapse due to a political crisis, but it was saved by the seven PH assemblymen, one of whom was from Upko.
