TENOM: Junik Bajit, the Chairman of the Sabah Timugon Murut Ethnic Association, has claimed that UPKO is the sole political party in Sabah with the bravery and political resolve to pursue the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) through legal channels, rather than just the empty rhetoric often voiced by other local parties.
Junik highlighted that UPKO’s choice to initiate a lawsuit against the Federal Government was not an impulsive decision, but rather a well-thought-out and strategic political maneuver.
The lawsuit was temporarily retracted only after UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick was appointed to the MA63 Technical Committee – the premier platform tasked with addressing Sabah’s constitutional rights through formal negotiations and legal processes.
“This is not merely about political showmanship; it concerns the dignity of our state. Should negotiations within the MA63 committee stall, UPKO has made it clear that the lawsuit can be reinstated at any moment. This reflects determination, not capitulation,” Junik stated.
Junik openly questioned why other Sabah-based parties like PBS, STAR, and WARISAN, despite their outspoken positions on Sabah rights, have not taken similar legal actions against the Federal Government.
“There is no legal barrier preventing them from filing a lawsuit. So why has no party other than UPKO shown the courage to take action? The people of Sabah can no longer be misled by election-time rhetoric,” he asserted.
He further noted that many local parties simply use MA63 as a “recycled political commodity” during state elections, lacking any real intention or mechanisms to pursue its implementation at the legal or federal level.
Under the current Unity Government led by PMX, UPKO has successfully addressed nine significant MA63-related issues, including fiscal autonomy, electricity regulation, education, healthcare, and state revenue rights – accomplishments that have not been achieved by any Sabah-based party.
Source-Borneodigest
