The Sabah Democratic Party (; abbrev: PDS) was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

based in

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. It was an ethnically-based party striving to voice the rights and advance the development of

Kadazan-Dusun Kadazandusun (also written as Kadazan-Dusun or Mamasok) are the largest ethnic group in Sabah, Malaysia, an amalgamation of the closely related indigenous peoples, indigenous Kadazan people, Kadazan and Dusun people, Dusun peoples. "Kadazandus ...

- Murut (KDM) populations of Sabah and the

Orang Asli The Orang Asli are a Homogeneity and heterogeneity, heterogeneous Indigenous peoples, indigenous population forming a national minority in Malaysia. They are the oldest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia. As of 2017, the Orang Asli accounted f ...

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...

History

PDS started as Sabah Democratic Party or ''Parti Demokratik Sabah'' which was founded by

Bernard Dompok Bernard Giluk Dompok (born 7 October 1949) is a Malaysian politician who served as Ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See from March 2016 to June 2018, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities from April 2009 to May 2013, Minister i ...

and other disgruntled leaders who split from

United Sabah Party The United Sabah Party or formerly known as United Sabah Movement (; Abbreviation, abbrev: PBS) is a political party of Sabah. PBS had been recognized by the people of Sabah as ''historical local party'' since 1985. The PBS was founded by Josep ...

or ''

Parti Bersatu Sabah The United Sabah Party or formerly known as United Sabah Movement (; abbrev: PBS) is a political party of Sabah. PBS had been recognized by the people of Sabah as ''historical local party'' since 1985. The PBS was founded by Joseph Pairin Kiti ...

'' (PBS) soon after the

Sabah state election, 1994 The 1994 Sabah state election was held between Friday, 18 February and Saturday, 19 February 1994. Nomination day was 7 February 1994. The election was one of the most controversial election in Sabah's political history. The election was won by the ...

to join the

Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional (BN; ) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1974 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties to succeed the Alliance Party. It is the third largest political coalition with 30 seats in ...

(BN) coalition. PBS had won a majority in the

Sabah State Legislative Assembly The Sabah State Legislative Assembly ( Kadazandusun: ''Langga' Tinukuan Pogun Sabah'', ) is a part of the legislature of Sabah, Malaysia, the other being the governor of Sabah. The assembly meets at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Buildin ...

, but the defections allowed BN to form government. Part of the enticement offered by BN to the defectors was the promise of a rotating

Chief Ministers of Sabah Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

post, which Dompok held from 1998 to 1999. PDS was renamed as

United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (; abbrev: UPKO) is a multiracial political party based in Sabah, Malaysia. The party was rebranded from its previous party's name, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation using the sa ...

(UPKO) on 8 August 1999, taking the same UPKO acronym of the defunct original United Pasokmomogun Kadazan Organisation, which was formed and dissolved in the 1960s. The party was re-branded again as

United Progressive People of Kinabalu Organisation The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (; abbrev: UPKO) is a multiracial political party based in Sabah, Malaysia. The party was rebranded from its previous party's name, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation using the sa ...

while maintaining its original UPKO acronym and opening party membership to other races than KDM in 24 November 2019.

General election results

References

External links

Official website
Defunct political parties in Sabah 1994 establishments in Malaysia 1999 disestablishments in Malaysia Political parties established in 1994 Political parties disestablished in 1999 Ethnic political parties Indigenous political parties Political parties of minorities in Malaysia {{Malaysia-party-stub

History

General election results

See also

References

External links