The Sabah Progressive Party ( ms, Parti Maju Sabah, abbreviated SAPP) is a multiracial political party based in Sabah, Malaysia. It was registered on 21 January 1994 by dissidents led by former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee from United Sabah Party. Formerly a component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, SAPP officially withdrew from BN in September 2008 to become independent. As of 2010, SAPP has two representatives in the

national legislature This is a list of legislatures by country. A "legislature" is the generic name for the national parliaments and congresses that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives and that have the power to legislate. All entities included in ...

and two in the Sabah State Assembly. In 2016, the party together with

Homeland Solidarity Party Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR; ms, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku ) is a Sabah-based political party. The party was founded on 1 July 2016 by Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Jeffrey G. Kitingan. He is Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan's younger brothe ...

formed the

United Sabah Alliance The United Sabah Alliance ( ms, Gabungan Sabah Bersatu ; abbreviated: USA) was a political coalition bringing together Sabah-based parties in Malaysia. It was jointly founded by the Sabah Progressive Party and Homeland Solidarity Party after SA ...

. It later joined the

United Alliance The United Alliance of Sabah ( ms, Gabungan Bersatu Sabah; abbreviated: GBS) is a political coalition bringing together Sabah-based opposition parties in Malaysia established by Joseph Pairin Kitingan following the fall of the Barisan Nasional ...

together with STAR and PBS in 2018. The SAPP became the main component party of the GRS coalition, the successor of

that was established in 2020 and registered in 2022.

History

Withdrawal from Barisan Nasional

The SAPP won two parliamentary seats in the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

held on 8 March 2008. After the 2008 election, there were calls by many Sabahan political parties for more autonomy from the Malaysian federal government. SAPP President Yong Teck Lee announced on 18 June 2008 that the party would file a "

no-confidence motion A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

" in the ''

Dewan Rakyat The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. The chamber and its powers are established by Article 44 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Dewan Ra ...

'' on 23 June against Prime Minister

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...

, calling on him to step down. The party, criticising what it described as insensitivity on the part of the government towards issues in Sabah, said that it was taking advantage of a unique "window of opportunity" for the sake of Sabah interests, including

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...

, return of Labuan and 20% of oil revenues. The majority of the Sabah population are generally content with the SAPP no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Abdullah who has been accused a number of wrongdoings including corruption and abuse of power. In retaliation for calling for a vote of no-confidence against Abdullah, the BN supreme council issued a show-cause letter to SAPP. A 30-day period was to give SAPP a chance to reply and defend itself before BN took any action against them. On 17 September 2008, SAPP quit Barisan Nasional. Nevertheless, the decision came at a price as the party's deputy president, one of its vice-presidents, and its youth chief (who chose to remain within BN) all opposed the move and withdrew from the party. Some 2,000 members of the party similarly disagreed from the move and left the party, showing support for these dissident leaders.

Forming the United Sabah Alliance

In 2016, the party formed a part of the

(USA).

Representatives

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly)

Malaysian State Assembly Representatives

Sabah State Legislative Assembly

General election results

State election results

References

External links

* {{Authority control Political parties in Sabah 1994 establishments in Malaysia Political parties established in 1994