Junik Bajit: Ewon’s UPKO Moves From Political Rhetoric to Legal Action on Sabah’s Sovereignty
By Mohd Khairy Abdullah @ DG Henry
TENOM (Sabah, Malaysia), 21 Oct 2025 – The Chairman of the Sabah Timugon Murut Ethnic Association, Junik Bajit, has asserted that UPKO stands as the only political party in Sabah that possesses the courage and political conviction to pursue the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) through legal avenues—beyond mere rhetoric commonly echoed by other local parties.
Junik emphasized that UPKO’s decision to file a lawsuit against the Federal Government was not a reckless move, but a calculated and strategic political action. The suit was temporarily withdrawn only after UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick was appointed to the MA63 Technical Committee – the highest-level platform entrusted with resolving Sabah’s constitutional rights through formal negotiation and legal mechanisms.
“This is not about political grandstanding; this is about the dignity of our state. If negotiations within the MA63 committee reach a dead end, UPKO has made it clear that the lawsuit will be reactivated at any time. This demonstrates steadfastness, not submission,” said Junik.
Junik openly questioned why other Sabah-based parties such as PBS, STAR, and WARISAN, despite their vocal stance on Sabah rights, failed to initiate similar legal proceedings against the Federal Government.
“There is no law that prohibits them from filing a lawsuit. So why has no party other than UPKO had the courage to act? The people of Sabah can no longer be deceived by election-time rhetoric,” he asserted.
He added that many local parties merely exploit MA63 as a “recycled political commodity” during state elections, without genuine intention or mechanisms to pursue implementation at the legal or federal level.
Under the current Unity Government led by PMX, UPKO has successfully resolved nine critical MA63-related matters, including fiscal autonomy, electricity regulation, education, healthcare, and state revenue rights – achievements never recorded by any Sabah-based party during their past tenure in the Federal Cabinet.
“The people must evaluate performance, not propaganda. Ask the local parties this: when they held federal positions, how many MA63 matters did they actually resolve? How many remained just promises and manifesto slogans?” Junik posed.
Political observers view UPKO’s approach as a reflection of Sabah’s evolving political autonomy – one that leverages constitutional rights through a dual strategy of diplomacy and legal action, signalling a departure from dependency on central consensus.
“UPKO does not hide behind slogans. It positions legal action as the ultimate instrument of state sovereignty, affirming that Sabah is not a peripheral territory, but an equal partner within the Malaysian Federation,” Junik stressed.
He further noted that the younger generation in Sabah is no longer impressed by leaders who thrive on emotional speeches but fail to deliver tangible change.
“The people are tired of sentiment-based politics used for personal survival. History will not remember those who only cheered from the sidelines—history remembers those who acted.”
