UPKO Announces 25 Candidates for Sabah’s State Election, Positions “Sabah First” as Core Autonomy Agenda

By Mohd Khairy Abdullah @ DG Henry
PENAMPANG (Sabah, Malaysia), 14 November 2025 — The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) has announced its slate of 25 candidates for Sabah’s 17th state election (PRN-17), positioning itself as a key political bloc seeking stronger state autonomy within the Malaysian federation. The move underscores UPKO’s strategic ambition to elevate its “Sabah First” agenda, with a strong emphasis on securing full implementation of the state’s constitutional 40% revenue entitlement.

UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick, who will defend his Kadamaian state seat, said he will personally lead the party’s candidate lineup as a commitment to principled leadership and political reform.

“I will lead UPKO’s candidates in championing our Sabah First manifesto, in line with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the constitutional rights of Sabah,” he said during the candidate announcement in Penampang.

Ewon reaffirmed that the implementation of Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement remains UPKO’s top priority, describing it as fundamental to rebuilding the state’s long-term development capacity.

“With the return of Sabah’s rightful revenue, we can accelerate infrastructure development, advance entrepreneurship and the local economy, eradicate poverty, and improve overall wellbeing for the people of Sabah,” he said.

The announcement comes amid an increasingly competitive political landscape in Sabah, as local parties vie for influence among Kadazan-Dusun-Murut-Rungus (KDMR) communities, urban voters and rural constituencies in the East Coast. Political observers view UPKO’s decision to field candidates across mixed, urban and interior seats as a deliberate bid to expand the party’s reach beyond traditional ethnic lines.

UPKO’s candidate lineup includes professionals, community activists, technocrats and experienced leaders, signalling the party’s effort to project itself as a platform for statewide reform.

Ewon also called on Sabahans to support the #SabahFirst agenda, framing it as an essential framework for redefining future Sabah–Putrajaya relations.

UPKO’s 25 Candidates for Sabah State Election (PRN-17)

1. N.02 Bengkoka – Junsim Bin Rumunzing
2. N.06 Bandau – Suzie Binti Salapan
3. N.07 Tandek – Jamil Bin M. Zakariah @ Majingkin
4. N.11 Kadamaian – Ewon Benedick
5. N.14 Tamparuli – Madius Bin Tangau
6. N.15 Kiulu – Joisin Bin Romut
7. N.18 Inanam – Wong Thien Fook
8. N.22 Tanjung Aru – Dennison R. Indang
9. N.23 Petagas – Lee Nyuk Soon @ Jason Lee
10. N.24 Tanjung Keramat – Rosday Bin Wasli
11. N.25 Kapayan – Billy Joe Dominic
12. N.26 Moyog – Donald Peter Mojuntin
13. N.27 Limbahau – Nelson W. Angang
14. N.31 Membakut – Rowindy Lawrence Odong
15. N.36 Kundasang – Rogers Tiam @ Aloysius
16. N.37 Karanaan – Georgina L. George
17. N.40 Bingkor – Kennedy Jie John @ Kenn
18. N.41 Liawan – Wilson Gan Poi Tze
19. N.42 Melalap – Junik Bin Bajit
20. N.44 Tulid – Mohd Khairil Abdullah
21. N.46 Nabawan – Junilin @ Jubilin Bin Kilan
22. N.47 Telupid – Felix Joseph Saang
23. N.49 Labuk – Norfadzlina Binti Ramsah
24. N.50 Gum-Gum – Peter Jr Naintin
25. N.57 Kuamut – Mohina Binti Sidom @ Mohina Ronnie Sidom

With PRN-17 approaching, international observers note that UPKO’s electoral push marks a critical test of Sabah’s local parties’ ability to press for long-promised autonomy. The election outcome is expected to determine whether political pressure on Putrajaya—particularly on revenue rights, development equity and federal-state relations—intensifies or settles back into conventional patterns.