THE Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has signalled a renewed push for state autonomy, with party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee asserting that candidates must be “fearless in defending Sabah’s interests” as smaller local parties gain leverage in forming the next government.
“The political reality is that big parties will have to depend on smaller local ones to form the next government. We will contest selectively, but our candidates must be fearless in defending Sabah’s interests,” Yong said.
He traced the rise of autonomy politics to Umno’s weakening after 2018 and the proliferation of online information, which allowed citizens to access declassified British records warning that Sabah could lose its autonomy.
“The internet allowed people to access knowledge and engage in debates previously unheard of. New documents and declassified British records show that even back then, British officers worried Sabah would become colonised again under Malaya,” he said.
“People are more educated now. They form opinions and ask questions. This awakening, combined with Umno’s fall in 2018, created the perfect storm,” Yong added.
The SAPP leader argued that frustration has grown as federal control continues to dominate state funding, appointments and decision-making.
“The federal establishment uses delay tactics until they have a puppet government they can control. They are resisting the inevitable. This issue is much bigger than GRS or STAR. It’s about dignity,” he said.
According to Yong, greater autonomy would allow Sabah to respond more swiftly to local issues such as floods, water shortages and economic management.
“If we had autonomy, we could disburse relief funds without waiting for federal agencies like Nadma. Our district officers could act immediately without depending on the due process,” Malay Mail cited him saying.
Nadma refers to the National Disaster Management Agency.
He added that autonomy would also strengthen Sabah’s economy by giving the state direct control over land, resources and taxation, rather than relying on “federal charity and goodwill.”
The SAPP proposal includes restoring rights to the continental shelf and territorial sea, increasing Sabah and Sarawak parliamentary seats to 35, introducing a Sabah IC to regulate citizenship and permanent residency, returning Labuan to Sabah, and revising the appointment process for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
“The only meaningful autonomy restored so far was the state’s control over its energy sector through the Energy Commission of Sabah, established in October 2022,” Yong said.
“Sarawak has shown that it’s possible to be strong at home and respected in the federation. That’s what we want for Sabah, a government that answers only to Sabahans.”
Acknowledging SAPP’s political challenges since the 1990s, Yong said the party’s resilience has kept it alive for 31 years.
“In 1994, we had three ministers in the state cabinet. But even then we knew there would come a time when we would lose everything.
“But we also knew we would rise again. This is that time,” he said, highlighting the party’s growing youth leadership and commitment to reform.
SAPP’s persistence, he said, had already yielded results such as the gazettement of Sabah Day in 2024 and the declassification of the Double Six tragedy report.
Explaining the party’s departure from the GRS coalition, Yong said the decision was driven by policy conflicts, including the coalition’s rejection of SAPP’s autonomy proposal and its plan to contest all 73 state seats.
“We have nothing to be afraid of, we know we are doing the right thing,” he said. - October 24, 2025
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