The United Sabah Party (; abbrev.: PBS) is a political party in the Malaysian state of Sabah. The PBS was founded by Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1985 under the name of the United Sabah Movement (), it is Sabah's oldest currently active local party. PBS is also one of six major component parties that formed the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), a Sabah-based official political coalition since 2022.
Since 2022, the PBS in its capacity as a major member of the Sabah-based GRS state governing political alliance acts as an allied partner, providing confidence and supply to the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition on the federal level.
History
PBS was registered as a political party on 5 March 1985. Its founding president, Joseph Pairin Kitingan had broken away from the ruling Parti Bersatu Rakyat Jelata Sabah (BERJAYA) because of his differences with the Chief Minister of Sabah and party president, Harris Salleh, whose state cabinet Pairin had served in. BERJAYA itself had ousted the previous state government of United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) to govern Sabah for 8 years from 1976 to 1985.
PBS later formed the state government after winning the 1985 state election. Following the 1986 Sabah riots, which occurred after PBS's victory in the 1986 state election, PBS joined the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and governed Sabah from 1985 to 1994. However, on the eve of the 1990 state election, PBS pulled out of BN to join the Gagasan Rakyat (GR) coalition and won the state election for a third time. It also won the 1994 state election by a narrow margin. The subsequent administration was short-lived as defectors switched their allegiance to BN, resulting in Pairin's resignation. PBS subsequently rejoined the BN coalition in 2002.
Following the fall of both federal and state BN governments in the 2018 general election (GE14), PBS left the coalition and formed a new Sabah-based informal coalition of parties known as the United Alliance or "Gabungan Bersatu". During the 2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis, PBS provided confidence and supply to Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and later, Ismail Sabri Yaakob. The party joined the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) or "Sabah People's Alliance" just before the 2020 Sabah state election which was won eventually by GRS.
Ideology and support base Although it is mainly seen as an ethnically-based Kadazan-Dusun political party, PBS calls itself a "Malaysian multi-racial political party". Members are mostly of Kadazan-Dusun (from both the Dusunic plus Paitanic ethnolinguistic groups) and Murut (including the Lundayeh subgroup) ethnic descent, though the second and third largest ethnic membership are mostly Muslim Bumiputeras, mostly ethnic local Sabahan based ethnic Malays (Bruneian Malays and Cocos Malays), and also from the Bajau community (the second-largest ethnic Bumiputera in the state including the Iranun subgroup and some Suluk together with the Chinese, alongside those of mixed-race or Sino-Native subgroup of the Chinese minority). Its declared political mission is to strive to safeguard Sabah's autonomy and state rights, promoting democratic principles, economic advancement, human rights and a fair justice system. It also seeks preserving the traditional culture of each race in Sabah and freedom of religion in Malaysia.
Among the most vocal issues voiced by the party were the issue of illegal immigrants along with 'ghost voters in Sabah, the Project IC issue in East Malaysia, unbalanced development and the 20 points of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 for Sabah's entry into Malaysia.
Since 1994 major defections from PBS, several political parties with similar ideologies have emerged. The closest is the STAR Party, founded by Jeffrey G. Kitingan, the younger brother of the founding president of PBS, Joseph Pairin Kitingan. Other similar parties include Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.
List of leaders
Leadership structure (2026–2029)
Executive CouncilPresident:Joachim GunsalamDeputy Presidents:Joniston Bangkuai Ruslan Muharam Lo Su Fui Vice Presidents:Hendrus Anding Jonnybone J Kurum Sahrol Mahoolop Mursid Mohd Said Arthur Sen Siong Choo Women's Chief:Muteh @ Evelyn SigarYouth Chief:Christopher MandutSecretary-General:Julita MojungkiTreasurer-General:Lu Kim YenInformation Chief:Bonaventure BonifaceSupreme Council Members :Junid Gunsualam John Chryso Masabal Samuel Mopun Suman Yasambun Stanis Buandi Masum Takin Julius AtungSupreme Council Members :Fazidah Mohd Yassin Aliamis Sami Juin Saman Aliyu Zinin Fazil @ John AnthonySupreme Council Members :Yee Tsai Yiew Tong Yong Wai Sheiron Chang Lim Vun Chan
Women's Executive CouncilWomen's Chief:Muteh @ Evelyn SigarDeputy Chiefs:Julita Dalinsi Mariana Majinau Lai Nyat Yin @ Vicky Yee Vice Chiefs:Sariah Duling Raihanah Rosnie Deding Abdullah Mimi Leong @ Florance Council Members :Lainah @ Nyonya Tukun Janet P Baidin Macklyn Dickson Gabu Elsianna Samuel Davina BodinginCouncil Members :Ireni Joannes @ Nurin Judith Ann Tai (Nurmaliza) Natasha Debra H Durai Salina TitiCouncil Members :Joseph Vung Imelda Annabell Shen Chu Nget Yun Jennifer Lee Fung Sen
Youth Executive CouncilYouth Chief:Christopher MandutDeputy Chiefs:Stanly Leo Khairol Majide Kalimin Louis Lai Vui Leong Vice Chiefs:Kevin Jon Johnny Ariffin Juin Adrian Chong Secretary:Shahrun NidzamTreasurer:Alan Lim Ket LunInformation Officer:Steve Johnny MositunAssistant Secretary:Alexyus MatiusAssistant Information Officer:Joanes Robert (Ateng)Council Members :Walter Benson Herman Milah Aloysius Yujilin Zainal Ebin Kennedy OngkiliCouncil Members :Amiul Taadzul Nordiman Nausid Nuriman Aaron Masri BatongCouncil Members :Tan Min Zhu Kwan Lik Chan Wong Khi Yang Foo Chin Man
Elected representatives Dewan Negara (Senate)
Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) Members of Parliament of the 15th Malaysian Parliament
PBS has currently only 1 MP in the House of Representatives. State No.Parliament Constituency MemberParty P190 Tawau Lo Su Fui PBS Total
Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly) Malaysian State Assembly Representatives
Sabah State Legislative Assembly
StateNo.Parliamentary Constituency No.State Assembly Constituency MemberParty P168Kota Marudu N05 Matunggong Julita Mojungki PBS N07 Tandek Hendrus Anding PBS P170Tuaran N15 Kiulu Joniston Bangkuai PBSP178Sipitang N34 Lumadan Ruslan Muharam PBSP179Ranau N36 Kundasang Joachim Gunsalam PBSP183Beluran N47 Telupid Jonnybone J Kurum PBS Total
Government offices
Ministerial posts PortfolioOffice BearerConstituencyDeputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department(Federal Territories)Lo Su Fui Tawau
State governments PBS currently serves as junior partner in GRS government
Sabah (1985–1994', 2004–2018, 2020–present) Note: bold as Menteri Besar/Chief Minister, italic as junior partner State Leader type MemberState Constituency Deputy Chief Minister I Joachim Gunsalam Kundasang
Election results Election year Malaysia Parliament Sabah State Assembly Outcome Candidates Seats won Candidates Seats won 1985 - - 45 25 seats; Sabah state governing coalition 1986 - - 47 9 seats; Sabah state governmentSnap election 1986 14 - - 10 seats; Federal governing coalition 1990 - - 48 2 seats; Sabah state government 1990 14 - - 4 seats; Federal opposition coalition 1994 - - 48 11 seats; Sabah state government 1995 28 - - 6 seats; Federal opposition 1999 - - 48 6 seats; Sabah state opposition 1999 17 - - 5 seats; Federal opposition 2004 4 13 1 seat; Federal governing coalition 4 seats; Sabah state governing coalition 2008 4 13 1 seat; Federal governing coalition 1 seat; Sabah state governing coalition 2013 5 13 1 seat; Federal governing coalition 5 seats; Sabah state governing coalition 2018 5 13 3 seat; Federal opposition coalition 1 seat; Sabah state opposition coalition 2020 - - 22 1 seat; Sabah state governing coalition Snap election20224 - - ; Federal governing coalition 2025 - -11; Sabah state governing coalition State election results State election State Legislative Assembly Perlis Kedah Kelantan Terengganu Penang Perak Pahang Selangor Negeri Sembilan Malacca Johor Sabah Sarawak Total won / Total contested 2/3 majority19952016 2018 20202025
Notes
References
Notes
James Chin. (1994) "Sabah State Election of 1994: End of Kadazan Unity, Asian Survey, Vol. 34, No. 10, pp. 904–915.
External links