Sabah Progressive Party Parti Maju Sabah | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Malay name | Parti Maju Sabah[1] |
| Abbreviation | SAPP |
| President | Yong Teck Lee |
| Chairman | Liew Teck Chan Awang Talip Awang Bagul Maria Luisa Nobleza Geoffrey Yee Lung Fuk Francis Yapp Tai Nyen Chin Hon Khiong Eric Majimbun |
| Secretary-General | Richard Yong We Kong |
| Spokesperson | Chin Vui Kai |
| Deputy President | Edward Dagul Amde Sidik Chong Pit Fah |
| Youth Chief | Jamain Sarudin (Pemuda) Yvonne Yong Yit Phung (Mudanita) |
| Women Chief | Noraniza Mohd Noor |
| Treasurer General | Japiril Suhaimin Bandaran |
| Vice President | Datu Shuaib Datu Mutalib Aloysius Danim Siap Gee Tien Siong Thomas Lau Chee Kiong |
| Founder | Yong Teck Lee |
| Founded | 21 January 1994 |
| Split from | United Sabah Party |
| Headquarters | House No. 1115, Lorong Kelengkeng 1, Taman Antarabangsa, 3rd Mile, Jalan Tuaran Lama,Likas, 88300Kota Kinabalu,Sabah |
| Youth wing | SAPP Youth Movement |
| Women's wing | SAPP Women's Movement |
| Ideology | Regionalism |
| National affiliation | Barisan Nasional(1994–2008) Perikatan Nasional(2020–2024) |
| Regional affiliation | United Sabah Alliance(2016–2018) United Alliance of Sabah(2018–2020) Gabungan Rakyat Sabah(2020–2025) |
| Colours | Yellow, green and blue |
| Slogan | Bersama Kita Membangun, Serentak Kita Maju |
| Dewan Negara: | 0 / 70 |
| Dewan Rakyat: | 0 / 26 (Sabah and Labuan seats) |
| Sabah State Legislative Assembly: | 0 / 79 |
| Election symbol | |
| |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| www | |
 |
|---|
TheSabah Progressive Party (Malay:Parti Maju Sabah, abbreviatedSAPP)[1] is a multiracialpolitical party based inSabah,Malaysia. It was registered on 21 January 1994 by dissidents led by former Sabah Chief Minister DatukYong Teck Lee fromUnited Sabah Party. Formerly a component party in the rulingBarisan Nasional coalition, SAPP officially withdrew from BN in September 2008 to become independent.[2] As of 2010, SAPP has two representatives in thenational legislature and two in theSabah State Assembly. In 2016, the party together withHomeland Solidarity Party formed theUnited Sabah Alliance.[3] It later joined theUnited Alliance together with STAR and PBS in 2018. The SAPP became the main component party of the national short-lived ruling turned opposition coalitionPerikatan Nasional (PN) and Sabah state ruling coalitionGabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), the successor ofUnited Alliance that was established in 2020 and registered in 2022. SAPP later withdrew from PN in 2024 after PN decided to contest in the2025 Sabah state election, of which SAPP strongly disagreed with, based on its principle that the state election should only be contested by local coalitions and parties of Sabah, of which PN is not.[4]
The party was formed on 21 January 1994, by factions of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) led by its vice-president Yong Teck Lee, who disagreed with the party presidentJoseph Pairin Kitingan. Yong, who was outgoing Deputy Chief Minister under Pairin, together with members of his faction, resigned from PBS on the day of SAPP's formation.[5] The party was registered just in time to enter the1994 Sabah state election, which SAPP entered under the banner of Barisan Nasional, and won 3 seats out of seven SAPP contested.When BN regained control of the state on March that year after further defections from PBS, SAPP then became part of the government in Sabah. Yong was then appointed as the state'sChief Minister from 1996 to 1998, under then rotation system between Muslim bumiputera, Non-Muslim bumiputera and Chinese leaders for a short two-year tenure.
The SAPP won two parliamentary seats in thegeneral election 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 PresidentYong Teck Lee announced on 18 June 2008 that the party would file a "no-confidence motion" in theDewan Rakyat on 23 June against Prime MinisterAbdullah Ahmad Badawi, calling on him to step down. The party, criticising what it described as insensitivity on the part of the government towards issues inSabah, said that it was taking advantage of a unique "window of opportunity" for the sake of Sabah interests, includingautonomy, return ofLabuan and 20% of oil revenues.[6][7] 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.[8] A 30-day period was to give SAPP a chance to reply and defend itself before BN took any action against them.[9]
On 17 September 2008, SAPP quit Barisan Nasional.[10] Nevertheless, the decision came at a price as the party's deputy president, one of its vice-presidents,[11] and its youth chief (who chose to remain within BN) all opposed the move and withdrew from the party.[12] 2 assemblymen opposing the move then joinedGERAKAN. Some 2,000 members of the party similarly disagreed from the move and left the party, showing support for these dissident leaders.[13]
In 2016, the party formed a part of theUnited Sabah Alliance (USA) and reformed the coalition in 2020 asGabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).[3] SAPP officially became the part of the official member ofGabungan Rakyat Sabah in 2020.[3]
Sabah State Legislative Assembly
It has provided one Chief Minister under the Barisan Nasional rotation system that lasted between 1994 and 2004.
Note:bold as Menteri Besar/Chief Minister,italic as junior partner
| State | Leader type | Member | State Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sabah | Deputy Speaker | Richard Yong We Kong | Non-MLA |
| Election | Total seats won | Seats contested | Total votes | Voting Percentage | Outcome of election | Election leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 / 193 | 2 |  2 seats;Government coalition(Barisan Nasional) | Yong Teck Lee | ||
| 1999 | 2 / 193 | 2 |  0 seats;Government coalition(Barisan Nasional) | Yong Teck Lee | ||
| 2004 | 2 / 219 | 2 | 16,426 | 0.24% | 0 seats;Government coalition (Barisan Nasional) | Yong Teck Lee |
| 2008 | 2 / 222 | 2 | 30,827 | 0.39% | 0 seats;Government coalition (Barisan Nasional), laterOpposition | Yong Teck Lee |
| 2013 | 0 / 222 | 8 | 10,099 | 0.09% |  2 seats;No representation in Parliament(UBA) | Yong Teck Lee |
| 2018 | 0 / 222 | 5 | 6,090 | 0.05% | 0 seats;No representation in Parliament(USA) | Yong Teck Lee |
| 2022 | 0 / 222 | 1 | 5,054 | 0.03% | 0 seats;No representation in Parliament (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) | Yong Teck Lee |
| State election | State Legislative Assembly | |
|---|---|---|
| Sabah | Total won / Total contested | |
| 2/3 majority | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 |
| 1994 | 3 / 48 | 3 / 7 |
| 1999 | 3 / 48 | 3 / 5 |
| 2004 | 4 / 60 | 4 / 4 |
| 2008 | 5 / 60 | 5 / 5 |
| 2013 | 0 / 60 | 0 / 41 |
| 2018 | 0 / 60 | 0 / 5 |
| 2020 | 0 / 73 | 0 / 2 |
| 2025 | 0 / 73 | 0 / 6 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
