Upko Undergoes Rebranding To Include Other Races

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Top leaders taking a group photo with Upko president, Wilfred Madius Tangau.KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s United Pasok Momogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko) will be known as the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation, welcoming other races into the party as it undergoes yet another rebranding in its 20 years of existence
Upko is widely known as a KadazanDusun Murut-based (KDM) party
Upko was founded by former Sabah Chief Minister Bernard Giluk Dompok, who had previously used the name Parti Demokratik Sabah (PDS) in 1994, before changing it to Upko in 1999
Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau announced the rebranding and the name change at the party’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) at the Kota Kinabalu Community Hall today and said the decision came after more than six months of discussions among party leaders
“We need to change or else we would be changed. We have returned to this hall to reignite the spirit of Upko, which stresses on unity. This is the time we blend Upko as our own, regardless of religion, background, ethnicity and skin colour
“With this, we will work together, based on our common grounds and understanding of our differences
Upko’s new logo being presented to party members at the party’s extraordinary meeting held in Kota Kinabalu today.“We have to accept the reality that for half a century, we have been too focused on racial, religious and backgrounds that have divided us,” he said in his speech at the party’s EGM here
In the rebranding process, the party also made four resolutions related to the party’s constitution, branch administration, trustee board, citizenship and nation-building
These were supported by all 319 representatives from 20 party divisions who attended the EGM
Upko’s old logo.The party’s logo has been modified, with the introduction of a red colour, instead of just blue
Madius, who is also Sabah deputy chief minister, said the party will still continue to champion a solution for the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah
Also present at the EGM were state Rural Development Minister Ewon Benedick, Upko Youth chief Felix Saang, Women’s chief Juiianna Jani and other party members. - FMT

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