The United Sabah Party (Malay: Parti Bersatu Sabah; abbrev: PBS)[2] is a political party of Sabah. The PBS was founded by Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1985[3] and it is Sabah's oldest local party.[4] In August 2020, PBS confirmed that they would be using their own logo and flag until Sabah's local coalition is established under Registrar of Societies (RoS).[5] In 2022, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is the only Sabah's local coalition that has been successfully registered under the Registrar of Societies (RoS) making PBS interested in using the coalition's logo and becoming part of the coalition's component.[6][7]
Since 2022, the PBS acts as an allied partner, providing confidence and supply to the ruling federal Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. It is a major component of the Sabah-based Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state governing alliance.
History
PBS official logo since 1985 (logo above is being remastered in 2020)
PBS later formed the state government after winning the May 1985 state elections.[8][9] Following the 1986 Sabah riots after winning the 1986 state election,[10] PBS joined the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and governed Sabah from 1985 to 1994.[9][11] However, on the eve of the July 1990 state elections, PBS pulled out of the BN to join the Gagasan Rakyat (GR) coalition and won the state election for a third time.[9][11][12] It also won the 1994 state elections by a narrow margin. However, numerous defections occurred as many PBS representatives switched allegiance to the then opposition BN coalition before PBS was even able to form a new state government.[9][12] PBS subsequently rejoined the BN coalition in 2002, ending any form of opposition as BN fully occupied the state legislature and returning Sabah to the rule of the BN coalition that also holds the federal parliament.[13][14]
In 2022, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is the only coalition that has been successfully registered under the Registrar of Societies (RoS) making PBS interested in using the coalition's logo and becoming part of the coalition's component. Since 2023, PBS officially become the major component of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and one of the founding parties of the coalition.[24][7]
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".[25][26] 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 Malay race (Bruneian Malays and Cocos Malays), and also from the Bajau community of peoples (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.[27][28] It also seeks preserving the traditional culture of each race in Sabah and freedom of religion in Malaysia.[29]
