Sabah Youth Council protests inclusion of non-Sabahan party in State Government

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 1): Sabah’s youth have voiced strong disappointment over recent developments in the formation of the State Cabinet, following the decision to include a non-Sabahan party in the state government.

Sabah Youth Council (MBS) president Abqaree Fawwaz Abekan said the move has deeply hurt young Sabahans who have long fought to defend the state’s political dignity.

“Today, we stand with heavy and disappointed hearts over the latest developments in the formation of the State Cabinet. The decision to involve an external party in the Sabah state government has caused deep wounds among Sabah’s youth, who have fought tirelessly to defend the political dignity of this state,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Abqaree said young people across the state had invested their time, energy and commitment throughout the political process — campaigning, mobilising and raising their voices — with one clear hope: that Sabah’s future would be determined by its own people, not influenced by political interests from Peninsular Malaysia.

“However, what has happened today seems to deny all those sacrifices. We feel sidelined and unappreciated, as if our struggle to uphold the dignity of this state is being treated merely as a political game,” he said.

He stressed that Sabah’s youth want courageous, principled leadership that is free from external influence, and a state that stands independently and confidently on its own.

“Young people want to see Sabah stand on its own, not leaning on powers that for decades have slowed our progress and stifled our aspirations,” he said.

Abqaree reiterated several key positions — that Sabah’s dignity is not for sale, that youth voices must not be used and discarded, and that Sabah deserves leadership that genuinely fights for its people.

He added that the youth movement is not driven by animosity towards any party, but by a deep desire to protect Sabah’s autonomy and defend a generation seeking real change.

“We do not reject cooperation, but such cooperation must respect the dignity of Sabah’s youth,” he said.

Abqaree affirmed that Sabah’s young people will continue to speak up and defend their rights in shaping a more dignified future for the state.

“This is our land. This is our dignity. This is our future. Long live Sabah — for dignity, for the future,” he said.