United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation

Infobox Political party
name_english = United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation
name_native = Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Pasok Nunukragang Bersatu

leader = Disputed
foundation = 1978
dissolution =
headquarters = Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
newspaper =
youth_wing =
membership_year =
membership =
ideology = Nationalism, Regionalism
national =
international =
colors =
website = http://pasokranau.googlepages.com/
footnotes = The United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation ( _ms. Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Pasok Nunukragang Bersatu; PASOK) is a regional political party in Malaysia based in the state of Sabah. It was established in 1978. Before its deregistration, it was the oldest political party in Sabah that was currently still in existence cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Pasok de-registered |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=58399 |work=Daily Express |publisher= |date=2008-06-26 |accessdate=2008-06-26 ] . Despite being a party that maintains a Kadazan-Dusun ethnocentric platform, membership is opened to all ethnicities and the party's leadership has multi-ethnic representation [PASOK: [http://pasokranau.googlepages.com/partyleadership Party Leadership] ] .

The term Nunukragang refers to Nunuk Ragang, the traditional birthplace of the Kadazan-Dusun culture and civilization.

Political platform

PASOK subscribes to a 7 point political platform [PASOK: [http://pasokranau.googlepages.com/ Aims and Objectives] ] :

* To foster and to promote national unity and harmony amongst the indigenous people of Sabah;

* To instill and promote mutual confidence and goodwill amongst the people of Sabah irrespective of race and religion;

* To safeguard and to protect the rightful position, rights and knowledge of the indigenous people of Sabah;

* To uphold and to promote the 5 principles of the Rukun Negara as National Philosophy.

* To safeguard and promote the traditional customs and cultures of the Indigenous people and to preserve the freedom of worship;

* To uphold and promote the principles of parliamentary and democratic form of government through harmony and consensus.

* To work with other political organizations with similar aims and objectives within Malaysia so as to uphold the healthy development of party politics.

History

PASOK was established in 1978 by G. S. Sundang, a traditional chief (bearing the title Orang Kaya Kaya) and former Deputy Chief Minister of the Sabah as a political vehicle for the Kadazan, Dusun, and Murut people peoples. In 1985, PASOK joined the newly formed Sabah United Party in a coalition government after the latter won the 1985 state legislative elections [cite book |title=The Malaysian Economy Spatial Perspectives: Spatial Perspectives |last=Cho |first=George |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1990 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=0415020964 |pages=242 ] . PASOK won its only seat in the state legislature to date when the then party president, Ignatius Stephen Malanjum, won the Moyog state constituency .

Recent developments

PASOK was denied the opportunity to contest with its own name and symbol in the 2008 general elections due to an ongoing feud involving rival claimants to the party presidency [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title='Pasok was cheated by EC' claim |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=56098 |work=Daily Express |publisher= |date=2008-02-25 |accessdate=2008-06-26 ] . PASOK candidates that were originally slated to stand either chose to stand as independent candidates or dropped out from the elections.

On February 28 2008, the Registrar of Societies issued a revocation of registration notice to PASOK citing the failure of the party to resolve their leadership crisis involving Cleftus Mojinggol, John Richard Jayasuria and Hendry Sabagang Rumpit who had all claimed the party's presidency. The party was then de-registered on May 27 although one of the claimants claimed that he had yet to received the notice from the Registrar and that the party leadership crisis had been solved following a delegate's conference that had elected new office bearers on May 23.

The party is still able to appeal against the decision to revoke the registration of the party within 30 days of the date of revocation and legal advice is being sought about this matter [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Sabah’s oldest party Pasok deregistered |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=37449 |work=The Borneo Post |publisher=The Borneo Post Sdn. Bhd. |date=2008-06-26 |accessdate=2008-06-26 ] .

Prominent members

While not having had much electoral success, PASOK has seen many prominent members of Sabahan society go through its ranks :

* G. S. Sundang: Traditional Chief, founder of the United Pasok-Momogun Kadazan Organisation and Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah (1965-1967)

* Joseph Pairin Kitingan: "Huguan Siou" (Paramount leader) of the Kadazandusun community, former Chief Minister of Sabah (1985-1994) and current Deputy Chief Minister and State Minister for Rural Development

* Wilfred Bumburing: Current Member of Parliament for Tuaran

* James Vitalis: Former Deputy Speaker of the Sabah State Assembly

* Patrick Sindu: President of the Consumer Affairs Association for Sabah and Labuan

See also

* List of political parties in Malaysia
* Politics of Malaysia

References

External links

* [http://pasokranau.googlepages.com/ United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation]