Its information chief, Albert Bingkasan, said Upko had received an average of 14 new applications per day to join the party since May, totalling 1,305 new applications in the past three months.
“That’s an average of 435 applications per month or 14 per day. The Supreme Council approved the applications during our meeting last Friday. Membership-wise, Upko is getting stronger every day.
“There are many more applications but our procedures require the respective divisions to screen each form before submitting it to the council for approval,” he said in a statement today.
Upko quit Barisan Nasional, which was defeated in the May 9 general election at federal and Sabah levels, and is now part of the Parti Warisan Sabah-led state government.
Bingkasan said Upko approved 8,120 membership applications last year and 3,324 so far this year.
“There is no doubt that more and more people, especially from the Momogun communities, are joining Upko,” he added.
Momogun refers to almost all of Sabah’s native groups.
He said the applicants included “opposition political party leaders, professionals and young people”.
The Supreme Council meeting chaired by Upko acting president Wilfred Madius Tangau, who is also deputy chief minister, was told that Upko now has 28 divisions, with 147,971 members, including four Orang Asli in Perak.
Among those who attended the meeting were treasurer-general Marcus Mojigoh, vice-presidents Lucas Umbul and Wences Angang, and Wanita chief Dr Jaina Sintian.
The party was rocked a week ago by the resignations of its youth chief Arthur Sen and Supreme Council member Suip Saniman.
Neither leader revealed the reasons behind their exit, which prompted Mojigoh to urge the leadership to engage the members to plug “minor cracks” in the party.