Upko’s Ewon to quit Cabinet, disagrees with Federal Govt’s position on 40% revenue claim

KOTA KINABALU: Upko president Datuk Ewon Bendedick (pic) will be resigning over the Federal Government’s position on the High Court decision for Sabah’s rights to 40% of its net revenue.

The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister said that he would submit his resignation letter soon in line with the principles stated in Upko’s constitution — to pursue the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and to defend the constitutional rights of Sabah.

“I will be sending a letter to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to formally notify him of my resignation from the Federal Cabinet.

“I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Prime Minister for the opportunity to serve together in the Federal Cabinet, which provided a platform for me to advocate for Sabah’s rights and principles,” he said in a Facebook post Saturday (Nov 8).

“I have studied the written judgment by High Court Justice Celestina Stuel Galid in Kota Kinabalu regarding the Judicial Review filed by the Sabah Law Society (SLS).

“The position and views expressed by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), as reflected in the written judgment, disregard the historical foundation of the formation of the Federation of Malaysia — including the terms and conditions upon which Sabah agreed to form Malaysia, as recorded in the constitutional documents.

“I cannot agree with the position and views of the AGC. The AGC serves as the legal advisor to the Prime Minister and the Federal Government.

“It would be highly inappropriate for me to continue serving in the Federal Cabinet when the AGC maintains such a position — one that I believe will remain unchanged.

“The AGC’s approach to Sabah’s 40% entitlement over the past three years has been fundamentally inconsistent with my own position as Upko president.

“I had personally filed an Originating Summons (OS) against the Federal Government and the Sabah State Government in June 2022 concerning this 40% entitlement and agreed to withdraw it in September 2023.

“As Upko president, I wish to see Sabah’s rights fully implemented. This has always been my principle and the reason I entered politics.

“I maintain the view that the AGC should not file an appeal, but instead commence negotiations with the Sabah State Government to implement the 40% entitlement.

“I have stated that I cannot support any decision that contradicts the High Court’s decision in Kota Kinabalu on Oct 17, and I am prepared to resign from the Federal Cabinet,” he said.

Ewon added that he will convene a special meeting of the Upko supreme council on Monday (Nov 10) to discuss the “Sabah First” agenda, which forms the foundation of Upko’s direction.

In his post, the Upko president said in the party’s constitution, its founding objectives were to uphold and pursue the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the rights of Sabah as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Upko’s struggle is also based on the constitutional foundation documents, namely the Cobbold Commission Report, the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and the Malaysia Act, he wrote.

“Respect for the historical foundation of the Federation of Malaysia — as reflected in these constitutional documents — must serve as the guiding principle for the Federation’s direction and future,” he said.

This includes the recognition, respect, and implementation of Sabah’s 40 percent entitlement, as stipulated under Article 112C and Subsection 2(1) of Part IV of the Tenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.