Kota Kinabalu: Upko has urged the Federal Government to drop its appeal against the High Court decision on Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement, saying this will reflect genuine commitment to resolving long-standing rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Upko President Datuk Ewon Benedick said the Sabah Government had earlier conveyed the request through a high-level committee, but a meeting scheduled in December was postponed by the Federal Government.
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“At party level, our position is clear. We want the Federal Government to withdraw the appeal filed at the Court of Appeal on the grounds of judgment of the Kota Kinabalu High Court decision dated Oct 17, 2025.
This is important if there is sincere intention to implement the court ruling and resume the 40 per cent payments that have been stalled since the 1970s,” he said, after officiating the party's 17th Triennial Delegates Conference at SICC, Sunday.
“I will raise this in the Dewan Rakyat, and it will also be conveyed through the mechanisms of the federal government. The Chief Minister has likewise put forward the demand for this issue to be resolved,” he said.
He said Upko would continue pressing for the issue through Parliament and federal mechanisms, adding that the party considers the revenue entitlement crucial for Sabah’s development, poverty eradication, economic programmes, education and human capital development.
On party matters, Ewon said Upko has about 160,000 members nationwide and would begin its triennial delegates conference process, where all 26 divisions must complete their annual meetings and divisional elections by July, ahead of the Congress scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9.
He said the party’s top leadership council had also received applications to form four new divisions in Sandakan, Batu Sapi, Kalabakan and Semporna, involving more than 4,000 new members, but stressed that new branches and divisions must undergo an induction period of at least two years to ensure members understand the party’s history and struggle.
On national reforms, he said they support term limits for prime ministers and chief ministers, targeted subsidies, political financing laws, separation of powers between the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, electoral reforms and stronger protection of indigenous communities, all of which must be aligned with MA63.
Separately, Ewon clarified that he had been misquoted over remarks on appointments of government-linked company (GLC) chairpersons, saying he had called for a balance between political appointees and corporate professionals, not the exclusion of political figures.
He said some chairmanships are held by virtue of ministerial positions, citing examples such as the Prime Minister chairing Khazanah Nasional and chief ministers chairing state foundations.
“At my level, I have proposed several corporate figures to represent industry, associations and the business community in GLCs, but all appointments must go through proper processes,” he said.
