KOTA KINABALU: Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick (
pic) said the national reform agenda must fully reflect Sabah’s interests, including the full implementation of state rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said Upko would continue to push for Sabah to hold at least one-third of Dewan Rakyat seats and for a comprehensive settlement of Sabah’s 40 per cent entitlement, including finalising implementation for future years even if negotiations over “lost years” take longer.
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Speaking at the launch of Upko’s 17th Triennial Delegates' Conference at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Sunday, Ewon said national reforms must also address foreign migrant issues more effectively and uphold constitutional guarantees for indigenous communities, including the Momogun and Orang Asli.
He said any reform agenda must be anchored in MA63, respect the original terms agreed by Sabah and Sarawak in forming the Federation, and support reforms such as term limits for prime ministers and chief ministers, subsidy targeting, political financing laws, separation of the Attorney General and public prosecutor roles, legal reviews and digitalisation of government delivery.
On Sabah’s Unity Government, Ewon said Upko supported Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) as the largest bloc in the absence of a simple majority, reaffirmed support for the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 direction to be launched on Jan 30, and said his ministry was prioritising Sabah First policies, including resolving Sepanggar Port issues through interim and long-term solutions.
