Kota Kinabalu: Upko President Datuk Ewon Benedick disagrees with former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh who suggested that the 40 per cent special grant to Sabah should not be prioritised, and that focus should instead be placed on development such as schools and hospitals.
He said the view was inaccurate, as the 40 per cent payment is a constitutional right of Sabah and should not be conflated with the Federal Government’s development responsibilities.
“As President of Upko, I cannot agree with that view because the 40 per cent entitlement is a condition of Sabah’s participation in the formation of Malaysia,” he said after attending the LPPS Excellent Service Awards 2025 at Sutera Pacific Hotel, here, on Wednesday.
He was commenting on Harris’ proposal for an alternative of the State’s 40 per cent tax revenue entitlement, suggesting that Sabah should prioritise Federal upgrades to essential infrastructure rather than strictly pursuing the cash claim.
Ewon, who is also Deputy Chief Minister III cum State Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transportation Minister, said without acceptance of this condition, Sabah would not have agreed to form Malaysia together with the other territories in 1963.
“And without Sabah, there would be no country called Malaysia. This agreement is also enshrined in the Federal Constitution under Article 112,” he said.
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He added that development responsibilities such as building schools, hospitals, highways and other infrastructure are already clearly defined as Federal Government obligations under the constitutional division of powers.
“We have the Federal List, the State List and the Concurrent List. These are two separate matters.
“The 40 per cent entitlement is a constitutional obligation that must and should be implemented, while development such as education, healthcare, highways, internal security and border security are Federal Government responsibilities,” he said.
Ewon reiterated that Upko’s position remains firm in continuing to pursue the implementation of the 40 per cent payment, which has been outstanding since 1974.
“We will continue to demand the implementation of this entitlement. We also support any approach taken by the people of Sabah, whether through legal avenues, raising public awareness through dialogues, academic writings or forums.
“All efforts that lead towards awareness and implementation of this right have our support,” he said.
At the same time, Ewon said the State Government would continue to play its role through government-to-government engagement to advance the claim.
“As part of the State Government, it is our responsibility to ensure that the appropriate government-to-government channels are pursued.
“The Chief Minister has already stated a very firm position on this matter,” he said.
