Proposal on the 40pc for State Cabinet: Ewon
Published on: Monday, January 08, 2024
By: Mardinah Jikur
Ewon (right) said he is due to meet Hajiji (left) on Tuesday on the proposed mechanism framework for repayment of the 40 per cent tax revenue owed to Sabah by the Federal Government as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
TELUPID: Datuk Ewon Benedict said he is due to meet Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on Tuesday on the proposed mechanism framework for repayment of the 40 per cent tax revenue owed to Sabah by the Federal Government as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“As Upko President and member of the Federal Cabinet, I held a round table discussion on Dec. 19, 2023, involving experts including the legal field, former magistrates and those with extensive experience in accounting, taxation and auditing. “We reached an agreement on the proposed new mechanism,” he said.
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“I submitted this proposal to the Chief Minister to be discussed at the state government level,” the federal Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives said.
“The formula is already there which is 40 per cent. It’s just the mechanism because it involves an outstanding claim, a claim for the coming period and about the revenue collected directly by the revenue office in Sabah as well as revenue not collected by the revenue office in Sabah (directly through the revenue office in the peninsula),” he said.
He said this makes the discussion very technical. “We need to come up with a mechanism that makes it easier for all parties (federal and state governments) to implement what has been outstanding since 1974,” he said.
“Many leaders from Sabah have sat in the Federal Cabinet and for me, this is a big responsibility. That’s why I took my own initiative with the support of the party to find a proposed mechanism,” he said.
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He also disagreed with critics in social media that scrapping the Ministry of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs in the recent cabinet reshuffle was a blow to fighting for Sabah and Sarawak rights.
“The agenda to discuss the fulfilment of the rights of Sabah and Sarawak in the federal constitution, in addition to the Malaysia Agreement, continues through the Deputy Prime Minister’s office.
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“If you look at it, a Deputy Prime Minister from Sabah and Sarawak was never there before,” he said, adding that the Unity Government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set up a special committee to look into Sabah and Sarawak.
“Even though the Ministry is gone, the implementation of the MA63 continues where he is one of the members besides a technical committee chaired by the DPM to resolve these rights.”
Meanwhile, Ewon who is also Upko President, said the party welcomed former members and leaders who have left the party.
“Upko is a party that is open to all age groups whether they have been members and leaders or new members,” he said, when met at Upko’s Christmas and New Year Open House at the Telupid District Council Hall on Saturday.
More than 1,000 people attended the event where he announced an allocation of RM300,000 for the proposed construction of the Telupid Multi-Purpose Hall and presented donations to several churches around Telupid.
Also present were his wife, Datin Connie Parantis, former Upko President who is also SESB Chairman, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, former Chief Minister, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Telupid Assemblyman Datuk Jonnybone J Kurum and Organizing Chairman, Felix Joseph Saang .
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