Ewon didn't 'slam' government

nabalunews

30 July 2024

By AVV

RANAU: United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) president Datuk Ewon Benedick did not 'slam' the government or any Cabinet member pertaining to the 40% revenue rights.

Ewon, who is also the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Corporative (MEDC) was simply giving feedback to a press statement issued by a Warisan individual.

Carl Mosoom, his Political Secretary said the media had taken it out of context in saying it was a slam.

"The problem is, whilst the right answer to a question it is often re-interpreted rather than acknowledging it properly."

He said this when officiating the "Bicara Usahawan" organised by Georgina George representing the micro and small traders at Ranau recently,

During the event, four agencies from MEDC were invited to provide insights and one to one consultations were Institut Keusahawanan Negara (INSKEN), SME Corp Malaysia, Suruhanjaya Koperasi

Carl went on to say that another press statement recently released in a local newspaper by a member of Warisan questions why Ewon is maintaining silence and not keeping Sabahans informed.

UPKO has taken steps to organise its own workshops, engage in private discussions with professionals, seek consultations, legal advice, and insights from academia. It is often conveyed by Ewon that these matters are intricate and highly sensitive, requiring a deep understanding, he elaborated.

"It is noteworthy that neither Ewon nor UPKO has singled out any individuals or political parties in our official press statements, despite continuous efforts by the opposition to misrepresent our initiatives."

"It is important to recognize that the study of MA63 is a complex subject matter that may not even garner unanimous agreement among learned scholars or individuals," Carl said.

'Therefore, it is crucial that we collaborate and set aside political differences to fully realize the potential benefits of implementing MA63. Ultimately, the judgment of who champions what should be left to the people."

Datuk Gilbert Sham, the head of the Papar United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) division, expressed his agreement, stating that he did not believe Ewon ‘slammed’ anyone regarding the 40 percent revenue rights issue.

He was just giving feedback to a statement and sharing his perspective, Gilbert said, emphasising Ewon’s long-standing concern about this topic.

“I believe that attacking one another and discrediting others is not the solution to our challenges. Instead, we should unite as Sabahans to pursue our common goals,” he remarked.

Tenom UPKO Division head Junik Bajit said he also didn’t believe that Ewon slammed anybody and repudiated claims that the Party President was maintaining silence and not keeping Sabahans informed.

“The Sabah State Government submitted its demands late and as such, we have to wait,” he said adding that Ewon has been vigilant about the matter as the he is a member of MA63 Implementation Action Council’s technical committee that initially proposed a framework to Putrajaya and the Sabah government for the payment mechanism of the 40% tax revenue due to the state.