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Malaysia will prosper under Unity Government - UPKO Leaders
12 December 2022
By Wartawan Nabalu News
KOTA KINABALU: The grassroots leaders in UPKO Kota Kinabalu are optimistic that Malaysia will prosper under the new Unity Government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
They believe that the new Federal Cabinet line-up is a fair representation of the various parties within the Unity Government and that each of the Members of Parliament involved would serve the rakyat to the best of their ability to help set the country on a brighter path for the future.
“Our Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Datuk Ewon Benedick is already making waves and headlines when he showed his willingness to travel among ordinary citizens in economy class flying back from Putrajaya to attend to problems in Penampang.
“Aside from that, he has also instructed some agencies to setup branches here for example INSKEN (Institut Keusahawan Negara) so that Sabahans can have better access to government aid and opportunities,” said UPKO KK Division Chief Dennison Indang.
Dennison who is also UPKO Supreme Council Member said in addition to this, Ewon is also keeping an eye on Sabah’s interest particularly with regard to the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“Yesterday (Saturday) he proposed a consensus group among all federal ministers and deputy ministers from Sabah to champion the rights of the people of the State.
“Ewon said this is not only to bring development and progress to the State, but more importantly to claim Sabah’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution and the MA63,” said Dennison.
On the implementation of the MA63,UPKO KK treasurer Benjamin Taine believes the clear instruction from Anwar for the immediate implementation is a positive indicator that more is in store for Sabah and Sarawak under this Unity Government.
Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof from Gabungan Parti Sarawak is the first Deputy Prime Minister from Borneo. He has been tasked to implement the MA63 immediately.
“Fadillah has been tasked to implement it within one month and I think this shows the sincerity of our Prime Minister and the Unity Government. This also shows that Sabah and Sarawak are finally being recognised as equal partners.
“For decades Sabah MPs have been fighting for this. It is wonderful that we will finally get what we deserve. I think this will open doors for Sabah to have more opportunities in future,” Benjamin said.
On matters pertaining to economic development, UPKO KK deputy division chief Patrick Epin said he is confident in Mohd Rafizi Ramli's ability to turn things around for Malaysia.
“As we know, 2023 will be a great challenge as global markets are predicted to slow down. It is good that we maintain cohesiveness and focus on reviving our country’s economy.
“As a person who has a proven track record in business, Rafizi is certainly the right man for the job. I believe he has many ideas on how to improve our economy and set the country on the right path. I think we will see great things from him as Minister of Economic Affairs,” said Patrick, who is set to become a Supreme Council Member when UPKO convenes for its Triennial Congress here on January 15 next year.
Meanwhile, UPKO KK Vice Chief I, Rowindy Lawrence Odong hoped that more would be done by the Tourism Ministry to boost arrivals especially in Sabah.
“This is undoubtedly a big task for Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (from Sarawak) considering the travel restrictions some countries may still have coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But I think with the easing that is happening in more and more countries, Tourism could see a revival sooner than we might imagine.
“Some countries are gearing up for China to reopen its market and with the encouraging number of arrivals that Sabah has enjoyed in the past, this is certainly something to look forward to as the Chinese government succumbs to public pressure on easing of restrictions on its zero Covid policy,” she said.
Towards this end Rowindy also welcomed the encouraging representation of women in the federal cabinet.
“We hope that all of them would be extended the cooperation needed for them to carry out their duties effectively so that they can make positive contributions to reshape Malaysia into a more prosperous and harmonious country,” she said while hoping that in future there would be more participation from women.
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