Ewon reaffirms ‘Sabah First’ agenda as he takes office as Deputy Chief Minister

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 1): UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick, has reaffirmed his commitment to championing a “Sabah First” agenda in the new Sabah state Cabinet.

As Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport, Ewon said entrepreneurship development will be one of his main priorities to ensure Sabah’s economy continues to grow and benefit the people.

“Entrepreneurship is a key driver of Sabah’s economic development. I will do my utmost to carry the responsibility entrusted to me,” he told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony of the new Sabah Cabinet, held before the state’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Musa Aman, at Istana Seri Kinabalu today.

As UPKO President, Ewon emphasised that the Sabah First agenda remains his party’s top priority in government, especially when it comes to negotiations with the federal government over Sabah’s demand for 40 per cent of state revenue, among other matters.

“As UPKO President, I will continue to bring the Sabah First agenda into the Sabah Cabinet so that negotiations with the Federal Government on Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue demand and other issues become a priority for today’s newly formed government,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, for placing his confidence in UPKO to co-lead the state Cabinet.

In the recent election, Ewon successfully defended his seat in the Kadamaian state constituency, polling 11,977 votes and defeating seven other candidates with a majority of 9,672 votes.

Since 2018, he said, the people of Kadamaian have continued to trust him, thanks to his strong track record and commitment to serving their needs.

He also thanked the residents of Kadamaian for their continued support and pledged to honor the mandate by delivering on his responsibilities to the best of his ability.

Earlier today, Ewon Benedick took his oath as a member of the new Cabinet before Yang di-Pertua Negeri, together with fellow ministers including Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, Datuk Ariffin Arif, Datuk James Ratib, Datuk Nizam Titingan, Datuk Rubin Balang, Datuk Julita Mojungki, Datuk Jafry Ariffin and Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.