Kota Kinabalu: United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) will defend the Kadamaian state seat and aims to win additional seats in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election, says its president, Datuk Ewon Benedick. Ewon, who is also Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, expressed that as a component party of PH, UPKO is gearing up for the election, with ongoing internal PH discussions and informal talks with other coalitions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ewon emphasized that decisions should align with the party's founding principles and be driven by strategic rationale, focusing on Sabah's future and its people. Reflecting on Sabah's 62-year history within the Malaysian Federation, he highlighted the need for progress in infrastructure, economy, governance, and cooperation in the state.
Ewon, who secured the Kadamaian seat with a majority of 3,459 votes in the previous state election, stated that this election should gauge the unity of Sabahans and the political leadership in the state. He mentioned that UPKO plans to collaborate with like-minded parties, both Sabah-based and national, to promote unity in the upcoming state election negotiations.
He recalled Sabah's decision to join the Malaysian Federation in 1963 and underscored the importance of improving and building the country together. Ewon stressed the need for continuous representation of Sabah leaders in the Federal Government as envisioned in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), emphasizing the importance of strengthening Sabahans' sense of belonging toward their state government.
Key concerns related to this sense of belonging include enhancing the state civil service, appointments in agencies, scholarship distribution, the quality of administrative delivery, interfaith relations, and state legislation. Ewon highlighted that unity and political cohesion among all parties in Sabah are crucial, noting that a confrontational approach would not benefit Sabah or its future.
He concluded by stating that broad political unity in Sabah could serve as an asset in negotiating major issues required by Sabahans, whether those included in MA63 or the Malaysian development plans.