Upko to continue championing rights of Sabahans — Ewon

KOTA KINABALU: Upko will continue to champion the rights of Sabahans as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, said its Komulakan chief Ewon Benedick.

He said the party’s struggles were not only confined to the autonomy of the state administration but also for ownership of revenue from its natural resources like royalty and taxes collected from Sabah.

Ewon told delegates attending the Upko Kota Belud division annual general meeting that acting party president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau together with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Law and Native Affairs Minister Datuk Aidi Moktar were members of a special committee that would fine tune the demand for better royalty and taxes collected.

Ewon, who is also Rural Development Minister and Kadamaian assemblyman, reminded the delegates that Upko would continue to be consistent in finding concrete solutions to major issues by making use of all government platforms such as cabinet meetings, parliamentary sessions and State Assembly Sittings.

Among the issues Upko has close to its heart are ownership of customary land and native land as many of the applications have yet to be processed for one reason or another, he said.

“At the same time many of our people’s villages are trapped inside forest reserves or concessionaires land. We appreciate the Chief Minister’s commitment to do away with communal titles and issuing land titles to individual owners so that they can develop the land according to their wishes,” he said.

On the issue of illegal immigrants that is causing Sabahans to worry, Ewon said Upko views the matter seriously.

“Datuk Madius has constantly raised this matter in the state cabinet meetings and the Chief Minister as well as the state cabinet have given their assurance that no identity cards will be issued to illegal immigrants,” he stressed and called on Upko members to be part of the solution to major issues affecting the state.