Sabah needs political stability for MA63 to be implemented, says Ewon Benedick

KOTA KINABALU: Political stability is needed in Sabah to ensure the development and implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Datuk Ewon Benedick (pic).

The Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister said any attempt to unseat Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor as Chief Minister at this moment would only disrupt the development plans laid out.

He said there should not be any move to spoil the momentum being built together with the Federal Government as the people deserved to enjoy development and prosperity.

He said infrastructure, economic, social, and various aspects of developments were being carried out and planned.

Benedick said with the work done by Hajiji in collaboration with various stakeholders, the state revenue had managed to increase to over RM6bil last year.

He also pointed out the ongoing works to ensure that the MA63 was implemented with rights slowly returned back to Sabah, as it deserves.

"On my part, I discussed with Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, the minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs and our Pakatan Harapan counterparts, as well as the Sabah Law Society on the special grants for Sabah," he said.

Benedick said a meeting was also held with Hajiji on Thursday (Jan 5), to make it clear that the political and development momentum should be kept as it was.

The Upko president-elect said Sabah Pakatan assemblymen had also agreed to not support the formation of any backdoor government and to stick with their support for the current Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led state government.

He said they have also agreed to support Hajiji as the Chief Minister until his term ends.