KENNGAU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) Chairman Datuk Ewon Benedick said the coalition is committed to strengthening unity of the State’s diverse ethnic communities through the organising of various festive celebrations.
He said the Sabah PH leadership, alongside the Madani Government, will continue to ensure the protection of the rights of all citizens, as guaranteed by the nation’s constitution.
“I am confident that celebrations such as this contribute to Pakatan Harapan Sabah’s efforts to foster unity among people of different ethnicities,” he said after launching the Sabah PH New Year Celebration and Christmas Open House at the Pasisimpungan Hall, here, Saturday.
“In addition to the Chinese New Year celebrations, we will also continue to host similar events to promote unity among other ethnic groups and religions, such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the Kaamatan Festival.
“We organise these celebrations to honour the rights of the people of Sabah, as enshrined in the Constitution and the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he added.
On MA63, Ewon, also Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister, said of the 21 demands, 11 have been fully implemented.
“Last year, during the MA63 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Kota Kinabalu, it was confirmed that 11 out of the 21 MA63-related demands have been fully implemented,” he said.
“Four of these demands were submitted to the Sabah and Sarawak governments during the previous administration, while the remaining seven have been fully implemented by the Madani Government,” he said.
He emphasised that further MA63 demands have been agreed upon, implemented and handed over to the Sabah and Sarawak governments under the Madani government administration.
Ewon, who is also United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) President, noted that discussions on other outstanding matters are ongoing.
“Remaining issues will continue to be negotiated between the Sabah and Sarawak state governments and the Federal Government through existing platforms, such as MTPMA63 and the Technical Committee.
“PH Sabah will remain actively involved in these platforms, and through my role in the Cabinet and the MA63 Implementation Action Council,” he said.
He reaffirmed that PH Sabah would continue to contribute its views and inputs to ensure that discussions relating to MA63 are beneficial to the people of Sabah as a whole.
