UPKO president Datuk Ewon Benedick says he is prepared to resign as Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives if the Attorney-General’s Chambers proceeds with an appeal against the High Court ruling that upheld Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 per cent of federal revenue collected from the state.
Benedick said the party had passed a resolution urging him to step down should Putrajaya challenge the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision issued on 17 October.
“The High Court recognised the 40 per cent entitlement as a constitutional right, not a privilege.
“If any decision contradicts that judgment, I cannot continue to support it,” he said in Penampang on Sunday.
Benedick plans to inform the cabinet when it meets for a meeting on Friday next week.
He said he wants the federal government to direct the AGC not to appeal the high court decision.
He added that the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, and Cabinet members were already aware of his stance through internal discussions following the court’s decision.
“This is not about politics but about Sabah’s rights and principles. “I am fully prepared to honour the party’s resolution, even if it means leaving the Cabinet,” he said.
Earlier, the Penampang convention also reaffirmed Upko’s demand that both the Federal and State Governments conclude a new revenue arrangement within 180 days, as ordered by the court.
Under the ruling, the High Court directed both governments to review and settle arrears owed to Sabah, a move widely seen as correcting decades of neglect of the state’s constitutional entitlement. - October 19, 2025
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