UPKO president Datuk Ewon Benedick has been tasked to coordinate the Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance, as opposed to assuming the role of chairman – a position that remains unresolved due to internal party differences.
This was announced by PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim following a closed-door meeting with leaders from all Sabah PH component parties in Kota Kinabalu Thursday night.
There are four PH leaders in Sabah. They will move forward together, and Benedick will coordinate,” Anwar told reporters after the meeting.
The decision effectively sidelines the pending dispute over Ewon’s previous appointment as Sabah PH chairman on December 1, 2024 – which was never formalised after Sabah PKR objected, citing tradition and precedent.
The matter was referred to the PH presidential council on January 11 this year.
Among those present at the meeting were Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe, Sabah PKR chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, and leaders from Amanah.
Among the key issues discussed were preparations for the upcoming state election, campaign coordination, and seat distribution, said Anwar.
When asked over progress of the forming an alliance with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in preparation for the Sabah Election this year, Anwar maintained the discussions are between the state leaders for the three coalitions.
Anwar who had expressed hope for a GRS-PH-BN partnership however expressed reluctance to comment over the stalemate between GRS and BN.
He maintained he that has to respect the decisions by the leaders in state and would support any decision made by them.
“I have met with the chief minister, and we support whatever PH wants. The same when I met with Zahid, and we support what PH wants,” he said, referring to GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“We’re on good terms with both sides. But there is always still room for discussions,” he added, reiterating his hope that GRS, BN, and PH can still work together ahead of the state election.
The GRS-BN relationship remained strained since January 2023, when BN’s Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin withdrew support for Hajiji, triggering a political crisis in Sabah.
Hajiji later secured his position with backing from PH, but no formal reconciliation has been reached between both BN and GRS until now.
Anwar is in Sabah in conjunction with the Kaamatan Harvest Festival and is expected to remain in Kota Kinabalu until today. – May 30, 2025
