Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister III-cum-Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the perspectives and interests of Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak must be emphasised in formulating the country’s Bumiputera economic agenda to ensure policies and initiatives take into account the needs of both states.
He said the interests of the community must be understood in the context of inter-ethnic understanding, the history of Malaysia’s formation and the guarantees enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
He noted that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) also contains guarantees of protection for the parties involved in the formation of Malaysia, while Article 153 of the Federal Constitution addresses the interests of Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak.
“Every time there is a discussion about the future of the country, some people may ask, why should there be Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera? I think it is because we need to return to the basis on which this country was established.
“In developing the Bumiputera agenda, any policy and initiative cannot be oriented towards peninsula Bumiputera alone. The perspectives, interests, focus and initiatives of Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak must become a major agenda,” he said at the Bumiputera Economic Congress Engagement Session here, Tuesday.
Ewon, who is also Chairman of the Sabah Bumiputera Economic Council Steering Committee, said the responsibility of leaders was to provide services to all people regardless of ethnic background.
“As Ministers, our responsibility is to provide services and leadership to all people regardless of their ethnic background.
“But because we have an understanding and an agreement, I consistently say that our country must take into account the interests of Bumiputera as one of the details in achieving a better future for our country,” he said.
He said that while serving in the Federal Cabinet several years ago, he had proposed the establishment of a special cluster to discuss the perspectives and interests of Bumiputera natives of Sabah and Sarawak at the Bumiputera Economic Congress.
“I said that if content could be provided, there should be a cluster for Sabah and Sarawak and that view was recorded in the minutes,” he said.
Following this, the 2024 Bumiputera Economic Congress featured a Sabah and Sarawak cluster, with the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) participating as panellists.
He said the congress memorandum or resolutions were subsequently presented to the Cabinet and became part of the process that led to the formulation of the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35).
Ewon also stressed that Bumiputera economic planning must take into account Sabah’s poverty data and economic profile, particularly the position of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
He said he was deeply affected when Sabah’s poverty issue was raised in Parliament and Cabinet meetings, including the fact that six districts in Sabah were among the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia.
As such, he called on Sabah to participate more actively in discussions and planning for the Bumiputera economic agenda.
“We in Sabah need to participate actively, more seriously. We have indeed been serious all this while, but I believe it is time for us to look at our involvement even more seriously,” he said.
Ewon said the approach of taking into account the perspectives, issues and challenges of East Malaysia was also adopted through the Dasar Pandang Ke Timur Dalam Negara when he headed Kuskop.
In leading the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport (Mindet), he said his leadership policy also focused on creating space and opportunities for the participation of local Sabah companies.
Ewon hoped the findings from the engagement sessions could be consolidated and presented at the Sabah Bumiputera Economic Congress.
The session was organised by Teraju and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Sabah. The Kota Kinabalu session was the final session following engagement sessions held in Kota Marudu, Keningau, Sandakan and Tawau.
