MALAYSIA, Kota Kinabalu, August 8, 2024 – The Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD), Datuk Ewon Benedick, held a meeting with the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, at Menara Kinabalu here yesterday.
According to Ewon, the meeting discussed various approaches regarding Sabah’s rights under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) and the Federal Constitution, particularly related to the restoration of federal revenue to Sabah.
“Although nine matters related to Sabah’s rights under MA63 have been fully resolved, there are still many issues being negotiated, including the 40 percent entitlement to federal revenue in Sabah,” he said.
Ewon emphasized his commitment at the federal level to advocate for Sabah’s rights and aspirations, complementing the efforts undertaken by the Sabah state government.
Ewon, who also assists Deputy Prime Minister II Dato Seri Fadillah Yusof in coordinating Sabah-related matters, stated that the Federal Government is committed to finding solutions to these demands through the negotiation platform of the MA63 Implementation Action Council and the Technical Committee MTPMA63.
During the visit, Ewon also led a delegation from Bank Rakyat to inform about various cooperative banking initiatives in Sabah. The briefing to the Chief Minister was delivered by the Chief Executive Officer, Dato Dr. Mohammad Hanis Osman.
Among the topics covered were Bank Rakyat’s developments in Sabah, financing programs, zakat contributions, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and the bank’s future plans in Sabah.
Datuk Seri Hajiji, a former Board Member of Bank Rakyat in the 1990s, played a key role in expanding Bank Rakyat’s operations to Sabah.
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