Anwar Confirms No Details On Ewon’s Resignation, Says Minister Attended Cabinet Meeting

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he has not received any details pertaining to the resignation of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.

“Not yet,” he told reporters briefly after performing Friday prayers at Surau Al Quddus, Precinct 16, here.

Anwar said Ewon was present at the Cabinet meeting he chaired this morning.

He said this when asked whether Ewon attended the Cabinet meeting and if he had received any information on the resignation of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) president.

Ewon had expressed his willingness to resign from the Cabinet if the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) files an appeal against the High Court’s decision affirming Sabah’s constitutional right to a 40 per cent revenue entitlement.

On Oct 18, the AGC said it will study the written grounds of judgment from the Kota Kinabalu High Court regarding Sabah’s entitlement to 40 per cent of federal revenue derived from the state before taking any further action. 

It said the court had directed the Federal and Sabah governments to conduct a further review of the Special Grant for the years 1974 to 2022.

The High Court ordered the Federal and Sabah governments to review the 40 per cent special grant entitlement for 1974-2021, giving them 90 days to complete the review and 180 days to reach a final agreement.

The judge made the ruling after allowing the Sabah Law Society’s (SLS) application for a judicial review, which contended that both the Federal and Sabah governments had breached their constitutional duties by failing to legally review the payments.

The case centred on the interpretation of Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution. Article 112C deals with special grants and the assignment of revenue to Sabah and Sarawak, while Article 112D provides for periodic reviews of these grants.

-- BERNAMA