Malaysian minister Ewon Benedick resigns from Cabinet over Sabah's 40% ruling
"As the President of UPKO, I would like to see Sabah's rights exercised. That's the principle and the reason I joined politics," wrote Ewon Benedick, who is also Malaysia's Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister.
Malaysian politician Ewon Benedick speaking at an event in Sabah, Malaysia on Nov 8, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Ewon Benedick Official Media)
Malaysian politician Ewon Benedick announced his resignation from the Cabinet on Saturday (Nov 8), over what he said was "disregard" by the country's Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for Sabah's constitutional right to 40 per cent of federal revenue derived from the state.
Ewon, who is Malaysia's Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister, wrote in a Facebook post that he disagreed with the AGC's stance and that it was "awkward" for him to remain in the Cabinet while holding an opposing view.
"The AGC's approach towards the 40 per cent entitlement during my three years in the federal Cabinet has contradicted my stance as UPKO president," said Ewon, who is also president of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) party.
He decided to resign after reviewing the written judgment by Kota Kinabalu High Court judge Celestina Stuel Galid in the judicial review filed by the Sabah Law Society and found that AGC's position ignored the historical basis of Malaysia's formation.
Last month, the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled that the Malaysian federal government had acted unlawfully by failing to fulfil Sabah's 40 per cent entitlement for nearly 50 years.
In addition, the court issued a mandamus order, which compels Putrajaya to review the revenue allocation with the Sabah government.
It also ordered that an agreement be reached on Sabah’s 40 per cent share of federal revenue for each financial year from 1974 to 2021, with this process to be completed within 180 days.
The AGC confirmed on Saturday that it had received the court's written judgment and that it would examine its reasoning before deciding on the next course of action, the Malay Mail reported.
“The department will conduct a thorough review of the judgment and consider all relevant legal aspects before taking any further action,” the AGC said on Saturday.
Citing UPKO's constitution, Ewon said one of the party's principles was to uphold the 1963 Malaysia Treaty and Sabah's constitutional rights.
He added that UPKO's fight was rooted in the Cobbold Commission Report, the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, the MA63, and the Malaysia Act, all of which set the terms for Sabah’s participation in the formation of Malaysia.
The Cobbold Commission was set up to determine whether the people of Sabah and Sarawak backed the proposal to create the federation of Malaysia, which also initially included Singapore. The commission had emphasised that Sabah and Sarawak should be equal partners to Malaya.
The Inter-governmental Committee Report was made in line with recommendations by the Cobbold Commission when formulating the framework of the federal constitution to include the interests and safeguards of the Borneo states.
The Malaysia Agreement of 1963 was signed by Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, with the intention of forming the federation of Malaysia.
The Malaysia Act 1963 created the state called Malaysia, which is made up of eleven states of the former Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and initially, Singapore.
There was a need to respect what was stipulated in these documents, said Ewon, which included the recognition and implementation of Sabah’s entitlement to 40 per cent of federal revenue collected from the state.
Previously, Ewon was part of a group of Pakatan Harapan (PH) elected representatives who filed an originating summons against the federal and Sabah governments in June 2022 over the 40 per cent issue, according to the Malay Mail.
The summons was later withdrawn in September 2023 after PH formed the government.
"As the President of UPKO, I would like to see Sabah's rights exercised. That's the principle and the reason I joined politics," he wrote on Facebook.
Ewon wrote that the AGC should not file an appeal, but instead begin consultations with the Sabah government to implement the 40 per cent entitlement.
The former minister added he would formally inform Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of his resignation from the Cabinet and call for a special meeting on Monday to discuss the "Sabah First" agenda, which would guide UPKO's direction.
Ewon thanked Anwar for the opportunity to serve in the Cabinet, which he said had been a platform for him to fight for Sabah's rights.
News outlet Free Malaysia Today reported that Ewon had sparked speculation about his Cabinet position after attending a farewell event organised by his ministry's staff in Putrajaya on Saturday.
During a meeting with the ministry's staff and agencies last week, Ewon reportedly said: "This may be my last speech as entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister."
Ewon had previously said that he was prepared to relinquish his post if the federal government appeals the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision.
In 2021, UPKO formally joined PH, a move that the party's secretary-general Nelson Angang described as "timely" for the party to actively strengthen the opposition bloc in its struggle to achieve a progressive Malaysia, Malaysian newspaper the New Straits Times reported.
Ewon was appointed entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister on Dec 3, 2022, following Anwar's cabinet reshuffle. He was later appointed Sabah's PH chairman on Dec 1, 2024.
