Sabah and Sarawak can become 'kingmakers', determine who will lead Federal government

Datuk Ewon Benedick, President of the UPKO, emphasized the significant political influence of Sabah and Sarawak in shaping the Federal government and national leadership. He stressed that these two states should not only be viewed through the current political perspective, but rather within the larger context of the Malaysian federation. Ewon believes that Sabah and Sarawak possess the power to determine who will become the Prime Minister, and therefore, they should be considered as kingmakers in the country's governance.

The UPKO leader reiterated that the political strength of Sabah and Sarawak should not be underestimated, especially when it comes to determining the direction of the Federal government and national leadership. He also noted that the position of Sabah and Sarawak should be recognized and their interests should be given due attention in the federal administration.

Following a statement by Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) President Datuk Larry Sng, who claimed that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) will no longer be kingmakers in the 16th General Election (GE16) if Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) secure a simple majority, Ewon stressed that such a view should not be overlooked.

He reiterated that Sabah and Sarawak play a crucial role in ensuring their interests continue to be considered in the Federal administration, consistent with their contributions to the formation of Malaysia.

Ewon mentioned that the UPKO will present its views and stance on the matter during discussions with the GRS, particularly in relation to the two parliamentary seats held by the party. UPKO hopes to retain the Tuaran and Penampang parliamentary seats for future contests, but the distribution of seats will be discussed internally within the GRS.

Ewon added that if the issue revolves around seat allocation, negotiations will take place between UPKO and other parties within the GRS, while the retention of the existing UPKO seats (Tuaran and Penampang) will be handled through internal GRS processes.