Penampang UPKO fully supports Ewon to contest in Penampang parliamentary - Donald

22 October 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

PENAMPANG: Penampang United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) fully supports its upper party leadership's decision to nominate Datuk Ewon Benedick to contest in the upcoming general election under Pakatan Harapan (PH) banner for the Penampang parliamentary seat.

Its vice president Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin, said that he was also involved in the decision-making.

"With the current politics nowadays, UPKO believes that it needs a fresh, dynamic and capable leadership. We consider Datuk Ewon as a highly potential leader that can bring the fights Sabah and its multiracial people to a higher level.

"What more, being the youngest president in UPKO and also one of the youngest party presidents throughout Malaysia at the age of 39.

"Actually, Datuk Ewon is no stranger to Penampang because his late father, Benedict Yong, is from Kg. Penampang Proper. Datuk Ewon grew up there and went to school at SM St. Michael," he said in a statement today.

Donald who is also the Penampang UPKO Division Chief said, the members of Penampang UPKO are very proud of the incoming party president who started his political journey in his 20s as the UPKO Komulakan Chief.

"Since 2005, during his tenure as the UPKO Komulakan Chief, Ewon often visited the villages in Penampang to help the UPKO people's representatives here.

"He grew up in UPKO as a caliber, principled, integrated, mature and loyal leader. He symbolizes the transformation of UPKO in a new political era.

"Ewon’s acceptance as the party's top leader shows UPKO's confidence in his and young leaders’ leadership. Therefore, we accept his nomination with an open heart," he said.

Donald stressed that the upcoming GE15 is very important in order to change the Federal Government and also to elect a new Prime Minister.

"In the national context, only the PH coalition is capable and has the strength as an alternative to the Barisan Nasional (BN) or Perikatan Nasional (PN) government which has clearly failed in the administration of the country.

"We believe that the voters in Penampang understand this objective. I pray and hope that the people of Penampang, especially the younger generation, will support and vote for the PH candidate Datuk Ewon in our efforts to establish a new federal government that is secular, inclusive, transparent and fight for reform for the good of the country and the people," he said.

Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau has confirmed that Ewon, the vice president of UPKO, will be the incoming president, during the Tri-Annual delegates conference which was supposed to be held on 16 Oct. The conference was forced to postpone to another date after the GE15.

Donald said that the change of UPKO President was part of the party's rebranding and succession agenda.

"This is also the same as the decision to nominate Ewon in Penampang. The P. 174 Penampang area is an important and dynamic area for UPKO.

"It is the birthplace of UPKO's ‘spiritual leader’, the late Datuk Peter Mojuntin, an outstanding fighter of UNKO and UPKO in the past whom we admire and who is an inspiration to UPKO today.

"Besides that, UPKO of this era was born in Penampang in 1994 and the first President of UPKO was Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who is also from Penampang. UPKO believes that the current political era needs fresh and more dynamic and capable leaders like Ewon," he said.