UPKO presents input for Bumiputera Economic Congress

2 February, 2024

By Wartawan Nabalu News

PENAMPANG: The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) today presented input and suggestions for the Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) to the Chairman of the Bumiputera Cluster Sabah, Associate Professor Datuk Dr. Ramzah Dambul.

UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick, together with the Entrepreneurship and Economic Bureau, held a meeting and discussion with Dr. Ramzah at the Sabah Institute of Development Studies (IDS).

According to Ewon, the KEB will be held at the Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC) from February 29 to March 2, and the government has appointed Dr. Ramzah as the Chairman of the Bumiputera Cluster Sabah.

"When discussing the KEB, I requested that the issues of Sabah Bumiputera and Non-Malay Bumiputera economics be given focus and that a separate discussion be held. Therefore, the government decided to hold the Bumiputera Cluster Sabah and Bumiputera Cluster Sarawak in this congress.

"As a party committed to developing the socio-economic status and empowering the participation of Sabah Bumiputeras in entrepreneurship and economic activities, UPKO today presented input and suggestions to Dr. Ramzah to be included in the preparation of the congress resolution."

Of course, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives will be one of the strategic ministries that will implement the congress resolutions in the future.

"Therefore, I would like to see a resolution where my ministry can play a significant and important role in the economic and entrepreneurial development of Sabah and Sarawak," he said in a media statement today.

Ewon, who is also the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, stated that he will invite both the Chairman of the Bumiputera Cluster Sabah and Sarawak to present the resolutions to his ministry after the congress.

"I believe, as I have aspired all along, the government can introduce an Eastward-looking policy within the country, providing significant additional focus on Sabah and Sarawak in the economic and entrepreneurial development of the people.

"That's why I will invite the Chairman of the Bumiputera Cluster Sabah and the Chairman of the Bumiputera Cluster Sarawak to provide a special briefing to my ministry in March so that we can adopt the congress resolutions as initiatives or programmes to be implemented in the ministry," he said.

Also present at the meeting were the Chairman of UPKO's Entrepreneurship and Economic Bureau, Datuk Gilbert Sham, INSKEN Trustee Board Member Mary Jim, and Deputy President of the Momogun National Congress, Datuk Stephen Sampil.