KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s state assembly meeting should be held as soon as possible, says Datuk Ewon Benedick.
The Kadamaian assemblyman said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor should call for the meeting without having to wait for the end of the Emergency Ordinance or for Parliament to convene first.
“There are many pressing matters to discuss, especially on Covid-19 related issues and ways to manage the pandemic on our own,” the Upko vice-president said Sunday (July 4).
Ewon said issues such as the SOPs for the pandemic management including the confusion on dine-ins and the relaxation of several economic sectors needed to be looked into as well.
He said the federal government has yet to respond and update the SOPs needed, whereas the inability for the state government to give an update on the matter shows poor political will on Sabah’s side.
“If we have to wait for Parliament to convene before we can have our state assembly sitting, that would further prove that the state government is not able to implement its own autonomy,” Ewon said.
He added that while Sabahans supported all initiatives regarding autonomy, nothing could be achieved without a strong political will.
“We cannot have one announcement done but left hanging due to the federal government’s non-committal attitude,” Ewon said.
He said with Sabah holding its state assembly meeting before Parliament reconvenes, matters and issues relating to SOPs and recovery plans in Sabah can be discussed and brought up when Parliament meets.
“The state cannot depend on federal announcements and decisions because not everything they decide works well for our needs,” he said.
Ewon said if the state government was serious about a plan, they should first bring it up in the state Cabinet meeting and assembly sittings so that they can later forward it to the federal government for discussion in Parliament.
