KOTA KINABALU: United Progressive People of Kinabalu (UPKO) president Datuk Ewon Benedick said the party wants Malaysia to continue to be progressive and reject campaigns that could cause tension between races in the country.
Ewon, who is also the Minister for Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperatives, said issues of religion, race and royalty should not be used as political or campaign material as misrepresentation can cause tension.
“I do not believe that the campaign’s focus on these three things will lead Malaysia to a more progressive future, because in the context of Sabah and Sarawak, we want clear leadership representing the interests of all states, religions and communities,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters after officiating the Jom XCESS SME Bank Pusat Wilayah Sabah programl here, today.
“We need national leaders who can represent the interests of all regions and states across the country, and the interests of all races.
“We respect the constitutional rights of all races. The constitution is clear enough to recognize Islam as the official religion, the Agong as the king and Bahasa Melayu as the national language. So let it be the status ‘quo’, while other races have rights that are enshrined and practiced according to the constitution and cannot be disputed,” he said.
Ewon therefore felt that the Sedition Act should prevent controversial discussion of certain issues.
“Let’s talk about development policies during the election, such as how we can help develop Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (PMKS) in this country.”
“We can also discuss political stability policies as the basis for the development and prosperity of the country,” he added.
