Ewon Benedick
Kadamaian (N11) / Penampang (P174)
Age 42
Please log In to leave your votes.
1.7 / 5. rate count: 3
No rates so far! Be the first to rate this Candidates.
- Born on 1 August 1983 in Donggongon, Penampang, Sabah
- Educated at SM St. Michael (Penampang) and holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science (Software Development) from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
- Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Kadamaian since May 2018, winning two terms with increasing majorities in GE14 (2018) and the Sabah State Election (2020)
- Served as State Minister of Rural Development of Sabah from May 2018 to September 2020, addressing urgent rural issues such as water supply and community infrastructure development in Kadamaian
- Member of Parliament (MP) for Penampang since November 2022, winning with a majority of over 14,400 votes
- Appointed as Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives in the federal Unity Cabinet starting 3 December 2022, making him one of only two Cabinet-level Sabah representatives in the national government
- Vice-President of UPKO from 2018 until January 2023; then elected as 3rd President of UPKO on 15 January 2023
- State Chairman of Pakatan Harapan (Sabah) since 1 December 2024, coordinating coalition efforts for Sabah at the national level
- Began his career as a research executive at the Institute for Indigenous Economic Progress Sabah, laying the groundwork for his grassroots-connect style of leadership
- Began political career as Sabah State Minister of Rural Development (2018–2020) under WARISAN, focusing on water shortages and rural development projects in the Kadamaian constituency.
- Elected MP for Penampang in November 2022 with a commanding majority of 14,410 votes.
- Appointed Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives in the Unity Cabinet from December 2022; currently among the youngest federal ministers from Sabah
-
Initiated a consensus coalition among Sabah’s ministers and deputy ministers to vocalise Sabah’s constitutional rights via MA63 in the Federal Cabinet
-
Advocated for a special monitoring unit within Sabah to strengthen implementation of Malaysia Plan development projects by resolving technical and administrative bottlenecks on the ground
-
Oversaw Sabah initiatives boosting the SME and cooperative sector, urging the state to allocate funds in its annual budget and forming coordination committees with federal/state agencies
-
Championed the Tamu Desa rural market development programme—46 markets across 28 districts funded with RM20 million in 2025 to support local traders and rural economies
-
Encouraged agriculture and tourism cooperatives in Sabah, noting RM8.3 million in revenue generated from 48 such groups under his Ministry’s support
-
Celebrated the success of Sabah’s Bumiputera Youth Entrepreneur Tube Programme: over RM20 million in sales since 2014, training 7,738 participants, of whom 1,157 registered businesses created 2,039 jobs
-
Proposed a Sabah Entrepreneurship Development Coordination Committee to align efforts between federal and state agencies, and champion rural enterprise
-
President of UPKO since January 2023, and State Chairman of Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) since December 2024, becoming UPKO’s youngest national leader
1. Slander & Legal Threats Over Road Contract Allegations (January 2021)
He lodged a police report and announced plans to take legal action against an online portal for allegedly accusing him of corruption in maintaining roadworks in Kota Belud.
Daily Express Malaysia (Jan 5, 2021):
https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/164143/ewon-to-act-against-portal/ewon-to-act-against-portal-for-alleged-slander
2. Leadership Rift within Sabah Pakatan Harapan (December 2024–January 2025)
Ewon’s appointment as Sabah PH chairman was contested by Sabah PKR, which claimed the position rightfully belonged to PKR. That dispute led to party leadership tensions and public disagreement.
-
BorneoVox (Jan 3, 2025):
https://borneovox.com/featured/sabah-ph-rift-deepens-as-pkr-snubs-ewon-benedicks-leadership/ -
The Vibes (Jan 4, 2025):
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/104442/sabah-ph-rift-deepens-as-pkr-snubs-ewon-benedicks-leadership
3. Political Messaging & Internal PH Discontent (Dec 2024)
Some Sabah PH youth leaders urged component parties to accept his leadership according to the PH constitution, following objections from PKR leaders.
Daily Express Malaysia (Dec 22, 2024):
https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/248763/ph-leadership-told-heed-decision/
4. Pushback Over Sabah’s 40% Oil Revenue Claim (July 2024)
Critics described his call for urgent action to claim Sabah’s 40% share under MA63 as populist and politically motivated, alleging opportunism within UPKO.
SabahKini2 (July 26, 2024):
https://sabahkini2.com/en/news/6346/tuntutan-40-peratus‑hasil‑ewon‑benedick‑kemaruk‑populis‑relevankan‑upko‑di‑sabah‑wal‑hal‑mereka‑gagal‑bersama‑warisan
5. Comments Against “Backdoor Government” Politics (December 2023)
He publicly rejected attempts to overthrow the Sabah government via party-switching or backdoor maneuvering, urging focus on stability and development instead.
The Borneo Post (Dec 26, 2023 – reported in Sept 2023):
https://www.theborneopost.com/2023/12/26/i-wont-support-backdoor-govt-ewon/