I back Cabinet decision: Ewon

Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: Industrial Development Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin broke his silence on the planned relocation of part of the Kg Sri Tanjung squatters to the Maang area, Tuesday, saying he stands by the decision of the State Government.

Stressing that a collective decision had been reached in the Cabinet, Ewon said: "As a Cabinet Minister, I have to abide by the Cabinet decision."

He was asked by reporters during a function at a hotel here Tuesday as to whether he was in a dilemma on the matter since his party Upko had openly expressed unhappiness over the issue.

"My colleague (Upko President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok) in the party has already said something about it, so I am not going to comment," said Ewon, who is also a Vice President of Upko.

Several Umno Members of Parliament advised Upko last week to leave the Barisan Nasional coalition if it chose to take a confrontational stand over the issue. They insisted the squatters were locals.

The MPs questioned Dompok's action and questioned whether he was never briefed on the relocation by Ewon.

This followed Dompok's visit to the Maang area where he expressed disappointment over the State Government decision. Dompok said he would be referring the matter to the Prime Minister. Dompok had said that compensation was the right course of action instead of relocation, in view of the doubtful status of many of the squatters. He urged the Government to reconsider its decision, saying there was still time.

Upko also refuted Sabah Umno's suggestions that it was not adhering to Barisan Nasional's consultation concept, saying what it sought was a comprehensive solution to the serious squatter problem in Sabah, which had been ranked as the worst State where squatters are concerned.

On whether he would persuade his party to accept the State government's decision, Ewon said the mater would be decided within the party.
Meanwhile, during a press conference at the Infrastructure Development Ministry, its Minister Datuk Raymond Tan emphasised that the State Cabinet worked as a team in arriving at the decision to relocate the squatters to the said area.

"Our decision was made based on the facts presented to us from the various departments involved.

"If we are wrong on these facts, then we will take steps to correct it," he said, adding it was not the Government's intention to make things difficult for the Maang residents.

Tan further said that during the Cabinet's deliberation on whether to relocate the squatters, the question of whether all of them should be relocated arose.

"The Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Musa Aman), with the sensitivity of the issue in mind, quite firmly decided to try not to move all of them but a lesser number (of the squatters)," he said, adding that Musa also took into account the residents' views on the matter.

"These are the principles that we operated on (when making the decision)," he said, adding the decision was not made based on race issues or personality.
Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said the relocation was not Musa's fault as the latter's priority was to get the much awaited expansion of KK airport under way.

Kurup, instead, blamed the situation on the two senior Kadazandusun-Murut Ministers in the State Cabinet, referring to Ewon and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan