In a Facebook post, Ewon said he will write to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to inform him of his resignation.
“I would like to thank the prime minister for the opportunity to serve in the federal Cabinet which I used to champion the rights of Sabahans,” he said.
The Upko president cited his party’s principle to uphold the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Sabah’s constitutional rights as his reason for quitting his Cabinet post.
He said Upko’s struggle was rooted in the Cobbold Commission Report, the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, the MA63, and the Malaysia Act, all of which set the terms for Sabah’s participation in the formation of Malaysia.
He said there was a need to respect what had been stipulated in these documents, including the recognition and implementation of Sabah’s entitlement to 40% of federal revenue collected from the state.
Ewon said he had studied the written judgment by Kota Kinabalu High Court judge Celestina Stuel Galid in the judicial review filed by the Sabah Law Society and found that the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ position ignored the historical basis of Malaysia’s formation.
“I cannot agree with the AGC’s position and views,” he said, describing them as inconsistent with Sabah’s rights as enshrined in the nation’s founding documents.
He said that as the AGC serves as the legal adviser to the prime minister and the federal government, it would be “awkward” for him to remain in the Cabinet while holding an opposing view.
“The AGC’s approach towards the 40% entitlement during my three years in the federal Cabinet has contradicted my stance as Upko president,” he said.
Earlier today, it was reported that the Penampang MP had sparked speculation about his Cabinet position after attending a farewell event organised by his ministry’s staff in Putrajaya yesterday.
Berita Harian quoted a source as saying that Ewon also announced he would be on leave from Nov 11 to 29, but did not comment on resigning from his ministerial post.
During a meeting with ministry staff and agencies in Temerloh last week, he was quoted as saying: “This may be my last speech as entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister.”
Ewon had previously said that he was prepared to relinquish his post if the federal government appeals the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision.
In his closing speech at the Penampang Upko convention earlier, he said he had informed the prime minister, his deputies as well as other ministers of his stance on the court’s decision.