Ewon Benedick Addresses KKIP Appointment Criticism Head-On

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick has responded to criticisms regarding his appointment as the new KKIP Sdn Bhd chairman. This follows backlash against his appointment to the post, with politicians and non-governmental organisations calling him greedy for holding various portfolios in the government. Apart from the Deputy Chief Minister position, Ewon is also Kadamaian assemblyman, Penampang MP, the Sabah Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship, and Transport Minister, and the Upko party president. Critics have also accused Ewon of going against his own words, as several news reports have shown him saying that government-linked companies (GLCs) should be led by capable corporate figures, not politicians. Ewon later claimed he was misquoted, stating his stance was that GLC appointments should balance political and corporate figures. “I ask that the media take it from the source itself, which is from my original statement on my official Facebook page,” Ewon said. He also noted that chairmanship appointments commonly came from elected representatives. “The Prime Minister chairs Khazanah National, the Chief Minister chairs Yayasan Sabah, and on my part, I have a list of corporate figures to be appointed into GLCs representing industries, associations and the business community,” he said. KKIP Sdn Bhd, a strategic state-owned company responsible for managing and developing key industrial areas in Sabah, including attracting investments and developing the industrial ecosystem, falls under the jurisdiction of Ewon’s ministry.