KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Ewon Benedick aims to fulfil the mandate assigned to him as the new chairman of Sabah Pakatan Harapan.
“I want to implement the mandate given to me the best I can,” said the Upko president regarding his appointment as the state Pakatan chief after winning its internal polls on Dec 1.
“Many leaders have commented on it, so I do not wish to say more (but) I just want to move on,” he said when met during a Christmas open house organised by the Penampang MP’s service centre in Penampang near here on Saturday (Dec 28).
Benedick, who is also the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, said that those still discontented with the result could contest the position when the two-year term comes up.
“That is the appropriate time to assess my leadership,” said the Penampang MP.
Benedick was elected as the state Pakatan chairman after defeating former chief Datuk Seri Christina Liew by only three votes in a poll during the party’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Dec 1.
Liew, the Api-Api PKR chief, however, revealed during a party function on Dec 19 that "the matter is still in the process," hinting at a possible leadership reshuffle within Sabah Pakatan.
Liew said that the appointment of the state coalition chief was ultimately at the discretion of Pakatan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
There was also talk of unhappiness among PKR members who felt the state chairman quota should belong to the party (PKR).
Sabah Pakatan Youth leaders, however, threw their support behind Benedick when news reports emerged of a leadership shake-up within the state coalition so soon after the party election.
