KUALA LUMPUR: Nov 3, 2026 — The fate of thousands of native land owners in Sabah took centre stage in the Dewan Rakyat today. Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick raised Sabahans’ concerns over the drastic cut to the allocation for the Sabah Native Land Survey Programme (PANTAS) under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which is seen as risking the rights and economic future of bumiputeras in the state.
According to Ewon, the programme’s allocation ceiling has been cut to only RM10 million for the 2026 to 2030 period, compared with RM202.45 million channelled throughout the 10MP to 12MP.
“I urge the Federal Government to retain the PANTAS allocation for the 13MP as in the 12MP, that is at least RM76 million or RM15 million a year,” he said while debating the committee-level Budget for the Prime Minister’s Department.
To ensure the programme’s effective implementation, he proposed that the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division (BHESS) be fully tasked with monitoring PANTAS.
Native land was not the only concern raised by the elected representative. Ewon also reiterated calls for the electoral boundary review to restore the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“This new delimitation must give no less than one-third of parliamentary seats to Sabah and Sarawak as a constitutional guarantee,” he stressed.
Ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16), Ewon urged that a postal voting mechanism be established. The move would make it easier for Sabahans working or studying in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak to vote without having to return to their home state.
He said the facility should be implemented given that Malaysian voters abroad are allowed to vote without having to travel back and forth.
In the same debate, he questioned the surge in the National Security Council’s (NSC) allocation next year to RM746.46 million compared with RM68.30 million in 2026. He demanded details of asset projects to be carried out in Sabah.
Ewon also urged the continuous empowerment of the Borneonisation policy in the Federal Public Service, not only in terms of local recruitment but also the appointment of Federal Department Heads in Sabah.
