KIULU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate for Kiulu, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, has pledged to continue the comprehensive development plans laid out to strengthen progress in the constituency if given another mandate in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election.
He said the plans represent the continuation of various initiatives carried out in collaboration with the community since he first began serving the area in 2013.
“This mandate is a trust — to ensure that every plan we have laid out can be realised. Kiulu already has a strong foundation, and we must move forward to the next phase,” he said.
Joniston, who is also the Information Chief of GRS and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), previously served as Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, as well as Chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board under the GRS administration.
He also held the same portfolio during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration from 2013 to 2018.
Widely recognised for his contributions to rural and community-based tourism development in Sabah, Joniston spearheaded efforts that positioned Kiulu as a pioneering project for rural tourism initiatives.
He said his focus moving forward will be to elevate Kiulu’s tourism to the international stage, while also strengthening grassroots governance, empowering the agriculture and small industries sectors, and creating more economic and leadership opportunities for youth and women.
Joniston expressed his appreciation to GRS Chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor and PBS Acting President Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam for their confidence and trust in allowing him to continue leading Kiulu.
He said GRS machinery in Kiulu is now actively engaging with the local community to strengthen cooperation and continue listening to the people’s needs.
Joniston also urged Kiulu voters to remain united and to judge based on the coalition’s proven track record and achievements to date.
