PAPAR: GRS candidate Tan Sri Anifah Aman (
pic) says Bongawan must choose a representative who can stand up to Federal pressure and deliver long-overdue development as Sabah enters what he described as a defining decade for economic growth in the state’s south.
In a forthright statement, the former Foreign Minister warned that Bongawan risks another five years of stagnation if voters select candidates he said are too dependent on support from Putrajaya.
“Bongawan needs a leader who speaks for Sabah first, not someone who waits for approval from the federal government,” Anifah said.
“I have fought for MA63, I have pushed for the 40 per cent revenue return, and I have never hesitated to challenge the federal powers when Sabah’s rights were ignored.”
His remarks came amid growing criticism of federal-endorsed BN candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin, whom he accused of lacking autonomy due to party discipline and ministerial responsibilities in Kuala Lumpur.
“If as an MP and Deputy Minister he could not pressure the federal government on Sabah’s rights, how will he do it as a state assemblyman without a Cabinet role?” Anifah said.
He added that Bongawan cannot afford a part-time assemblyman, noting that no elected representative from the constituency has ever held a full Sabah ministerial post.
Some analysts have observed that Mohamad, who is currently the Kimanis MP, faces questions about whether he can juggle both federal and state duties if elected.
State political blocs have also signalled that candidates aligned too closely with Putrajaya are unlikely to be appointed to the Sabah Cabinet.
The current Bongawan assemblyman, Dr Daud Yusof, is widely regarded as approachable and active at the grassroots level, but residents increasingly feel that after two terms, major structural issues remain unresolved.
These include employment opportunities, infrastructure gaps, uneven access to education and slow investment activity in the constituency.
Anifah said good intentions alone no longer meet Bongawan’s needs.
“Dr Daud is a good man, and I respect him,” he said of the Parti Warisan representative.
“But after ten years, the limits of his political influence are clear, and Bongawan now needs someone who can pull national attention, investment and policy change.”
He added that the constituency requires not only a career politician but someone with entrepreneurial ability and diplomatic experience, skills he said took years to develop.
Anifah positioned himself as the only candidate with both the seniority and independence to confront federal leaders on Sabah’s behalf.
“I left Umno because I refused to be bound by promises that were never fulfilled, and I formed my own party because Sabah must chart its own future,” said the Parti Cinta Sabah president.
“I do not need federal blessings to speak, and I do not wait for Kuala Lumpur to decide what Sabah deserves.”
He argued that Bongawan, strategically located within a developing southern growth corridor, needs a representative with enough political weight to secure large-scale projects and negotiate directly with both state and federal governments.
“This constituency needs a leap forward, not another cycle of small projects and delayed promises,” Anifah said.
“If Bongawan wants real change, it must choose a leader brave enough to demand it, and I am offering all of myself to you.”
At the same time, he acknowledged strong local sentiments among the majority Bruneian Malays in Bongawan, who often support leaders based on close emotional and ethnic ties.
“I understand the sentiments here; our community is close-knit and people feel connected to one another,” he said.
“But sentiments alone will not change Bongawan much.”
“If I must be direct, sentiments do not put food on our tables, they do not put money in our pockets, they do not help us become financially independent, and they do not create opportunities for our children.”
