BONGAWAN: Development in Bongawan is short of the people’s expectations despite Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin’s nearly two terms as Kimanis Member of Parliament.
Bongawan Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) Youth Chief AK Jamaluddin Pg Mohd Yassin said this failure is evident as even the promises he made during the 2020 Kimanis by-election campaign— the construction of the Kimanis Mini Stadium and the Kimanis Community College — were not fulfilled.
Both projects were promoted as key initiatives to uplift young people, but the reality is that after almost five years, residents of Kimanis and Bongawan are still waiting for promises that never materialised.
“The Kimanis Mini Stadium Mohamad promised was never built, while the Kimanis Community College —approved when Tan Sri Anifah Aman was the Kimanis MP — also saw no follow-up action from Mohamad, resulting in it never being established.
“How are people expected to trust his new promises when his track record shows repeated failures to deliver on commitments made to the youth, the very group he claimed he wanted to empower?
“How can he aspire to become the assemblyman for Bongawan when even as the MP for Kimanis, development in Bongawan remains stagnant — made worse by his added burden of serving as Deputy Foreign Minister,” Jamaluddin.
He claimed many people — including Umno members in Kimanis — feel Mohamad was being “greedy” when the opportunity should be given to other younger leaders.
He said Mohamad could still contribute to Bongawan through his existing capacity as Kimanis MP, as the parliamentary area also covers Bongawan, without needing to contest the state seat.
“With promises not delivered, why take on more by wanting to become Bongawan assemblyman as well?
“Let someone else with more experience, more time and stronger networks such as Anifah step in to help. When Anifah was Kimanis MP, he had two different assemblymen assisting the constituency,” he said.
Jamaluddin said Mohamad’s failures can also be seen in Bongawan town shop lots that were destroyed in a fire.
“This debris still there shows Mohamad lacks the ability to plan, lobby, or ensure the implementation of any development project and is not a suitable candidate,” he said.
Jamaluddin stressed that Mohamad’s weaknesses become even more apparent as he continues to rely on the “lifeline” of top Umno national leaders to bolster his campaign in Bongawan.
“He now depends on Umno leaders from peninsula to save his campaign.
“His reliance on outsiders is clear proof that he lacks confidence in his own grassroots machinery.
“It is also a blow to the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) as he needs outsiders to step in.”
He said Anifah’s struggle for the implementation of MA63 has long been proven.
