BONGAWAN – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate for the Bongawan state seat, Tan Sri Anifah Aman, has reiterated that his proposal to develop Bongawan into Sabah’s next oil and gas hub is not a political slogan but a realistic development agenda backed by experience and proven achievements.
He said Bongawan’s strategic location and proximity to major energy infrastructure including the Sabah Oil & Gas Terminal (SOGT) in Kimanis, a project he previously initiated during his tenure as Kimanis MP and Malaysia’s Foreign Minister give the constituency strong potential to emerge as an industry powerhouse.
According to Anifah, establishing an oil and gas hub in Bongawan would generate high-income jobs for local youths, attract supporting industries, spur local businesses, raise state revenue and drive comprehensive infrastructure upgrading across the constituency.
“Bongawan has tremendous potential to become Sabah’s next oil and gas hub, and this is not a political gimmick.
“It is a development agenda that can be realised,” he said in a statement today.
He added that his experience in international diplomacy, investment negotiations and global networking puts him in a strong position to secure new strategic partnerships and direct foreign investments that could accelerate Bongawan’s industrial growth.
“We successfully brought SOGT to Kimanis. If Kimanis can become a growth centre, Bongawan can achieve even greater success, with more direct benefits to local communities,” he said.
Anifah noted that the proposed hub would open up new entrepreneurial opportunities for local businesses in logistics, industrial services, food delivery, security, maintenance and cleaning services.
A dedicated technical training centre could also be established to develop highly skilled local talent for oil and gas operations.
“I want to ensure this development is not another unfulfilled promise. The people of Bongawan must be the primary beneficiaries through quality jobs, technical training, local vendor contracts and modern infrastructure,” he said.
At the same time, Anifah appealed for a renewed mandate to complete development initiatives that had previously been left unfinished.
“Allow me to finish what I could not complete. I do not want to leave behind an incomplete legacy. With a renewed mandate, we can bring Bongawan to the next level beyond rhetoric and toward real execution,” he said.
This Sabah state election sees a nine-cornered fight in Bongawan, with Anifah standing as one of the most experienced candidates in the race. He is well known for his strategic role in major state development initiatives and his long-standing involvement in national issues such as MA63.
The oil and gas hub proposal has been positioned as the core of GRS’s manifesto for Bongawan, with Anifah describing the constituency as Sabah’s “next strategic zone,” potentially rising alongside major energy centres like Bintulu and Kemaman. -MalayaDailyToday
