The Sabah Bugis Community Association (PKBS) embarked on a community rebranding exercise in 2011 to further improve the image of the Bugis community and boost their contribution to Sabah's economy and in promoting unity among the people.

The community's image improvement activities focus on bettering their social, education and economic image in line with the social, political and economic policies of Malaysian government.

Sabah Bugis Association is organizing various activities and programmes for the benefit of the Bugis community including those in the service sector so that Bugis entrepreneurs would be competitive and be able to provide quality service to their customers.

"We would also like to improve the image of ethnic Bugis in education as we do not want to see Sabah Bugis community or Malays of Bugis descent in Sabah not obtaining education due to poverty....We also do not want to see or hear about children of Bugis community becoming dropouts because of poverty,"

President of PKBS Sabah Bugis Community Association
Datuk Osman Jamal

Datuk Osman Jamal is also the Sabah Land and Survey Department director.

PKBS overcome these problems by setting up an education fund and providing tuition assistance to improve the community's human capital quality and develop potential talents.

The Bugis have a rich history and culture.  Bugis (Ugi) are a dynamic highly mobile people originated from the province of South Sulawesi (The Celebes).

Skilled sailor-navigators, fighters and traders, many left their homes to seek success and wealth in the late 17th century.

Some of them settled in Selangor on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia where they traded in tin. They were also active in Perak and Kedah.

The Bugis captured Johor and Riau in 1721. In 1819, Johor was controlled by the Temenggong. The Riau-Linggi Sultanate, in the Riau Archipelago, was controlled by the Bugis.

Over time, the Bugis migrants adopted Malay-Muslim customs and merged with Malay society. Intermarriage secured the Bugis bloodline. As a result, Johor’s racial mix of Malays are mostly of Javanese and Bugis descent.

The Bugis houses are built on stilts and they have tall windows that allow in the breeze to ventilate the rooms.