TAWAU: Former Kalabakan Member of Parliament, Ma’mun Sulaiman, now contesting the Kukusan state seat for Parti Warisan, has pledged to transform 100 acres of unused land at the old Tawau Airport into a new industrial zone if given the people’s mandate.
He said the site’s strategic location near Tawau Port makes it ideal for economic development and job creation through new factories and businesses.
However, Ma’mun said priority must first be given to upgrading basic infrastructure, including roads, water supply and electricity, across the 8,000-square-foot Kukusan constituency.
“Sabah’s 17th state election is important for locals to support Warisan’s vision as a local party to develop our State.
“We must unite now as we are already 30 years behind neighbouring states. Infrastructure is deteriorating badly. Tawau even suffered a 20-hour power outage. This cannot continue,” he said.
The election has created an unusual family rivalry, with Ma’mun facing his sister Chaya Sulaiman (BN-Umno), who is seeking re-election after the previous State polls.
Both siblings insist the political contest has not affected their family bonds despite differing ideologies, with relatives staying relaxed about the situation and voting privately to avoid hurt feelings.
“In 2018, she stood against me in Kalabakan for BN-Umno, and then in 2020, I competed against Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy whilst she supported him.
Now fate has us facing each other in Kukusan. No problem, our relationship remains strong as we are competing healthily and maturely,” Ma’mun said.
Chaya echoed this sentiment, saying the contest poses no family issues as they are each fighting under their own political banners.
She expressed gratitude to the BN leadership for selecting her as the Kukusan candidate after her narrow 10-vote defeat to Datuk Rina Jainal of Warisan previously.
“Those 10 votes have not dampened my spirit to continue serving the area. In fact, they have become the foundation stone of my fight for the people of Kukusan,” she said.
Chaya noted that sibling political battles are nothing new in the constituency, citing the late Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh, who held an unbeaten six-term record before Ma’mun defeated him in 2018, once faced his brother Hamud Salleh in the 1994 Merotai state seat contest.
The newly created Kukusan seat following constituency boundary changes has emerged as one of the hottest battlegrounds in the state election, with 10 candidates, including four women, vying for victory.
