TENOM: Pakatan Harapan’s Kemabong candidate Noorita Sual said the sight of hundreds walking in a “red wave” from Kampung Kungkular to villages across PDM Ulu Tomani reflected the community’s gratitude for the long-awaited completion of a 35km road.
She said the road, though modest in form, had become “the lifeline that connects livelihoods, education, health services, and economic survival for thousands of villagers.”
Noorita said the celebrations did not mask the long-standing worry of many families who had waited between 30 and 40 years for clarity on their Native Title land grants.
According to her, villagers “are not asking for luxury, only for the rights that have been held back for far too long.”
She also highlighted frustration over the stalled Kemabong Cultural House, saying the unfinished cultural centre had become “a symbol of disappointment for the Murut community whose heritage deserves better.”
Noorita added that residents felt Kemabong had lagged behind Sook in governance and services despite being established earlier, and stressed that upgrading Kemabong into a full district would ensure coordinated development and essential facilities.
“I am committed to resolving these long-delayed demands without making the people wait another generation, and I will be a leader who listens, acts, and respects the mandate of Kemabong,” she said.
