KOTA MARUDU: Kota Marudu should not be known as one of the poorest districts in Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili.
He said the "poor" status referred to the hill rice cultivators, mainly the Sonsogon tribe.
"Otherwise, the lowland communities can compete economically with any agricultural district in Sabah.
"The people here have purchasing power, so we are able to attract big franchises to invest in this district.
"To say that there is no development here is incorrect. I would say Kota Marudu today is a far cry from what it was before, in the 1990s.
"All these developments did not come by chance. We had it all properly planned. What we have achieved so far has met the desires of the people," said the caretaker minister in the prime minister's department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs).
Ongkili, who is defending the seat, made his debut here in 1994 when the constituency had about 69 shop lots and hardly any concrete buildings, with the only asphalt road being between Langkon and the town area.
He said that back then, there was only one bank which was Sabah Bank Bhd (now Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd following a merger in 1999).
Today, the constituency has three additional banks — Bank Simpanan Malaysia, Agrobank and Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd. The number of buildings has increased to 983 shop lots, 1,188 housing areas and at least 32 long houses in both Tandek and Matunggong.
"The vast development here has also lured big franchises to invest in the area. For instance, we have two KFC outlets, three Mr DIY shops as well as other known franchises including Marrybrown, Pizza Hut, Tealive, and OldTown White Coffee.
"In fact, the Servay Jaya Hypermarket sits on a four-acre land in the heart of Kota Marudu, which is believed to be among the largest in Sabah.
"People from neighbouring districts like Kudat, Pitas, Ranau and even Kota Belud would travel here to shop, thanks to the upgraded roads like Jalan Marak-Parak and Jalan Gana," said Ongkili.
The Parti Bersatu Sabah president also said that Kota Marudu has over 60 schools ranging from kindergartens to secondary levels, a vocational school as well as a community college.
Ongkili is leaving it to the electorate to decide on his fate.
"This time around (15th General Election), there are worries that I've been here too long.
"But (Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamed) is 97 and I'm only 69. I offer my electorates my willingness to continue to serve the people. That is what's in our heart. We're sincere in bringing development to the area."