KOTA KINABALU: A new port, an old airport, thousands of hectares of oil palm plantation and a vivid memory of an intrusion by terrorists from southern Philippines.
These are among key topics raised in the eastern constituency of Lahad Datu, where challengers in the three-way contest will face an uphill task to unseat custodians, Parti Warisan, in the coming polls.
Warisan will defend the seat, formerly known as Silam before it was changed in 2019, with front runner Datuk Yusof Apdal - the brother of party president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal - leading the charge.
Yusof was formerly the state assemblyman for Lahad Datu, a seat he won with the Umno-Barisan Nasional ticket in 2013.
Lahad Datu, then Silam, was won by Mohammadin Ketapi in 2018 but he had since left the party and opted to stay out of the race with his new team, Parti Bangsa Malaysia.
Challenging him are Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-BN alliance candidate Datuk Maizatul of Umno and Sia Yu Hock of Pakatan Harapan. Sia is a member of DAP.
Lahad Datu, as a parliamentary constituency which state seats were dominated by Warisan in the 16th Sabah State Election in 2020.
The seats are Tungku, Segama, Silam and Kunak. With Muhammadin's departure, Segama is now under PBM.
The majority of the 100,256 voters are made up of those from Muslim bumiputera community with nearly 80 per cent and the area, which covers three districts, measure about 8,509 sq km.
Many oil palm entities are in the district including Felda in Sahabat, the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) and the newly commissioned POIC, tells of the promise in story for the constituency.
Hoping to break the Warisan dominance is Maizatul, who stressed the area needed all the help it could get to reach its potential and achieve much of its promise for the people.
One major development that needs to be highlighted is the construction of a new airport that has long been a talking point for the district, she said, adding that it would be listed among her priority if elected into office.
"For me, this is a call-of-duty and also as a part of women empowerment initiatives for Malaysian women to play a bigger role and contribute more for the progress and stability of this nation.
"I truly believed in 'alone we can do so little, together we can do so much' and for the nation to reach stability and make progress, Malaysian needs to work together to reach the Better Nation," she said of Lahad Datu that had endured many challenges in the past such as the intrusion by the Sulu terrorists in 2013.
Maizatul said she hoped for her personal mantra, "visible, trust and work hard" would carry her through to earn the people's mandate.
"Lahad Datu needs progress and stability. BN can provide this."