KUDAT: Kudat district could become a key tourist hub in northern Sabah, Sabah BN Tanjong Kapor candidate Kevin Lee Sip Kim said.
He added that long-standing accessibility issues must be addressed for the district to reach its full potential.
“We have many attractive destinations, of which the most popular is Tanjung Mengayau, beautiful beaches like Pantai Bak Bak, and also the Labuan Forest Reserve for those more adventurous tourists,” he said, adding that Kudat’s seafood is among its strengths as many residents are fishermen.
The district, which is about three to four hours from here, is also ideal for water sports activities such as scuba diving and surfing.
The Sabah government had also held the Simpang Mengayau Sunset Music Festival for ten years, with the last one taking place on June 4, 2016.
Lee said that at this moment, tourists have to travel from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat by road, which takes up to three to four hours on a good day.
“Ask anyone who has driven here, they will tell you that the road conditions are bad and bumpy, and even lack lighting in some areas,” he said, adding that better infrastructure would not only attract tourists but also ease daily travel for locals.
The 64-year-old, who is from here and is the son of Kudat’s first nominated assemblyman Lee On Yin (1963–1967), said that apart from roads, he also advocates for the reactivation of the airport to improve connectivity.
The Sabah MCA deputy chief also wants to revive the district’s ferry terminal to restore roll-on, roll-off (RORO) services and support marine tourism.
Beyond accessibility, Lee said Kudat continues to face unreliable utilities and a lack of accommodations.
“Blackouts are common here. More steps can be taken to stabilise these basic necessities,” he said, promising to resolve these issues within three years by leveraging federal–state cooperation and implementing stronger oversight mechanisms to ensure resources reach the ground.
Lee is facing a 11-cornered fight for the seat of 34,001 voters.
The incumbent assemblyman Datuk Ben Chong won the seat in 2020 under the Parti Warisan ticket. This time, Chong is defending the seat as Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate.
KW: Malaysia, Malaysia News, NST, regional, Sabah election, Sabah state election, Sabah general election, PRN Sabah, PRN Sabah 2025, Pilihan raya Sabah, Pilihan raya negeri Sabah, Kudat, Sabah MCA, Kevin Lee, Tourism Development, Accessibility, Infrastructure, Sabah Election, Northern Sabah Development
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