TAWAU, Sept 13 — For the people in Tawau, a mention of Kukusan will bring about an image of the Kukusan Army Camp, the base of the 26th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment.

The area is also known for Bukit Kukusan, the Thirumurugan temple, Hill Top vegetable plantation site, fresh fruit stalls and the old Tawau Airport, all located within a short distance from each other.

Kukusan is one of the 13 new seats to be contested in the 16th Sabah state election.

The constituency is one of the areas earmarked for development by the government, with the latest plan being the Tawau Municipal Council’s proposal to build a museum and an ethnic house in the Tawau old airport area as its tourism products.

Kukusan, which has 12,640 voters, was carved out of the Tanjung Batu seat in the Kalabakan parliamentary constituency.

A resident of Kampung Tanjung Batu Tengah, Kisah Samad, 59, told Bernama that the creation of the Kukusan seat allows the voices, problems and issues of people to be better heard and more development to be brought to the area.

He said the people in Kukusan needs an active elected representative that always goes to the ground to engage with the grassroots.

Augustina Tandiayu, 46, a vegetable farmer, hoped that the assemblyman for the area is someone approachable and has a vision for development that would provide more job opportunities to the locals.

Kukusan witnesses a six-cornered fight involving Barisan Nasional candidate Chaya Sulaiman, Rina Jainal of Parti Warisan Sabah, Ismail @ Taufik Muin from Parti Cinta Sabah, Lee Boon King from Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, Wong Jin Soon from Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, Ismail Idris of the United Sabah National Organisation and Rosdiansah Mohd Nor from Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah. — Bernama