KOTA KINABALU, Nov 21 — After a 30-year career that saw him rise to the top ranks of local aviation, former AirAsia deputy group CEO Datuk Captain Chester Voo has made a dramatic pivot, trading his high-flying corporate life to join Parti Warisan as an ordinary member and campaign for a “better” Sabah.

The 50-year-old, who once oversaw 1,000 daily flights and 16,000 employees, said he left his lucrative position because he felt a compelling need to “give back” to the home state he left 32 years ago.

Voo said the turning point came during a recent visit, when a drive around the state capital left him increasingly frustrated with Sabah’s poor infrastructure, from unsafe “baby roundabouts” to flawed pavements and avoidable flooding.

“Funding isn’t the issue. There is a need for discipline and service in the job,” he said. That frustration sparked a deeper realisation. 

“With all this experience and professional success, I realised I had done nothing for my own home.”

From aviation star to political hopeful

Born in Sandakan, Voo began his career as a MAS cadet pilot in 1993 before joining AirAsia in 2008. 

He later helmed the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), where he was credited with transforming the organisation.

A chance meeting with Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal in October cemented his new path. 

“I believed in his vision,” Voo said. “My expertise is in restructuring and implementation bringing back ailing projects.”

“I want to treat Sabah like I would a company and make it work so much better, and Warisan was a good platform to do it.”

He informed his wife he was resigning and returning home. 

While Capital A’s Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Bo Lingam offered to let him campaign without resigning, Voo felt he needed to go all in. 

“To pour my blood, sweat and tears into this, I needed to resign.”

Vision for a ‘better’ Sabah

Voo, who is not contesting a seat, said his immediate plan is to help the party, but his long-term hope is to apply his expertise to the state, particularly its tourism ambitions.

“As an aviation expert, one of my visions is to double tourist arrivals from 3.1 million,” he said, arguing that this would require a new airport with maximised surrounding value.

He believes Sabah would benefit from a government that balances politicians with technocrats like himself. 

“A government with a balance of politicians and technocrats will provide better abilities to drive policies and more efficient implementation,” he said.

Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking welcomed Voo, calling him one of many successful Sabahans “answering the call of duty to save Sabah.”