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.

"Fu...