BN Sabah names Mohd Ismail as candidate for Lamag by-election, Mohd Naim for Kinabatangan

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 30): Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah has confirmed Mohd Ismail Ayob as its candidate for the Lamag state by-election, while Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar will carry the coalition’s banner for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat.

Announcing the candidates at the Sabah Umno building here, BN Sabah chairman Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the selections were guided by the need to stabilise the post-election political climate while ensuring continuity in development for the people.

Mohd Ismail, who contested the 17th Sabah State Election as an independent candidate, garnered 3,755 votes and narrowly lost the Lamag seat by 153 votes to the late Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Moktar Radin.

Bung Moktar, who retained the seat with 3,908 votes, passed away on Dec 5, a week after the election.

The Election Commission (EC) has fixed Jan 24 for both the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections, with nomination day on Jan 10 and early voting scheduled for Jan 20.

Jafry said Mohd Ismail would be contesting as a unity candidate through BN’s direct membership mechanism.

“Direct membership means he is under Barisan Nasional. He will submit the necessary forms to be processed and formally accepted,” he explained.

Describing the move as an institution-based political strategy, the Umno Sabah liaison chairman said the nomination was aimed at strengthening cooperation, narrowing political divides and ensuring that the people’s development agenda continues without disruption.

“We have just gone through a very intense political period that created a lot of hostility and animosity. Personally, I want to ease the political temperature,” he said, adding that BN Sabah had chosen a middle path that prioritises the welfare of the rakyat.

“The message is clear, Lamag must not be left behind in the mainstream of development,” said Jafry.

For Kinabatangan, BN has nominated Mohd Naim, 36, who is the Umno Youth chief for the constituency and the son of the late Bung Moktar.

Jafry said the decision reflects BN Sabah’s focus on leadership renewal, particularly in light of the growing influence of young voters.

“As seen in the 17th State Election, young voters form a very large segment and play a crucial role in determining a party’s winnability. We must prepare the next generation of leaders to face the future,” he said.

Jafry stressed that BN Sabah was fully aware of the evolving political dynamics in both Lamag and Kinabatangan, noting that these developments must be managed with political maturity, strategic wisdom and prudence, with the people’s interests as the top priority.

He added that BN Sabah’s approach aligns with governance principles that emphasise conflict reduction, consensus-building and political stability as the foundation for long-term state development.

On campaign arrangements, Jafry said BN would centralise its machinery through Sabah divisions, with party teams deployed to every polling district to mobilise grassroots support.

He said national leaders may be present on nomination day and in the final days before polling.

Responding to questions on party leadership, Jafry said Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had been briefed on the rationale behind the candidate selections and had accepted BN Sabah’s recommendations.

“Autonomy remains with Sabah, and he listened,” Jafry said.

He also revealed that discussions had been held with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and leaders of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) component parties in Kinabatangan, who, he said, had expressed support for the BN candidates.

Addressing speculation on the electoral contest, Jafry said BN was prepared for any scenario.

“This is a democracy. We cannot stop people from contesting. Whatever challenges arise, we will face them,” he said.

BN Sabah, he added, views the strengthening of its position in Kinabatangan not merely as an electoral contest, but as a strategic necessity for Sabah’s political stability and the well-being of its people, in line with the spirit of the Unity Government that prioritises cooperation, prosperity and consensus-based governance.