KOTA KINABALU — The Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership has selected Mohd Naim Kurniawan, son of the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, as its candidate for the upcoming Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, which will take place on January 24.
Mohd Naim confirmed the announcement through his Facebook page, expressing appreciation to BN chairman and UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for placing trust in him to carry forward the party’s struggle in Kinabatangan.
He described the nomination as both an honour and a deeply emotional responsibility, acknowledging that his late father would have been proud to witness the moment.
“Allah knows best. I will shoulder this responsibility with determination, sincerity and full dedication for Kinabatangan,” he said.
Sabah UMNO earlier revealed that four names had been shortlisted for consideration to fill the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and the Lamag state seat following Bung Moktar’s death earlier this month.
Bung Moktar, aged 66, passed away on December 5 at a private hospital in Kota Kinabalu due to kidney and lung complications. His passing marked the end of a significant chapter in Sabah politics, as he had long been regarded as one of the state’s most prominent leaders.
With this announcement, BN is expected to leverage both sentiment and legacy appeal as it prepares for a closely watched by-election, while voters assess whether Mohd Naim can continue the leadership tradition established by his late father.