Kinabatangan: The Election Commission (EC) has announced that the by-elections for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state seats in Sabah are scheduled for January 24, 2026.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun stated that the nomination day for candidates is on January 10, with early voting taking place on January 20. These announcements were made during a press conference following a special meeting at Menara SPR to finalize key dates for the upcoming by-elections.
The by-elections were necessitated by the passing of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on December 5. The electoral roll for these by-elections includes 48,722 voters, comprising 48,526 ordinary voters and 196 police personnel. The total budget allocated for the by-elections is RM10 million.
In the recent history of Sabah elections, Bung Moktar retained the Lamag seat in the 17th Sabah State Election held on November 29, winning by a narrow margin of 153 votes in a six-cornered contest. The Lamag state seat was initially contested in the 16th Sabah State Election in 2020. Bung Moktar had first won the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat in the 10th General Election of November 1999, serving as Member of Parliament for six terms.
Ramlan confirmed that the campaign period will span 14 days, beginning right after the declaration of candidates on January 10 and concluding at 11:59 pm on January 23. He also noted that applications for postal voting have commenced online, with varying deadlines for different categories of voters.
The EC has appointed one returning officer and eight assistant returning officers to oversee the by-election process. Dewan Sri Lamag in Kinabatangan will serve as the nomination and vote-tallying centre. A workforce of 1,106 personnel has been arranged to facilitate the elections.
A total of 36 regular polling centres with 117 polling stations, along with one early voting centre, will be operational. Prospective candidates are urged to complete and verify their nomination forms promptly, with submissions to be made at the designated centre.
Furthermore, the EC invites government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and interested bodies to act as election observers, ensuring transparency throughout the process from nomination day to the announcement of results.