Bangkok: Kinabatangan UMNO Youth chief Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar fulfills three vital prerequisites to be Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sabah UMNO liaison committee chairman Datuk Jafry Ariffin identified the prerequisites as organisation legitimacy, grassroots acceptance, and the ability to carry the voters’ mandate. He emphasized that Mohd Naim Kurniawan’s fulfillment of these criteria underscores the importance of leadership continuity, which is not solely reliant on familial ties.

Datuk Jafry Ariffin stated, “He (Mohd Naim Kurniawan) was chosen on considerations of party institution, grassroots support and carries the continued struggle translated through service and not mere symbolism.” He further explained that the Kinabatangan by-election serves as a test of political institutional stability, voter trust, and BN’s capability to maintain a development mandate in a challenging strategic region.

As Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister, Jafry expressed that Sabah UMNO is supportive of this decision. The party remains committed to ensuring that the voices of Kinabatangan residents are championed in a principled manner.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed Mohd Naim Kurniawan as the coalition’s candidate following the death of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on December 5. Bung Moktar was also the winner of the Lamag state seat during the 17th Sabah state election on November 29.

The Election Commission has scheduled January 24, 2026, as the polling day for both the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election and the Lamag state by-election, with nominations set for January 10 and early voting on January 20.