KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional and Umno welcome Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar as their candidate for the Kinabatangan by-election.
Sabah Umno chief Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the decision to appoint the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s son was based on the party’s institution.
He said that, in aspects of political science, the continuation of leadership was not based on lineage or generation, but rather on organisational legitimacy, acceptance from the grassroots, and the ability to carry a mandate.
“Naim Kurniawan fulfils all these three pre-conditions,” he said, adding that he was chosen by the party, supported by the machinery and could continue a struggle that came about via service, not just symbolics.
Jafry said the Kinabatangan by-election was not an individuality test, but a test of political stability and the people’s trust in Barisan Nasional to protect the entrusted mandate.
It is a test of whether Barisan can continue its development hold in a strategic yet challenging area, he added.
“Sabah Umno will stand firm, united and focused to ensure that the voices of the people in Kinabatangan continue to be heard and fought for with principle, wisdom and continuity,” he added.
The Kinabatangan parliamentary seat was left vacant after its incumbent Bung Moktar passed away on Dec 5.
His Lamag seat also remains vacant.
Earlier, Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan confirmed that Naim Kurniawan has been named the candidate for Kinabatangan.
He said the announcement was made by Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at a function in Kuala Lumpur.
Naim Kurniawan had later posted on his Facebook about the appointment, saying he accepted the responsibility entrusted to him by Umno and Barisan to continue the party’s legacy in Kinabatangan.
He said this announcement would have been complete if his late father had been present to witness his candidacy.
