KOTA KINABALU: Political parties are eyeing popular Kinabatangan youth activist Mohd Ismail Ayob, better known as Miha, as a potential candidate for the Lamag state seat by-election.
Miha, who previously contested as an independent and narrowly lost to the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, is believed to be on the radar of Barisan Nasional, which is considering him as a possible choice for the Jan 24 by-election.
However, Barisan has yet to make any announcement on its potential candidate for Lamag, although it has already named Bung Moktar’s son, Naim Kurniawan, as its choice for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, which was also vacated following Bung Moktar’s death on Dec 5.
When contacted, Miha said he was aware of speculation surrounding his name but stressed that no formal discussions had taken place.
He said his focus remained on community work in Kinabatangan and Lamag, adding that any decision on contesting would depend on discussions with his family and supporters.
Miha was seen as a dark horse in the last state election and came into the spotlight when, as an independent, came close to defeating Bung Moktar in a field of six candidates, including heavyweights from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
Despite losing by a narrow 153-vote margin and initially indicating his intention to file an election petition, Ismail has since decided not to pursue the matter further.
In the Kinabatangan area, particularly in Lamag, the youth activist is well known for his grassroots engagement, including providing assistance to local entrepreneurs, supporting sports programmes such as football through the Miha Football Club, and running his own service unit, the Miha Community Service Unit.
Meanwhile, other sources within Sabah Umno said the party would need to take into account the views of local Kinabatangan Umno leaders before deciding whether to field an external candidate for Lamag.
On the other hand, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Warisan have hinted that they may not field candidates in the by-election, although neither has confirmed its stance.
