KINABATANGAN: Barisan Nasional’s Lamag candidate Mohd Ismail Ayob, or Miha, has dismissed claims that he is not working together with the coalition’s Kinabatangan parliamentary candidate Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar.
He said both of them are closely aligned and coordinating their campaign efforts as polling day draws nearer.
He added that speculation suggesting otherwise was unfounded and did not reflect the realities of campaigning across a vast and geographically challenging constituency.
“We are very close, ‘bagai kuku dengan isi, bagai kening dengan mata’. Our direction is the same, and the issues we raise are issues we have discussed together,” he said, referring to his working relationship with Naim Kurniawan.
He explained that joint appearances were not always possible due to the size of the Kinabatangan and Lamag constituencies, which often require candidates to cover distant areas separately, including locations accessible only after long journeys by road or river.
He said both candidates had entered the final seven days of campaigning with a structured ground strategy centred on door-to-door visits and small-scale engagements to explain their plans directly to voters.
“When he focuses on parliamentary areas and I concentrate on Lamag, it does not mean we are not working together. It is simply the nature of campaigning here,” Miha said when met after he launched his manifesto at Kota Kinabatangan, Saturday night.
Miha said Barisan’s campaign in Lamag remained focused on delivering its manifesto promises, including improvements to basic infrastructure, housing access, youth development and local economic opportunities.
The response follows rumours about a strained relationship between the two candidates which had circulated on the ground, particularly as Miha had contested as an independent in the Nov 29 Sabah election.
Miha was openly critical of Barisan during that campaign. The shift has since fuelled talk among some voters about coordination between the two.
Meanwhile, Naim said the priority in the final stretch was to remain visible on the ground and continue engaging voters on issues affecting their daily lives.
“Our focus is on listening and explaining what can realistically be delivered. People want clarity, not slogans,” he said.
With polling day set for Jan 24, both candidates said they would continue concentrating on coordination and ground engagement, leaving voters to make their choice at the ballot box.
