KINABATANGAN: Along several roads and near roundabouts in Kinabatangan, large campaign billboards bearing the face of Barisan Nasional’s candidate, Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar, have begun appearing, but it is not just his image that draws attention.
The billboard places Naim in the foreground, while the image of his late father, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, appears alongside him, with party branding and campaign messaging kept minimal.
A similar billboard has also been spotted at the Bukit Garam roundabout, featuring the same visual pairing of Naim and his late father, alongside Barisan’s Lamag candidate, Mohd Ismail Ayob @ Miha, who contested against Bung Moktar as an independent candidate in the last Sabah election.
Naim, the Kinabatangan Umno Youth chief, is no stranger to the local political machinery. During the Nov 29 Sabah state election, he served as campaign manager for Bung Moktar when the Umno leader contested the Lamag state seat.
Following Bung Moktar’s death on Dec 5 last year, Naim was selected by Barisan Nasional to defend the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, a move seen by many as reinforcing his close political association with his father.
Bung Moktar served as the Kinabatangan MP from 1999 until his death in 2025, holding the seat for 26 years.
Some observers view the inclusion of his late father’s image as an attempt to garner sympathy, while others see it as a statement of continuity, linking Naim’s candidacy to both his family’s legacy and Bung’s long-standing presence in Kinabatangan politics.
Previously, Naim had acknowledged that sympathy votes may exist, but said he is not relying on sentiment alone.
He has said his focus remains on completing what his late father had started, while continuing Bung’s aspirations to address long-standing issues faced by residents in Kinabatangan, particularly problems related to water supply, electricity and road access.
