KINABATANGAN: Newly elected Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar has pledged to deliver on his promises after securing a 14,214-vote majority to retain the seat held by his late father, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
"This mandate comes with a very heavy responsibility," he said following the result announcement late Saturday (Jan 24).
Naim, who campaigned on a 10-point manifesto, garnered 19,852 votes for Barisan Nasional to defeat Parti Warisan candidate Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman, who received 5,638 votes.
Independent Goldam Hamid picked up 746 votes. Meanwhile, Barisan’s Mohd Ismail Ayob, known as Miha, won the Lamag state seat with a 5,681-vote majority, polling 7,269 votes against Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek who obtained 1,588 votes.
The dual by-elections were held following the death of Sabah Barisan strongman Bung Moktar on Dec 5.
Local political observers described the victories as expected but were surprised by the scale of the majorities.
They attributed the win to Bung Moktar’s three-decade legacy and support from state unity government partners, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the victory reflected the people's trust in stable, integrity-based leadership.
He noted that the success symbolised the maturity of political cooperation in the state.
The results maintain the political status quo in both Parliament and the Sabah State Assembly.
