It's Not a Sympathy Vote, It's More About Loyalty.

Rakyat still chose Mohd Kurniawan Naim Mokhtar as the Kinabatangan MP and Mohd Ismail Haji Ayob (MIHA) as the Lamag Assemblyman. 

The final result with BN in the Kinabatangan Parliamentary constituency obtaining 19,852 votes (75 percent) in a three-way contest against Warisan and an independent candidate.

The seat was previously held by Naim's father, the late Bung Moktar Radin in the 2022 General Election with a victory of 16,842 (57.4 percent) in a one-on-one contest against Warisan.

Although there is a view of sympathy votes expressed by one of the analysts, in fact it is more driven by the long-standing close relationship between the late Bung and the residents of the surrounding area.

Lee Kuok Tiung from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said the victory was contributed by sympathy votes as well as the long-standing relationship between Bung Moktar Radin and voters in the area. - Click: PRK: BN menang kerana undi simpati, faktor Bung, kata penganalisis - FMT

The late Bung, who passed away early on December 5, represented the Kinabatangan Parliament for six terms and defended the Lamag seat in the November PRN.

At the same time, for the Lamag state seat, candidate Ismail Ayob representing the BN candidate recorded victory when he obtained 7,269 votes (82.1 percent) one to one against Warisan.

Barisan Nasional Chairman and UMNO President, Dato' Seri Diraja Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, through his social media page, expressed his gratitude and expressed his appreciation and thanks to all the people of the Kinabatangan Parliament and Lamag state for the mandate given in this by-election.

 

"This decision reflects the people's confidence in the continuity of leadership and the stability expected for this area." - Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Barisan Nasional Chairman.