26/01/2026

MONDAY | JAN 26, 2026

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‘Barisan victories in by-elections no surprise’

King departs for special visit to Russia JOHOR BAHRU: His Majesty the King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim departed yesterday for Russia for a special visit until Tuesday. The King’s visit to Saint Petersburg is at the special invitation of President Vladimir Putin, said a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s official Facebook page. The aircraft carrying His Majesty took off from the royal hangar at Senai International Airport at 8.25am. The Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail and the Tunku Temenggong of Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj were present to send off Sultan Ibrahim. – Bernama Winners pledge to serve well KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar and Mohd Ismail Ayob thanked voters on Saturday after winning the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections respectively. The Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders said the results reflect public confidence in leadership continuity and political stability. Mohd Kurniawan, 32, who retained the traditional BN stronghold of Kinabatangan, described the mandate as a huge responsibility and pledged to develop the constituency. “Thank you so much to my mother, the entire BN and party machineries in the Sabah Unity government and the most appreciated (Kinabatangan) community who have celebrated our democracy today. “Obviously, this mandate is a huge responsibility and I promise to work for the community who elected me. Insya Allah, I will serve the people well.” Mohd Ismail, 44, said his Lamag win was a mandate to carry the voice of residents to the state assembly and continue his work with NGOs. “Thank you to all Lamag residents who never stopped supporting me, and also those who did not. Let’s hope with the end of today’s election, we can rekindle our ties and make Lamag a place to come together.” Mohd Kurniawan secured a majority of 14,214 votes, defeating Warisan’s Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman and independent Goldam Hamid, retaining the seat held by his father since 1999. Mohd Ismail won the Lamag state seat with a majority of 5,681 votes against Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek. BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the victories reflect the people’s trust in leadership continuity and the stability expected for both constituencies. He called it a “great trust that must be borne with full responsibility in continuing the service legacy of the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin who made Kinabatangan and Lamag central to his lifelong struggle”. Sabah BN chairman Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the results symbolised unity in leadership, maturity of political cooperation and public confidence in Sabah’s development direction. “To Naim and Miha (Mohd Ismail), the trust given must be shouldered with full responsibility and high commitment to ensure Kinabatangan and Lamag continue to be protected, empowered and developed sustainably.” Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki praised the party machinery for its effectiveness and congratulated the winners on continuing the leadership legacy of the late Bung Moktar. – Bernama

o Beyond legacy, coalition’s strong alliance with GRS proves decisive in securing commanding margins, says academic

He said with BN’s victors being young, voters are increasingly demanding tangible results over legacy politics. “Entrenched networks in rural areas mean change won’t happen overnight and progress is likely to be incremental rather than abrupt.” Romzi also flagged policies dealing with affordable living, education and skills training as well as rural connectivity as issues that resonate across generations. On infrastructure promises, such as the Pan Borneo Highway in Kinabatangan, he said delivery must be paired with clear timelines, open procurement, regular updates and independent oversight to ensure efficiency and maintain public trust. Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar, son of the late Bung Moktar, won the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat with 19,852 votes, a majority of 14,214. Mohd Kurniawan described his victory as a reflection of the growing democratic maturity of the Kinabatangan electorate. “This mandate comes with great responsibility. I pledge to work for the community that has chosen me. I was elected based on various policies and I will carry out this duty with full commitment.” He added that while the role of an elected representative is not permanent, he remains committed to serving the people sincerely. Mohd Ismail Ayob, commonly known as Miha, secured 7,269 votes to claim the Lamag state seat. Miha said his election would allow him to bring the people’s voice to a higher platform. “My experience working with NGOs will strengthen my role as an assemblyman.”

Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

BN, even if not in the numbers initially expected. This reflects the cooperation between the two coalitions and reinforces the perception that BN is part of the state government.” Azmi said BN’s long-term success in Sabah hinges on maintaining strong partnerships with local parties rather than relying on Pakatan Harapan (PH). “Despite BN and GRS contesting against each other in the last state election, the results show that BN needs to relearn how to assert dominance in Sabah politics. That requires a strong alliance with GRS.” He said while BN may contest solo in upcoming elections, “solo” does not mean standing alone. Regarding an alliance with PH, Azmi said the coalition plays a minor role in Sabah, where the primary challenge comes from local parties, particularly GRS, in countering Warisan’s influence. Universiti Malaysia Sabah political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Romzi Ationg said elected representatives must prioritise consistent service delivery, transparent communication, cost-of-living relief and visible constituency engagement. “Demonstrating integrity and responsiveness beyond election cycles is crucial to building trust steadily among diverse voters.”

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional’s (BN) victories in the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections were widely anticipated. Beyond legacy, the coalition’s strong alliance with the current Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government proved decisive in securing commanding margins. Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan described BN’s wins as a “resurgence”, highlighting the significant margins compared with the 2025 state election and the 2022 general election. “BN retaining both Kinabatangan and Lamag was expected. What stood out, however, whether surprising or not, was the significantly larger majority compared with previous elections. “The late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin did not secure particularly large majorities before, especially in Lamag.” Azmi said votes cast as a tribute to him contributed to BN’s strong performance, particularly given the coalition’s role in the state government. However, he added: “BN requires a strong ally, and in this case, that ally is GRS. “This was especially evident in Lamag, where GRS supporters turned out to vote for

Mohd Kurniawan and Mohd Ismail (left) celebrating their victories in the by-elections. – BERNAMAPIC

Barisan victories must be met with strong sense of responsibility: Anwar KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Barisan Nasional (BN) victories in the Sabah by-elections reflect the people’s continued confidence in the efforts, service and commitment shown at the grassroots level. In a post on his Facebook page yesterday, Anwar said the success must be met with a strong sense of responsibility as it represents the trust of the people who expect leadership with integrity, effective service delivery and the ability to meet community needs in an inclusive and sustained manner. “The Madani government will continue to uphold the spirit of consensus and togetherness to ensure that development in Sabah is further strengthened, the wellbeing of the people remains safeguarded and the agenda is realised through shared determination.” Anwar congratulated BN on successfully retaining both the parliamentary and state seats, and extended his congratulations to the

newly representatives, Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar and Mohd Ismail Ayob. He expressed hope that the legacy of service and leadership left by the late Bung Moktar Radin, would continue to be upheld. – Bernama elected