Kinabatangan and Lamag by-elections expected to feature Bung Moktar’s inner circle

THE forthcoming by-elections in the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and the Lamag state seat—triggered by the death of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin—are expected to see candidates closely linked to the late leader contesting under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner.

Among the individuals widely mentioned is Bung Moktar’s son, Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar, who heads UMNO Youth in Kinabatangan. Also tipped is Sabah’s newly appointed UMNO chief and Kinabatangan UMNO deputy division chief, Datuk Jafry Ariffin.

Mohd Naim is considered the likely BN candidate for the Lamag state seat, while Jafry—currently the Sukau assemblyman—is expected to contest the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat. Bung Moktar held Lamag from 2020 until his death and Kinabatangan since 1999.

The Election Commission will announce polling dates following its special meeting on 16 December, after confirming receipt of notifications declaring unexpected vacancies in both constituencies.

Bung Moktar, who died while receiving treatment at Gleneagles Hospital in Kota Kinabalu last Friday, had only recently secured a second term in Lamag at the 17th Sabah State Election on 29 November. He won by a narrow 153-vote majority with 3,908 votes, defeating independent candidate Mohd Ismail Ayob, who garnered 3,755 votes in a six-way contest.

He also retained the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat for a sixth term at the 15th General Election in November 2022, securing 16,842 votes and beating Mazliwati Abdul Malek Chua of Parti Warisan, who obtained 12,512 votes.

Mohd Naim, who serves as Treasurer of UMNO Youth at the national level, is seen as a natural choice to continue his father’s legacy in Lamag. Jafry, meanwhile, is viewed as the most suitable successor in Kinabatangan, having been one of Bung Moktar’s closest and most trusted allies.

Recently appointed Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Jafry stood firmly with Bung Moktar in leading UMNO Kinabatangan and UMNO Sabah, including during the party’s difficult period following the fall of UMNO-BN in 2018.

Given Bung Moktar’s nearly three decades of service and influence in Kinabatangan, some parties have proposed that other political groups refrain from contesting the by-elections, allowing BN’s successors to win uncontested as a gesture of respect to the late leader. - December 11, 2025