Activist Miha Named BN Candidate For Lamag

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- Youth activist Mohd Ismail Ayob, better known as Miha, has been nominated as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Lamag state by-election.

Sabah BN chairman Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the selection of Mohd Ismail is in line with the need for young leaders as future leaders and the party’s political governance requirements.

“Based on these considerations, Sabah Barisan Nasional has nominated Miha as a unity candidate through direct membership of Barisan Nasional,” said Jafry, who is also the Sabah UMNO chief.

“This nomination is an institution-based political strategy to strengthen comprehensive cooperation, bridge political divides and ensure the continuity of the people’s development agenda can be implemented without disruption from political uncertainty,” he said here today.

Mohd Ismail, 44, contested as an independent candidate in Lamag in the Sabah state election on Nov 29 but lost to the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin of BN by a majority of 153 votes in a five-cornered fight.

Jafry said this when speaking at Sabah BN’s media gathering held here, which was also attended by BN executive secretary Datuk Mohamad Sahfri Ab Aziz and Sabah UMNO deputy chairman Datuk Hasnol Ayub.

The Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and the Lamag state seat fell vacant following the death of the incumbent, Bung Moktar, who was also Sabah BN chairman, on Dec 5. Lamag seat is within the Kinabatangan constituency.

The Election Commission has set polling day for the Kinabatangan and Lamag by-elections on Jan 24, while nominations and early voting will be held on Jan 10 and 20 respectively.

‎Jafry, who is also Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said Sabah BN is also of the view that strengthening the party’s position in the Kinabatangan area is not merely a matter of electoral competition, but a strategic necessity for political stability and the well-being of the people.

“This is in line with the spirit of the Unity Government, which prioritises prosperity, cooperation and consensus-based governance,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the selection of Kinabatangan UMNO Youth chief Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar as the BN candidate for the Kinabatangan by-election meets the party’s needs in terms of organisational legitimacy, grassroots acceptance and the ability to translate the people’s aspirations.

-- BERNAMA