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BARISAN Nasional (BN) has been urged to intensify its campaign efforts and avoid complacency despite fielding experienced candidates and enjoying support from coalition partners, following the entry of Parti Warisan in the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections.
Chief of BN’s War Room Secretariat Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan stressed that the presence of a high-profile Warisan candidate requires BN’s machinery to operate with greater discipline and coordination to secure victory.
“I wish to remind our campaign teams not to be overconfident because Warisan is fielding a candidate who is no ordinary contestant. We cannot take this challenge lightly even though BN’s candidates are equally capable,” he said.
Ahmad highlighted that BN’s candidates bring strong local knowledge and dedication.
“Saudara Naim Kurniawan Mokhtar, as the Kinabatangan parliamentary candidate, is the Chief of UMNO Youth in the division and understands the constituency thoroughly, while the Lamag state candidate, Miha (Muhammad Ismail Haj Ayub), has shown high levels of commitment,” he added.
Speaking during a site visit to the Pan Borneo Sabah Phase 1B project at the Pan Borneo Work Package 25 office in Kampung Perpaduan Datuk Mohd Ugi on Friday, Ahmad, who is also Deputy Minister of Public Works, stressed that BN would not seek to exploit the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s passing for sympathy votes.
“I wish to make it clear that we are not seeking votes out of sympathy for the deceased. There is no benefit in switching to another party, as BN was the victor in Kinabatangan and Lamag previously.
Even without seeking sympathy, we remain empathetic and hope the people will give our two candidates the opportunity to continue serving the community,” he said.
Ahmad, a member of UMNO’s Supreme Council, also noted that he had attended a meeting of BN’s campaign teams chaired by Datuk Seri Jafry Ariffin, appointed as BN’s election director for the by-elections.
Jafry’s appointment was made by UMNO President and BN Chairman at a meeting held at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre (PWTC) last Monday.
“The meeting last night discussed several key matters, including the coordination of campaign activities at the local division level. For instance, if a division chief is unavailable due to Umrah or other reasons, we cannot wait and must immediately appoint a replacement.
With candidate nominations imminent, all issues relating to logistics, operations, and constituency allocations in areas such as Kuamut, Sukau, and Lamag must be resolved promptly,” he said.
Ahmad also expressed his appreciation to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and other parties that chose not to field candidates, ensuring the contest would not see a split in votes. - January 9, 2025