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THE by-elections for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and the Lamag state assembly constituency will officially begin tomorrow with the opening of the candidate nomination process at Dewan Sri Lamag.
Prospective candidates are scheduled to submit their nomination papers at the Nomination Centre from 9 a.m., with the submission window closing one hour later. Once nominations are processed, the returning officer will announce the list of qualified candidates for both contests.
Barisan Nasional (BN) has named Mohd Naim Kurniawan, son of the late Bung Moktar Radin and current Kinabatangan UMNO Youth chief, as its candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat.
For Lamag, BN has selected Mohd Ismail Ayob, also known as Miha, a former independent candidate in the 17th Sabah state election.
Parti Warisan has fielded former Sukau state assemblyman Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman as its parliamentary candidate in Kinabatangan, while party central executive committee member Mazliwati Abdul Malek will contest the Lamag state seat.
The by-elections follow the death of Bung Moktar, 66, on December 5 last year. The Election Commission (EC) has scheduled a 14-day campaigning period, beginning after the announcement of candidates tomorrow and ending at 11:59 p.m. on January 23.
There are 48,722 registered voters in both constituencies, comprising 48,526 ordinary voters and 196 early voters, including police personnel and their spouses.
Voting will take place at 36 ordinary polling centres with 117 channels, and one early voting centre with a single channel. Polling day for both seats is set for January 24, with early voting on January 20.
MetMalaysia forecasts rain in several areas of Kinabatangan during the morning hours tomorrow, potentially affecting voter turnout.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun confirmed that 926 officers will be deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of both by-elections.
In addition, Jalan Dato Pengiran Galpam, stretching from the Syariah Court to Simpang 3 leading to Jalan Dato Malek Chua, will be temporarily closed at 7 a.m. on nomination day.
On polling day, the road closure will begin at 5 p.m. and remain in effect until the completion of vote counting and announcement of results.
The closely watched by-elections are seen as a key test of voter sentiment in Sabah following the passing of a long-serving representative, with parties mobilising to secure crucial parliamentary and state seats in the region. - January 9, 2025