KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) have welcomed the announcement of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin's son Mohd Naim Kurniawan (pic) as the coalition’s candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election.
Sabah Umno chief Datuk Jafry Ariffin said leadership continuity is not about lineage but organisational legitimacy, grassroots acceptance and the capacity to carry the people’s mandate, which he said Naim possesses.
He said Naim was selected through party institutional processes, backed by grassroots machinery and reflects continuity built on service rather than symbolism.
Jafry said the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election would test political stability, public trust and BN’s ability to retain a development mandate in a strategic and challenging constituency.
He said Sabah Umno would remain united and focused on ensuring the voices of Kinabatangan voters continue to be represented with principle, credibility and consistency.