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POLITICAL cooperation among Sabah-based parties must take precedence over rivalry to safeguard stability and serve the interests of the people, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Thursday, as he urged voters to rally behind a united front in the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election.
Zahid, who is also UMNO president, said the era of intense inter-party competition should be put behind, stressing that Sabah’s political landscape has evolved and now demands collaboration for the greater good of the state’s future.
He said the legacy of service in Kinabatangan left by the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin should be continued by his son, Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar, whom Barisan Nasional has fielded as its candidate in the by-election.
According to Zahid, cooperation between Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation in Kinabatangan represents the most effective formula for securing victory and ensuring political stability.
“Previously, we fought fiercely to win, but today the situation has changed after the late Bung Moktar left us,” he said in his speech at the Sentuhan Kasih Desa Kuamut programme at Dataran Tongod.
“I feel that enough is enough when it comes to politics. This cooperation is far more important for the benefit of the people,” he added.
Also present at the event were UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Sabah UMNO liaison chairman Jafry Ariffin, Kuamut state assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah and BN Kinabatangan candidate Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar.
Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said political parties should be seen as bridges linking the people with both the state and federal governments, and that this role must be strengthened through unity rather than division.
He reaffirmed his long-standing relationship with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, saying their friendship and political partnership spans more than three decades, dating back to their time together in UMNO.
“The people of Sabah have chosen Hajiji as their leader, and he deserves full support,” Ahmad Zahid said.
“I am also confident that if the people choose Naim, he will be able to deliver services that are just as good, if not better, than those provided by the late Bung Moktar,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid said recent political developments in Sabah demonstrate that stability has become the overriding priority in the interest of the people.
He noted that although Barisan Nasional holds only six seats in the state legislative assembly, its decision to support GRS enabled the formation of a legitimate and stable state government.
He therefore called on voters, particularly in the Kinabatangan constituency, to set aside differences in the upcoming by-election and to support the BN candidate in the interest of unity and continued stability. - January 22, 2026