2026 Kinabatangan by-election

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2026 Kinabatangan by-election
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P187 Kinabatangan seat in the Dewan Rakyat
 BNWARISANIND
CandidateNaim Kurniawan MoktarSaddi Abdul RahmanGoldam Hamid
Party UMNO WARISAN Independent
Alliance BN
MP before election

Bung Moktar Radin (died)
BN (UMNO)

Elected MP

TBA
TBA

By-elections in Kinabatangan are scheduled to be held on 24 January 2026 for the Dewan Rakyat seat of Kinabatangan . It was called following the death of Bung Moktar Radin on 5 December 2025. [1] Bung served as the Kinabatangan MP from 1999. The by-election is held concurrently with the 2026 Lamag by-election, the state seat Bung held.

Contents

The election is the fourth federal by-election since GE15 and part of the second set of by-elections where an incumbent death led to simultaneous by-elections in both parliamentary and state constituencies since Pulai and Simpang Jeram in 2023. [note 1]

Background

Kinbatangan is a Sabah Bumiputera-majority seat comprising 65.0% of the overall voters, followed by 27.6% Malay-Muslim Bumiputera, 5.40% of other ethnicities and 2.0% Chinese.

Bung Moktar died on 5 December 2025 at Kota Kinabalu Gleneagles Hospital, [2] after being hospitalized for kidney failure and a lung infection. [3]

Nomination

On 19 December 2025, Barisan Nasional named Naim Kurniawan Moktar, the son of Bung Mokhtar, as their candidate for the seat. [4] Warisan nominated former Sukau assemblyman Saddi Abdul Rahman as their candidate on 5 January 2026. [5]

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah announced it would not contest the seat out of respect for Bung. [6] Perikatan Nasional similarly also decided not to contest both the Kinabatangan and Lamag seats. [7]

Timeline

The key dates are listed below. [8]

DateEvent
5 December 2025Bung Moktar Radin died in office as the Kinabatangan MP
16 December 2025Issue of the Writ of Election
10 January 2026Nomination Day
10 - 23 January 2026Campaigning Period
20 January 2026Early Polling Day For Postal, Overseas and Advance Voters
24 January 2026Polling Day

Results

Malaysian general by-election, 24 January 2026: Kinabatangan
Upon the death of the incumbent, Bung Moktar Radin
PartyCandidateVotes% ∆%
BN Naim Kurniawan MoktarTBATBATBA
Heritage Saddi Abdul RahmanTBATBATBA
Independent Goldam HamidTBATBATBA
Total valid votesTBA100.00
Total rejected ballotsTBA
Unreturned ballotsTBA
TurnoutTBATBA
Registered electors48,722
MajorityTBA

Previous results

Malaysian general election, 2022 : Kinabatangan
PartyCandidateVotes% ∆%
BN Bung Mokhtar Radin 16,84257.43Decrease2.svg 12.13
Heritage Mazliwati Abdul Malek Chua12,51242.62Increase2.svg 19.44
Total valid votes29,354100.00
Total rejected ballots452
Unreturned ballots76
Turnout29,88265.56Decrease2.svg 11.91
Registered electors44,773
Majority4,33014.81Decrease2.svg 29.24
BN hold Swing
Source(s)
https://lom.agc.gov.my/ilims/upload/portal/akta/outputp/1753262/PUB619_2022.pdf

Notes

  1. ↑ Not counting the federal by-election for Padang Serai and state by-election for Tioman, both of which were delayed to 7 December 2022 because of the death of the respective candidates after nomination day for GE15. Both by-elections and results are considered as part of the 2022 general election and 2022 Pahang state election.

References

  1. ↑ Vanar, Mugunthan (5 December 2025). "Sabah BN chairman Bung passes away". The Star. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Bung Moktar hospitalised with kidney failure and severe lung infection - Jafry". New Straits Times. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Bung Mokhtar's son named BN candidate for Kinabatangan by-election". Bernama . 20 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Warisan announces candidates for Kinabatangan, Lamag by-elections". The Edge . 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  6. ↑ Chan, Julia (16 December 2025). "GRS unlikely to contest Kinabatangan, Lamag by‑elections out of respect for Bung Moktar, says Hajiji". The Malay Mail . Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Mahsinah Abdullah, Sharifah (10 December 2025). "PN to sit out Kinabatangan, Lamag by-elections in Sabah". New Straits Times . Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "PRK Parlimen Kinabatangan, DUN Lamag pada 24 Jun 2026". Bernama . 2025-12-16. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
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