Academic Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said the state chapter should be given full authority to plan the strategy and lay the groundwork for campaigning.

“If there are contests for the two seats, it is better for Umno if its Sabah leaders are the only ones campaigning because the narrative of West Malaysian leaders may not be acceptable in the local political context,” Lee told FMT.

“Umno needs to localise (its by-election campaign),” he said.

Barisan Nasional (BN) won only six of the 45 seats it contested in the state election as Sabahans voted overwhelmingly in favour of local parties.

Bung Moktar Radin was Kinabatangan MP and Lamag assemblyman until his death on Dec 5, leaving both seats vacant. The by-elections for the two seats will be held on Jan 24.

BN has named Bung’s son, Naim Kurniawan Moktar, as its candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, while Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Perikatan Nasional have stated that they will not vie for the two seats.

Lee said the high regard that voters had for Bung will serve as an advantage for Naim, helping him to gain sympathy votes. Bung had represented the constituency since 1999.

He added that Bung’s legacy will also give Naim access to staunch Umno supporters who had personal relationships with the former Sabah Umno chief after having served them for decades.

Another UMS analyst, Syahruddin Awang Ahmad, said Naim’s candidacy is pragmatic given that legacy has often been a key factor in election outcomes.

A victory in Kinabatangan is all the more important given that BN can ill-afford to lose one of its already very few strongholds left in Sabah, Syahruddin told FMT.

He said that while BN can fall back on Bung’s record, it should not rest on his laurels given that independent candidates and “mosquito” parties may want to mount a challenge.

Syahruddin added that these candidates cannot be underestimated as they could split the votes in favour of BN’s rivals.