KINABATANGAN, Jan 23 — Campaign billboards featuring late Datuk Bung Moktar Radin with Barisan Nasional Kinabatangan by-election candidates Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar and Mohd Ismail Ayob are not going down well with some residents here.
The billboards have begun appearing along roadsides and near roundabouts across the constituency.
While some see the visuals as an attempt to project continuity, others say the presentation was improper.
“The way they edited the picture is so scary,” said one who declined to be named, describing the billboard as “eerie” rather than comforting.
Another who wanted to be known as Amir said the billboard crossed the line and was disrespectful to the dead.
“It is wrong to use the image of someone who has passed away like this,” he said. “It is being disrespectful to the dead.”
A female resident who sympathised with Naim for losing his father also felt the billboard was inappropriate.
“I really feel for Naim and his family,” she said. “But the billboard is just wrong, especially the one with Miha in it.”
The billboard places Naim in the foreground, while the image of his late father appears alongside him. A similar version has also been spotted at the Bukit Garam roundabout, where the image includes Lamag candidate, Mohd Ismail Ayob (Miha).
“It is the way they edited the picture,” Amir said. “The late Bung is shown placing his hand on Mohd Ismail’s shoulder, even though Miha had negative remarks about Bung less than a month ago when he contested as an independent in Lamag during the last Sabah election.”
Miha lost to Bung by mere 153 votes.
Bung served as the Kinabatangan Member of Parliament from 1999 until his death in 2025, holding the seat for 26 years.
Naim, who is the Kinabatangan Umno Youth chief, previously served as Bung’s campaign manager during the Nov 29 Sabah state election. Following Bung’s death on December 5 last year, Naim was selected by Barisan Nasional to defend the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat. — Daily Express
