Naim, who won Kinabatangan with a 14,214-vote majority, credited support from unity government allies, including GRS and Pakatan Harapan (PH), for boosting his campaign.

He said sustaining this cooperation into the 16th general election (GE16) could allow the Sabah unity bloc, led by GRS, to capture at least 21 of the state’s 25 parliamentary seats.

“If the Sabah unity coalition remains intact until GE16, it is possible for us to win 21 parliamentary seats.

“For example, in the recent Kinabatangan by-election, GRS gave its full support and our (BN) majority (votes) increased significantly,” the Umno Youth treasurer told FMT.

Last Saturday, Naim polled 19,852 votes to defeat Warisan’s Saddi Abdul Rahman, who received 5,638 votes. Independent candidate Goldam Hamid garnered 946 votes.

BN also retained the Lamag state seat through Ismail Ayob, who won by a majority of 5,681 votes, a sharp increase from the 153-vote margin recorded in the Sabah state election last November.

Naim’s late father, Bung Moktar Radin, held both seats until his death on Dec 5, which triggered the by-elections.

Sabah Umno treasurer Salleh Said Keruak praised GRS for not contesting Kinabatangan and Lamag, calling it a key factor in BN’s comfortable wins.

BN and GRS were rivals in last year’s state election but later formed a unity government supported by Upko, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat and five independents.

BN had one of its worst showings in the state election, winning only six seats.

Ties between Umno-led BN and GRS were previously strained following the 2023 Kinabalu Move, a failed attempt to topple chief minister Hajiji Noor’s government.

Addressing claims that sympathy for his father had played a role in his victory, Naim said the strength of both candidate and party machinery was equally important.

“Sympathy alone, without the right candidate, will not deliver a win. Even with the right candidate, it will be a problem if the machinery does not work hard,” he added.