PETALING JAYA – In the 15th general election (GE15) last year, the son of former Umno leader Datuk Seri Najib Razak stood in Pahang for the first time and won.
With his father serving time in Kajang prison, Mohd Nizar Najib contested in Peramu Jaya and managed to garner 19,337 votes to book himself a seat in the Pahang state assembly.
In the upcoming six state elections, there are several politicians possibly hoping to keep their legacies alive through their children.
Sacked Umno leader Tan Sri Noh Omar who is a Tg Karang veteran is sitting out this election, but his daughter Nurul Syazwani is vying for the Permatang state seat under Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Rumours were rife earlier in April that Noh would be contesting in the Selangor state election on a PN ticket. He was even quoted as saying at the time that when it came to politics, he was not a spectator but has to be involved actively.
However, in June, Noh confirmed that he would not be contesting, but stressed that his mission was to ensure a PN win in Selangor.
Permatang, where Nurul Syazwani is contesting, is a state seat under the Tg Karang parliamentary constituency. It will be a straight fight between her and Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri. In the 14th general election, Rozana Zainal Abidin won the seat for PH.
Over in Negri Sembilan, two candidates cannot shake their obvious family legacies, especially when their fathers are Umno veterans Tan Sri Isa Samad and Tan Sri Rais Yatim.
Mohd Najib Mohd Isa is contesting under Barisan Nasional (BN) in Bagan Pinang. On the ballot paper, his name will appear as “Najib Tan Sri Isa”, in what looks like an apparent attempt to ensure voters are aware of who his father is.
That is, however, not the only reason Isa’s family is in the spotlight this GE. Not only is his son contesting, but his wife Puan Sri Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid has been named as BN’s candidate for the Juasseh seat. She is up against Eddin Syazlee Syith of PN in a straight fight.
Both hold positions in the state Umno with Mohd Najib being the Port Dickson deputy Umno chief and Bibi Sharliza being the Negri Sembilan Wanita Umno chief.
Meanwhile, Danni Rais is PN’s hope to wrest the Klawang seat from PH.
Danni is up against his own cousin, Datuk Bakri Sawir who won the seat in GE14 when he defeated BN’s Baharuddin Jali.
Danni was previously an Umno man but expressed disappointment in the party for sacking his father in 2018. He later joined Bersatu.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Klawang recently, Danni remarked that things were harder for him because of who his father is. He said wherever he went, people would compare and ask if he was able to work like his father.
He said he needed to work hard so that people would know that “Danni could get the job done”. – The Vibes, August 5, 2023
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