PETALING JAYA – Hisham is generally understood to be a man’s name.
Which is why Barisan Nasional’s candidate for Ayer Hangat in Kedah has had to work a little extra hard not only to convince voters to choose her in next month’s state polls, but also that she is actually a woman.
Speaking to reporters at a campaign event in Langkawi today, the Umno candidate whose full name is Hisham Suhaily Othman stressed that she is a “genuine woman”.
Her name is the way it is because her late father had wanted all his children to bear the name Hisham.
She was initially registered as Hishamsuhaily at birth, however when she turned 12 and went to have her MyKad done, her name was somehow separated into two, becoming Hisham Suhaily.
This is the name she carries to this day and while it is not usually a problem, this time around – as an election candidate and to avert confusion arising among voters – she has had to clear the air.
According to Hisham Suhaily, one of her brothers is named Hishamsul.
“It’s just that there is always confusion and questions posed from people when they see my name without looking at my face or picture,” she was quoted as saying.
Hisham Suhaily, who also heads Langkawi Wanita Umno, is in a four-cornered fight in Ayer Hangat with Shamsilah Siru of Bersatu and independents Safwan Hanif Shafie and Zulfadli Mohd Yusof. – The Vibes, August 7, 2023
